By Shayne Benowitz

If you happen to be in a West Marine or a Barnes & Noble this month, and you’re daydreaming about getting out on the water with Fury, scan the magazine racks for August’s issue of Multihulls Quarterly. You’ll find a feature article on Fury by Yours Truly!

I had the opportunity to attend the Miami Boat Show this year and spend an afternoon sailing on a gorgeous Benetau 43 in Biscayne Bay. I’m a Fury Girl at heart, but I am thrilled at any opportunity to get offshore on a boat, especially a sailing yacht. On board was the publisher for Blue Water Sailing Media, which publishes Blue Water Sailing Magazine and Multihulls Quarterly. We got to talking and I told him I was a writer and a boating enthusiast, and he put me in touch with the magazine’s managing editor. I pitched her a few ideas, and in addition to a couple of other articles, she asked me to write a feature on Fury.

I was thrilled at the opportunity. Of course, I know the ends and outs of Fury pretty well, but there was still some research to do. I interviewed the big boss men Scott and Marius, as well as Captain Chuck, and shipbuilder Randy Hinojosa. I wanted to tell the story of Fury’s growth since Scott took the reigns around the summer of 2005 when we were hit by the big storms. It was kind of a walk down memory lane talking with Scott and Marius about growing the fleet and developing our signature trips like the Ultimate Adventure and the Commotion on the Ocean.

Captain Chuck and Randy gave me all the details on the specs and the evolution of the Fury catamaran design. And of course, I couldn’t leave out what makes Key West such an ideal destination for boating, the beauty of the coral reef, which is the heart and soul of our daily operation.

It was an honor to write the article and it made me that much more proud of where we’ve been and where we’re going at Fury. If you’re a true Fury fan, you might find this article on our recent history interesting. If you pick up a copy, let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter. Or just get down to Key West and tell us on the way to the reef!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crew member and freelance writer. For more follow her on Twitter @ShayneBenowitz.

Author: Shayne Benowitz

“I account it high time to get to sea…” –Herman Melville, Moby Dick

Melville’s sentiment is part of my daily philosophy living and working on the water in Key West. Nothing gets the day started quite like a cool ocean breeze on the deck of a large catamaran sailing out to the coral reef on a balmy day in Key West. I have been told time and again by customers at Fury Water Aventures that I must have the coolest job ever. After having worked as a crew member on and off for nearly three years, I often find myself thinking the same thing floating in the crystal blue waters by Sand Key Lighthouse on lifeguard duty while our patrons snorkel and explore the reef.

If you are planning a trip to Key West, the best advice I could give you is to spend as much time as you can on the water. That is what makes Key West so beautiful and unique, and during these hot summer months it is the coolest place you can be. In fact, my first trip with Fury was on a shore excursion off of a cruise ship with my family when I was fifteen and then again after my college graduation with two of my girlfriends. Having grown up in southern California, I have always loved the ocean and I have traveled to many beaches around the world. I have had the opportunity to snorkel in Hawaii and the Bahamas, but Key West has always stood out to me as the best. I love that the water is deep and clear. There is so much variety at our reef from schools of yellow tail snapper and midnight blue parrotfish to sea turtles, and even the occasional nurse shark.

I began working at Fury as a summer job while I was teaching middle school in New York City. During my month down here, I absolutely fell in love with the simplicity of Key West’s laid-back lifestyle. My commute to work was a ten minute bike ride on palm tree-lined streets with pastel-colored conch cottages and my uniform was a bikini, board shorts, and lots of sunscreen. After returning to New York for the school year, it became clear that I had to come back for more. Now, I work as a mate on our catamarans and parasail boats and I enjoy the excitement of working on the water year round.

I am delighted to author Fury’s first-ever blog, so be sure to check back regularly to learn more about what it’s really like to work on the water and live in Key West full-time. I’ll tell you all about the amazing marine life I see at the reef, the gorgeous sunsets (no two are alike), what to expect when you go parasailing, what it’s like being one of the only girls working in the boy’s club (it’s fun, most of the time), how to get along with your captain, what I like to do when I get a day off, and the interesting people I meet from around the country and all over the world. It’s just another day in paradise, so stay tuned!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer who is working on her debut novel. Shayne can be reached at sbbenowitz@gmail.com.