Always the most gracious of hosts, Marti McMahon waited aboard her gorgeous vessel, Yacht Lady, during a rainy San Francisco day for a chance to tell Sea readers her story. Crew mate, Hans Kloepfer, dressed in handsome nautical attire, stood watch as I pulled past the St. Francis Yacht Club and boarded the 80 foot Motor Yacht. The main salon of the Yacht Lady was like stepping into the most luxurious of New York apartments. Versace china was carefully set on the glass coffee table with jojo cookies and Lindt chocolate within easy reach to consume. Attention to detail is the hallmark of McMahon’s success and why in 1989 Marti was named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year for Business Achievement by San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and in 1996 she was honored on an ABC program “Hispanic Profiles of Excellence.”
Born Marta Cornejo in San Salvador, El Salvador Marti has always had vision and tenacity. When in 1978 Marti purchased a boat in Ft. Lauderdale she took her children out of school for three months and they rode the boat through the Panama Canal and up the west coast. Refurbishing of the boat occurred in her back yard in Tiburon. Then again in 1980, McMahon and her children made another trip through the Canal and returned with a second boat. In 1981, McMahon became a single mother and her need to amp up the business pushed her to excellence.
Searching for a third boat project and one in which she could create her own design concept she settled on a Westport Hull. The search for a boatyard capable of Marti carrying out her design plans landed her in Washington State. When the hull was delivered to the Hoquiam Boatyard, McMahon threw on the hard hat and learned all she could about her new vessel. The owner of Hoquiam Boatyard sized up Marti’s 5’3” frame and commented, “This is a big project for a little lady.” McMahon had her work cut out for her in a city used to building fishing boats, not bars and interiors with designer fabrics. One of McMahon’s advantages over her male counterparts in the yacht fleet business is her ability to know the hard side and the soft side of the business. Marti is just at ease passing the wrench to the boatyard worker as she is to passing a tray of caviar. The business was then known as Pacific Marine Yacht Charters. In June of 1988 the newly built California Spirit arrived in San Francisco. By June of 1991 McMahon added two more vessels to her growing fleet with the 150’, 700 passenger San Francisco Spirit being the largest.
McMahon’s evaluation of her success follows a logical path but one that is often overlooked, “Entrepreneurs are successful if they love what they do. I used to work 100 hours a week.” Marti’s former executive assistant, Stephen Revetria, now V.P. of marketing and sales for Giants Enterprises says this about his former boss, “She [Marti] is a dynamic individual. Her energy is contagious. Her clients were always first. You learn to pay attention to details but she always reminded us to have fun.”
Never one to sit still for long, McMahon is back in the water with her newest business, Yacht Connections International. Yacht Lady is Marti’s crème de la crème of comfort and discrimination. The appointments are first class with four staterooms, one with a personal Jacuzzi and burled camphor wood throughout. Over the years, McMahon has come to appreciate more intimate entertaining and believes, “The most important part of networking occurs in small parties.” No matter if you’re famous, infamous or just a journalist Marti McMahon treats every guest as special as royalty. And the jojo cookies are delicious!
Profile of Marti McMahon