The timing was perfect for the owners of this brand-new Horizon PC60 when the feature they wanted most in a yacht was already in the planning stages at the shipyard.

“At first, we hadn't considered building a PC60 because it was larger than we envisioned and lacked the bow seating we really wanted.” Jeff and Jennifer Kelly are seated in the flybridge of their very first power catamaran, the Horizon PC60 Kairos, which made its world debut at the Palm Beach International Boat Show. It was a special moment for both the Kellys and Horizon Power Catamarans, this PC60 being the first to feature a Portuguese Deck configuration.

 

“Kairos,” derived from the Greek word meaning “opportune time,” refers to a moment when divine intervention or purpose aligns with a particular situation, leading to the realization of something new. The path that led the Kellys to their own Kairos was one of serendipity and, indeed, divine intervention. It all began when the Kellys became friends with another boating family and were introduced to, as Jennifer describes it, “the world of spend-the-night-boats.”

That boating family was none other than the owners of the Horizon PC60 Brokedown Palace. “It’s funny how you meet people,” says Jeff. “He and I are pilots; we both fly. He also had his first boat in Marsh Harbour, about fourteen miles south of Treasure Cay, and I had property there since I was ten years old.”

 

Both families lived in Montgomery, Alabama, and their children went to the same school. “We didn’t connect with them at a sporting activity for school, funny enough,” says Jennifer. “Instead, we met them at the Airport Tiki at the FBO in Fort Pierce, Florida. They had just flown back from Marsh Harbour on the same day. We were eating, and our kids noticed one another. We started talking with them and became fast friends. They had a Silverton 48 Convertible for about ten years down in The Bahamas and we had been going down there this whole time and never came across them!”

When they met, neither family owned a powercat. Jeff had grown up on center consoles in the Abacos, and his family enjoyed small Sea Ray ski boats on the lake at home. Despite a week-long charter on a 51-foot powercat, their focus remained primarily on monohulls. Most recently, they owned a Prestige 550 Flybridge and then a 65 Marquis. “The Marquis was a bit heavy but we really enjoyed the boat,” says Jeff. “After Hurricane Dorian in 2019, our entrance to Treasure Cay was silted in, and I was relegated to only being able to go in or out an hour on either side of high tide. It became a hassle, and we had to move from a six-foot, one-inch draft to something much more shallow.”

 

At the same time, the other family had discovered Horizon Power Catamarans and moved from their Silverton to a brokerage PC60. “We saw them down island and got on the boat a couple of times and really enjoyed it,” says Jeff.

“The support they got from Horizon for their brokerage boat was a surprise to us,” says Jennifer. “We always felt that with a used boat we were out there on our own searching for an owner’s manual. To see their relationship with the Horizon people was refreshing.”

“Our Prestige was three years old when we bought it,” echoes Jeff. “I had to do everything myself and didn’t even have a number to call if something went wrong. Trying to find parts or get help was a challenge. With Horizon, it was a complete 180. Between Richard [Ford] and Casey [Stewart], they are 24/7, have more knowledge than anyone else, and are willing to help. That is probably one of the biggest reasons we went with Horizon.”

 

The Kellys spent a year researching and narrowing down their options, even joining their friends for the 2022 Horizon Powercat Owners’ Rendezvous in Harbour Island. Yet, the PC60 felt like a dreamboat that might be out of reach. “We don’t marina hop and often spend weeks at anchor,” says Jennifer. “We wanted bow seating because that’s where the breeze is nicest and the views are best. We also envisioned a comfortable seating area with a table, so we initially ruled out the Horizon Powercat, as the only model with bow seating at the time was the new PC68.”

 

The Kellys attended the 2024 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with the intent of making the final decision, their options having narrowed down to a couple of brokerage monohulls. “We stopped by the Horizon Power Catamaran booth to say hello, and Richard was waiting for us with a smile,” says Jeff. “We looked at the PC52, the PC60, and the PC68. I knew I could comfortably handle the PC60, but it didn’t have the bow seating we were after. Richard looked at me and said, ‘Well, what if I can make that bow seating happen?’ He had already been thinking about adding the Portuguese Deck to the PC60. He showed me the sketch and I took the bait.”

 

“We never had building a boat on our radar,” says Jennifer. “But Horizon Power Catamarans made the process very enjoyable.”

“Richard told us we would have the opportunity to visit the boat in Taiwan, do a sea trial, and see the shipyard,” says Jeff. “We were 100% in. We are in the manufacturing business; we build components, and I love to see how things are made.”

When the boat was launched, the Kellys traveled to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where they received a warm welcome from Horizon and the team at the Vision shipyard. “They took us to the Horizon City Marina, where they had staged our boat and surprised us with a christening party—it was fantastic,” says Jeff.

 

Before sea trials, the Kellys toured the Horizon facilities. “Austin [Lin] took the time to show us around, and we were able to express our appreciation for the incredible craftsmanship,” Jeff recalls. “The millwork, especially the burl wood inlays we requested, was flawless—every seam and grain lined up perfectly. We also had the chance to meet the team who worked on our boat, and I was able to personally thank each of them.”

 

Another standout aspect of working with Horizon was the hands-on training Jeff received at the shipyard: two full days dedicated to learning every system onboard. Horizon brought in representatives from each vendor to provide in-depth instruction. “They started with, ‘Do you know how to turn on the TV?’ and we went from there,” Jeff recalls. “Air conditioning, watermaker, electronics, navigation, entertainment, audio-visual—everything was covered. They even helped us customize the electronics. It was all part of the Horizon ownership experience.”

 

Kairos is a four-stateroom boat, and the Kellys opted for the on-deck master stateroom layout. Entering from the aft deck, with its dining table and built-in settee, the main interior living space features a large, open-concept galley with an island bar and three stools to starboard and a welcoming U-shaped lounge to port. Forward on this deck, the master stateroom spans the full 24-foot, 6-inch beam and is bathed in natural light from expansive wraparound windows. The starboard hull houses a VIP stateroom forward and a twin aft, while the port hull houses the master ensuite forward and a second twin aft.

 

Deck areas are a hallmark of the PC60’s design, and Kairos features walk-around side decks that lead from the spacious aft deck to the foredeck and to steps leading up to the Portuguese Deck and flybridge.

 

The Kellys customized the semi-enclosed flybridge to suit their preferences. While several layout options are available for this space, the new Portuguese Deck configuration places the navigation station to port and a passenger settee to starboard, allowing for a centerline pass-through. To enhance functionality and comfort, they added a second helm chair in an ergonomic design that makes ingress easy. Just aft of the convertible starboard settee is a large dinette with wraparound seating, and behind the helm, a walk-behind bar with built-in refrigeration completes the space. Aft of the flybridge, the boat deck offers additional space for lounging and entertaining when the tender is deployed.

 

The owners worked closely with Leigh Ford on the decor throughout, which exudes a light and nautical style.

 

“We traveled to Florida to meet with Leigh, and she guided us through the entire process,” says Jennifer. “With years of experience, she knows exactly what works and what doesn’t.”

 

After Kairos arrived by container ship to Fort Lauderdale, she was sent to the Horizon marina offices for commissioning. Then it was time for the shakedown cruise to The Bahamas with Richard.

 

“This is a great benefit to being with Horizon, and it’s much more than just learning the boat,” says Jeff. “Richard handles these boats better than anyone else; these are his babies. He knows the best way to operate them, all the systems, and even the best cleaning supplies. To have him for three days to provide captain and systems training and best practices was invaluable. He is an excellent trainer and fun to hang out with, too.”

“I’m also able to call Leigh and ask all types of questions, from provisioning to where to store the dishes,” says Jennifer. “She even went shopping with me! It was a great experience with Leigh and Richard setting the boat up for living and cruising. They’ve done this all their lives and are more than willing to mentor a new owner, which we really appreciated.”

One of the key selling points for the Kellys was the PC60’s Silent Living feature, which combines Victron’s advanced lithium phosphate battery system with the Termodinamica variable-speed air conditioning to deliver up to 20 hours of generator-free comfort. To further enhance efficiency, they opted to install additional solar panels capable of generating 2.5kW during daylight hours to support the battery system. “We experienced it during the shakedown cruise, and it was incredible,” says Jeff. “Enjoying a completely quiet dinner under the stars, with soft music playing and the gentle sound of water lapping around us—it felt almost surreal. It was something we’d never experienced before.”

 

Now, sitting in their favorite spot, the Kellys say that every step that led them to Horizon Power Catamarans and to their dream yacht was just that, Kairos.