Let’s be honest – there’s nothing quite like powering through the water on a catamaran.
The speed, the power, the luxury… it’s the perfect summer companion.
Aquila 36 ‘Showtime’ is a SMART Boating favourite for good reason. For Grant Fowler, purchasing a boat share in the power catamaran was an easy decision to make. From dazzling clients with magnificent views to wowing the family under the sun, the busy CEO considers ‘Showtime’ the ultimate life companion.
The SMART balance
Grant has 30+ years’ experience in business management and operations under his belt. He is now the CEO at DIVVY Parking, a Sydney-based parking network that helps people find parking spaces across the country. It’s a growing business and a challenging role.
Unsurprisingly, this entrepreneur is always busy. His career means that his time is precious, so partnering with SMART Boating just made sense.
“SMART Boating offers the perfect balance of time and money. Being able to walk on and off is the only way to go boating if you are time poor… and I am. Owning a boat share means that I don’t have the ‘too much like hard work’ feeling that comes with outright boat ownership. SMART Boating takes care of all of that for you,” Grant says.
A fish (not) out of water
Grant is no stranger to being out on the water. He grew up in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, so he has always enjoyed the ocean.
“My boating history started with 6hp tinnies on Port Hacking, where I grew up. We lived on a waterfront, so every form of watercraft got a run at some stage: water skis, jet skis, PWC, sail boats and ski boats…”
As he grew older, Grant found a passion in power.
“Eventually I bought my own boats, which were always powerboats. I have had a couple of 20-30 ft day boats with big HP petrol engines. My previous American 40ft fast powerboat was up at Akuna Bay,” he says.
After selling his boat and working hard on his career, Grant turned to SMART Boating.
Size matters
So, why did Grant choose the Aquila 36 for his on-sea adventures?
“I feel that it chose me! I wanted a big diesel that was around 50-60 ft so I could get the number of people on it that I needed.
If I include my wife, kids and grandkids, that’s around 15 people…”
Clearly, space was critical.
“The Aquila 36 was the right size to use as a runabout, get into tight places and get close to the shore at the harbour beaches. It’s got a huge volume on the deck, meaning my grandkids can run from one end of the boat to the other without moving out of sight.”
The bounty of space that ‘Showtime’ offers is great for Grant and his lifestyle. It gives him the freedom to take the whole family aboard and the opportunity to impress his co-workers.
Combining business with pleasure
The tech CEO regularly uses his Aquila for entertaining clients and co-workers.
“We use the boat to entertain clients on Sydney Harbour and up into the tributaries. A pick-up at Darling Harbour and lunch moored off Clontarf is not a horrible way to spend a work day! Most of our staff is multicultural and new to Sydney, so they really appreciate the opportunity to get a glimpse of Sydney from the water!”
For Vivid, Grant invited some clients on board for a feast with a view.
“Darling Harbour Marina very kindly gave us the first bay in the marina and we had clients join us after work for drinks and spectacular seafood supplied by Nick’s Seafood,” he says.
Grant uses his Aquila 36 as often as possible. In fact, he has done six harbour cruises with clients from many of Sydney’s largest companies and “we haven’t yet had anyone tell us they want to leave the boat early!”
It’s no surprise that he considers his boat to be quite an asset.
“The Aquila has been a huge benefit to work. It offers me the best setup for company events as we can get sufficient people on board while still being a very ‘usable’ size. Our events are always valuable and enjoyable.”
The perfect match
“Owning with SMART Boating is pleasurable for everyone in my family, as well as my work colleagues. We turn up, get on, stow our stuff and go have a great day! There isn’t a pain point that stops me from using my boat. I don’t deal with the syndrome of owning a boat that just sits in a marina and never gets used.”
As for having some fun in the summer sun, Grant has a plan:
“We’re keen to maximise the use of our boat as much as possible over the summer break. I need to find a way to get Martin and David to increase my allocation. I know they’ll just tell me to buy another share, and that’s not a stupid idea. I’m sure it will happen eventually!”
If you want to experience the magic of ‘Showtime’, book a test cruise. But hurry – there is only one share remaining!
