If you asked me what my favorite memory on the Aolani Catamaran has been, or what day stands out to me the most, it’s not that I couldn’t tell you, it’s that I have so many favorite days that I don’t know which one to pick.

Just as January 2012 left us for good, Monday February 6 rolled around and there we were, dockside; Captain Stephen Mann, Crewmember Stan Searfus and myself, helping passengers get onboard for an afternoon sail.

That day, with about 30 guests from a local company for an afternoon work incentive corporate charter, we set up the catering that they had brought with them from a local Thai food restaurant (yum!), then raised the main sail just northwest of Tom Hams lighthouse after we left the dock. Our guests that day had mentioned that they wanted to go for a whale watching charter, so with the 3 hours they booked us for, we made sure to make use of our time and powered the catamaran out to the ocean as we knew that the California gray whales are usually at least 5 miles offshore. This year we have had a perfect record – every whale watching charter so far we have seen at least a pair of gray whales whether feeding or mulling on the surface. We were ocean bound, and there was no stopping us.. until we got to the submarine base right before Point Loma’s edge, where we noticed a submarine that was being escorted out of its housing; the Naval Base Point Loma, ocean bound.

The US Navy RHIB (rigid-hulled-inflatable-boat) Boat ahead of us got on the radio, “Aolani-this is the United States Navy requesting that you hold position while we get this sub out of here-over”. Captain Stephen promptly got on the radio to let them know we would gladly hold position, and swing by the bait docks to show our guests another kind of marine life, our sea lions.

After cruising past the bait docks, the submarine had left its base and was headed out to sea. We were issued clearance and the Coast Guard escorted us past the submarine and out to sea, as well. We headed past the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and into the open ocean. Captain Stephen stepped out of his “lifeguard tower” as he likes to call his drive station, and talked to the guests for a moment on the forward deck, giving our guests insight on what to look for as we are out Whale Watching (movement on the surface of the water), as well as some facts and information about what was going on around us.

After about 20 minutes or so, out in the ocean, our crewmember Stan yelled out that he saw a spout! Woo hoo! Stan is usually our official whale spotter, everyone’s got their skills! I was down below at the time, in the galley (bar area) serving drinks, so I didn’t see what was going on outside at the moment though I heard from the kids that they saw two spouts. As we were on the search for California gray whales, I was still in the galley at the bar, but looked through our windows and saw all kinds of movement in the ocean, tiny shapes of dark grey going in and out of the water, about a mile away from us at this point. I knew it wasn’t a pod of gray whales, the group was too big and the spots of water that were moving were too small. I left the galley and went outside, where Stan was standing on the forward deck looking at the very same thing. We yelled over to Captain Stephen and he changed his direction so that we would be right in position when we found out what this was. It obviously wasn’t salmon swimming upstream, though it sure looked like it from a far. As the group moved closer we figured it out. It was a pack of common dolphin, and there were hundreds.

At first only a few showed up around our boat, but then, with enough time for me to grab my camera downstairs, they had surrounded us in what felt like an instant. As far as the eye could see, we were enclosed in dolphin – and it was glorious.

Everyone grabbed their cameras, their family, and began to point and cheer and smile. I sometimes see pods this large, but I never get to experience them cruising with our catamaran for so long. About five or six dolphin were positioned on the front of each hull on our catamaran, where they were jumping in and out of the water, loving the movement of our speed, and we loved them, right back.

Dolphins often time cruise alongside sailboats as if they were a toy, a friendly competitor and something fun to do along their migration.

We got to sail with those dolphins for a good half of an hour, and as they began to make their way south, it was time for us to head back east into the San Diego Bay and back home.

It was another epic day sailing on the Aolani Catamaran, another epic day that I will never forget..we had such great photos and video from our day out on the bay, that the Aolani Catamaran got a short segment on San Diego’s local ABC Channel 10 News, thanks to Robert Santos!

To see a video clip from our day with the dolphins, check out the Aolani Catamaran YouTube Channel

To see more photos of this exciting day out on the water (more photos of local military helicopters, submarines, common dolphins, ETC) – check out our Facebook album here:
“Helicopters, Submarines, Dolphins – all in a day”

For more information on whale watching with Aolani Catamaran Sailing, click this link:
Whale Watching on Aolani Catamaran

Because we are a private charter catamaran here in San Diego, we see all kinds of events, faces, and setups. Just two weeks ago we had an Indian style Wedding onboard complete with vibrant colors of red and orange and pink, then the next day we had a corporate meeting onboard where 35 executives gathered on the couches of our interior salon in their suits and ties to discuss what made 2011 productive and what can make 2012 even better. In the summer we see more families and snorkeling charters, and birthdays happen, well, all the time…so..the list of possibilities is truly endless…this is where our friend, Rachel, comes in.

I recently met Rachel at a networking event, and networking we did. As she mentioned that she is about to start up her own event planning company, we knew we wanted to be a part of the adventure mainly because the ideas that Rachel brings to events are fresh and unique, and so vast! This isn’t a Wedding planning company, or a Sports Event planning company, it is an everything planning company and here on Aolani Catamaran we feel we do a bit of everything, too! So..it works.

With that, I can proudly announce our partnership with Rachel Merrill and invite you to check out her new website, Launch Event Planning and be sure to notice on her home page, Aolani Catamaran Cruises is in full support.

So if ever you find yourself in need of an event design and planning company for that small business event here in San Diego, call our friend Rachel and she will take care of you, we know it.

Ready..set..Launch

San Diego is known for its sunshine and palm trees, its smiling faces and endless activities, but every so often we get some rain and it’s as if the whole city shuts down. Drivers start honking, walker’s start running as raindrops fill the empty streets. I, personally, love our San Diego sunshine however a little storm every now and then keeps things interesting. Plus, who doesn’t appreciate a movie day indoors every now and then, “Captain Ron” anyone?

Well Monday February 13, after my morning in; checking through emails and changing the world while the sky churned colors of dark grey, our open “house” event was still a go for 5pm. I had been receiving so many inquiries lately to see the boat, from wedding planners to Concierges to interested friends, that I figured an organized night out on the catamaran, dockside, would be the way to go.

I had various calls throughout the afternoon, “Are we still on?”, “Does the catamaran have cover?”, but pressed on despite the stormy day hoping for the best. “The event is still on, and we have plenty of cover”. When I arrived at the boat to prepare for our event, (like make sure the stateroom beds were made rather than piled with various accessories) the rain poured down as I stayed inside our main cabin, staring out our windows wondering what fate had in store.

4:15pm Monday afternoon, just 45 minutes ‘til showtime, and there was a break in the clouds. (and so, I took a picture…)

Alison Fuller, from Stella and Dot, arrived to set up a display of jewelry in our main cabin, just an added bonus for the evening’s walk through. Stella and Dot, a boutique style jewelry company based in San Francisco, has become one of the 500 fastest growing companies of today. Their fun pieces have been featured on Gossip Girl, the Today Show, and in magazines such as In Style and Lucky.

As our open “house” guests showed up on the catamaran, they were able to try on pieces or even make a purchase seeing as it was the day before Valentine’s Day, and what better gift besides Chocolate or a catamaran ride, agreed?

As the clouds cleared and guests showed up (way to go guys, our guests showed us that some people in San Diego do still get out despite the storm!), we snacked on salmon and had a glass of wine as the Aolani catamaran was shown off in all its entirety.

If you are interested in Stella and Dot Jewelry, check out their website at www.stelladot.com
If you would like to inquire about hosting an event onboard the Aolani Catamaran, email us today at info@aolani.cc