“Help Our Neighbors in the Aftermath of Irene”

Greetings,

I hope that everyone stayed safe during Hurricane Irene’s destructive path through the East Coast last week. Our friends in the Bahamas were especially hit hard, feeling the full brunt of the storm. Specifically, the Out- islands, Cat Island, Auckland, Eleuthera and many others in the South experienced extreme wind and flood damage.

After hearing of Irene’s aftermath, we were compelled to assist our neighbors. On August 28th, in our private M20J Mooney, we flew down to Cat Island with water, food, tarps, dry goods and supplies to provide immediate relief to as many of the island’s nearly 2,000 residents as we could. (Click here for the full story and pictures) Leaving Cat Island after providing short-term relief to a few was bittersweet because we knew there were so many more we did not reach.

Many are still without access to food and water. We kindly and earnestly ask that you help us continue providing aid to our friends in the Islands through either a monetary contribution and/or supplies. We are planning our next trip down to assist those in immediate need and guarantee 100% of your donation will go towards the purchase and delivery of much needed food, water and supplies to allow those affected to get through this.

We will regularly update you on the status of our relief efforts as well as show you, on our website, exactly where and how your money and supplies are used.

Supplies Needed:

Water
Tarps & rope (for roofs)
5 gal. buckets (clean preferably)
Food (no prep: fruit cups, pop tops, etc.)
Candles + matches
Flashlights + batteries
Linens and Towels
Roofing nails
Tools
Insecticides
Toiletries

We are requesting if you live around Sarasota, FL or Fort Lauderdale, FL and are able to donate the above items to drop them off at the following address:

Sarasota Yacht & Ship
1306 Main St.
Sarasota, FL 34236

Banyan FBO T Hangar 11
5360 NW 20th Terrace
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309

Please visit our website at BahamasRelief.com for more information or email us at info@bahamasrelief.com. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Gary Smith
Senior Partner, Sarasota Yacht & Ship
gary@sarasotayacht.com

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“10 Best Boating Songs For Summer”

Boating & Music. They go together like peanut butter & jelly, peas & carrots, bacon & eggs…you get the point. They’re pretty much soul mates.

Boating is all about fun experiences and what better wait to feel an experience on a deeper level and become one with nature than with a little tune, a beat or a glorious melody in your ears. Whether you’ve been boating for decades or just beginning, there’s no better time than summertime to perfect your musical boating mantra.

I know what you’re thinking: There are so many songs in the universe how will I ever compile a playlist. Don’t worry, because the folks at Discover Boating happen to agree with us and have put together a comprehensive playlist for you.

The following is their top 10 favorite boating tunes, designed to get you pumped for waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, or to just chilling out while cruising or sailing.

(1) “A Pirate Looks at 40” by Jimmy Buffet

(2) “Come Sail Away” by Styx

(3) “Redneck Yacht Club” by Craig Morgan

(4) “Southern Cross” by Crosby, Stills & Nash

(5) “It’s 5 o’Clock Somewhere” by Alan Jackson

(6) “Knee Deep” by Zach Brown Band

(7) “Boats” by Kenny Chesney

(8) “Sloop John B” by Beach Boys

(9) “If I Had a Boat” by Lyle Lovett

(10) “Rock the Boat” by Hues Corporation.

Click here to listen and download the entire playlist from their website. Being seasoned boaters ourselves, we have a few extra suggestions to perfectly complete your next day out on the water:

–“Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes” by Jimmy Buffet (because let’s face it, when it comes to music & boating Jimmy Buffet is King!)

–“Bubbly Toes” by Jack Johnson

–“Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley

–“Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding

–“Santaria” by Sublime

–“No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem” by Kenny Chesney

Alright, that ought to get you started, so as the experts at Discover Boating suggest, “Turn up the volume & catch air, or sit back and enjoy the ride”

What’s your favorite boating song? We want to hear from you!

“When Art & Ocean Collide”

Happy Friday everyone!

Art is not something a yacht brokerage, such as ourselves, can claim expertise. However for the first time, the worlds of art and our beloved ocean have collided in the most awe-inspiring way, all in the name of beauty and conservation. Because we have a deep appreciation and respect for anyone taking steps to preserve the natural balance of our oceans and foster the growth of its aquatic ecosystems, I feel I must share this with you.

Jason deCaires Taylor- Ever heard of him? Chances are you will one day as his name has been showing up in 1000s of publications around the world. He is also featured in documentaries and television specials on CNN, Discovery Channel, BBC and National Geographic for his artistic abilities. His work: underwater sculpture gallerias.

In 2006 he made headlines with his very first, and the world’s first, underwater gallery in Granada, West Indies. Some find his work strange…We find it beautiful, innovative and inspiring.

Much of Jason’s childhood was spent on the coral reefs of Malaysia where he developed a profound love of the sea and a fascination with the natural world. He then worked as a scuba diving instructor in various parts of the globe, developing a strong interest in conservation, underwater naturalism and photography.

Because of him, there are vast expanses of flourishing coral and marine life where there used to be nothing but sand and sea.

His bond with the sea is very evident in his work:

  

       

“I sort of stumbled upon this idea where if I created work underwater it would actually have a beneficial response to nature you know? It actually enhanced the environment so I felt like that sat much better with me. I started really small and it’s just grown since then really….The process is incredibly quick, I mean literally days after I’ve put the sculptures in the water you can see changes already. Young algae start to form and then the fish eat those algae and already the ecosystem starts to build up….I mean I just did the big installation last year. We got most of it in and I went back yesterday and it must have had a few thousand fish living on it so it takes a pretty short span of time.”  -Jason DeCaires Taylor

Jason continues his work in Cancun, Mexico where you can dive his creations. This is definetly one to add to your scuba diving bucket list. You can learn more about Jason’s work on his website underwatersculpture.com or check his fan page out on Facebook.

What do you think of his work? Strange or Beautiful? We want to hear from you!