Reality TV star Captain Sandy Yawn wants to bring a luxury boat service to downtown Jacksonville, according to a report.
The Nocatee resident has submitted a proposal to city officials that would allow her to operate an open deck vessel for river cruises, weddings, corporate events and private dinners, she told First Coast News.
“Jacksonville is a cool city,” Yawn said, telling the station that she hopes to broaden the area’s touristic appeal with the venture. “I think more people should come to visit Jax.”
While accustomed to glamorous locales from Italy to the south of France, Yawn has been a vocal booster of her adopted home town’s potential.
“I want to bring more people on the water in Jax,” she said, noting advances in downtown development and the incoming Four Seasons Hotel as evidence of an upswing.
Yawn said she would tap chefs from her popular Below Deck to prepare meals on the boat, which would host around 50 people.
“I guarantee I can fill that boat,” she pledged.
If the venture proves successful, perhaps a larger vessel could be in order down the line, Yawn said.
The veteran seafarer — who lives locally with her wife Leah Rae Yawn — is collaborating with retired Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Sgt. and boat captain Rob Adams on the project.
“We’re not capitalizing on what makes Jacksonville, Jacksonville—the St. Johns River,” he told First Coast News, noting that other cities successfully leverage their waterways to fuel tourism.
One Response
This is a wonderful idea. From st Auggie to Jax & perhaps two boats another run from Jax to st auggie