It wasn’t easy getting Brad and Katherine Robinson in for an interview with us. In between running their successful landscaping business, caring for two children and maintaining an active, sporty lifestyle, the couple prefers to enjoy the little leisure time they have left, cruising on their stunning Pursuit S 288 rather than taking an interview!
But we’re glad they made the time for us because we’re sure their story will inspire you to get out on the water and explore your local coastline!
The Family that Works Together
Brad and Katherine - or Katie, as she prefers to be called - live in Centreville, Maryland, not far from Annapolis where they originally met. For one of the couple’s first dates, Brad set the scene by taking Katie out on his previous Pursuit boat.
Evidently, Brad’s good taste in boating dates must have worked because the pair got married in 2022, uniting Brad and his two children with Katie who is now proudly carrying their third child, due early 2024.
Brad and Katie work together to co-manage their busy landscaping business, through which they are happy to serve their community. Their working relationship is one that they love and which suits their lifestyle, as Katie explained. “I love it because I love spending so much time with Brad. The flexibility involved with having the same schedule and reaping the benefits of our hard work together is awesome. But it’s also bittersweet because keeping work separate from home life can make for a spiritually challenging relationship. So far we’re one year strong into the business together and we’re looking forward to more!”
Healthy Lifestyle and Great Food
The couple enjoys a very sporty lifestyle but Katie was quick to highlight Brad’s love for fitness. “We try to stay as active as possible, but Brad is Mr. On-The-Go! He bikes, runs and gyms!” Brad, for his part, was more modest about his activities. “I have to stay young for our new family!” he commented.
When they’re not out boating, biking, running or hiking, the couple are enthusiastic foodies. ”We love to go out and eat, and so we love venturing into different cities and finding good food! We spend a lot of time trying to find the best restaurants in a particular town or area,” said Katie.
Bargaining with the Dealer
Brad and Katie are proud owners of a 2020 Pursuit S 288, one of our always-popular high-performance center console models.
Having grown up on boats, Brad always wanted to give his own children the opportunity to go boating. “My kids were still in high school and so I thought it was a better time than any, to get out on the water with them,” he said.
One day he passed a local boat dealership and a boat parked outside immediately caught his eye. “I pulled in to have a look at it but as soon as I walked up to the boat and saw the Pursuit name on the side, I turned to leave because I was sure that it would be out of my price range. Given how beautiful it was, I remember thinking, ‘Well of course it’s a Pursuit! Suddenly the salesman came running to talk to me and I just told him, “I’m at the wrong place!” he recalled, laughing.
“We anyway got to talking. The Annapolis boat show was coming up and the salesman told me that I’d better buy the boat now if I wanted it because the boat would definitely sell at the show. I made a deal with him and said that if it doesn’t sell at the show, I’d come back and buy it. And that’s exactly what happened!” he added.
Brad and his brother purchased the boat - a 2017 Pursuit C 260 Center Console - together, and the two families enjoyed it for two seasons before the men made the leap to their current S 288, a new model that had just been released. “As soon as my brother and I saw it, we knew that we had to get it and since making that decision, it’s just been the most beautiful experience,” he said.
Boating in the Bay
Since buying their new S 288, Brad and Katie have been busy using it to explore the Chesapeake Bay on which they live, and as Brad explained, their boat has been the perfect platform for tackling the Bay’s varying sea conditions. “The Chesapeake Bay is a bit of a beast with some rough water; it can get nasty,” he revealed. “The length and height of the chop that we experience here mean that you have to be in at least a 30’ boat to be comfortable all season in the Bay, so our boat was a needed investment for us to be able to safely and comfortably enjoy the water.
“As its captain, I can’t say enough good things about this boat,” he continued. “I’ve never been on a better-handling center console boat of its size, ever. With its weight and power, you trim the boat down and it’s unstoppable!”
The couple added that their S 288, which doesn’t have a name yet, made some real waves amongst the local boating community when they took delivery of it. “When we first got the S 288, it was a super head turner!” said Brad. “You’d see boats go out of their way to swing by us and see what we were running. Its lines are beautiful and people take notice of it. Wherever we take the boat, people stop and tell us how beautiful it is.”
Katie agreed. “And then within two years, everyone had that boat. It’s because of us, we started the trend!” she said with a laugh.
Exploring Historic Sites
Brad and Katie’s use of their Pursuit S 288 Sports Series center console boat, perfectly encapsulates the ability of Pursuit boats to take the whole family boating, making memories together on the water. “We prefer to take the boat cruising; I like to use the boat like an RV of Chesapeake Bay. While we can’t spend the night on it, it’s fast enough that we can get around the Bay quickly,” Brad noted. “We’ve been to every city on the Bay around here, up to Chesapeake City, Baltimore, Annapolis, St Michaels and Cambridge,” Katie explained, while Brad added: “There are a lot of historical towns on Chesapeake Bay, since this was one of the first parts of the US that was founded. Anything near water or ports is typically quite historic so it’s fun to run up and down visiting historic towns!”
“The whole town of Annapolis is focused around water activities,” said Katie. “Every holiday, especially the 4th of July, you have to have a boat because almost everything is happening on the water. For example, watching the Blue Angels perform from the water is unreal!”
Family First, Fishing Second
While many Pursuit owners love to go fishing, it’s not a priority for the couple. “The boat has the ability to fish, of course, but I tell everyone the boat is ‘Family first, fishing second’” said Brad. “I appreciate that aspect of it, because we don’t fish a lot. One particular fishing memory still stands out though. A few years ago I took my daughter out on the Bay, it was just dusk - sunset - and the Bay was glassy and flat, with the water shades of orange and pink. She baited her own hook and threw the line over. Within two and a half minutes she caught a keeper Rockfish. She’s standing there on the boat, grinning from ear to ear and says, “I love this, I want to go fishing all the time!” We get to enjoy moments like that with fishing. It was amazing.”
Katie recalled another particularly memorable trip on the Bay. “One night during a sunset cruise, we suddenly had dolphins join us! The Chesapeake Bay isn’t known for having ocean wildlife in it, but then that night there were dolphins out in front of the boat. I almost fell in while trying to get footage! I thought, ‘Should I just jump in?’” she recalled while laughing.
Growing the Family
As Katie and Brad prepare to welcome their beautiful new baby in March 2024, the couple have some tough decisions to make, not least of which is which boat they will need to upgrade to, to accommodate their growing family. “We both have different ideas on which Pursuit model it would be!” Brad admitted. “In my opinion, we would need to go up another ten feet in length because there’s no reason to go through the whole exercise for anything less. We both like the idea of being able to stay overnight on our boat.
“Also, it’s really cool to have the hot center console when you pull up at the restaurant - nowadays it’s like pulling up in a sports car,” he continued. “Katie is thinking the S 378 because we can sleep on it. But I have to say that, while I wouldn’t turn that one down, I’m thinking more along the lines of the OS 385 as it’s fully enclosed. With our baby on the way, it would truly be the RV of the Chesapeake Bay, allowing us to really go places and stay overnight on the boat. Without the limitations of the center console, we could go out any time in any weather.”
The couple were unanimous, however, that their next boat would be a Pursuit. “I’m personally a big fan of Pursuit itself,” said Katie. “Both the boat and the people that work there are awesome! It would be very tough to not have a Pursuit. I’d feel like we were cheating on our spouse! I can’t leave the brand!”
Explore the Water Near You
Have you ever dreamed of exploring the water near you? Perhaps there are historic waterside attractions near you, too, that you’ve never visited? Or maybe your family is also growing and you need a bigger boat?
Whatever the reason, it may be time for you to get behind the wheel of a Pursuit Boat. Contact our Sales Department and they’ll put you in touch with your nearest dealer where you can discover the meaning of Pure. Pursuit and find out why Brad and Katherine and so many owners just like them, love their boat so much.
