February 8, 2010
Gerry Navas is the dockmaster at Yacht Club Palmas del Mar Marina on the eastern side of Puerto Rico about 40 minutes from San Juan. The marina opened in August with Navas and Tim Keough of Marina Management Services at the helm.
Navas began at Palmas del Mar Marina after years of making a living at sea. He began boating as a boy with his father and knew the lifestyle was his destiny. He attended the University of Puerto Rico and was later hired by a friend from Michigan to work on sailboats.
They navigated hundreds of mile, even racking up two Atlantic crossings on a 55-foot Whitby sailboat. The Whitby, S/Y Orso Dormido (Sleeping Bear), even came in first in its racing class and second overall out of 175 boats in the 1992 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC).
Accomplishing one of his life goals (crossing an ocean) reaffirmed Navas in his quest to have a career on the water. So he got a captain's license and currently holds a 200-ton USCG and a 500-ton international ticket. He has owned a fishing charter business working Pacific waters off Central America from Panama to Guatemala and across to Venezuela.
But he is happy to be on land at the marina.
"I did my time at sea, but it is weird being on land," he said. "I have to say, when I do get out on a boat, it's like being in heaven."
His years at sea were hard on his wife of 20 years, and his kids, a 16-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl.
"It is the hardest part of being a captain," he said. "It's the sad part of being a captain. I'd come home and the kids would seem 3 inches taller. We wouldn't know what to say to each other. It was so hard."
Now he gets to spend time with family, he said by phone, talking over the sound of coquí, the small, loud Puerto Rican frog.
"They are loud, the frogs, but that is nature, like people," he said. "Sometimes the smallest ones are the loudest. Tells you about me, I'm 6-foot-2."
Navas credits customer service for bringing people to his marina. That and the amenities. The 162-slip marina is best for boats up to 150 feet, but it can dock yachts up to 200 feet. The 3,000-acre property allows yacht customers privileges at the Yacht Club, including two 18-hole golf courses, tennis facilities and equestrian trails.
Palmas del Mar is the only marina in Puerto Rico with a club with a pool and privileges for the yacht customers, he said. The view from the pool looks east toward Vieques, making it popular for weddings. A Pusser's Restaurant is planned for the coming months, he said.
The marina is easy to navigate, with a big break wall, and a clear path straight through to the channel, which is 14-16 feet deep with room for turning, he said.
"We are so proud customers end up here by word of mouth," Navas said. "They come because people recommend us. The crew and the customers are all important parts of the marina
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