Owner Spotlight: Jerry Blakeley and Interlude
an Aquila 44 Power Catamaran Rev. 4/16/2016
MarineMax interviewing Jerry Blakeley:
We would like to hear about how you came to selecting an Aquila Power catamaran for your boating lifestyle. Why Aquila?
Over the past 30 years or so I have been primarily sailing but I five years ago I got to a point in my life where comfort and less physical stress from hauling sails and pulling in sheets became more important. So I started looking at power boats. We bought a Stamas 320 Express with twin outboards but after a few years we wanted something larger.
My dream had always been to have a large cabin cruiser with a flying bridge. What concerned me was that I oftentimes cruise just with my wife or even alone and all boats we saw with flying bridges required you to go down steps to the aft section of the boat and then walk along the side decks to get up to the bow. I felt this was very awkward, would take my eye off where the boat was, and therefore not safe.
One day in early 2013 my wife and I were sitting at a restaurant along the waterway in Delray, Florida and saw a catamaran go by with an extended bridge and steps with a railing going direct from the helm on the bridge to the bow. We got excited and finished our lunch in hopes of catching the boat to find out who makes it but by the time we got back out on the water on the outboard we could not find the catamaran. I kept looking for the boats for months afterward.
A few months later we visited the 2013 Palm Beach Boat Show and found the catamaran I had been searching for on the MarineMax stand. It was an Aquila 38 and I fell in love with it… and purchased it on the spot. We had it delivered up to our home in Osterville Massachusetts and took it down to Ocean Ridge, Florida for the winter. During this time I developed a close relationship with the MarineMax Aquila support team.
You have now purchased three Aquila Power Cats. Can you tell us about your movement between the models and your experience with each? What is it that has kept you with the brand?
When we visited the 2014 Miami Boat show we were introduced to the new Aquila 48 with four cabins. Again I fell in love. The Aquila 48 was a big step up from the Aquila 38 in spaciousness, comfort and design so I could not resist trading in my 38 for the 48. I went on a sea trial and had it delivered to my Cape Cod address and spent the summer cruising to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket and then brought it down to West Palm Beach, Florida for the winter. In April, just after the boat show, my wife and I did a wonderful bareboat charter on the Aquila 48 in the BVI with MarineMax Vacations with two other couples.
And of course I visited the Palm Beach Boat Show in March 2015 and again I fell in love, this time with the Aquila 44. Why go smaller? Usually it is only my wife and I cruising on the 48. We did not need four cabins. The large master cabin and two cabins for guests is enough.
My other reasons for changing over to the 44.
Private Suite. The Aquila 44 has one large master cabin across the 22 ft beam of the catamaran designed like a private suite with a king size bed with side tables and separate office area where I keep a printer and laptop and files in my bookcase, and the large shower really appealed to me. The private suite has plenty of storage space, including two tall closets, two storage compartments in the desk, storage under the bed side tables and two large storage cabinets at the bottom of the stairs heading down to the master head.
Social Aft Section. Another feature that drove me to immediately purchasing the 44 was the aft deck section with the comfortable seats and table and the two bar stools in front of a huge window opening to the galley. Again this makes this model very welcoming and social.
Main salon I prefer the more compact galley with electric Kenyon cooktop and combination microwave/convection oven, refrigerator and freezer and plenty of storage. A comfortable seating arrangement and table enable me to watch videos or TV shows when I am at a dock with a TV connection. The large screen TV is hidden in a counter on the starboard side above the wine cooler and opens using a remote. The main salon has huge windows on all three sides with blinds to keep the sun out and provide privacy.
The Bridge. Another important unique design of the 44 is the seating plan on the bridge. It is much friendlier with large comfortable seats on either side of the helm seat. I find that my wife and guests like curling up on these seats while I am sitting at the helm. There is so much more on the bridge… the BBQ grill, sink and options including a refrigerator and air conditioning and the entire bridge area surrounded by beautiful Lexan widows that easily open and swing up to ceiling snaps. And of course again there is the important opening for walking directly from the helm to the bow.
Engine Compartments. I am able to walk around the Volvo D4-300 hp diesel engines with easy access to filters and other items on my maintenance checklist. Due to my memory issues I have labeled all the key components including filters using a little Brother label machine.
We would love to hear about your experience both cruising and living aboard Interlude. How do you find the accommodation and living conditions? Which is your favorite feature?
During the summer months I keep INTERLUDE mostly at my dock at Oyster Harbors island on Cape Cod and occasionally at a mooring in front of the house or even on a dock in Boston Harbor. I prefer having it at the dock so I can easily go down to have my coffee on the bridge in the morning, take my laptop or books out to the boat in the afternoon to easily concentrate or get on the boat for cocktails and to see the sunset. Same routine in the winter when the boat is tied up at Palm Harbor Marina in West Palm Beach. And, yes we sleep on the boat but mostly while at my mooring or out at the islands.
The accommodations are excellent for just my wife and myself as well as when accompanied by one or two or more other couples. “Or more” because some of our younger friends like sleeping up on the bridge cushions or on the aft table which folds down with a cushion that sets on top of the entire section.
How do you feel about the performance and mechanical aspects of Interlude? What features do you find sets her apart from other vessels?
MarineMax certainly learned from previous models and competition and has made everything very accessible. With the bulbous bulbs on each of the forward hulls I am convinced that the 44 rides smoother and is more fuel efficient. And the bow thruster built into the starboard bulbous bulb I able to get into tight spots even coping with wind and current.
What cruising itineraries have you done aboard Interlude? Which has been your favorite and why?
During the summer months in addition to cruising and spending nights on the boat out at Boston Harbor, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Newport and Annapolis sometimes we take the boat to a nearby bay at Cape Cod for wine and cheese and to cook dinner and sleepover.
During the winter months we have cruised three times from West Palm across the state of Florida on the St Lucie Canal to Ft. Meyers and then up the beautiful inland waterway up to Clearwater as well as down the East Coast of Florida south of Ft Lauderdale. In addition we have cruised several times to the Abacos, Bahamas, and stayed over at Hope Town (our favorite), Green Turtle, Little Abaco all the way up to Spanish Cay and Grand Cay and West End. We even spent Easter Sunday at a Pig Roast and underwater Easter egg hunt at Nippers on Guana Cay.
How has the MarineMax and Aquila team support been for you throughout your experience?
The MarineMax team has always been very supportive and having purchased three different models from them I have gotten to know many of the members of the team at all levels.
What has the reaction been from friends and family, as well as the public to Interlude?
They are amazed at how spacious it is. They first love the cockpit table and seating and then the two bar stools and want to sit there with the aft window open why we are in the galley preparing lunch. They are pleasantly shocked when they go into the expansive salon and see the huge windows on either side. Our friends and family are impressed with the two cabins and the head with the glass shower door. I save the master cabin for last and they ask “why don’t you just sell your house and live on this boat!” They I tell them to go up to the bridge. They are again impressed but then I always ask friends who have been on the bridge of other boats how they would get up to the bow. They explain just go down the steps to the aft cockpit and walk along the side walkway to the bow. Then I show them what you can do on this boat and walk in front of the helm, down the steps to the bow. I get a big “Wow!”
With your cruising experience, have you encountered any issues with dock space?
Never. Even with the 22 ft beam I have always managed to get dock space and when we cruise out to some of the ports on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket we always prefer a mooring.
Could you summarize your experience owning an Aquila Power Catamaran and your boating lifestyle aboard Interlude?
I have to admit I am mostly a “day sailor” and rarely spend a night on the boat unless we are cruising. The advantage of a catamaran, especially the Aquila 44 with bulbous bulbs on the starboard and port sections of the bow, is that it cruises smoothly through the water. I like to get it up a plane and then throttle back for the best fuel economy, cruising at around 17-18 knots. I spend hours every day sitting on the boat working on my laptop or reading, sitting anywhere from my desk in the master suite to the table in the main salon to the table in the aft cockpit or at the table on the bridge. So many choices!
Do I still love my Aquila 44?
You bet, every moment I am on it or even thinking about it!