The Roverses are seafaring enthusiasts through
and through. In fact, in the two years since buying
the 510 Skydeck, the couple has amassed 600 hours
on her motors and thousands of nautical miles under
her hull, cruising from their Plattsburgh, New York,
home into Canada, as well as down the Eastern Sea-
board, across to the west coast of Florida, around
to the Keys, and into the Bahamas and back. And
while most cruisers would fi nd a nice marina to
dock at and rest after a day’s travels on a trip of this
magnitude, this couple has another passion: golf.
Adrian says they plan their north-to-south route
and vice versa to stay at marinas that have golf cours-
es within riding (they keep fold-up electric bicycles
on board) or driving distance. From Quebec City in
Canada to Emerald Bay in the Exumas, the Roverses
hit the links every chance they get.
“Everywhere you go, you have to get off the boat
and get exercise,” he says with conviction. “It’s noth-
ing for us to get into a marina and get our bikes or
call a taxi, and go play golf for four hours. Then [we]
come back and go out for dinner.”
And unlike couples who fi nd that kind of freedom
only later in life, the Roverses have always opened
opportunity’s door when they hear a knock. They
started their at-sea lifestyle aboard a 23-footer
when their children were just kids. Stephanie says
they took that boat up into Canada and all the way
east to the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park to
see the beluga whales.
The cruising seed was planted, and the boats
began to grow with their travel plans. There was
a 32-footer and more exploration north, west and
east, and then a 42-footer that was the fi rst vessel
the Roverses took down the East Coast to their
second home in Florida.
Stephanie says the fi rst time they headed down
the Hudson River and took in the Manhattan skylineit’s a few days before thanksgiving
when I speak to Stephanie Rovers at her home in
Upstate New York. Her grandchildren are laughing
and playing in the background as she multitasks
prepping a family feast with our interview, as well
as planning for her and her husband, Adrian’s, next
adventure: a fi ve-month, around-the-world cruise
on a 900-passenger ship. The voyage will take the
enterprising duo from Cuba to Thailand, arriving
home by spring, just in time to launch their beloved
Galeon 510 Skydeck for another summer of cruising
around their backyard of Lake Champlain and beyond.Destination Bahamas
After cruising down the Eastern Seaboard and around the Florida Keys, the Roverses headed for the Bahamas, a new destination for them.
Originally, the couple thought of running to Bimini, but the wind forecast would have kept them dockside for an extended period without much
to do. So they instead ventured to Freeport, Marsh Harbour and Staniel Cay, among other islands. They explored the Thunderball Grotto and
met the swimming pigs on Big Major. The avid golfers say a trip highlight was playing the seaside course at Sandals Emerald Bay in the Exumas.
CURRENTS CRUISING LIFE The Roving Roversescourtesy galeon yachts4 4 YACHTING MARCH 2018