Jumping aboard
When Chris and his wife Ling retired after decades in the corporate world, they knew they needed to find something that combined their lust for travel and adventure, with their desire for some well-deserved rest and relaxation.
They soon found themselves at SMART Boating.
But it wasn’t the first time they’d decided boat sharing was the right opportunity for them. In fact, Chris and Ling once owned a share in a Hanse 415 yacht named ‘Vela’.
The striking Integrity 380 sedan ‘Narooma’ is the couple’s second venture in the exciting world of boat share ownership with SMART Boating. And it happens to be the fourth Integrity in the SMART Boating fleet…she’s a popular one!
Fulfilling a passion for boating
While Ling is a boating novice, Chris does have some experience under his belt …
“I sailed dinghies as a kid up until about 13, and then had no further experience until getting ‘Vela’ through SMART Boating in 2016. I had a desire to get back into boating, but Ling had never sailed, so a share was a great way to see how she liked it and take the opportunity to brush up on my skills and get some training…”
Chris was keen to get Ling used to everything boating and get her feeling a lot more comfortable with boat life.
“We decided that Ling would do all the training with me, but not necessarily get certified. This was a safety measure, so in the event of any problems, she would have some base skills and competencies.”
Since their first boat share in ‘Vela’, Chris has accomplished a whole lot in terms of earning qualifications and amping up his skills in boat safety.
“Since owning ‘Vela’, I have done my NSW Boat Licence, Radio Licence, International Certificate of Competency [ICC] and we have had approximately 20 hours’ on-board training one on one.”
In search of adventure
In late 2017, Chris and Ling went aboard a friend’s 40ft. catamaran for an adventure. They travelled from the Whitsundays and down to Brisbane. Chris and Ling’s friend is a sailor with 20+ years of boating, so it was quite an experience for the couple. Chris explains:
“This was a great opportunity for both of us. I then jumped on board another Hanse 415 as crew from Brisbane to Sydney while Ling flew home.”
They knew they wanted more.
Why SMART Boating?
Chris explains why he and Ling found the decision to purchase a boat share with SMART Boating so very simple…
“SMART Boating offered us an opportunity to revise and learn skills and see how we enjoyed it without having to commit to the full maintenance and ownership of a vessel of our own. The walk on walk off aspect of SMART Boating ownership is very compelling…”
Not having to deal with all the stressful, constant and costly boat maintenance is definitely a big winner! Who wants to spend all that time taking care of a boat when that time could be spent at sea?
From sailboat to powerboat
Since Ling isn’t the biggest fan of boating (you’ll get there, Ling!), Chris decided that a motor powerboat would be a lot more stable and easier to deal with than their previous sailboat.
“Ling is not a comfortable sailor, so we have now moved into a share of ‘Narooma’ – a 38ft. trawler style full displacement hull cruiser. We are hoping that this will be more to Ling’s comfort level… She enjoys the serenity of the mornings on the water, a quiet breakfast with a coffee in the cockpit, as do I…”
Don’t we all!
And because ‘Narooma’ has a generator and much more room than their previous boat share, Chris and Ling are eager to take longer trips at sea. Sounds good to us!
Exciting expeditions
When asked about special upcoming plans, Chris is keen to spill…
“We’ve had our orientation and are excited to get on board ‘Narooma’ for a few days very soon. We want to get a feel of her, so we will take her off shore and see how she handles on the ocean [hopefully seeing a whale or two or perhaps some dolphins along the way]. We are already talking about a trip up the coast to Newcastle when the weather warms a little and possibly some days down in Sydney as well.”
It’s clear that Chris and Ling have lots of exciting boating adventures ahead of them aboard their stunning Integrity 380 ‘Narooma’. You too have a chance to jump on board ‘Narooma’ – there are only two shares left. Run, don’t walk!
