Boat International – August 2019

OWNERS’CLUB

PHOTOGRAPHY:

GEOFFREY

RITTENMYER

I“It’ssuchagreatnamebecauseitjustsays

exactlythewayyoufeel.Youknow,ILoveThis

Boat,”saysHalGriffith,speakingabouthis44.2-

metreChristensen.Araconteurandaffablehost,

Griffithisgenerouswithhistimeashedelves

intohisfamilybusinessandhisextensive

experiencewithboats.We’vesettledintowide

chairsonhisterracethatoverlooksthewater,

rockmusicfromayacht(nothis)dockednext

doorricochetingoffthewater.

Griffithismostoftendescribedasadeveloper,

buthehasbeeninvolvedinavarietyofbusiness

venturesinhislifetime.“Youwinsome,youlose

someandattheendofit,youhopetocomeout

ahead,”hesays.Itlooksasifhe’sbeenableto

comeoutahead.Hesplitshislifebetweenhomes

ontheEastandWestCoastsoftheUSandenjoys

boatingonbothsidesofthecontinent.Oneofhis

investmentsiswithineyesightofhisnewly

finishedwaterfrontterraceinSouthFlorida.He

pointstoarowofboatsacrossthewater,all

neatlydockedintheslipshe’sacquired.Butitis

severalthousandkilometresawaythathemay

havemadehisbiggestmark.In2012,Seattle

magazinevotedhimoneofthecity’smost

influentialpeople.

Whatearnedhimthatdistinctionwasthe

openingofoneofthearea’smostpopular

attractions.We’renottalkingabouttheSpace

Needle,buta 53-metreFerris wheelwith

air-conditionedgondolasthatallowsvisitorsto

getabird’s-eyeviewofthecity,ElliottBayand

theOlympicMountainsonaclearday.It’snot

quitetheLondonEye,butitisoneofthebiggest

FerriswheelsintheAmericanWest.

Hetriedfor 30 yearstogetitbuiltandhadall

butgivenupwhenoneofhisthreesonslitaspark

underthewholeideaagain.“Kylewasareal

Thebusyoctogenarian

isn’treadytoslowdown

justyet,butheisenjoying

havingtheluxuryofacrew

forthefirsttime.Hesits

downwithCecileGauert

totellsomestories...

ON

BOARD

WITH

Hal

Griffith

HalGriffith’s

44.2mChristensen

ILoveThisBoat

88

08 2019 boatinternational.com