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About melbournepeninsula.com
melbournepeninsula.com was started by Kerry Murphy as Sail Sorrento in 2002 to indulge his interest in sailing and for something to do, having sold his software business and moved to his Blairgowrie holiday house on a permanent basis
The business consisted of one yacht, a 10 metre Bavaria 32 running cruises and a sailing school. He also lived on board when he rented his house on weekends and in January
In 2003 he started Baliana Spa, working from the Blairgowrie house and mobile throughout the Peninsula
Then he bought Beach Holiday Apartments in Rye with his brother Geoff and a Toyota 12-seat commuter bus to provide winery tours and a shuttle service
Later he added a 30-passenger catamaran to the fleet and the name of the sailing business became Baysail Cruises while the Sail Sorrento brand was retained
In 2010 he built a day spa at the apartments and installed a cedar spa
The company now employs 40 full time staff and contractors and all activities operate under the name melbournepeninsula.com
Kerry's Background
Business
Kerry started work with Bearing Service Company, a division of National Consolidated. After four years he joined United Shoe Machinery, selling production machinery and conveyor systems. At 25 he was appointed Victorian Manager of G H Mooney Ltd in the same line of business and sold production control systems to Fletcher Jones, Dowd Associates, Aquila Shoes, Niblick, Sportscraft, Footrest, Allerton Shoes and other major manufacturers.
When the business was acquired by Hobart Manufacturing in 1980, he started Unisoft Pty Ltd, developing his own point-of-sale, inventory and accounting software for the building supplies market. During this time he also bought and sold a chemical importing and manufacturing business.
In 2000 he sold Unisoft, staying on for three years as sales director.
Sailing
Kerry first visited the Mornington Peninsula at the age of 10. In his twenties, he took a house at Mc Crae every year from November to April and had a catamaran at the yacht club. At 25, he ran the dance at the Sorrento Sailing Club over the summer. He bought his first keelboat in the late seventies and joined Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron and the Royal Brighton Yacht Club. In 1995 he moved to the Peninsula and in March 2002 bought a new Bavaria 32 and started Sail Sorrento. In 2007 he added a 28 foot couta boat and a new Seawind 1050 to the fleet.
