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About Us
Jay and Pam Gardner and their partner, Hans Korfin, have a passion about sailing that burns deep.
Captains Jay and Pam Gardner grew up in L.A. And they have been sailing since they were kids, buying their first boat, a 24’ sailboat, in the 1970’s.
Just out of high school they sailed their little boat south to Mexico, and spent six years sailing and living on the sea. They supported themselves on odd jobs and Yacht moving. - charging $1 a mile, plus expenses, to sail yachts owned by rich Americans back to the states.
They learned the art of sail making. Returning to the L. A. area, Jay and Pam opened a sail business. In 1978, they sailed north along the coast into San Francisco Bay and up the Napa River, docking at Napa Valley Marina. |
ADVENTURE CAT BAY CRUISES
For the next eight years, they made sails and lived aboard their boat, which served as delivery room for their first daughter. The Gardners would eventually move to a house after Pam became pregnant with triplets.
With four daughters to support, the Gardners got serious about business, opening PJ's Canvas and Sail Shop. The business prospered. So did their daughters. However, they missed the sea. To get back to salt water, they built a catamaran large enough to carry 48 paying passengers on San Francisco Bay.
The Gardners, in partnership with Korfin and others, spent 10,000 man-hours and 18 months building Adventure Cat in a Carneros industrial building. It was an enormous undertaking. Everything but the aluminum mast and the backup diesel engines they built themselves. With the blessing of the Coast Guard, Adventure Cat debuted carrying passengers from Pier 40, south of the Bay Bridge.
In a conventional, mono-hulled boat, sailing can be an afternoon of white-knuckle terror, with winds threatening to throw passengers overboard. They added a second hull to make the ride both faster and more stable. “It's fun without fear.”
In 2003, Adventure Cat II, a new 65’ catamaran was added to the fleet to accommodate larger groups.
Pam & Jay still love sailing as much as ever and are happy to offer this wonderful experience to others.
crew : testimonials : FAQ’s : Press
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