Tales of a Talaria

Rudy Casasola has his wife Jill to thank for their latest Hinckley stunner. The couple met in California, where Jill grew up boating nearby on Lake Tahoe. They moved to Washington, D.C. and then decided to plan their escape hatch: Maryland’s exclusive Gibson Island, where the life aquatic is on full display.

“After we closed on the house, we crossed the causeway to the island, and there were all these boats cruising the harbor,” Rudy recalls. “I asked Jill which one caught her attention, and she pointed toward a stylish red boat. I learned it was a Hinckley Picnic Boat, hull number three. And I also quickly learned she has expensive taste,” he quips.

Fast forward several years, and Jill’s choice became reality when Rudy purchased their first Picnic Boat in 2008, followed by a second Picnic Boat shortly thereafter. Casa Mar marks their third Hinckley purchase, and the couple has never owned (and never will) another brand of boat. “When you start off in a Hinckley, there’s no going back,” Rudy says with a laugh. The couple, who also resides in Miami, first encountered Casa Mar, a Talaria 48 MKII, at the 2022 Palm Beach Boat show. Rudy assumed they were just admiring the custom interiors, as she wasn’t for sale.

“We walked the boat, got on the flybridge, and when we got off, Jill turned to me and said ‘If you were ever to buy a used boat, this is the one. I wouldn’t change a thing.” The former owner had “built the perfect Hinckley” says Rudy: satin and high-gloss finishes up-leveled the pilot house, a dishwasher was installed rather than a microwave, and a full queen bed instead of two twin beds in the guest birth.

Rudy inquired about resale, and within three months, their Hinckley Yachts sales director said the boat could be theirs. “The only thing we changed on Casa Mar was replacing the cockpit’s ice machine with a fridge,” says Rudy.

The Casasolas’ ownership of Casa Mar felt serendipitous. Their second Picnic Boat sold in less than a week, and for more than the original cost to build — testament to the unique resale value of owning a Hinckley. “The Hinckley brand not only holds its value, but actually goes up in value over time, which is very rare,” Rudy notes.

The Talaria allows the adventurous couple to tackle open seas and longer trips with style, safety, and ease. Rudy attributes Hinckley’s JetStick® and Dockhold® technology as game changers. “Believe it or not, the Talaria is easier to handle,” he says. “Because of the weight and new technology, it responds faster. And with Dockhold, Jill likes to joke there’s very little yelling between us now when we dock.”

Since taking delivery of Casa Mar, the couple embarked on a maiden journey up the Eastern coast, with their sales director as mentor and co-captain. A smart tactic in learning how to properly navigate his new Talaria 48 MKII: Part of Rudy’s purchase negotiation was a collaborative inaugural journey, so he could evolve as a captain and gain confidence in navigating a larger vessel. They stopped at several fun cities along the way, including Morehead, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina, as they made their way to Gibson Island.

Now the Casasolas can’t get enough time on the water. They took Casa Mar to the Bahamas — a first — and often invite their three sons on favorite day trips around the Chesapeake Bay and Miami. They also recently attended the Hinckley owners’ event at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo.

“It’s been wonderful,” Rudy adds. “I love the investment, and we love being on the water.”