On a sunny afternoon in the rainy season, I park my bike at the edge of Phuket's Boat Lagoon and walk through the yard,
past the many sailing yachts in dry dock, through a faint wafting of dust from a man sanding bottom paint. This,
combined with the sea breeze, is also the unmistakable smell of early summer in New England, USA.
As I walk along the boardwalk, past the regal shimmering of brass, steel and shine of white gelcoat, the gleam of
varnished teak in the sun, I'm hardly in Thailand at all; rather I've entered a geographical time warp, transported
to the Cape Cod of my childhood, where my father would proclaim in every last weekend of May that the best tasting
cigarette is the first one smoked after sanding off last years' anti-fouling paint.
Indeed, this could almost be our home marina; there is nothing to denote its true location. The yachts docked here
are positively opulent; an entire world from the picture a first-time visitor might conjure up when imagining the
yachting scene of this developing country. At the focal point of the Boat Lagoon, massive white arcs serve as a roof,
providing cover for six luxury motor cruisers and the Watermark Restaurant, as well as the headquarters of Lee Marine,
my destination.
Until my approach to the Watermark, my dream travel holds up, but here all similarities end; for the restaurant at
my home marina bears absolutely no resemblance to this hip, trendy, al fresco pub. Here, even at lunchtime in the
low season, the tables are lively and the air full of laughter and chatter. Tall, leggy, beautiful people click
by on high heels leaving traces of parfum not from the boatyard but from the great fashion houses of Europe. Men with
earpieces and microphones converse with phantoms as they set up stylish speakers and a sophisticated sound system
(I can tell because of the many dials and blinking lights!). Clearly, an event is soon to take place and what could
be a better stage? I can think of none finer in Phuket than right here with the wood floors, the sun shimmering on
the water, the brand spanking new boats at dock, rocking slightly on gentle waves. At my home marina, the only event
I could imagine would be someone falling off the end of the pier after one drink too many. At my homemarina,
the menu includes fried clams, fish 'n' chips and stuffed quahogs. There are no Waldorf-style salads with Roquefort
dressing and grilled pumpkin, no passion fruit margaritas, no racks of lamb, although one might find a gun rack in
the back window of someone's pick-up. The offices there are located in a shed of weathered shingles that have listed
to one side over the years and, while not without Yankee charm, present quite a different mood than the frosted glass
walls of Lee Marine, located at the right-hand side of the restaurant.
Inside, Lee Marine looks as sharp and comfortable as one of its luxury yachts. The boats are displayed prominently both
as scale models and photographs framed in striking stainless steel. I take a seat on a luxurious leather sofa,
magazines and catalogues laid out before me on the coffee table, mostly promoting the Ferretti Group of Italy;
pictures of their boats cruising seas of green and blue beneath endless sun. Taken together, as a collage, the
tableau is one of endless, lavish summer where cocktail hour runs from five until ten and the beaches of the infinite
desert isles are inhabited by indigenous beauties who have yet to encounter the Christian and Muslim mores of modesty.
Who wouldn't want to buy one of these yachts?
Just as I am about to lose myself for the second time in less than half an hour, communications director Andrew Craig
joins me, quickly filling me in on the company's fairy tale voyage. Six years ago, in 1997, founder and managing
director Joshua Lee sailed his thirty-seven foot yacht into Phuket's waters and dropped his anchor. Originally,
his passage had begun in Australia and the plan was to continue around the world. By the time he reached Phuket,
however, he saw that his funds were diminishing and that the island was quite hospitable, or na-yu, as the locals
would say. He decided to sell his boat and began asking around yachting circles to assist. To his surprise and
possibly consternation, the universal answer was, "Can't be done." At the time, there really was no yacht brokerage
in Phuket, as hard as that may be to believe today, with the Boat Lagoon practically overflowing in luxury motor
cruisers and sailing vessels. Driven both by the need to sell his own boat and the business acumen to suspect
there may be a market here, Lee hired a small space next to the bakery just up the docks from the current office.
A few signs in the windows, a laptop computer and Lee Marine was born.
Business began to click along smartly, but a slight snag was getting in the way. Because the office had no phone line
and none were available from the communications authorities, Lee decided to purchase the next-door bakery, which did
have phone service. He ran the line into his office and continued to sell pastries and pies under the e-referential
name The Bakery @ The Boat Lagoon, never imagining that the shop would become one of the most popular on the island;
a regular staple for sailors packing picnic lunches or inhaling requisite black coffees on all too glaring Saturday
mornings. Over the years, he has relocated his food service enterprise to the Watermark, for which he lured Australian
chef David Hamilton away from The Banyan Tree and established Ocean Catering, which now owns both restaurants.
In addition to dining and take-out, the company provides catering for parties on board boats, at villas and other
residences.
"Watermark has overwhelmed us with its popularity," says Mr. Craig. "It has become a very social place, a place to be
seen on the island.
In addition to excelling in the area of fine dining and baked goods, Lee Marine has grown rapidly to the premiere yacht
brokerage in Thailand. All three of their brokers, Mr. Lee, Martin Holmes and Andrew de Bruin are accomplished yachtsmen,
highly decorated skippers all, with a combined fifty-five years in the industry. The company is now the largest brokerage
and yacht representative in the country and is internationally recognized, with customers from all around the world.
While two-thirds of their brokerage is in sailboats, most of the new yachts for sale are powerboats. The exceptions to
this rule are the new, composite yachts, made of carbon fiber, which they have sold for DK Yachts in Malacca. This line
includes the Farr 40 and 520, as well as the Mumm 30, all top racing yachts.
As noted on their easily navigated (pun intended) website, Lee Marine are "exclusive dealers for the range of Riviera
powerboats, the world's best selling flybridge cruiser, as well as Ferretti and Pershing motor yachts, part of the
Ferretti Group of companies, producers of some of the world's most luxurious on-water craft."
Not only are these boats gorgeous, they are of the highest quality. Says Mr. Craig, "The production quality is far
superior." Additionally, "The service programme that we have in place for the boats has been the true secret to our
success."
Local Phuket native Eddie Thiengthong is the full-time service manager and engineer and the company employs a crew of
twenty skippers and boat boys. Thiengthong has many years of experience in the fields of both electrical work and
engineering. He and his crew "liaise with engine manufacturers, ensure the availability of parts and maintain everything
in turnkey operational order," says Craig. "Which can be difficult to achieve on your own here in Thailand if you are a
large boat owner."
In addition to brokerage and food service, Lee Marine provides marine consultancy and yacht management. For interested
customers, "Boats that live here will have a skipper and boat boy and unlike other countries, it is actually quite
affordable to have a full-time crew. These guys take care of the boat every day and you never have to worry about
maintenance or service. They're great local guides for fishing as well. For those owners who do not live here in
Phuket, the boat is ready for you when you step off the plane."
This December 7-10, following on the heels of the King's Cup Regatta, the Phuket International Marine Expo will be held
at the Boat Lagoon. Not surprisingly, Lee Marine will have the largest on and off water displays of boats including a
fleet of Rivieras, an eighty-foot Ferretti and a brand new Pershing 43. The expo will also showcase home property and
lifestyle, high-end villa sales and property supplies. "There is a huge affiliation between purchasing land here and
getting out on the water," says Craig. "People buy houses here because of the beautiful coastline and gorgeous waters.
With all the luxury villa sales of over a million dollars US, it seems like ours is a growing market, especially given
the speculation that yacht taxes will decrease. For those people who show genuine interest in buying, some of our boats
will be available for sea trial during the expo."
Lee Marine is planning a gala event to run in conjunction with the expo itself. Watermark will be having bands, fashion
parades and a Ferretti Italian dinner. This will truly be the time to make a special trip to Phuket's Boat Lagoon and
go shopping for a new toy. Then again, today is just a Wednesday in rainy season but, even so, a fashion show is setting
up right outside these glass windows. Tonight the models will be out in force. People will be filling the open space
near these impressive monuments to yachting luxury. In fact, it seems that any day is a good time to plan that special
trip to Phuket, to enter this dream world, to sit down and stay for a while. Who knows? You might find, as Joshua Lee
did, that you just can't seem to leave.
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