Sail Tahoe Blue

Who is Sail Tahoe Blue?

We are a highly successful Sailing Charter Business based in picturesque South Lake Tahoe, California. With an impressive four-year track record, we have established ourselves as the leading sailing excursion in the stunning Lake Tahoe Basin. In 2018, Sean and Isabella, set sail on their entrepreneurial journey with the creation of Sail Tahoe Blue LLC. Meticulous attention to detail led us to acquire and refurbish the 40' sailing yacht now named "Blue," ensuring its compliance with USCG safety regulations before launching our
venture in June of 2020.

Market

Tourism plays a crucial role in driving Lake Tahoe's robust $5.1 billion economy. Lake Tahoe's picturesque shores continue to attract visitors from all around the globe, making it a top tourist destination in California.

Current operations

We offer up to four daily public or private cruises, from May 1st to October 15th, accommodating over 5,000 tourists annually. Despite high demand, our limited capacity forces us to turn away 2-3 times the number of customers we can serve each year. Over the course of three five-month seasons, we have earned over 440 five-star reviews on TripAdvisor and Google. Our commitment to delivering an unparalleled customer experience sets us apart from the competition.

The Problem

We are eager to grow the business and have spent four seasons preparing to do so, but until we secure a larger vessel, we will not be able to grow to our full potential and fully tap into the South Lake Tahoe tourism market. By not acquiring another, larger vessel, we are missing out on $584K in sales annually. With this new boat and it’s larger capacity, we could increase customer acquisition by 68% each year, driving an increase in our annual gross revenue by 51%, at $1.15M (+ $584,200).

The Solution

Our solution to capture lost business is the acquisition of a larger sailing vessel capable of accommodating a significantly higher number of passengers and operating under challenging conditions. We are excited to introduce a 49-passenger catamaran designed for sailing on Lake Tahoe. 

Blue II: New Boat

After careful consideration and market research, we have decided that Blue II will be designed by renowned catamaran designer Kurt Hughes. Kurt Hughes has been designing performance charter catamarans for 50+ years. Built by Pedigree Catamarans, the boat will be designed to maximize capacity at 49 passengers and to operate in high winds and weather while keeping guests comfortable.

Competition

Based on their current operations, we do not believe other local sailing businesses to be a threat to expanding our business and we believe now is an excellent time to bring a larger charter sailing vessel to South Lake Tahoe. South Lake Tahoe is the epicenter for tourism in the Lake Tahoe basin. Ski Run Marina, where we have established our business, receives significantly more traffic than competitor marinas, ideally located near Heavenly village and the casinos. In the early 2000’s, a 550 passenger boat, the “Tahoe Queen”, operated out of Ski Run Marina. going out as much as 2 times a day at full capacity. This demonstrates the potential of our location.

The Ask

We are seeking a loan of $1.25M. Configured initially as an interest only credit line, which then converts to a fixed payment once fully drawn down, with a subsequent desired
5 year loan payback term. The current business is profitable and cash flow positive ($250K net income in 2022) and sufficient to service the loan to the point when Blue II becomes operational (2025 sailing season). The funds will be used exclusively to build and transport Blue II, with the following drawdown schedule: Drawdown schedule:

Jan 1, 2024: $250K
April 1, 2024: $250K
July 1, 2024: $250K
Jan 1, 2025: $500K

CONTACT
SEAN BROWN:
[email protected]
408-234-5338
ISABELLA CONRAD:
[email protected]
408-806-6718

WEBSITE:
[email protected]