It does not seem all that long ago that PowerTime Newport Beach, California launched their base with its’ first Hunter 33, “Rio” back in early 2005. We still recall the first christening ceremony, asking “sailors of old, and the mood of the sea to help our boat through her passages, and allow her to return with her crew safely.” Just nine short years later, the base has nine boats in its’ fleet and more Members every year enjoy fair winds and following seas in this top boating destination.
Looking back on 2013 specifically, Base Owner, Chris Jester, has fond memories. “2013 was the year we enjoyed the widest selection of Hunter cruising yachts in our fleet with powerboats ranging in size from 33, 36, 38, 40 and 45 feet,” he reports. “We are literally an in-water show room for Hunter. We are also adding another Hunter 40 in April of 2014. A catamaran in the 38 to 46 foot range would also be a welcome addition,” says Jester.
While Newport Beachs’ fleet is the vehicle for fun and adventure on the water, the best part about the base is the community of members and captains. We honor the members and captains who have been with us from our humble beginnings and are grateful for the members and captains who have more recently joined our family of sailors. As the years go by, these special people become friends and our boating community expands. Mr. Jester explains, “We feel at home at our PowerTime base and invite sailors to join us. Besides, our gennaker sails, raft ups, parties and cruises are a lot of fun! We plan to continue these traditions in 2014 with more family trips to Catalina, over nights to Dana Point and Long Beach.”
The Newport Beach boating base will be participating in four boat shows in 2014 to expose PowerTime to more Southern California sailors: the Newport Boat Show, the Dana Point Harbor Boat Show, the Lido Boat Show and the Strictly Sail Long Beach show.
PowerTime Orange County also operates The Newport Beach Sailing School, which continues to train our PowerTime members with the absolute best in private boating lessons and ASA certification. They have been recognized by ASA as being an Outstanding Sailing School, and the teaching captains have received awards year after year for excellence in boating instruction. Many of our members started at ASA 101, Basic Keelboat, and have advanced to complete ASA 106, Advanced Coastal Cruising.
Jester continues, “With all of the boating that our fleet endures at this year-around boating place, our maintenance and cleaning staff work diligently to keep our fleet looking bristol and in ship shape. It is extremely difficult to keep the boats in tip top shape, but our staff always has a smile on their face and are quick to offer any assistance they can. Somehow, they make it look easy, even when I know they are running around like chickens with their heads cut off. We are thankful to our staff for helping make PowerTime the great experience it should be.”
Mr. Jester concludes, “Talking about great experiences… After we officially complete our 10th year of business in 2015, my wife and I have plans to show our children the world before they enter junior high school and those teenage years. We want to explore unique lands and different cultures, homeschooling the kids while on land and at sea. We hope you’ll follow our adventures as we continue to live life to its fullest. My wife and I spent 365 days traveling the world before we started PowerTime and had kids. It was one of the best experiences of our lives and w e hope to share it with our children. Wish us luck! It takes a lot of planning… speaking of which, we are looking for a manager to run our business while we are away. If you know someone who has the right combination of sales, customer service and operations experience, please let me know. We are looking to start a paid apprenticeship as part of our transition plan, this summer.”
We know The Jesters’ will find a suitable stand-in when the time comes, so they can do what so many young families dream of and will look forward to following their travels. Until then, come on down to the docks and get to know what you’ve been missing. Quite simply, the easiest way to enjoy the boating lifestyle!
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