Steering Into Adventure With the Quiltys

INTERVIEW WITH MATTHEW QUILTY

Matthew Quilty and his wife, Melissa, have lived in Upper Makefield Township for 23 years. Matthew, a retired health-care professional, and Melissa, a New York-based staged actress, are proud parents to three adult children and two dogs. The couple travels for eight months out of the year starting in spring and returns home to their farm in winter. This is the fourth year Matthew and Melissa are setting sail for the Mediterranean Sea. Here’s what Matthew has to say about their adventures.

How did you become interested in sailing?

I sailed as a teenager and young adult, and Melissa had been on boats throughout the years. I had the idea of sailing in the back of my mind when I retired, so I put the idea of buying a sailboat to Melissa. She was surprised to say the least. But after giving it some thought, she said, “Why not?”

We went to some boat shows to find out what the possibilities were. Our first question was, can we see ourselves living on a boat for extended periods of time? Boat design and building technology has gotten so good that boats now have the comforts and conveniences of small land-based apartments. Our second question was, what boat is the right one for our needs? We looked at several brands until we found the one that had the right mix of comfort and sailing performance for us. It took about 18 months from when we decided to get the boat to when it was completed.

How much training did it take to learn how to sail and operate a catamaran?

We bought our catamaran in 2021. While the boat was being built in France, we took a series of US Sailing certification courses in the British Virgin Islands. The training program is rigorous. The on-the-water training includes everything such as docking, anchoring, picking up a mooring ball, man overboard, how to operate a VHF radio, navigation, how to operate the sails, and even how to provision your boat for long passages. At the end of each portion of the training, there is a written test as well as a practical test. You must also pass the practical skills test by sailing the boat by yourself, followed by taking the boat out overnight without the instructor on board.

When our boat was finished, we flew to France and worked with a captain there to train specifically on our boat.

What inspired you to sail the Mediterranean?

The Mediterranean is a unique and a rich sailing ground. There are over 20 countries that border the sea. Where else can you take your boat to that many different cultures and experience the unique gifts that every country offers?

Every year, we have a rough plan of where we want to go and when we want to go there. This year for example, we will visit Sicily, Malta, Tunisia, Sardinia, the Balearic Islands, the Mediterranean coast of Spain, Morocco, the Canary Islands, and Cabo Verde before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Granada. But plans are always subject to change, and one of the many things that sailing has taught us is to be flexible. That’s part of the adventure of this life—being open to new opportunities as they present themselves.

What do you find most rewarding about your sailing adventures?

The most rewarding part is the people we’ve met along the way. One example of many is when we were walking our dogs in Göcek, Turkey. There was an outdoor wedding taking place. We started to turn around so that we would not interrupt the celebration, but instead, they stopped us, handed us pieces of wedding cake, and invited us into the wedding to dance and celebrate with them. They didn’t know us, we didn’t speak the same language, but they brought us into their celebration with open arms. We have experienced that kind of welcome and generosity of spirit throughout our travels.

What advice do you have for people who may be interested in following in your footsteps?

Don’t wait! Whatever adventure you have in mind, sailing around the world or something completely different, just put one foot in front of the other and enjoy every step along the way. Do all your preparations and training and jump on it.

What do you love most about living in Upper Makefield Township?

We have been to many wonderful places on our boat. But when we return to Upper Makefield, we are struck by the beauty of the area—the wildlife, the blooming trees and flowers, the horses, the lush fields. Upper Makefield has done an amazing job of preserving its land.

When we’re back at home, we enjoy taking our dogs for walks along the towpath and eating at local restaurants. One of our favorite events is attending the reenactment of Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas Day.

Photograph courtesy of Matthew Quilty