Yachtsmen have a habit of calling Jeff Druek and telling him they want to live their cruising dreams.
Druek is president and CEO of Outer Reef Yachts, which builds long-range motoryachts from 58 to 115 feet length overall. About 10 percent of the buyers, Druek says, are “roamers,” by which he means boaters cruising far off the beaten course, exploring destinations such as the Galapagos Islands and Patagonia.
Felipe Massú is definitely that kind of boater. He bought the 2014 Outer Reef 700 Motoryacht Dogo’s Hideout, whose previous owner had been keeping it in the Pacific Northwest. Massú had a bucket-list dream of rounding Cape Horn, Chile, and he needed a yacht that could handle the unpredictable weather conditions as well as the long-range cruising.
His dream is now a reality. Massú took Dogo’s Hideout on a 35-day itinerary from Puerto Montt, Chile, to Ushuaia, Argentina, a city whose nickname is “the End of the World.” He called getting there one of his great challenges as a navigator, and found the area’s beauty so stunning that along the way, the yacht made more than a dozen stops.
“It truly humbles me, knowing yachtsmen and -women across the spectrum can turn to the Outer Reef brand to bring what was once seen as unreachable to reality.”
Jeff Druek, Outer Reef Yachts
Dogo’s Hideout is not the first Outer Reef to round Cape Horn. Previously, the Outer Reef 880 Cockpit Motoryacht Argo completed the feat. That yacht, built in 2015, had then-owner Paul Hawran aboard as well as Druek, who spent nearly two days on airplanes to get to that part of the planet.
“There is nothing more satisfying than to build a yacht that is not only luxurious and comfortable for everyday cruising, but that also meets the highest of standards for the most treacherous of journeys,” says Druek, who wonders which yachtsman will call him with a bucket-list cruising dream next.
