SEBASTIAN — Passengers aboard Sebastian Inlet Parasailing’s “Green Machine” get more than just a scenic boat ride on the Indian River Lagoon. Those adventurous in spirit – and not afraid of heights – can take soar into the air, attached to a parasail.
They get a taste of what it’s like to be a seabird, flying above the water, spotting the creatures below its surface.
It’s an experience owner and Captain Ingmar Herrmann had not long ago – and one he wanted to share with others.
“Why not have a business that’s really fun?” he rhetorically asked. “I’ve always been a bit of a thrill-seeker.”
The Vero Beach native spends much of his time on the water, and when the economy began to tank, he decided that was the time to switch gears.
Starting up a parasailing company wasn’t as easy or simple as Herrmann thought it would be. He thought he could just retrofit a powerboat with the necessary equipment and get up and running in no time.
Not so, he said.
“We’re a real anomaly,” Herrmann said, explaining that most parasailing companies have been in business for years and years – very few actually start up.
He couldn’t use a regular boat. Instead, he had to get one built specifically for parasailing.
Herrmann lucked out and, instead of spending more than $170,000 on a brand new boat, he found a used one – in Wisconsin. The boat had been used for parasailing in the Wisconsin Dells.
But it still wasn’t an easy task, getting what would become the “Green Machine” up to snuff.
It took two months to rebuild the boat from the ground up, Herrmann said.
“It’s essentially a new boat,” he said.
Everything had to be updated to the latest specs in order to get insurance.
Lloyd’s of London is the underwriter of Sebastian Inlet Parasailing.
“You really got to jump through a lot of hoops,” he said.
Herrmann also needed to find a home for his new business.
Enter Capt. Hiram’s. Herrmann, who also spends his time writing and singing, is known in the entertainment scene as “Ike” and has performed at Capt. Hiram’s, among other places.
For him, Capt. Hiram’s was a logical choice for a launch pad, mainly because of the large number of people the facility attracts.
“They’re going to come here and fall in love with the area,” Herrmann said.
At a couple hundred feet in the air, “sailors” should have no difficulty spotting a range of wildlife.
In the few short weeks that the company has been in operation, customers have seen the usual suspects – manatees and dolphins – and have also spotted stingrays, cobia, and even sharks.
“You’re really going to see everything,” Herrmann said, adding from that elevation, sailors can see as far west as I-95 and as far east as the Atlantic Ocean. “It’s amazing how far you can see.”
Herrmann, who grew up on the barrier island off Live Oak Road, said Sebastian was the only place he considered to launch his parasailing business. It’s the only such endeavor between Palm Beach and Cape Canaveral.
“The view out here, it’s breathtaking,” Herrmann said. “I think we have something very special here.”
As for those who might have some misgivings about gliding in the air a couple hundred feet up tethered to a boat, Herrmann said, “everything is completely controlled.”
Sailors are launched from the boat and gently guided back onto the boat – no splash landings.
And, for insurance purposes, sailors need to be at least 5 years old and no older than 90, though Herrmann said he might consider making an exception for a physically fit 91-plus-year-old.
Sailors can go up in the air one at a time or in tandem – with as many as three sailors at once. Herrmann said flights can average between 10 and 12 minutes.
As many as six sailors can participate per hour-long tour, and so long as the business averages 15 to 20 sailors a day, “We’re just going to do great,” Herrmann said.
Sebastian Inlet Parasailing operates five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The cost is $72 per person –$20 for boat riders. Those staying at Capt. Hiram’s and Oyster Bay can get a special rate.
Reservations are required and can be made by calling (772) 205-9217.
“It’s not an easy business,” Herrmann said, “but a rewarding business, nonetheless.”
