As you may have heard, Sail Maui is undergoing some pretty significant changes. We’ve always been a family owned business, and we’re happy to announce that although we’ve recently changed hands, we’re going to stay that way! The Bartos lovingly owned and operated Sail Maui for 23 years, and our new owner and his young family hope to do so for at least that many more. It is in that spirit that we introduce our new owner, Don Prestage. He and his family couldn’t be happier about making the big move out to Maui, and we couldn’t be more eager to welcome them to the team. “We’re so excited for the opportunity to take over such a well known, established and respected business in Maui,” beams Don. “Our crew have been awesome during the transition and the people of Maui have been very, very welcoming. We are truly feeling the Aloha spirit, and I want to make sure this is also a continuing part of the experience for our guests.” While the Aloha spirit has long been part of sailing on Paragon, we’re taking this time to implement some changes that we feel will elevate the whole experience for our passengers, as well as for our crew.
One of the first changes you’ll notice is our image. Our previous branding was done at the turn of the millennium, so we decided it was time for an update. When you think of Paragon, chances are one of the things that comes to mind is speed. So we went with a logo that, to us, evokes movement and reflects what we love to do, which is sail fast! It pays tribute to the original logo, with an orange sun setting behind the boat. The color we went with is special too, as the brilliant orange happens to be the shade of one of our most beautiful Hawaiian hibiscus flowers at peak bloom. That’s how we want to operate, at peak bloom ☺. Our boats have been hauled out for extensive dry dock and are being brought up to par both mechanically and aesthetically. We’ve changed our colors, and lost our stripes, but both Paragon and Paragon II are looking great and we hope you like the new look as much as we do. We’re also really excited to unveil all new gear for our crew, plenty of which will be available to our passengers. We’ve got some awesome new shirts, so if you still have your old Paragon gear, hang onto it; it’s vintage!
Set Sail.
The Bartos – Eric and his wife Tamara – originally started Sail Maui back in 1993. The twin vessels were commissioned as race boats and made charter worthy by adding an additional 7 feet to the 40 series racing design. They were built using state of the art construction techniques and have carbon fiber rotating masts modeled after the design of the America’s Cup winning catamaran Stars and Stripes. Both boats have proved themselves incredibly seaworthy and fast, and with Eric at the helm, have set speed records far exceeding that of any other charter boat on island. Sail Maui was born from the Bartos’ vision of authentic sailing, and Don has every intention of honoring that vision. “When we met Don, we knew he was the right guy to carry the business forward,” stated Tamara. “We weren’t just selling a business, but felt like we were passing on a big part of our family’s legacy. We met with several potential purchasers but Don and his family were the right fit.”
Many more changes will be taking place here at Sail Maui as we strive to offer the best, most intimate, earth friendliest, and most exhilarating sailing charter on Maui. We are so grateful to our loyal guests who come sailing with us year after year, and of course we welcome and appreciate any feedback during our time of transition. As always, it’s the people that really make it, both passengers and crew. Expect to see the same smiling faces, and maybe even some new ones, next time you come out sailing with us!