When Dick Rivera jumped from a 40-foot Sea Ray to a 72-foot yacht, more than a few eyebrows were raised. But Rivera was acting on some very good advice.

 “A good boating buddy revealed the sad truth that most boaters spend their lives moving up a little bit in size here and a little bit in size there until they finally get the boat they want and it’s too late to really enjoy the thing,” says Rivera. “My friend urged me to just go for what I really want now, right now. And he made sense.”

            So Rivera and his wife traveled with another couple down to the Miami Boat Show to take a look around. The guys drove straight to the event in one car and the women took another car, allowing them to stop and shop along the way.

Rivera’s head was turned by a Marlow Explorer 72 Classic; and, as luck would have it, David Marlow himself, designer and company CEO, was on hand to show Rivera each facet and fine detail of his pride and joy. “For about two hours he gave me a personal showing, and then I called my wife in the other car,” recalls Rivera. “I told her I bought a boat and now was trying to figure out a way to pay for it.”

            Rivera was suddenly the proud owner of Rubicon, a luxury motor yacht featuring three spacious staterooms with one king bed in the master, one queen bed and two twin beds in the two guest rooms, three full baths, a pilot house, a galley, dining room, salon, expansive outdoor seating, a sun pad and flying bridge with duplicate controls.

            The flag-blue hull, sleek lines and sophisticated silhouette generate compliments each time they pull into a marina. “She handles well, she is beautifully equipped, she is a pleasure,” says Rivera. “Everyone notices her and she gets a lot of attention, but fellow boaters can really appreciate the design.”

Thus far, Rivera and his wife, Leslie, have taken her from Clearwater to the Tortugas on the west coast and from Amelia Island to the Florida Keys along the Atlantic coastline. The Riveras lived aboard their yacht while their downtown Sarasota condominium was completed and are now contemplating a cruise to Chesapeake Bay. They employ a full-time captain with extensive mechanical knowledge because Rivera doesn’t want to deal personally with engine problems or maintenance issues. “I enjoy being at the helm and I do captain the boat,” he says, “but when it comes to fixing the engine, I would rather have a glass of wine.”

            Favorite accessories aboard their yacht include a dinghy that ferries them back and forth, Leslie’s Vespa motorcycle and their boxer, Stella. The dog ventured to sea as a nine-week-old puppy and grew up on the deck, so now she’s their constant companion.

   During the 2005 Florida Winefest, the Riveras offered a dinner party for 10 aboard Rubicon for auction. A couple from Orlando bought the event and brought eight friends to Sarasota with hearty appetites and high expectations. “We welcomed them aboard at Marina Jack, where we keep her, and our captain set out for a slow cruise to Big Pass,” describes Leslie. “Dick and I supplied cocktails and wine, served them and made sure Jimmy Buffet music was playing. We catered the dinner with chef Mel from Whole Foods, and the guests were treated to all manner of fancy finger foods, including miniature lamb chops, grilled asparagus, cheese puffs and more. As dinner was finishing, our captain cruised through Big Pass and we emerged into the open Gulf. He timed it perfectly, because the sun was just about to set.

“None of the guests had ever seen a sunset from the deck of a boat, and they were just ooohing and ahhhing. The whole evening turned out to be perfect, and we’re going to offer the same thing for this year’s auction.”

YACHTOPEDIA

A language of their own. When enthusiasts speak of “the Harbor” and “the Vineyard” they’re talking about Bar Harbor and Martha’s Vineyard. (Many Sarasota yachts spend winters in Sarasota Bay and head to Maine and Massachusetts for the summer.) “Six in the islands and six in the Med” refers to to dividing time between the Caribbean, where yachts go for the winter, and the Mediterranean, the place to be from May to September.