OnBoard Magazine - Issue XI - Summer 2019

S teve Capalbo grew up on Long Island and enjoyed the area’s waterways as often as he could, including both sailing and powerboating. A 20-year veteran of the U.S. Army and former IBM Associate Partner, Steve is no stranger to travel. However, even in land-locked states or abroad in European countries, Capalbo would find his way to open water for recreation, including sailing and Hobie Cat racing. Once Steve and his wife Carolyn decided it was time to move on from their Island Packet 45 sailboat and move to a powerboat, they began attending boat shows. “We met Scott [MacDonald] at the Annapolis Powerboat Show three years ago and have maintained a friendship ever since,” Steve explains. They were interested in other motoryachts but really loved the Princess models MacDonald showed them. HOOKED ON QUALITY “The moment Carolyn walked on to a Princess, she said, 'this is it,' and basically fell in love with the boat from day one,” Steve recalls. The couple arranged to fly down and attend the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with Scott MacDonald as their guide. The Princess display did not disappoint that year and they were able to sea trial a Princess 49 Flybridge. “We toured the Princess line and really wanted two helm stations with three cabins, and the Princess 49 Flybridge satisfied all those requirements.” Steve exclaims, “We signed a contract right there at the show!” A Princess 49 was not the only boat they sea trialed in Fort Lauderdale; MacDonald also got the them onto a Seakeeper demo boat. The ability of the gyro stabilizer to drastically reduce roll sealed the deal. “Carolyn said, ‘we’re getting one!’” recalls Steve, who has affectionately nicknamed it the ‘wifekeeper.’ So, when it came time to choose options and features for their new 49 Flybridge from Princess Yachts, a factory- installed Seakeeper was included. MAIDEN VOYAGE Fast forward to January 2018, and an excited Steve and Carolyn took delivery of their new Princess 49 Flybridge at the Princess Yachts North America headquarters in West Palm Beach. The 49 Flybridge is unique in the Princess range, being one of the only boats powered by Volvo’s IPS engines with pod drives. With these engines, the boat posts a commendable 35 knot top speed and efficient cruise speed of 30 knots, burning 42 gallons per hour (GPH). Their boat was also optioned with the Volvo Glass Cockpit system—a collaboration between Volvo and Garmin that integrates a bulk of the ship’s systems into the large Garmin display at both helms. “The integrated systems simplify everything and we love the maneuverability of the pod drives,” Steve reports. The first order of business in the new boat was to register for Princess’ spring rendezvous in the Bahamas! With over twenty boats in attendance overall, the Capalbos departed with nine other boats from West Palm Beach and made the passage to West End in three hours. From there, a convoy of Princess Yachts made their way east through the Abacos for five days of parties, fun and relaxation. Another unique aspect of Princess’ customer events is the availability of highly-trained service technicians on the docks. Steve notes: “Service people with Princess are amazing and always ready for any issues that may come up!” A GROWING FELLOWSHIP OF PRINCESS YACHTS OWNERS Capalbo Family & Princess Yachts North America "[Carolyn] basically fell in love with the boat from day one." Scouting out the Princess Yachts lineup at the Annapolis and Fort Lauderdale shows 34 BLUEWATER