OnBoard Magazine - Issue XIII - 2021 Season

W ith a 35-year love for boating and an infectious enthusiasm for adventure, Monty Recoulley refused to allow health issues to sideline one of his favorite pastimes. “I've run my own business since I was 26,” he explains. “You go to work every day and problems arise, but you cannot let those problems stop your business. You go over them, around them; You can't let anything stand in your way.” Now a three-time cancer survivor, he explains, “That's how I treat my illness, nothing stands in my way.” SEARCHES AND SALES Recoulley first met Bluewater’s Scott James on the docks of the Hampton Yachting Center to tour a couple exclusive brokerage listings. While considering his budget and the potential for future maintenance needs on an older boat, he stopped in his tracks when he spotted a new Back Cove 37. "Blue hull, white top—that boat was drop-dead gorgeous!" he recalls. After crunching some numbers and considering the benefits of a new, low maintenance yacht still under factory warranties, Recoulley and James worked out a deal and Loose Change was commissioned. Perhaps an interesting name for a Downeast motoryacht, Recoulley explains, “My career has been in the vending machine business.” Many memories were made on that Back Cove 37, which is laid out perfect for a cruising couple. However, the time came when Monty wanted to include his grandchildren on excursions, which would be ideal with more space at his disposal. “A fraternity brother commented that ‘at our age, we know we're on the back nine, we just don't know which hole,' so I'm trying to have as many adventures as I can handle,” explains Recoulley and his decision to move up from the Back Cove. He enlisted Scott James to help find his next boat. and a pre-owned Selene 56 trawler soon became the Loose Change II. "Buying a boat from Scott is one of the most pleasurable experiences I've ever had.” Recoulley continues, “He is really more of a friend than someone just selling me something. I get the feeling he wants to put the buyer with the right boat, rather than just the boat he can make the most commission on.” A DEEPER CONNECTION The trawler was purchased in South Florida and needed to make her way north to her new home. Recoulley planned an exciting journey of nearly two weeks that featured several stopovers, including St. Augustine, Fernadina Beach, Tybee Island, Myrtle Beach and more. He had the aid of partner Susan McGee and another friend crewing on different legs of the trip. “Scott called me a few times just to check in on me and make sure I was doing okay with the maiden voyage up the coast of Florida,” Recoulley explains. “There's a level of care and concern that goes well beyond the sale of the boat.” That caring relationship is reciprocal for James. “Monty has become a great friend and is a very inspirational person to me," James says. “He has a very strong spirit.” To understand what makes him such an inspirational figure, requires a dive into his personal health journey and three substantial bouts with cancer. Recoulley was diagnosed with prostate cancer which then moved into his bones. Malignant cells then appeared in his mouth causing him to lose part of his tongue. Most recently, the disease spread to his lower jaw, which led to a 10-hour surgery to remove the cancerous section and reconstruct it using fibula bone from his right leg. These latter surgeries left him relearning how to talk at times, but, "I have been blessed with good health up until now, and even now I don't let bad health get in my way," Recoulley says. Determined to Explore ONE MAN’S RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF HIS BLUEWATER DREAM "Monty has become a great friend and is a very inspirational person..." 42 BLUEWATER