Coming up on the two-year anniversary of their humble beginning, the team at Cobalt Custom Charters find themselves feeling both excited and grateful. So, 
recently we caught-up with Travis Martin (Lead Boat Captain) and Graeme Brown (Operations Manager) to learn more about their exhilarating venture.
PP: When we first met you guys well over a year ago now, you were just getting started. A team of three with a new boat, a big dream, and a huge challenge in front of you. So how is it going?
GB: We’re doing very well, but there are new challenges every day. With that said, given the option to be where we are today when we first started, I think we both would have taken it in a heartbeat. We’ve worked harder than we’ve ever worked, for less than we’ve ever made, but the feedback has been wonderful. Having guests tell us, “This was the best experience I’ve ever had.” Having people going out of their way to give us great compliments has been so rewarding.
TM: And as a result of all the positive feedback, we’ve grown to meet the increased demand. We had a second Cobalt (boat) come online in March, 2019 along with growing our team to four people by bringing on a very qualified Captain to help out!
GB: Yeah, since then we’ve grown to a team of seven people that have all totally bought into our vision and quality standards. We’ve worked hard to hire the best people. In fact, recently some of our peers have complained to us, “Hey, have you hired all the best people?”
TM: All our team have great experience in hospitality and in boating. Each member of our team brings a unique skillset and vibe to our company and we couldn’t be happier with the team we’re building. Who knows, maybe we will need more people and more boats in the future?
PP: Wow! Would the next boat be a Cobalt also?
TM: It would, yes! Although we may have to explore something different one day!
PP: Where are the boats docked?
TM: The boats are docked at the Cayman Islands Yacht Club which is in West Bay and in our opinion the best marina on island with ample parking for our guests plus two lovely restaurants and a full service store that sells drinks, snacks and alcohol.
GB: The yacht club is only about 12 minutes from the Cruise Port and is less than 10 minutes from anywhere along Seven Mile Beach. It really is a convenient and easy place for our guests to use.
PP: So, what do you attribute to your success?
GB: I think it’s our focus on quality, on honesty. We have a 100% refund policy, if you’re ever not happy, we’ll give you a full refund. We’ve never had to use it, and I don’t expect we ever will! Of the approximately 220 companies on Trip Advisor, we’re now listed as number two. The only company we trail has been around for a long time and operates a completely different style boat (a Catamaran). Therefore, we’re the #1 option for private charters on boats 35 ft. or less.
PP: That’s really impressive! Tell us why would someone want to book with Cobalt Custom Charters?
GB: We know there are plenty of options when looking to book a boat charter on Grand Cayman, but there are very few choices that offer luxury accommodations and a boutique experience, which is what our company exemplifies. If you’re looking for a huge boat rental outfit filled with dozens of people, we’re not the charter for you. However, if you’re looking for an option customized to your specific needs that can accommodate up to eight people, we are that option.
PP: What makes you different?
TM: One thing is the quality of our boats – Cobalt as a brand is synonymous with luxury compared to something like Sea Ray that a lot of our competition run. Another is our attention to detail. The main factor is our great team – without each of them none of this would be possible.
PP: Tell us more of your vision.
GB: We aim to provide our guests with the best boat charter experience in Grand Cayman. From our luxury Cobalt vessels, through our experienced staff and first-class amenities, you will not be disappointed with our boutique style and approach to your boating experience. We will work with you before your charter to ensure your day is organized specifically to your group’s needs and desires. And we’ll treat you like family before, after and during our trip to ensure that you make lifetime memories.
PP: Where do you typically take folks on your charters?
GB: We customize every excursion, but our top boating destinations often include trips to Rum Point beach bar, Bio Bay, Stingray City sandbar, Starfish Point beach and snorkeling. Whether you want to swim with the stingrays at Stingray City, hold a starfish at Starfish Point, enjoy the bioluminescence at Bio Bay, snorkel world class coral head, or relax on the beach, our promise is to provide a unique and memorable outing on the water.
PP: We went with you to Stingray City last year, and Travis, you were amazing with the Stingrays. It was like you knew each one personally.
TM: Thanks. I’ve been in the water with those stingrays most days for over three years now, and you get to know them, and their personalities. I love them, and helping our guests experience swimming, holding, and feeding stingrays in the wild!
PP: Graeme, it was there that you showed us your drone.
GB: Yes, we have a drone (available upon request) and generally have a professional camera with a waterproof housing on the boat to ensure we can capture those special moments for our guests!
PP: You did take some impressive pictures. Then you also took us to Starfish Point.
GB: Not as famous as Stingray City, but there you’ll find yourself immersed in the sea, at a beach filled with beautiful red cushion sea stars (starfish) you can snorkel with and hold with your bare hands (just keep them in the water!)
PP: Yeah, they really are beautiful. We didn’t realize you also go to Bio Bay.
GB: We sure do. Considered by some to be the ‘northern lights’ of the underwater word, the Bio Bay in Grand Cayman 
is one of only a few places worldwide where you can see this glowing phenomena. Upon entering the Bio Bay during your boat tour, you will start to notice that the water coming off the propeller is glowing – this isn’t a light rather it is the first sign of this microscopic plankton getting disturbed and thus releasing their light. When there is little to no moon light, you can easily see this from the comfort of the boat. Either way, it is much more pronounced in the water. We recommend that you put on a mask and hop in the water to see exactly what we’re talking about. A lot of our guests tell us the Bio Bay feels like a scene out of the Matrix or Avatar. Seeing their friends/family glow in the water in the darkness of night is something they don’t soon forget.
PP: What’s the attraction at Rum Point?
GB: Besides the obvious? (Laughs), it is a beautiful piece of land on the North Side of Grand Cayman with a beach bar and grill, gift shop and beach. It has a beautiful view of the rest of Grand Cayman and because of the prevailing wind direction this ‘point’ is always quite calm. Famous for their mudslides (the drink), their shaded beach front area filled with brightly colored picnic tables is a great place for a drink and/or snack. The ‘vibe’ is quintessential Caribbean and it’s perfect for kids and adults alike as the beach access keeps the kids busy while the parents can enjoy that mudslide from only a few feet away!
PP: Tell us, how did you two meet?
GB: Actually, we grew up together. We’ve been friends since the fifth or sixth grade. We’re both from Milton, Ontario, near Toronto, Canada.
TM: I grew up on a farm outside of Milton, and as a kid discovered that I had a knack for fixing and maintaining our farm equipment.
PP: So how did a Canadian farm kid become a boat captain in the Cayman Islands?
TM: I grew up on and around boats as much as possible (being Canadian). Whenever the weather was warm enough, 
I’d be out on a boat, captaining trips for my parents as young as 10 years old! As an adult, it really grew when I bought a sailboat and decided to sail it through from Lake Simcoe in Canada through the Trent-Severn waterway all the way to Lake Ontario. And in the process I fell in love with boating again and started to dream about making it a ‘career’.
PP: So how did you get from Canada to Grand Cayman?
TM: Actually, it was some mutual friends that introduced us to Grand Cayman and I came down on vacation to check it out. I ended up having a lot of fun and really enjoying Grand Cayman and all the Caymanians and non-Caymanians that I met. I went home and my girlfriend and I had ‘the chat’ and we decided to apply for jobs. I ended up getting a job working on a 50+ ft. Catamaran in the North Sound and we moved down a few months later. This is where I got my introduction to the stingrays I now love! Our permits were up after six months and we loved the island and the people so much that we knew we wanted to stay!
GB: We both had great careers in Canada, but wanted something different. In March, 2017 I told Travis I was interested in living on a sailboat after chatting about his experience with his sailboat. Travis being the great guy he is offered to give me the boat (I think it was more to get his hands cleared of it than to help me but hey!) and so we sailed across Lake Ontario together, ran into some bad weather, and during that three day trip we had plenty of time to chat about Grand Cayman. I was intrigued, so my girlfriend and I came on vacation to Cayman. We rented a catamaran and took our first sail to Rum Point, Starfish Point and Stingray City. Needless to say, we loved it! We went back to Canada and we went through the process of applying for work and once that was taken care of we moved down a few months later!
PP: So now you’re both down here, how did Cobalt Custom Charters get formed?
GB: Shortly thereafter, the original three of us decided there was an opportunity for a custom charter business that focused on giving customers more personal attention and a proper experience. It was a huge leap for all of us. We pooled together everything we had (and then some) to give it a crack.
PP: A huge step of faith!
TM: Sure was! We bought our first boat. It was a Cobalt, so we named our new venture, Cobalt Custom Charters. Our team of three got the necessary licenses, insurance and work permits in place and we started running charters!
PP: And here you are, two years later and you’re actually living your dream!
GB: We are living the dream, and we realize that if we don’t do this right, don’t treat people right, it’ll all go away. We 
love living in the Cayman Islands. We are integrated into the community and have met many wonderful Caymanian friends and friends living here from all over the world. At the end of the day we get to take people out on what should be the trip of a lifetime – it beats working in an office in the Canadian Winter!
PP: We’re really excited for your success. What’s your focus now?
GB: We’re focused on our team now. We want to take great care of them so they’ll take great care of our customers. We know the success of the team and our ability to enjoy that success (or lack thereof) will be directly correlated with the culture we build. No one person is bigger than the team and we work hard everyday to ensure this isn’t lost.
PP: We would not be prouder of you. You guys moved here and took a major risk, stuck to your vision, and continue to provide a wonderful first-class service to those visiting Cayman.
GB: We really do believe in our vision and look forward to helping your passengers have one of their very best days ever in Grand Cayman.
Cobalt Custom Charters
Dock B, Cayman Islands Yacht Club
Cayman: (345) 927-6009; US: (972) 497-2130