I have been blessed to meet some wonderful people in the boat business , when it seems dismal [which it is does sometimes, especially in winter ] something will happen that will restore your vigor and remind you of why you do what you do . We are still in the midst of selling through our inventories , and the folks that make those key purchases are doing a great thing for us . I am very grateful for them and lately have met some mighty fine folks . Having some employees that count on me drives me to a great extent to make things happen and find our way in the long recovery process. It also teaches you a lot about your business and might even cause one to do some soul searching.
But back to those people , from all over, many backgrounds and beliefs, one common interest . Enjoying their time on the water and the products we sell,one of which is intangible but very important, the experience of great service . We will be trimming down our inventories, manufacturers that dont meet our expectations, expenses, but not our service . That’s why we meet great people and why they come back !
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 !

All kinds of people come to boat shows seeking boating type advice from knowledgeable mariners such as Marc…and he is always ready to help them out and share his vast….oh, okay.  So he’s a big “Deadliest Catch” fan.

Marc Grove with the two co-captain/owners of the Alaskan crab boat “Time Bandit”, Andy and John Hillstrand.

John and Sherry’s place on the River in Apalachicola. Looking for good company,good weather, good food, and good fun !

A couple of pictures from last year’s gathering …

Hope to see lots of folks .More to follow ……..

Link to signup sheet on C-Brats site.

(originally posted by Marc on C-Brats Forum 8/28)

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

The 1st annual Franklin County inshore fishing tournament is happening Saturday at Battery Park next to 10 foot hole marina [Apalachicola City Marina] . Wefings is sponsoring as well as yours truly will be the official weighmaster for the event . The categorys are Redfish,Trout ,and Tripletail. There is a kids division and they will be selling raffle tickets for some great prizes and serving their famous chicken dinners for 6 bucks which goes to charity . I am looking forward to the event and seeing all my fishing friends . We will have some brand new boats there to see and think it will be a great event . More info at http://www.franklinsheriff.com
All proceeds go to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Youth Programs
Marc

Pardon the interruption. I’m just checking a new plug-in installed for Marc so he can easily embed videos into his posts. Trying to post a short video of the Ranger 29 in the water. Hope it works.

I Have one more post regarding scalloping in the big bend area . It was a perfect day again yesterday with actually kinda relatively cool conditions around the inshore grassflats between Carrabelle and Alligator Point. There were 4 of us on the Champion 24 Bay Boat and we started at the first stop kinda slow with a few here and there and some overcast conditions and breeze clouding the water ,making visibility a little less than perfect . As the day wore on we were treated to some good strategic moves,improved weather and some real “motherlode” spots . I swam for hours enjoying the ever changing scenery with cat fish, pin fish,puffer fish,and occasional redfish swimming by . They were probably wondering why they get invaded by humans for a few months of the year . There are different zones of vegetation and algeas to see as well as sandy spots where propellers have stripped the bottom of plant life . The scallops move and can swim quite handily with their moveable and lightweight shells . At one point I moved the anchor line and a scallop swam up from underneath . I think he wanted to be part of my ceviche…………………….

!/2 cup lime juice [Persian or Key]

Couple seeded and chopped jalapenos or other favorite peppers

Cup of washed chopped cilantro [I like the stems too]

1/2 cup fine Diced onion

Fresh garlic to taste ,one good sized clove chopped fine gives a certain richness and depth

about a tabelspoon of kosher salt

about a cup to a pint of bay Scallops cut in 1/2 or 1/4 depending on how much you want and how quick you want it done

options; small pieces of fish or shrimp or crab [maintain size consistency to keep "cook" time even],

diced tomato,

Add orange , calamandin, kaffir lime, or lemon juices for a sweeter or more exotic flavor

Stir and put in a container you can invert for even “cooking”

enjoy with cold frosty beverage and tortilla chips or as a salad enhancement or simple aperitif side.

Bon Appetit Y’all

Marc the hungry fishtales man.