As a teen, soccer occupied most of Cabe Nolan’s days, so when his parents suggested that he get a job and offered to match funds for a car, he pondered where he might find the time to work. This became the jumpstart that set his entrepreneurial gears spinning. He set up a web-hosting service on eBay and soon he had a pile of clients, which he eventually sold to another web hosting company for $15,000. His parents had to back out of the matching funds deal, but he got himself a nice car.
The next sequence of events was a soccer scholarship to Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina then an injury and a transfer back to Flagler College where he graduated in 2012 with a Business Admin degree. All along the way, the business ideas had been forming and hatching. His businesses develop as quickly as he can create the websites. He is the founder of Bold City Agency (web design), Dolfin Pack (hydration backpack), Two-Way Resume (resume-builder website), Arrivala (business reviews), and his new favorite project – Dock Skipper.
The idea for Dock Skipper manifested after Cabe’s uncle (a yacht broker) needed an extra hand for a delivery and offered the opportunity to Cabe. As Cabe traveled up the Intracoastal Waterway on a trip from the Florida Keys to St. Augustine, one thing jumped out at him. “I remember thinking about how many docks were going unused on a nightly basis,” says Cabe. “The idea continued to evolve as I realized the limited availability and high price at many marinas. I saw the potential for a modern, tech-friendly approach to listing and renting dock space and marina slips.”
By early 2015, Dock Skipper had launched and is now growing steadily. “The biggest challenge thus far,” says Cabe, “is educating the owners of dock space about the mechanics of peer-to-peer platforms.”
A prolific talent in web development has been a significant asset in all Cabe’s entrepreneurial endeavors. This skill enables him to design his vision, create systems, and update easily. About his vision for Dock Skipper, Cabe says, “I hope to turn it into more of an Airbnb type of experience where the booking, payment, and contract are all handled on the Dock Skipper website. Currently, our system functions more like a Craigslist, but we could easily revert back to the Airbnb format as the market continues to change.”
Cabe divulged that he is a serial entrepreneur and will undoubtedly always venture out into multiple areas of business. “Sometimes it’s nice,” says Cabe, “to be able to temporarily shift your focus as it allows new ideas to develop or a problem you’ve been struggling to solve to resolve itself naturally.”
However, he is passionate and committed to Dock Skipper, “Dock Skipper is my favorite concept. I love boats, I love the water, and I love the concept of peer-to-peer sharing.”
Learn more about Cabe Nolan and Dock Skipper by visiting www.dockskipper.com. Photography by David Steele.
