Before I left my job at OneWater Yacht Group, I was on location for a sea trial and photo shoot in Miami for a Sunseeker Predator 65. Having never been on either (of this scale) I wasn’t sure what to expect. The first day, we hosted sea trials with Boat TV, Power & Motoryacht and Boat International. I left Fort Lauderdale at dawn and arrived by 7:30am. As I approached our yacht, (which was at the Miami Beach Marina), I realized I would need some help getting on the boat. Remember, they have fixed docks here in Florida. It’s hard to see in the photo below, but the swim platform is actually about 3′ below the dock, so my best bet was to swing my leg around to the steps.
Fisher Island
Our first stop was in front of Fisher Island where the film crew could get some great angles with a gorgeous backdrop. Fisher Island is a luxury country club and is only accessible by boat or ferry.
The weather forecast was calling for 20kn winds, so we headed out to sea to start our sea trials.
Channel Markers
Heading out to sea, you will follow the channel markers for quite a ways. You do need to be aware of other marine traffic around you as well.
Before you knew it, we were pretty far off shore.
Sunseeker Predator 65 Sea Trial
Time to put this bad boy to the test. The Predator 65 is known for its’ agile hull and IPS drives that allow just the right amount of lean to feel the thrill – I on the other hand was terrified. LOL!
Using the joystick, the yacht turns on a dime at about 30 degrees, side to side. I didn’t enjoy this part of the trip, but for those that love adrenaline, this is the yacht for you. To get a feel of how it was, be sure to watch our YouTube episode.
Photo Shoot
We spent the following two days (dawn to dusk) doing a photo shoot complete with models and a full crew. First we needed to find a great spot for a back drop and headed towards downtown Miami.
Miami does have a very impressive skyline, but it was too choppy for us to find the right scene.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
Hoping that the Vizcaya Museum would be a great backdrop, we headed towards the Key Biscayne bridge towards Deering Channel.
It was extremely shallow and our draft was only 5’3″ and soon we were in 4′ waters.
Unfortunately, the museum didn’t work out as it had some kind of tent structure in front of it. Our crew decided to head south in search of another spot. Make sure you stay in the channel or have outboard engines as you will end up on the sandbar.
In search of the perfect photo shoot spot
Our crew headed south to Hurricane Harbor in hopes we would find a gorgeous estate for our photo shoot backdrop.
There were plenty of boats anchored nearby and we entered the harbor. Soon we were in very shallow waters again and we did not find that amazing estate.
Heading south towards No Name Harbor, we hoped to find the perfect spot. But it was not to be. Instead, we headed to Cape Florida to use the lighthouse as our backdrop. Going south to Cape Florida, you’ll pass “Stilt City”. These are homes people have built and stay in for weekends and vacations. Many were destroyed after the last few hurricanes. It is extremely shallow, so you can only access during high tide.
Photo Shoot Sunset in Miami
Soon the sun was setting and we only had time to capture some amazing shots of the sunset and the city. Because many of the shots were drone shots, I actually had to stay below in one of the cabins, so I wasn’t in the shot. It was definitely an interesting experience.
This “office view” certainly beat my regular desk, so I was not complaining.
As always, thank you for following our journey. Be sure to subscribe to our channel (link below) and blog to stay updated. You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Cheers, Scott and Ally