Kristiann and Graham Gips

Graham and I lived on four continents and visited over 40 countries during our professional career in the oil and gas industry.  In 2015, we reached the point where we could focus on what we love to do: hosting, traveling and sailing. 

Our travels have taught us that luxury comes in many forms – from butler service on safari in Uganda to a simple cold beer at the end of a backpacking trip. It’s our privilege to offer you a luxurious experience aboard Allende.

We bought our first boat in 2009 – a one-design Lightning (a very technical, 20’ dinghy). This boat was meant to do only one thing: race. We competed in weekly sailing races and eventually made it to the national podium, qualifying for international competition. The sailing skills learned in regattas translated well to cruising yachts on vacation, and we purchased Allende new in 2016. Despite being more than twice the length, Allende is actually a less technical boat from a sailing perspective. If you’re new to sailing, we’d love to teach you how much fun it can be. And if there’s ever another boat on the water, rest assured we’ll try to be faster!

For as long as we’ve been together, we’ve been the couple who host multiple dinner parties each week and organize adventurous vacations with our friends. After coordinating sailing charters for a few years, we knew that we had found something special that brought us a lot of joy. The progression to becoming charter crew, while being a totally unexpected career change, has been a natural one. Season after season, we continue to refine our skills.

Graham and I both hold a Master’s 50-ton license from the United States Coast Guard and are CPR/First Aid certified. While he steers our course and keeps the boat in tip-top shape, I delight in creating healthy, delicious meals from gourmet ingredients and local specialties.

There’s nowhere we’d rather be. Join us.

@sailallende

Friday Gips, 2010-2022

Our German Shorthaired Pointer Friday was a part of the crew for six seasons. Friday climbed the swim ladder on his own and was a much-loved addition to our charters. In his younger years, he leapt off the front of the boat when at anchor. In his senior years, he seduced other cruisers paddleboarding by to take him for rides. Although we lost Friday to heart disease in 2022, he is memorialized in our reviews.

Allende will not have a pet aboard for the 2022-2023 season.