Gary and Kelly Kierpaul spent two years looking for the perfect boat before they found her — the Caribbean Soul.
Here’s the story on how the Caribbean Soul arrived in Lake Erie: The boat was made in South Africa, spent 10 years as a charter in the Caribbean and ended up on a small lake in Kentucky when the Kierpauls found her and sailed her home to Lake Erie via a route called the Great Loop. The 30-day journey started in Kentucky Lake then headed to Chicago via the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. “I felt like I was in the pages of Huck Finn,” Kelly says.
Next up was Lake Michigan, followed by Lake Huron, Lake Saint Claire and the Detroit River, which leads into Lake Erie. 
The 36-foot catamaran boasts three bedrooms, one bath, a large outdoor area and two trampolines for sunbathing or hanging out. Book it for a night and stay docked at Spitzer Marina. You can also book an excursion and head out to the islands, Cedar Point, Vermilion or Cleveland — either for the day or overnight. 
“I have never slept better than I do aboard Caribbean Soul,” Kelly says. “She offers a unique lodging experience, even if remaining docked. Along with the stability a catamaran provides, her berth also creates roomy gathering spaces.”
It’s not hard to imagine yourself, a drink in one hand and a book in the other, hanging out on the boat on a warm summer day.  

» To book the Caribbean Soul, contact Kelly Kierpaul at 440-320-2000 or beaconbnb@gmail.com. Rates start at $143 per night.