Turks & Caicos is a boater’s paradise

 

Jeff Hodges is a lifelong boater from Charleston, South Carolina, who grew up sailing and powerboating, utterly at home on the water. During the past two decades he and his family have explored the Turks & Caicos islands, falling in love with the seemingly endless beaches and crystal-clear waters, the warm and hospitable local people, and the unmatched ambiance of this Caribbean paradise.

 

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As a serial entrepreneur, Jeff has launched political campaign software, opened restaurants and undertaken a number of successful business ventures in the USA over a period of 25 years. 

But who would have the confidence to start a company in the tourism sector, in the midst of a global pandemic? Well, Jeff Hodges. That’s who. Whilst visiting the islands on a family trip during 2018, Jeff had the chance to charter an Axopar 37 Sun-Top, having been previously unfamiliar with the brand. He immediately fell in love with the boat.

“It was so unique; so different, sexy and fast. A well-designed piece of kit for that type of business and a luxury boat like no other. I decided then and there that I had to have one of those boats, so I started working on a plan.”

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During the 2020 pandemic, Jeff and Tanya’s daughter, Alex, moved to Turks & Caicos to be with her fiancé, Liam, a world-class kiteboarder who Alex met many years earlier, when they were both children. As a local expert who grew up around the Turks & Caicos waters, Liam was the perfect captain for the new business, and so a masterplan was hatched.

Jeff went straight to Nautical Ventures in Florida to order a new Axopar 37 Sun-Top in striking Miami blue, which was delivered to Turks & Caicos in time to start the business in autumn of 2020. Despite travel restrictions and local curfews, Moana Charters was born and a strong, stable business was very quickly established, with Alex and Captain “Aquaman” Liam running the day to day business operations.

Looking at Jeff’s pictures and videos, it’s hard to argue that Turks & Caicos is a boater’s paradise, and an adventurer’s playground. 

Clients can jump from an old shipwreck, dive to wrecks on the seabed, snorkel, wakeboard, wakesurf, cliff dive, watch sea turtles and even play with dolphins. Local dolphin celebrities, Jojo and baby Dreamer, are known to get up close and play with lucky swimmers in the warm, clear waters.

Moana Charters is popular with families who are looking for something extra special that they won’t get on a typical group tourist boat. Jeff also partners with a number of exclusive properties in the area, which are popular with major celebrities when they come for a break, so an Axopar with crew is at their service for the duration of their stay. Whoever the customer is, they receive a personalized service to suit their needs, and Jeff says there’s no shortage of praise relating to the service and the boats.

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“Our clients constantly compliment the boats and share photos and videos of their experiences on Instagram. We have A-list celebrities, sports stars and social media influencers, all telling the world how amazing their experiences are.”

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The 37 Sun-Top offers plenty of convenience for all the various activities. 

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No wonder why they say Turks & Caicos is a paradise for boaters.

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The hulls of the boats blend in splendidly with the turquoise waters of Turks & Caicos.

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The 37 Sun-Top offers plenty of convenience for all the various activities. 

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Jeff insists that his first Axopar, the 37 Sun-Top, is the perfect boat for Turks & Caicos.

“It’s almost like Axopar designed the boat for these waters. It turns on a dime, there’s minimal spray, it’s really comfortable for passengers and incredibly stable. Almost like it’s on rails, like a sports car on the water. It’s so different to most boats and it would be tough for me to change brands, ever.”

As business continues to grow, Jeff thinks he will need to add more Axopars to his collection, including a new Axopar 22, and he will be at the front of the queue when a bigger model is launched too. He is determined to grow his Moana Charters fleet and is happy to be associated with the Axopar brand in the area. It’s an incredible story of success in difficult times, driven by a man with a passion for boating, business, family and adventure.

As Jeff says, “everything Turks & Caicos has to offer can be seen better in an Axopar”

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