Model turned serial entrepreneur Catya Washington AKA Ms. Cat is now the owner of a yacht rental company. Originally known for her appearances in popular music videos as well as Oxygen’s Bad Girls Club, the Philadelphia native has proven herself to be a savvy businesswoman.
Following the success of her Body by Ms. Cat clothing brand and stores in Philly and New Jersey, she and her husband launched the luxury apparel line, Avoir Couture along with the Avoir Boutique in Ellenton, Florida. Now, they are also the owners of Liquid Asset Yacht Group.
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The couple was inspired to launch their yacht rental company after chartering yachts weekly to relax and decompress throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Being out on the water really kept us sane during all the pandemic craziness,” she told Travel Noire. “We live in Tampa Bay, so our friends would come down and charter from the same company. This particular company was good to us in the beginning, but once they started gaining popularity they started to treat us bad. Now keep in mind, we were renting their 50-foot yacht weekly and even more frequently when our friends would come down.”
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Cat and her husband had a favorite captain who would provide them with excellent service during their cruises. However, when he stopped working for the company, they were forced to work with a new captain who treated them very poorly.
“We were dealing with some very nasty, racially charged comments from him. As you can imagine, these charters are pretty expensive. And no one wants to be treated poorly, especially when you’re paying for a service.”
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Eventually, Ms. Cat and her husband decided enough was enough. They made plans to buy their own boat and hire their favorite captain, who had previously left the other company.
“My husband contacted one of our good friends and the quest to buy a yacht was on. A month later, Liquid Asset Yacht Group was created. From start to finish we had the idea to do it, but to do it right. We are Black-owned and operated, so we like to look at our company as a for us, by us style operation, although our clients are extremely diverse.”
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Liquid Asset Yacht Group operates out of a Marina in St. Petersburg. Charters are available for sunset tours, corporate events, birthday parties, or whatever business or leisure activity you may desire a yacht for. Their most popular charters are for two, four, and six hours on the water, however, charters can be customized for any amount of time.
Their 48-foot yacht features a full bedroom, dining area, kitchen, and lounge area. The yacht rental company also has jet skis available to rent and a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in which luxury transportation is provided to and from the marina. Catering is available upon request.
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“We are also pet friendly. As you can see, Avoir the Frenchie is all about the yacht life. Me and my husband always wanted to be yacht owners. We’ve only been in Florida for a few years. Who would have thought our dream would come to pass so soon?”
“This came at an excellent time, as we just opened our first Florida store, Avoir Boutique, with a beautiful location in the Ellenton Premium Outlets in Central Florida. The yacht service goes hand in hand with the luxury brand. Honestly, we are just happy to say that we survived the pandemic because it was rough. God is so good, and we are very thankful.”
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For more information about Liquid Asset Yacht Group, follow @mscat215 and @liquidassetyachtgroup.
Related: This HBCU Grad Created A Yacht Week Experience In Austin, Texas