The Captain, Company and Craft
The Captain and the evolution of the Company
Let me introduce myself. I’m Captain Joe and have always loved being on the ocean. Starting at a very young age I was fishing from row boats and spent my teenage years on my own boat digging clams each summer to help put myself through college. Eventually I found myself working as a teacher in the Overseas Department of Defense Schools. While in Bermuda I spent a lot of time fishing, SCUBA diving, and sailing. While in Germany, although there wasn’t much ocean access my wife and I got certified to sail larger boats on Lake Chimsee. When we moved to Freedom, Maine we spent six years boating on Penobscot Bay in our sail and power boats which we moored in Belfast harbor. When back overseas again we were teaching on the base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This was a paradise for living in and around the water. We had a power boat that got us onto the ocean and bays surrounding the base. I also became a PADI SCUBA diving instructor and spent many hours under the water. From there we moved to the base in Puerto Rico and lived on our 42’ trawler. At this point we were now a family of three and we were happy to give our daughter the opportunity to travel and live aboard for 6 years. We found ourselves dropping anchor around the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. When the Navy base in Puerto Rico closed we headed back to Germany and after 43 years of teaching we left our last assignment and moved to Harpswell. We became the proud owners of Crazy Grady, our wonderful Grady White 23’ Gulfstream boat. During this time we started a business doing short term summer rentals. From there it was only natural to take guests out for tours around Casco Bay. It was always a win-win. I got to be on the water doing what I love and our guests always seemed to have a great time sharing the experience. From this, Rocky Coast Cruises was created.
During the summer of 2021 we found that it was time for Crazy Grady to go and became the proud owners of an Albin 27 Sport and named her La Bella Vita, The Good Life, in honor of our wonderful experiences and opportunities. She started her life in New Jersey, moved to Long Island, New York, and has now dropped her anchor in Harpswell. Once again I found myself spending the off season fixing up the new boat and getting her ready for the boating season with Rocky Coast Cruises. Looking back now I can see that she has lived up to all of our expectations and has provided over 500 guests an exciting and fun filled experience on the water as reflected by the many 5 star reviews. I am now looking forward to the 2024 boating season with the many happy and smiling faces, sea creatures, peaceful and beautiful sunsets, ocean breezes and of course the everchanging and beautiful waters of Casco Bay.
The Craft
La Bella Vita (The Good Life) is an Albin 27 Sport. She is 27’ long with a beam of 9’ 8”. It has a semi-displacement hull for a very safe and stable ride. The boat is powered by a 157 hp diesel engine which is reliable and will cruise at a comfortable 7 knots with power to spare.
The boat has a cabin that is equipped with a sink with fresh running water and an enclosed head for your privacy and comfort. All required safety equipment is on-board to include radar, GPS, life jackets, fire extinguisher, and first aid kit.
There is protection from the weather inside the pilot house and cabin if needed.
