Jimmy Buffett

The Voyage

Jimmy Buffett was one of the most prolific recreational sailors of the late 20th century — a man who put more time on the water under his own command than almost any other public figure of his generation. He owned a succession of cruising sailboats and trawlers throughout his life — Continental Drifter (a 40-foot catamaran), Last Mango (a 50-foot Cheoy Lee trawler), and a Grumman Albatross seaplane named Hemisphere Dancer that he flew throughout the Caribbean. His memoir A Pirate Looks at Fifty (1998) is the canonical contemporary account of mid-life Caribbean cruising. He sailed extensively in the Bahamas, the Florida Keys, the Lesser Antilles, and across the Pacific in his 60s.

The Stewardship

Buffett founded the Singing for Change Charitable Foundation in 1995 and was a long-time advocate for manatee protection in Florida, ocean cleanup in the Keys, and post-hurricane reconstruction in the Caribbean. His Margaritaville business empire — built on the cruising lifestyle — funded most of his ocean philanthropy directly. After his death in September 2023, the Buffett family and the Singing for Change Foundation continue his work.

The Vessels

Continental Drifter — 40 ft cruising catamaran. Last Mango — 50 ft Cheoy Lee trawler. Hemisphere Dancer — Grumman Albatross amphibious seaplane (the one strafed by Jamaican police in 1996, an incident Buffett wrote a song about). Drifter — earlier monohull.

Why this voice on Wind Voyage

Buffett is the cultural godfather of the lifestyle Wind Voyage owners want to come back to at the end of a Patagonian expedition. The same boat that crosses the Drake at 12 knots under wing should be able to anchor off Eleuthera and play margaritas at sundown. That is the Wind Voyage 110 promise.