Once you get the love of sailing in your blood, it’s hard to get out. Bob and Denise Maher learned that this spring when they purchased a brand-new Marlow Hunter 37.
For 6 years, Bob and Denise were SailTime Chicago members, sailing out of North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor, IL. They started on a Hunter 33, then moved up to a Hunter 36 after a few years. They had over an hour’s drive to Winthrop Harbor, but they were there all the time! Base Manager, Ryan Remsing, often found Bob working remotely from the boat at the dock. Working a few hours on the computer, before coming up to enjoy time outside in the cockpit. What a workday!
Then, they had to leave the SailTime program. They moved to Kemah Texas in spring 2014, where no SailTime program was at the time. (There is now)
Bob said, “Our experience with SailTime Chicago started October 2007 on a rather blustery day on Lake Michigan. I completed my ASA 101 with wind gusts up to 30 knots with SailTime Chicago instructor Jim Stewart. The following spring, 2008, my wife completed her ASA 101, we were then off on a one of a kind – lifetime adventure that allowed us the opportunity to discover our passion and affection for sailing, being on and close to the water, and the boating community. ”
“We always found the staff at the Chicago sailing base to be friendly, supportive and committed to making the overall sailing experience an enjoyable and affordable pastime. Our membership with SailTime Chicago continued through October 2013 and motivated our plans and thinking when we relocated to Kemah, TX. We chose to purchase a new Marlow Hunter 37 and enjoy a more favorable climate and sailing experience nearly year around,” adds Denise.
When our sailing program launched over a decade ago, industry experts warned that such access to cruising yachts could kill the sales of them. But what has transpired since then is quite the contrary. While not all members go on to buy a new or used sailboat, this story is not an anomaly. The exciting part for us, is that we know these seasoned members come boat buyers know much more about what they want in a boat than most who will walk into a brokerage on any Saturday!
Fair winds, Bob and Denise! We wish you nothing but fair winds and following seas down in Kemah.
