New York Times’ best-selling author and health and lifestyle medicine advocate Dr. Wayne Andersen marries his focus on wellness with life off the beaten path aboard his Horizon Powercat.
Dr. Wayne Andersen (Dr. A) is sitting in the semi-enclosed flybridge of his PC60 Synergy, the brilliant turquoise of the crystalline waters that surround him reflecting in his sunglasses. The breeze outside is balmy, yet the water glass on the table is perfectly chilled. It is the ultimate expression of “peaceful solitude,” the noticeable silence interrupted only by the gentle lapping of the water against the hulls below.
Delivered this past spring, Synergy models the silent efficiency of Horizon’s new-generation power catamarans with its Victron advanced power package paired with a Termodinamica variable speed A/C system. Augmented by solar power, alternators charge the boat’s battery package, which necessitates generator use for one or two periods per day in hot climates, and about one hour per day on cooler days.
Not only does this system save on fuel and noise, it allows for interior comfort as well as peace of mind while cruising “off grid,” something Dr. A put to the test soon after taking delivery.
The Bahamas are his favorite cruising grounds and, yearning for the solitude he used to enjoy in places like Staniel Cay and the lower Exumas years ago, he was eager to explore the lone Ragged Island chain in the Jumento Cays.
“They warned me, ‘Don’t go down there unless you are fully self-sustainable, because there is nothing there,’” he says of this idyllic yet remote area in the southwestern region of The Bahamas. “In that environment, we make our own water and our own power. We brought plenty of provisions in the freezer and there were lots of fresh fish and other sea creatures to catch every day. We spent eight days and saw but two other people the entire time.
“In fact,” he laughs, “I don’t even know if I want you mentioning this because we need to keep people out of the Jumentos!”
FOR THE LOVE OF SAILING
The former critical care physician-turned-lifestyle-medicine-advocate discovered sailing while on fellowship with the University of Miami in the Surgical Critical Care facility at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. “I took my first sailing course at the Coconut Grove Sail Club and loved it so much I rented a 19ft sailboat and headed straight to the Keys – after just one lesson!”
After his fellowship, Dr. A purchased his very first boat at the Miami boat show: a 35ft Allmand. “I remember being so excited that we left the marina at three o’clock in the morning and headed for The Bahamas. The only equipment I had was a compass and an RDF! [Radio Direction Finder]”
Soon, Dr. A was hooked on sailing. When he and his wife got married, he asked her, “Do you want to buy a house or a sailboat?” A boat was the obvious answer and they purchased a 44ft F&C and sailed it along the U.S. eastern seaboard from Long Island to Newfoundland.
The sailing dream continued, and Dr. A and his wife also became familiar with sailing catamarans, having chartered them from time to time in Providence Island to accommodate their daughters and their friends. “Sailing cats, however, don’t sail worth a crap,” he says. “You’re not going anywhere on them.”
THE POWERCAT DIFFERENCE
One day, while moored in Warderick Wells in the Exumas aboard his 54ft Moody Cutter, Dr. A noticed a Horizon PC60 cruising past. “I could instantly tell that this boat was made for serious cruising.”
Dr. A met Horizon Power Catamaran Founder & CEO Richard Ford and the two formed an instant connection over their mutual sailing backgrounds and enjoyed long discussions about how sailing influences the style and usability of the power catamaran.
“Richard is a proper sailor, he knows what a proper yacht should have,” says Dr. A.
Drawn to the idea of being able to get to his favorite destinations quickly, Dr. A commissioned a Horizon PC52 and says he loved the shallow draft, the ease of watersports and the flexibility to host their daughters and friends. Confident that the power catamaran was the right fit for his family, he partnered with Richard Ford to build a PC60.
“It was the perfect partnership,” he says. “I worked with Richard on the options and the design of the exterior spaces and the helm, and then worked with Leigh on the interior layout and finishes.” Dr. A says he particularly loves the double STIDD helm chair and the flexibility of the flybridge to be enclosed during inclement weather.
PERFECT SYNERGY
Stepping from a PC52 into his new PC60, Dr. A says there are so many features he loves about the bigger boat, from the copious amounts of storage to the capability to house a large tender with a 100hp engine. “It changes the dynamic to where we can base the PC60 just about anywhere and take day trips on the big tender,” he says.
“The flybridge is my favorite space,” says Dr. A. “It’s like my own private office, fully air conditioned and with all of the comforts of home, but with such an incredible view.
“Still being in business and being able to communicate daily without having to go to certain places for a signal is essential,” he says. “I’m currently preparing for an international conference and had Zoom calls this morning with the team in England, all thanks to the Starlink capabilities on this boat. Even down in the remote areas where we like to cruise, we are able to communicate like we are next door.”
Dr. A says he loves how the mood of each space changes throughout the day. “At night, it’s party time,” he says. “We go up on the foredeck, turn off the onboard lights and play a game with the sky – one point for a plane, three points for a satellite and five points for a shooting star. The first person to fifty wins! Every night is a magical evening with laughter and memories.
“Then, when day time rolls back around, being surrounded by beautiful blue water allows the exterior of the boat to shine.”
There is a classic Jimmy Buffet song, First Look, that describes not being prepared for one’s first glimpse of the Caribbean and Bahamas. The song resonates with Dr. A and his family, he says.
“My kids grew up here; every free moment we had we would be sailing through the Abacos and Exumas. It is the most special place to be together with family and friends.”
To Learn More About the new PC60 On-Deck Master: www.horizonyacht.com/models/pc/pc60
