Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosie Skynner.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
(FYI – I was chatting with my partner, sitting on the beach with a cocktail, about your article, and although I am not in Kansas, thought about the angle of the story, and thought it maybe of interest to recant the tale of a 54 year old divorcee with 3 daughters, working as a bookkeeper in Bedford, UK that can take a chance when the opportunity presents and completely change her life style, and make more money than I ever have with 2 months vacation a year).
It all started in 2017 when I was living in Bedford in the UK. I reconnected with a friend that I knew from the age of 17, and he was now living in the Caribbean. Before long we were going on our first date, where he flew me across to NYC. By the end of the year, I had sold my house, packed a few bags and moved to a little island called Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. With no job, equity from the sale of my house, sitting on a beach under a palm tree, drinking painkillers, I decided I wanted to buy a little runaround speedboat to visit the beach bars on the surrounding islands. The powerboats I was looking at from Texas to Maine, seemed to get bigger ang bigger with each click. In the end my partner, Phil, said for the size of boat I was looking at I could put it out to do day charters that would cover the annual cost of maintaining a boat. So, in November 2018 NautiGal and trailer was loaded onto a container ship in Florida and brought down to the British Virgin Islands. So started Antilles Power Boats.
NautiGal is a 31ft Novurania luxury mega yacht tender, that can hold 12 guests and 2 crew. Hung on the transom are twin Yamaha 350 hp 5.4ltr V8’s, and cruising at 30knots, topping out at 55knots. The guests come from visiting cruise ships and local villas/hotels around the islands. Tortola is the central island and is surrounded by 10 other smaller islands. The distances are only 5-10 miles, which means that the days involve short half an hour hops to different beach bars, snorkel spots, and natural wonders. (Full details of trips and destinations, with descriptions and animated maps can be found on our website www.antillespowerboats.com
As hurricane Irma had destroyed my partners house in 2017, I bought a 42ft Hunter Sail boat and I took over my partners job of marina manager while he went out as Captain on my powerboat. I run the marina from my yacht and NautiGal is tied up next to her so the morning commute is just stepping across to the other boat.
Having lived in England with high taxation, overheads of owning a house, children etc etc, now my children are grown and I am released from any obligations I find that between the marina and my day charter boat, I am making more than I ever have in my life, and taking the most time on vacation.
The season in the Caribbean runs from November to July, for the remaining months we tour the United States on my partners motorcycle., take trips to England, Norway, Cyprus to visit family and friends.
Life isn’t always perfect as income from the tourist industry does fluctuate, ie through covid, hurricanes, high inflation, stock market crashes, but because I have no overheads, living on my boat, life is simple, but all of my needs are met.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Moving down to the islands is a change of life style that may not be for the faint hearted. If you can imagine owning a house and filling it with possessions for over 30 years that had to be cut down to 2 suitcases and a small shipping box. No need for winter coats, sweaters, ornaments etc. It is almost refreshing to get rid of the millstone of possessions and jump on a plane. The way of life in the Caribbean is slower than the pace required living in a country working 9 to 5. Everything down here takes time and the appropriate measure of patience is needed.
My partner joked that people come down here to enjoy a slower life style, yet bring down their fast pace of living and expect to work down here. I have to stop myself sometimes as I kept on commenting that this wasn’t the way it is done back home. My partner would say to me ‘Toto, I have a feeling were not in Kansas any more!’ I remind myself that this is now my home and they do things differently. If you can accomplish one thing a day you are ahead of the game as businesses don’t always answer phones and if you want to talk to someone you need to visit them in their place of business (or find out where they are at happy hour!)
The amazon packages that arrive in a day now take a week by airmail, or 3 weeks by sea, plus customs fees and shipping charges, approx 30%. When a friend comes down to visit they always politely ask if they can bring anything down, the response is a lengthy list of phone chargers and nick-nacks that I took for granted before. A lot of our friends have stopped asking, lol.
The main roads would be described as ‘off road’ up in the states, with inclines in places of 25%. Visitors often opt for a taxi as they are fearful of the roads.
Covid was a challenge. It started in March 2020, and the island shut down and didn’t reopen properly until June 2022, when covid tests were no longer required for entry. I also had to return $15,000 in deposits. Because of the covid tests required a lot of people were not coming down to the island, but on the positive side, I had no overheads.
Although the tradewinds blow it is extremely hot outside between 10am and 4pm, so we adjust our days to being outside from when the sun rises, and from 4pm to sunset.
We’ve been impressed with Antilles Power Boats, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Please reference my website www.antillespowerboats.com
We do private day trips, for up to 12 guests.
Set tours, or custom tours around the islands.
I have an amazing Captain that entertains the guests with his pirate stories, whilst wearing a pirate hat, and also gives history of the islands. He is fun and very personable and will keep everyone thoroughly entertained. He serves painkillers too!
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
When an opportunity arises be brave enough, take it.
Pricing:
- Half Day Trips (4hrs) for $1000 – refer to website
- Full Day Trips (7hrs) from $1500 – refer to website
- Customized trips from $1350 with fuel extra – refer to website
Contact Info:
- Website: www.antillespowerboats.com
- Instagram: antillespowerboats
- Facebook: antillespowerboats
