BelieveN

On a brisk and windy December morning, I find myself heading to a local coffee shop in downtown Lincoln to meet with Leslie Lipert. She and her husband, RJ, own and operate charters aboard a Leopard 42 Catamaran boat based out of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Lovingly named BelieveN, it is a nod to "believe in a higher power - believe in yourself - believe in your dreams" and the N pays homage to their Nebraska roots. Leslie is technically on a break from charters for a few weeks even though she is highly in demand by phone and text, and is needing to attend a conference call within the hour. She is a tiny, bubbly, positive, and ambitious woman and her vivacious personality is infectious. I asked her how a former nurse and business owner ever ended up doing charters on a boat in St. Thomas?

Hers is a story about a huge dream that she and RJ had after vacationing on a charter boat in the Virgin Islands almost 15 years ago. They saw an older couple walking hand in hand on a beach and decided right then and there that this was the life they wanted for themselves. So for years they silently planned their next life and then during Covid (which changed so many lives), they did their due diligence and spent many hours of research to come up with a plan to get started. Realizing that life is short and can change at any time, they decided they needed to take a leap of faith and pursue this dream sooner rather than later.

In June of 2021, they settled on the Leopard 42 Catamaran which is a luxury sailboat crafted in South Africa. It comes as a complete shell and they are required to painstakingly pick out everything for the interior of the boat. Leslie referred to it as a "blank canvas" so every detail from the colors for the interior, seats, kitchen appliances, curtains, and everything in between needed to be chosen, including the actual anchor! The boat has guest accommodations that sleep 4, and they gave every attention to detail for guests to have a comfortable stay. There were other preparations that were required before they could start living their dream. RJ took all of his sailing certification classes, and achieved his commercial Captain's license. Leslie attended culinary school, first online and then she actually got the opportunity to go to London for 2 weeks to culinary school (which she said was "terrifying"). They accomplished all of this while still running a fire and casualty business in Lincoln.

The maiden voyage of BelieveN took place in February of 2022 and Captain RJ, and First Mate and Chef, Leslie, have been crazy busy ever since. Charters begin on Saturdays - but their weeks start as early as Thursday in preparation for new guests to arrive. It requires cleaning, polishing, and maintaining the boat as well as all the grocery shopping and food prep for the guests. Speaking of guests - they have met and cruised with folks from all over the world and have made a plethora of new friends. They sold their business in July of that same year and became official "boat people". The season for charters runs from November through July. You can make reservations for a 4, 5, 6, or 7 night cruise. They recently added day cruises as well. Everyday they move to a new spot and cruise through some incredible islands which include St. John, Maho Bay, Norman Island, North Sound, Monkey Point, Jost Van Dyke, and many others.

If you are looking for an incredible adventure and would enjoy snorkeling, boating, exploring some breathtaking islands, or relaxing on a sunset cruise - this may be for you. They are currently booking for 2026 so please check out their website for dates, costs, and additional information at SVbelieveN.com. I personally guarantee this is on my bucket list. When I left the coffee shop, I asked Leslie how she felt about achieving this dream. She said, "It is the hardest, most demanding, and beautiful job I have ever had".

So what is your dream? What thoughts pull at your heart strings? As Steve Perry of the band Journey sang, "Don't stop believin - hold on to that feelin". So don't stop "believin" and all your dreams can come true. By the way, if you look closely you might see a new couple walking hand in hand down the sandy beach.

Remember to be grateful........... Until we talk again.....