Vessels of opportunity [BPs media friendly name for chartering boats and people that know the area that they might destroy ] meeting/orientation was an interesting experience . Lots of commercial clammers and fishermen from a long ways way, weekend warriors from Georgia all mixed with local oyster folks and fishing guides . Meeting was totally hijacked by Sen. Al Lawson and a bunch of Lawyer/Sharks from Pensacola that flew in by private jet and were probably the only guys in Apalach in Jet black suits with power ties on and with an entourage . The BP trainer stood in disbelief .I was having trouble believing it myself. Sen Al said what he thought the fishermen wanted to hear [major pandering] , wasted an hour of our time and the training continued. The BP guy was sincere in his mission of safety and training , hope the folks that really know the bay will get the jobs . But I really hope we don’t need any of it .That would be the best . There is a city commission meeting tonight to clarify who is doing what and to quell the “Mayberry By The Sea” rumor mill . I will likely attend .

The spill has affected our business and many others  even though the oil is no where close to us , and will probably remain so . But its a psychological thing ,a media fueled thing [pardon my pun]and apparently has been wrought with mis information from the start . Combined with the weak economy , the Gulf Coast has seen its share of hardship in the last few years . Perhaps better times are around the corner ……. Hope its not too little too late.

Marc

I am happy to brave freezing temps to prep for our first big boat show ATLANTA of the year . The signals are good for a continued uptick in sales with a tangible pent up demand for what we feel are the best “pocket cruisers” or “trailerable trawlers” on the market today . We will be featuring them in some of the major Southeastern boat shows this year . We do love the “in the water” shows in the spring and fall months as we can show off the true attributes of this style of boats and watch a potential owners response to the demo experience . Just good , clean, fun in the boat business .Alternatively , in the winter and being indoors , yet still on a boat , even in a convention center when its cold outside, is just a bonus of the boat business if you are hopelessly in love with boats.Yes , I am guilty .

So, we will be in Atlanta with C Dorys and Ranger Tugs starting Wed 01/13 through 01/17. At the Georgia World Congress Center in space H 44.

Then in a joint effort  with C Dory ,Wefings Marine  , and Suzuki we will be in the water at Sea Isle Marina for the Miami Boat Show with one of the first boats to be equipped with the new design , ultra light 60 H.P. Suzukis . It will be a C Dory 23 Venture . The twin 60s should be an ideal match with the new light and powerful motors .I am quite  happy to represent the new owners of C Dory , who will be showing off their boat building skills [ they are now the manufacturers of Sea Sport/Osprey/Skagit Orca and C Dory ]  Performance stats will follow .Should be most interesting to see how these motors stack up .

The shows for the spring are still in up the air , but I am leaning towards Jacksonville , Bay Point Panama City, and Pensacola.I love to do boat shows and am always open for a new venue . Its pretty wide open this year as far as available space goes .

Shows will be more important  in the new boat economy as dealers will be fewer and further between . That will mean shows will be a great place for a shopper to see whats new and purchase from a dealer that is serious about their craft . Sales may be somewhat stagnant but new designs and features will always be on the boat horizon. The best dealers will have them available .And they will do the shows . See you at the show !

Marc

I was driving across the 6 mile bridge that I traverse every morning on my way to work in Eastpoint this morning. Otis Redding was singing “Dock Of The Bay” through my truck’s stereo and I glanced off towards the mouth of the 5 rivers that feed this vibrant Apalachicola Bay. I spotted a boat in the morning light and as I got closer I observed it was one of my customer’s boats that we had recently picked up, serviced and delivered back to the Fish Camp where it is stored. They were peacefully at anchor fishing in near perfect conditions.

Fishing Apalachicola Bay

I thought about the changes we have seen in the industry this year and had a sense of pride to be heading to work and opening the gates for another day of “reinvention”.

I say reinvention because we have had to change our model as a business to some degree, to remain in business. First of all I have a service department that has really stepped up and worked hard. I have had to change the strategies of our business in the areas of sales [there weren't many]. Many of our boat lines simply dissapeared over the last year with one of the biggest in the industry [Genmar] announcing just yesterday they wont be reorganizing ,but selling out ,from an an unexpected [by most] bankruptcy declared in June. Consignment sales that seemed like a waste of energy a couple years ago are now a valued part of our new business model.

I have found myself acting as a purchasing agent for a number of folks that are not willing or able to purchase new boats. They trust that I will find them what they are looking for and will reward me with a fee for my services.  That’s the value of relationships working to help make those ends meet.

I have had to find ways to market that did not cost as much but were effective.  No more Yellowpages ads for instance as we discovered our buyers were generally doing their research in front of a computer screen, not a book and a telephone. We have a much complimented, ever changing web site [thanks Mike!], I write this blog, a newsletter,  have nearly daily participation in the owners groups of our most popular boat lines,  I tweet, facebook, use boatradderonline, boats.com etc…..

I still believe in boat shows.  Not as a pressure tool for generating immediate sales [although we certainly wont turn you down], but as a means to introduce folks to boats they have never seen or experienced in person, like our C Dorys and Ranger Tugs, to meet and start a personal relationship with a potential future customer, and to be a part of the industry. I still enjoy the people who enjoy boats, and go out of our way to meet them.  Even at a Waffle House on the way to a show.

We are not out of the woods.  I have a new perspective and we are still in an industry in turmoil.  I dream about this business, and sometimes lay awake.  Winter is coming, and we will work that much harder. I feel a sense of responsibility to my staff, and my customers.  But for now, I suppose it’s business as “unusual”.. I appreciate the support of our customers more than you know.  Without them, there would be nothing to “reinvent” and observe.

Marc

I went to Tampa with 2 boats to do the NMMA sponsored Tampa Boat Show there .

I have never done a “fall show” as most of ours fall in the winter or spring . I was leading Burt [our trusty truck driver] towing the 25 Ranger behind my truck and Burt carrying the R 29 Ranger Tug . Left Eastpoint about 5 A.M. and all was on schedule for a noon arrival at the launch ramp at Davis Island . There is an private airport and public Marina there and an old seaplane base . Beautiful area .

For whatever reason my factory representative and only scheduled help was no where to be found ,leaving me with a logistics problem getting 2 boats,2 trailers,and two trucks rearranged by myself. Boats in slips at Tampa Convention Center ,trailers in parking spaces at Performing Arts Center and Burt back on the road to pick up another trailer to bring back to Eastpoint was the task. Then there is the cleaning and staging of the boats.

So we pulled into the launch area and a crusty looking thin fellow came hustling over to tell us we couldn’t launch there cause there isnt enough water .He had a tide table to show me when the next high tide was and it wasn’t for a while . A local crabber concurred and graciously allowed me to get on his boat with his crab trap retrieval stick to check depth . He went to check his traps and offered to help .

Ranger Tugs , most likely due to their high profile, appear to draft more water than they really do , and those guys were being very helpful showing their concern . That was my first impression of Tampa.

As I spoke with my new friend [he is called Red], I noticed he was missing a few things .Like his right ear,eye and half his jaw. Red lived on his sail boat in the Marina and had been a skin cancer victim . He was not a wealthy guy and obviously lived a very hard life .He was lucky to have had a surgeon remove these parts to save his life . Not everybody in this country is that lucky.

But he was just there to help and spent his life doing odd marine related jobs . He didn’t ask me for a thing .

I was wrestling with the dilemma of whether to launch the boats regardless of the questionable depth situation or start cleaning them right then and there as I was rapidly running out of time .

Red disappeared and I was thinking I oughta go for it and launch . Then the thought struck me of how I was going to get back to the ramp after tying up at the convention center.

About that time my cell phone rang . It was the crabber . He said Im almost done and I could pull you over the bar after you launch to avoid damaging your running gear on the not too friendly looking bottom . I thought to myself ,that’s about all I can do and If I can get a ride back here on his boat I can launch # 2 and get Burt back underway .

I turned around to make one last ramp check and there was Red on his ancient skiff with his new 4 H.P. outboard . He said “I can pull you over the bar with this ,I tow stuff all over Tampa Bay” . Wow these folks are great . So I launched the 25 footer with no issue and before I knew it I had a skiff in tow and a deck and dock hand along and a new friend . There was my ride back in tow ,local knowledge onboard and most of my problem solved .

We tied off the 25 and rode back in the skiff . Then it was time to launch the 29 . It also went in without incident and off down the road went Burt, and the R 29 ,Red ,and I and “little skiff that could” went back to the convention center docks.

Both boats tied off , Ranger Factory rep on the dock helping set up , it was time to stop at Jackson’s via skiff for a beer for my new friend .Then back to move trailers . It was near dark when I was done . Red gave me his cell # and said if you need anything ,give me a call . I handed him some thank you cash , which I knew he could use . He came to the show every day to see if we needed help . I got him a pass . He was a little disconcerting for some to look at , but he was beautiful to me . Just a great guy that so far has beat the odds ,and is happy to be alive . Made me happy to have all I have and put alot of things in perspective.

We had a good boat show , I had good help getting the boats out , you can guess who made it happen .

Thanks Red !

We now have Duroboat at Wefings Marine and here is why;

A couple months ago I got a call from American Suzuki . We have been Suzuki dealers for about 8 years and I have gotten to know many of the corporate folks there . The call was from the marketing guys asking If we could service a 50 H.P. on a small aluminum boat with a couple girls from Seattle that were doing the great loop . I of course said “sure, tell me what the situation is” to which they replied they will be there TODAY ! . Thinking cap was quickly put on head as I assumed there was no trailer or way to check things out other than in the water, so I called our friends at Scipio Creek Marina in Apalachicola and asked if they could lift their boat with the forklift and put on a rack so we could service it . They were happy to do so and I took one of our mechanics off his regular duties and had him to go over there the next A.M. to get them fixed up . After speaking with the girls, they had asked me if there were any good places to stay near by that fit their budget. They had no transportation other than their boat which was now out of the water , so I called the water Street Hotel [down the street from Scipio Creek Marina] to see if they might have a promotional room for the girls . They were quite full ,but did offer a great discount . It was the perfect place for them as they had been sleeping on the boat, and could use some air conditioning and a beautiful view , some high speed internet access for their blog and photo uploading , and of course top notch showers to get days worth of bug spray and sunscreen off.

They got settled in and the next step was food and beer . The hotel was walking distance from a little waterfront restaurant called “Up the Creek” . They serve Oysters, Shrimp ,Gator-tail,fish  and other local things as well as beer . My wife and I greeted  them there and we got to meet them and hear their tales from their departure in Chicago down the inland waterways , and finally to Apalachicola. They had also never had our favorite delicacy APALACHICOLA OYSTERS. They tried them and moved on the the Alligator Tail. I guess there are a certain percentage of folks that our beautiful oysters don’t work for .Ill take Oysters over Alligator anytime .

They were about to experience their first truly open water of the trip and I was very adamant about their learning about our rapidly changing conditions in the South in the summertime.They were good listeners.  They certainly found out I wasn’t just a paranoid middle aged guy , as they were stuck in our great little town an extra couple days and then had a window to cross to Steinhatchee , where they were stuck with weather again and then Cedar Key where they were stuck once again ! They continued to the Okeechobee waterway to the east and then up the eastern seaboard and on to Canada . Their trip log can be found at

http://www.duroboat.com/SmallBoatBigSumme.htm

Lots more of their story there .We were just a small part of it here .  Glad we met them and happy to be part of the Duroboat Family !

Marc

Wow , its great to hear that Defiance will be covering warranty on the boats they built before the “ownership change” . Im sure Bo and the Defiance team that are so dedicated to their customers will be just as dedicated to their former and possibly current dealers as well . Im sure Ill be getting a support call soon to help me move the boats we have and to continue our great relationship. As a matter of fact , if anyone is considering a purchase , I would be happy to deliver a boat anywhere in the U.S and would suggest a call to Wefings Marine before you buy from anywhere else . I will save you money and the factory that has stood behind their products so well [ I read that on the Defiance forum a number of times !] should continue to do so. So , please give us a call if you would like to take advantage of our UNBEATABLE pricing on these great boats .It really great to be a part of the Defiance Family.Ill look forward to any questions and contact from the forum members or interested craigslist shoppers.
Marc Grove
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We have a 195 Yellowtail , a 22 Admiral , a 22 Admiral EX, and a 25 Admiral EX . All Yamaha Powered and all built by the company that has great integrity and service, keeps their promises, and will take care of you like “Family”.

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Well we could not have picked too much windier of a day and still have gone out for our test , as it was we had to cross some very rough patches of water on the Apalachicola River to get to a place in the river system that we could run our speed and rpm numbers and gather test data . We would have been wet in anything smaller than a 50 footer out in the bay!The river is still very high from record flooding and there was strong current everywhere we went , so we had to run our tests in both directions for every speed and RPM in the St Marks River, dodging debris as we went. The boat was well powered with the four stroke 115 Yamaha and it topped out at just under 40 MPH with three ample guys aboard . Dave Lear from Saltwater Sportsman Magazine was the writer and keeper of the data, Wally Bell from Sundance boats was the photographer and I did most of the driving . The article will appear in the June issue of Saltwater Sportsman Magazine . The boat handled exceptionally well and you forgot you were driving a boat that floats in about 8 or 9 inches of water , as the fine entry was taking care of the ride and the flare was taking care of the spray ,just as it was designed to do . The interior space is well utilized in the boat as the drop shear design make a secure feel for the bow and a very “fishable” stern for working at water level handling fish and getting on and off the boat via the built in swim ladder . Its a really nice combination of features . There will be models from 17 to 25 feet , and it will be a winner for sure , as it does so many things well . The details of standard features are still being worked out , but the 21 footer is available now . Ill leave my friend Dave Lear something to write about , so look for the article in Saltwater Sportsman . Feel free to call us at Wefings Marine with any questions you may have about this exciting new Sundance NX Series Hybrid!
Marc

Today I get to use one of my occasional and favorite excuses for boating and fishing . Dave Lear from Saltwater Sportsman Magazine and Wally Bell of Sundance Boats are here to do a “fishability test” on the new NX series from Sundance .

Its a Hybrid Skiff [anything called a hybrid should sell well] With a Bayboat entry and a flatter stern of about 5 degrees deadrise . Should provide the benefits of a good ride in chop, and a shallow draft as well as efficiency . We will certainly have a good opportunity to test it as its blowing pretty good from the East today . Makes the testing better but the fishing more challenging . Sundance [ www.sundanceboats.com] is a superior product to the “other” skiff and this boat should set the new standard for multi purpose boats . Ill report our experiences in a future post .
Marc

http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/40447102.html

Doing something for the oyster industry !
He is a guy I know that is shall we say colorful in his storytelling , hope this all works out and the age old oyster fishery continues to thrive year round  .
Marc

So its a little slow on this beautiful Sunday in Miami

but I assume everyone’s at church to atone for the previous evenings sins . We Ranger Tugs folks

The Brain Trust?

of course, had our boats cleaned and ready for our morning demos and are feeling frisky. We have much interest in our products and always seem to be the center of attention .

We will definitely have some new Ranger owners as a result of this show , and the tugs will continue to snowball in popularity . Even in Miami! [sorry all you folks in the frozen north ]
Marc
Marc