Solana Yachting Blog

Summer 1995, I arrive and spent my first season in Ibiza. 
Supposed to be employed as a "hostess" aboard a yacht; I end up cleaning boats. A hard job, 7 days a week, 10 hours or more every day, to rub, scratch and polish in the heat! 
I finish the season enriched from this new experience, all in fiber and golden like a Caribbean... but also on the kneecaps and with very little money in my pocket as I got slightly exploited. 

I promise myself that I will return one day to enjoy the pleasures of the Island. 

I returned the following summer, but this time to work on my own, at the request of people I had the opportunity to meet the previous year. Despite some complications, I quickly find my way with a satisfied and faithful clientele. 
The work was just as hard then the first year, but I started to appreciate more and more my new life: the atmosphere of the harbour, the tourists, the sun and the island itself.

My income started to match finally, the energy and commitment I was putting in my work! 

A famous Ibicenco saying states this: "If Ibiza likes you, it will never let you go or it will totally rejects you." 
In my case, the magical island had just adopted me without my knowledge, and made every effort to ensure that, little by little, I come to settle down here permanently ... I would say rather that, it provoked a succession of events in my life that will led me not leave the island.

3 or 4 years later, again thanks to the relational network weaved over time, I began to accumulate two jobs. On one hand cleaning boats allowed me to stay in shape, independent and above all to keep a direct contact with life on the marina. On the other hand, a new reception-secretarial position in a boat rental agency on the port of Botafoch allowed me to continue on my journey. 

Events followed one another; often good, sometimes less, at times even catastrophic ... but nevertheless, each of these events made me stronger and encouraged me to stay on this beautiful island. Thus, seven years after my first summer season to Ibiza, I finally start to be in my own agent/ boss ss AGENT BOAT RENTALS in IBIZA under the name MAR y SUN YACHTING which would become not very long after, SOLANA YACHTING. 

Fourteen years has now passed since I am specialized in this business. Certainly, it’s a shark’s world, but the years have taught me to surround myself and to collaborate with honest and conscientious ship owners, with whom I share the same objective: "to provide beautiful, unforgettable holidays to tourists who come and want to rent a boat! ". 

Thank you  

20 years on this magical island and I still completely love the work in which I get involved. I also really enjoy the people with whom I collaborate and most have become sincere friends. 
I would first of all like to thank the people who have always totally, undeniably, unmistakably been positive in my life and allowed my ascension in Ibiza: 

• Victor Fontan, whom I met during my second year in Ibiza. He offered me a place to stay with my dog, my backpack and my dreams. From that day, he became my spiritual brother, the person I can always count on, to whom I can tell everything, a great listener and a great friend. Thank to you my Victor. 
   
• Genevieve and Robert Artigues, who arrived on the island with their catamaran when I was starting my rental yachts agency. They have always been there to help me without judging me or criticize my decisions. Even though sometimes, I can be  a little surprising!
   
• A big thank you to Edward Vanoprée, pioneer in Boat Business in Ibiza, my mentor, unfortunately gone too fast. He opened his door to me and transmitted his knowledge. He offered his support and his friendship. It is undoubtedly because of him, I put my anchor on this island. He was always there to guide me through the most difficult moments in my career and in my personal life. 
   
• Thank you to Nhu Bang, who let Edouard introduced me to their wonderful team / family of SOLANA Ibiza so I could develop my nautical activity as I wished. 
   
• Thank you also to Michel Overberghe who allowed me to work the very first time in Ibiza ... and therefore has had the biggest culprit of all ;-) 
   
• Thanks to all the boat owners for whom I have cleaned and to the agencies that have always trusted me. 
   
• Thank you to Philippe DUMAS who let me to put one foot into his office and who gave me the opportunity to manage my own way the administrative part of his boats rental agency. It’s with him that I learned what we should not do in this business. 
   
• Thank you to YOU, my faithful clients/ customers. I always enjoy seeing again ... You who are the result of my work, my reward. 
   
• Thank you to all the others peoples who are part of my everyday life and who enrich it. 

And of course thanks to you IBIZA (my guardian angel) to always provoke turnovers situations in my life when everything is at the very worse and somehow manage to maintain me afloat successfully!