Marine

Abandoned sailboat transformed into floating pizzeria

Abandoned sailboat transformed into floating pizzeria
Sasha and Tara Bouis have transformed an abandoned aluminum sailboat into a floating pizza shop
Sasha and Tara Bouis have transformed an abandoned aluminum sailboat into a floating pizza shop
View 37 Images
Sasha and Tara Bouis have transformed an abandoned aluminum sailboat into a floating pizza shop
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Sasha and Tara Bouis have transformed an abandoned aluminum sailboat into a floating pizza shop
The Pizza Pi brings the concept of street food to the water, providing a convenient stop for tourists and boat enthusiasts who are out on the water all day
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The Pizza Pi brings the concept of street food to the water, providing a convenient stop for tourists and boat enthusiasts who are out on the water all day
Tara Bouis proudly presents a pizza from her Pizza Pi floating business
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Tara Bouis proudly presents a pizza from her Pizza Pi floating business
View from inside the Pizza Pi
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View from inside the Pizza Pi
Tourists and boat enthusiasts who are out on the water all day can get a pizza from the dinghy pick-up window
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Tourists and boat enthusiasts who are out on the water all day can get a pizza from the dinghy pick-up window
The enterprising couple customized a special pick-up window for local boats to come and get their pizza
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The enterprising couple customized a special pick-up window for local boats to come and get their pizza
Local boats can enjoying the sun and a freshly-cooked pizza
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Local boats can enjoying the sun and a freshly-cooked pizza
The couple customized and hand built the boat's kitchen to accommodate commercial pizza ovens, fridges, bench space and storage
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The couple customized and hand built the boat's kitchen to accommodate commercial pizza ovens, fridges, bench space and storage
Pizza Pi making waves in Christmas Cove, Virgin Islands
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Pizza Pi making waves in Christmas Cove, Virgin Islands
Located in the Virgin Islands, Pizza Pi brings the concept of street food to the water
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Located in the Virgin Islands, Pizza Pi brings the concept of street food to the water
After taking ownership of the sailboat, Sasha and Tara Bouis re-built the vessel's complete interior by hand
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After taking ownership of the sailboat, Sasha and Tara Bouis re-built the vessel's complete interior by hand
The complete process took Tara and Sasha Bouis two years to finish, both quitting their full-time charter jobs in the process
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The complete process took Tara and Sasha Bouis two years to finish, both quitting their full-time charter jobs in the process
The couple purchased the 37 ft (11.3 m) G.L. Watson designed aluminum sailboat, which had previously been abandoned
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The couple purchased the 37 ft (11.3 m) G.L. Watson designed aluminum sailboat, which had previously been abandoned
The enterprising couple customized and hand built the boat's entire interior
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The enterprising couple customized and hand built the boat's entire interior
The boat's kitchen was built to accommodate commercial pizza ovens, fridges, bench space and storage
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The boat's kitchen was built to accommodate commercial pizza ovens, fridges, bench space and storage
A happy Tara at work
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A happy Tara at work
Ingredients line the kitchen bench
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Ingredients line the kitchen bench
Pizza is ready for the oven
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Pizza is ready for the oven
Fresh out of the oven
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Fresh out of the oven
Since launching their floating Pizza Pi business in late November 2014, the Bouis plan to sell as many pizzas they can for the rest of the season and have lots of fun in process
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Since launching their floating Pizza Pi business in late November 2014, the Bouis plan to sell as many pizzas they can for the rest of the season and have lots of fun in process
Pizza Pi is testing the waters for future floating food boats
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Pizza Pi is testing the waters for future floating food boats
After taking ownership of the sailboat, Sasha and Tara re-built the vessel's complete interior by hand, making sure it would suit their commercial needs
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After taking ownership of the sailboat, Sasha and Tara re-built the vessel's complete interior by hand, making sure it would suit their commercial needs
Pizza Pi after two years of hard work and preperations
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Pizza Pi after two years of hard work and preperations
The 37 ft (11.3 m) sailboat had previously been abandoned for 10 years and most of the wooden interior had been eaten away by termites
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The 37 ft (11.3 m) sailboat had previously been abandoned for 10 years and most of the wooden interior had been eaten away by termites
Pizza Pi opened late 2014 and its owners hope to expand the floating cafes or similar food boat concept
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Pizza Pi opened late 2014 and its owners hope to expand the floating cafes or similar food boat concept
Enjoying the perks of a floating pizzeria
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Enjoying the perks of a floating pizzeria
Pizza Pi closes at sunset on most evenings
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Pizza Pi closes at sunset on most evenings
The galley measures 12 ft wide by 16 ft long and is equipped with a 22 quart Hobart mixer for dough making
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The galley measures 12 ft wide by 16 ft long and is equipped with a 22 quart Hobart mixer for dough making
The galley is equipped with a Baker's Pride counter top Pizza Oven that cooks four pizzas at a time
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The galley is equipped with a Baker's Pride counter top Pizza Oven that cooks four pizzas at a time
Final touches
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Final touches
Another pizza is ready
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Another pizza is ready
Pizza Pi making waves in Christmas Cove
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Pizza Pi making waves in Christmas Cove
Pizza Pi is located in the pristine Virgin Islands
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Pizza Pi is located in the pristine Virgin Islands
Christmas Cove, Virgin Islands
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Christmas Cove, Virgin Islands
Sasha and Tara Bouis have transformed an abandoned aluminum sailboat into a floating pizza shop
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Sasha and Tara Bouis have transformed an abandoned aluminum sailboat into a floating pizza shop
Sasha and Tara Bouis have transformed an abandoned aluminum sailboat into a floating pizza shop
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Sasha and Tara Bouis have transformed an abandoned aluminum sailboat into a floating pizza shop
Sasha and Tara Bouis have transformed an abandoned aluminum sailboat into a floating pizza shop
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Sasha and Tara Bouis have transformed an abandoned aluminum sailboat into a floating pizza shop
View gallery - 37 images

Boat and pizza lovers Sasha and Tara Bouis have transformed an abandoned aluminum sailboat into a floating pizzeria. Dubbed "Pizza Pi," the enterprising couple customized and hand built the boat's kitchen to accommodate commercial pizza ovens, fridges, bench space and storage, while also creating a special pick-up window for local boats to come and get their pizza. Located in Christmas Cove, Virgin Islands, Pizza Pi brings the concept of street food to the water, providing a convenient stop for tourists and boat enthusiasts who are out on the water all day.

"We worked on private charter yachts in the Virgin Islands for a number of years and always remarked that a pizza boat could do really well in some of the more secluded coves, especially where there are no on shore dining options," Sasha and Tara Bouis tells Gizmag. "We tried to talk a few friends into building one, but no one bit. So, we decided to do it ourselves."

Pizza Pi making waves in Christmas Cove, Virgin Islands
Pizza Pi making waves in Christmas Cove, Virgin Islands

The couple purchased the 37 ft (11.3 m) G.L. Watson-designed aluminum sailing/motor boat, which had previously been abandoned for 10 years and most of the wooden interior had been eaten away by termites.

"Finding the right boat was a hard one," says Sasha and Tara. "We wanted a service window so the boat had to be a certain shape/size. We wanted the boat to be capable of traveling long distances (because we didn't know where we'd open up shop) so it had to be well built. We knew we would have to customize the interior so we didn't want a boat with a finished interior. We had a fairly small budget so we didn't want to pay too much for the hull. We looked for about three years before we found her. When we saw our boat I think we both mumbled 'Shit. Now we have to do it.'"

The enterprising couple customized and hand built the boat's entire interior
The enterprising couple customized and hand built the boat's entire interior

After taking ownership of the sailboat, the couple re-built the vessel's complete interior by hand, making sure it would suit their commercial needs. The complete process took them two years to finish, both quitting their full-time charter jobs in the process. "Building was tougher than tough," they admit. "It was a long lesson in building character. There were many times that we didn't think we'd finish. There were other days that we enjoyed building so much that we didn't want it to end."

The now complete galley measures 12 ft wide by 16 ft long (3.66 x 4.88 m) and is equipped with a 22 quart Hobart mixer for dough making, 8 sq ft (0.75 sq m) chest freezer, custom built 22 sq ft (2.04 sq m) fridge and a Baker's Pride counter top Pizza Oven that cooks four pizzas at a time. In addition there is a large wash station, register area and dinghy pick-up window.

"It's small, but packed with efficiency," the Bouis quip. "The galley is built in zones so that two to three people can work comfortably in the space."

The couple customized and hand built the boat's kitchen to accommodate commercial pizza ovens, fridges, bench space and storage
The couple customized and hand built the boat's kitchen to accommodate commercial pizza ovens, fridges, bench space and storage

Since launching their floating Pizza Pi business in late November 2014, the couple plan to sell as many pizzas as they can in order to test the waters for future floating cafes or similar food boats.

"We want to prove that this is a sustainable business model," they say. "Next step is to talk some more dreamers into opening other food boats in the area so that we can help build the local marine tourism. Beyond that? No idea. We are so happy to be where we are that we haven't planned too far into the future."

Source: Pizza Pi

View gallery - 37 images
4 comments
4 comments
Vico Confino
You are the true spirit of entrepreneurship in following your dreams. May your efforts be rewarded in a tsunami of mozzarella cheese and heavenly sauce orders from dinghy's to ocean liners on the sea of good fortune. Consider "drone delivery" as your next challenge in making the sea a better place to enjoy fresh pizza. Vico Confino Noble Prize Winner
Stephen N Russell
Good way to reuse idle sailboats or yachts alone Be huge Need drone boats to deliever pizza to those moored offshore. Can see this nationwide.
Germano Pecoraro Designer
Ok, but are the pizzas good?
AlexanderSashaBouis
The pizzas are excellent. This is part of the reason that PiZZA Pi is currently the #1 restaurant on St Thomas on TripAdvisor. I am from New York City and I am a pizza snob.