Owning a cruising catamaran on the Chesapeake for years is a dream to so many. But what if life dealt you a hand that provided the ability to own a second one, and you could relive the dream all over again? That is just the situation that new Leopard 45 owners, Trish and Glen, have stumbled upon. And I was lucky enough to join them on their maiden voyage for a sea trial on their handover day.
For those of you who are wondering what "handover day" is, it is the day where new owners take their boat out for a sea trial for the first time, they do a final walkthrough with their sales agent and then the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted. The final installment is paid and the boat officially belongs to the eager new owners!
Trish and Glen couldn't be more excited about becoming two-time Leopard Owners. Trish confirms, "Owning a boat like this is a once in a lifetime, but twice in a lifetime? We never imaged that we would be so blessed! We bought our first Leopard, a Leopard 39, at the 2010 Annapolis Boat Show. And 10 years later, we are ready to start our next chapter aboard 'Radiant Hope', our Leopard 45."
When they bought their Leopard 39, Grace was 11 (now 22), Abby was 9 (now 20), and Maddy was 7 (now almost 18). "From the time they were small, we wanted to instill a sense of adventure in them. They were great little travelers, always ready on short notice with a backpack filled. Off we'd go. All three girls still love to travel and are still very spontaneous," Trish continues,
"The photo of us all on the trampoline was our last trip as a family on our 39. We took the girls up through NYC, under all the bridges, up close to the Statue of Liberty, out to Long Island, where Glen grew up." When thinking about the future plans on their L45, and sailing with their daughters, now 18, 20 and 22 years old, Trish smiles and says, "PRICELESS." Glen adds, "We don't vacation, we adventure."
Glen attested to the power of social media and owner forums for obtaining an understanding of how to outfit their new Leopard 45. “It’s hard to imagine buying a cruising catamaran nowadays without the advice of other owners through social media and forums. We’ve received so much good information on where to place things and what options to get.”
It's not only the Leopard community but the catamaran community and sailing community in general, that makes yacht ownership such a one-of-a-kind experience, or in Glen and Trish's case, a two-time experience.
When I met with Glen and Trish for the first time, I thought it would be a great idea to fire off a list of questions and get their answers as they relate to their time sailing and cruising.
Read below to learn more about this generous, fun-loving couple. You just might find yourselves signing up for a charter on their boat in the Chesapeake!
We are going to do some Florida sailing for a month or so for break-in and vessel orientation and then ride the Gulf Stream up to the Chesapeake Bay and Annapolis. I (Glen) graduated from the Naval Academy, so we love the early summer morning PEP for the Plebe’s echoing over the Bay, as well as home football games and class reunions in the Fall and lacrosse game in the Spring.
For the Winter, it would be island hopping from Ft Lauderdale out to Anegada, BVI. Summer would be Glen’s home waters of Long Island Sound and out to Montauk Point, Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod.
On the Chesapeake Bay it is Annapolis and St. Michael’s (particularly slipping in the quiet, back-door through San Domingo Creek). Though we have recently discovered some wineries that can be visited by boat and we are excited to share that with friends and guests.
Patience. We had to order and wait. There were a lot of little decisions to be made. Plugging into the owner networks on social media has been a great asset. Also, teamwork. It takes a team and that’s why we like sailing as a family activity. The other is that particularly with sailing, the journey is the adventure. The point... Destinations are nice, but make sure you enjoy the ride along the way.
Hosting people at our home. Our doors are always open. We do college student ministry. On any given weekend you might find up to 30 kids at our house for bible study, swimming in the pool, and playing sand volleyball. We’ve been known to have a wedding or two at our house. We love sharing and we love hospitality. And now, we are taking it to the water!
A Little bit of both depending on guests. We try to unplug. For Glen, on the water is the only place where my iPhone is not my office, but simply a music source. Love it!
During the sea trial with Glen and Trish, we noticed a group of dolphins following us down the ICW. I am not big on superstitions but I couldn't help but think that this had to be a sign of an exciting future for this cruising couple aboard their Leopard 45, Radiant Hope. All of the Leopard Family is looking forward to following along on their adventures for years to come.