A Do-It-Yourself Super Cruiser

by Margaret Fleming

John and I were in the El Futuro print shop the other day when a customer came in to place an order. He introduced himself to us as Oscar Arambula, owner of the yacht Intrepid. Oscar is a man who displays a great deal of enthusiasm and energy. He is also wonderfully hospitable; he immediately invited us to come and see his boat.  Our reporters' ears twitched, sensing a story, and we went with him right away. We had seen the Intrepid in the shipyard over the last few years as it was being built and wondered about it. Now we were talking to its owner.

Oscar and his father Joel built the boat themselves, and it is certainly impressive. It's 124 feet long, with two 1200 horsepower Detroit Diesel motors. It has a large cabin with seating for 80 persons, and there are tables outside on the deck that can accommodate almost that many more. The 20 small cabins on the main deck and in the hold accommodate up to 80 for overnight trips. There are 10 bathrooms also.

Oscar and Joel are from Ensenada, where Oscar's grandfather had the Santa Monica Boat House. It housed eight 60-ft. sport fishing boats, as well as others for tuna and sardine fishing. At Point Loma, near San Diego, many yachts were doing business as pleasure boats, and the Arambulas, father and son, got the idea of building their own. So when they came to Puerto Peņasco 12 years ago, they began bringing their idea to fruition. Oscar told us the Intrepid took 8 years to build,  and he was able to give us the exact dates of beginning and completion, Jan. 3, 1991 and Nov. 21, 1999. He and his father are indeed a pair of Intrepid boatbuilders

After the Intrepid was built, it was necessary to construct a marina for docking and landing. Oscar went to Mexico City and actually talked to President Fox. They made a deal that he would get the concession for his marina if he would also build one for the Army. So he did. The Intrepid's berth is approached from the road into the Old Port, turning at the corner where the Dive Shop is located.

When Oscar had showed us around the boat, he and John went inside to visit its web site on the computer. I stayed out on the upper deck, enjoying the fresh air and the view of the harbor. I'm used to looking at it from the other side, so this was an interesting change of vantage point. I felt so relaxed I could have stayed there all day just looking at the gulls and pelicans and soaking up the sun.

The Intrepid offers fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving trips, as well as daily sunset and dinner cruises. It can be chartered for weddings, birthdays, corporate retreats, and any other type of party desired. Catering services are provided.