Stephen and I met Nim and Fabiola a couple of years before we sold them a boat. We were neighbors in the Fort Lauderdale marina where our Bali 5.4, Z3, is docked much of the time.
They were already living aboard, which for some dreamers, is enough. But, they yearned for more as they dreamt of leaving demanding jobs behind. They had the perfect combination of business sense, love of people, enjoyment of entertaining, and a gourmet command of the galley to make it happen.
And, they did! After helping them sell their boat and buy a Lagoon 450 they named LUNA, we were not the least surprised that their crewed yacht charter was every bit successful as their previous careers.
“When we were thinking about getting into this business, we met Estelle and Stephen Cockcroft, who run a company called Catamaran Guru. They helped point us in the right direction when we were looking to buy a yacht that would be the perfect fit for crewed charters. Later, they taught us how to create a successful crewed yacht charter business as owner/operators,” says Nim Hirschhorn. And sailLUNA.com was born.
The video is an interview with Sailtrek that has not only their story of starting a charter yacht business but also about how they coped then thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Check out the Forbes interview of a woman who gave up a $140,000 job to follow her dreams.
This dynamic sailing duo was also interviewed by Orlando Zayas of Katapult (Google him, very interesting guy…turned down for a Gap credit card in 2008, he is now at the helm of a multi-billion dollar business). Orlando blogs at medium.com. We think he asked the best people about how to “create a wow! customer experience”.
Read this great interview about Nim, Fabiola, their LUNA, and what they attribute their amazing yacht charter business success to.
We asked Nim and Fabiola if Catamaran Guru’s service has been valuable to them and here is what they had to say:
“Starting a new luxury crewed catamaran business as owner operators is not easy; working with Stephen and Estelle was a key point in making this happen. They both gave us the confidence, guided us through the whole process and really helped us build our business from scratch. Catamaran Guru’s service is invaluable. They are very well connected in the industry and refer you to the right professional to make things happen. This has been our experience since day one. Stephen and Estelle are truly THE Catamaran Gurus!”
Build Your Own Crewed Yacht Charter business
Nim and Fabiola think a lot like we do at Catamaran Guru. Customer service is the top priority and is best created by knowing the real needs and wants of your customers.
When you start a conversation with Catamaran Guru, you will not find yourself being sold a boat. You will find yourself in an ever-deepening conversation about your financial goals, your dreams, and the right boat for your intended use.
As specifics are sorted out, we offer resources for the right boat ownership program, available boats, surveys, insurance, yacht mortgage resources, marine service techs…whatever you need.
We don’t sell you a boat or sign you up for a charter program. We assist you in reaching your goal of setting up a crewed yacht charter business which includes planning for exiting the business. We give you the tools to wow your yacht charter clients…and we aim to earn a “Wow!” from you.
Why Work with Us?
Work with our Catamaran Guru team if you want advice from people who have already done what you are trying to do. Most of our team are or have been liveaboards. We have been boat owners, charter business owners and operators, sailing instructors, cruisers…you name it!
Because we have lived it, we can share insight and help you vet your ideas and get to where you want to be faster and with less risk.
Read about our Catamaran Guru team.
