Mad Max celebrates 20 years of sailing with new paint, logo and hardware

In 20 years of sailing, the 60-foot catamaran Mad Max has carried over 100,000 passengers, averaging 5,000 a season, according to the boat’s owner, Robert Colacray.

Docked in Edgartown harbor, Mad Max is a state-of-the-art catamaran, a sailing boat consisting of two parallel hulls. Its mast towers 70 feet above a spacious deck which is almost 1,500 square feet, 60 feet long and 25 feet wide. “It was crafted for adventure with passenger safety and comfort in mind,” said Mr. Colacray. “The twin hulls are engineered to create smooth and graceful movement across the water.” The boat can carry as many as 49 passengers.

“We are proud of our safety record; we haven’t lost anyone,” he said. “We have helped create memorable moments for many people. I love to hear passengers say, ‘This is the best thing I have done here on the Vineyard.’ You get a totally different perspective of the Island from the water.”

Mad-max-full-sail.JPGMad Max sets sail twice a day at 2 pm and 6 pm for two-hour trips. On a good day with a southwest breeze, Mr. Colacray said the Mad Max can sail to Oak Bluffs and back. Another popular route is to follow Chappaquiddick out to Cape Poge, taking in the beautiful sights along the way.

Mad Max is also available for private charters for up to 49 passengers. The boat has its own marina in the harbor where other boats can dock.

Mr. Colacray started sailing when he was a student at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. “My first boat, appropriately, was a small catamaran, a Hobie 16,” he said. “I would sail it off the beaches of Malibu. It was wet and exciting launching through the surf and riding them back in.”

He later moved up to a Bristol 29′ which allowed him to sail to the Channel Islands off the southern California coast, and later, as he gained experience, from Los Angeles to San Francisco singlehanded. He was lucky, he said, to have some good teachers and mentors along the way.

While on the West Coast, Mr. Colacray got his captain’s license, after six months of study. When he returned home to the east coast he worked in the business world for about 10 years, saving enough money to buy a 35-foot sailboat.

One summer he got an itch to try something new and sailed to Edgartown. He docked at the Harborside marina and put up a plywood sign that read, “Sailing Charters.” Before too long he was taking up to six people out four times a day.

Each fall he would sail the boat down to Key West, where he continued to make money chartering his boat through the winter. It was here he got the idea for “Mad Max” after seeing large catamarans capable of carrying 49 passengers.

In 1993 he contracted Gold Coast Yachts in St. Croix to build a new boat.

“The name came from the ‘Mad Max’ movies,” he said. “It seemed to be a perfect fit for a big red catamaran.”

Last fall, the Mad Max was sailed to Maine for a complete overhaul and refitting to commemorate her 20th anniversary. New paint, new logo and graphics, new stays, and all hardware was replaced. “The boat has a new look and looks better than she did 20 years ago,” he said.

“Everyone along the way has been extremely supportive, the town, harbormaster, and we are lucky to have some great employees,” Mr. Colacray said. “I have been blessed over the years to do something I love and have the opportunity to follow my passion, to travel abroad in the off-season. It was on one of my journeys to Colombia four years ago that I met my soul-mate Yudy, and we are now married.”

“I hope to be doing this for many years to come. There is no need to retire. I have been semi-retired these last 20 years, working six months and having six months off. I am living the dream.”

For more information go to,www.madmaxmarina.com, call 508-627-7500, or stop by the boat in Edgartown. It is hard to miss.