The Vallarta Yacht Club is pleased to welcome Nicole and Tom Lyon, sailors whose lives have been shaped by decades of ocean experience, exploration, and friendships built along the way.
A Life on the Water: From Sea Beast to Ohana
Tom’s connection to the ocean runs deep—long before he and Nicole became cruising partners. While serving in the Navy in the late ’80s and early ’90s, he lived aboard his first sailboat, a Cal-34 named Sea Beast. During that time, he spent several remarkable months at Isla San Benedicto, where the raw, untamed environment became his playground and classroom.
There, Tom photographed whales up close, rode on the backs of giant mantas, and free-dived in waters that remain one of the world’s most exhilarating marine environments. The experiences were so unique that his friend Carlos Eyles later chronicled them in The Blue Edge, capturing a time when ocean adventure was as pure as it was wild.
As the years went on, Tom stayed deeply connected to the sailing community. He joined the very first Baja Ha-Ha and several more after that—including one unforgettable year spent with Nicole on their honeymoon aboard Profligate. In the era before drones, Tom even went up in a helicopter at the start of the event to photograph the entire fleet from above.
To this day, countless sailors—some right here at VYC—still proudly display those aerial images and are delighted to meet the person who made them possible.
Many years later, Tom and Nicole cruised as a family aboard Ohana, a 47’ Gulfstar Sailmaster. Together with their two children, they traveled extensively, learning, adapting, fixing things on the fly, and building the kind of family bond that only life at sea can create.
Chapters in Hawaii and Beyond
Between cruising chapters, the Lyon family spent several years living in Hawaii, a natural home for people most at ease near the water. When life aligned again, they returned to boat living—this time with fewer schoolbooks and a bit more flexibility—eventually making their way back to Banderas Bay.
A New Chapter on Katmandu
Today, Nicole and Tom are back on the water aboard their catamaran Katmandu. With their children now grown, they often joke that they’ve “traded two kids for two Devon Rex cats,” who have fully embraced their roles as the newest crew members aboard.
Their return to Paradise Village Marina wasn’t about reliving old memories—it was about returning to a lifestyle that truly fit and reconnecting with the friendships they built here years before. Coming back to find even more familiar faces than expected has made the transition joyful and meaningful.
Finding Their Place at VYC
Joining the Vallarta Yacht Club felt like the natural next step. With so many shared histories, Ha-Ha connections, and long-standing ties across the bay, Nicole and Tom have quickly settled into the VYC community.
Their story is one of real-life adventure balanced with practicality, deep roots in the cruising world, and an enduring love of life on the water.
Please join us in welcoming Nicole and Tom Lyon. We’re delighted to have them as part of the VYC family.