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Sale Boats
Variety at annual show whets appetite of those with 'boating gene'
By Ed Zieralski
January 11, 2003
Tom Trainor, yacht manager for MirineMax, says a poor economy won't keep people from recreating.
Their names were Bunny and Jay, and they had their cuddly pet dog, Remy, along with them to search for the boat of their dreams.
"Remy has to see the boat, too," Bunny said as they scanned the more than 300 boats and luxury yachts at the 15th annual San Diego Boat Show.
Those who predict doom and gloom for the country's economy aren't doing it this week from the San Diego Convention Center and Marriott Marina, where the boat show runs through tomorrow evening.
Unemployment stories crowd the national news. CBS' "60 Minutes" does a piece on middle Americans lining up in food lines in Ohio. A tent community of homeless crowds into El Cajon. But here at the San Diego Boat Show, Bunny and Jay and Remy show up with gatecrashers at noon on Thursday.
M2O Marine from Mission Bay sold a boat in the first 1-1/2 hours of the show, and Olympic Boats of Pacific Beach doubled its first-day sales from a year ago.
"People work to recreate," said Tom Trainor, yacht manager for MarineMax, which has 60 stores in 18 states, including a new store on Harbor Island. "The economy isn't going to keep people from recreating."
And there is this: "If you have the boating gene, you're going to boat," Trainor said, adding that MarineMax's motto is to "Deliver a dream."
So what is the "boating gene." Who has it?
The National Marine Manufacturer's Association says 18 million Americans have it, so do more than 30,000 in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada, proven frequent boating visitors here. They all have the boating gene.
"It's someone who has grown up boating as a kid, or was involved in boating at an early age," Trainor said. "A lot of people are naturally involved with boating. They have families, and the wife and kids get into boating, too. We've learned not to just focus on the guys. Let's face it, wives work today. They make decisions and need to learn how to run the boat."
Trainor said the important thing for a new boat buyer to do is to figure out exactly the right boat for his or her lifestyle.
For that, we visited the Discover Boating section
of the show, where Steven Tadd helps prospective buyers arrive at the decision that will float their boat. He said answers to some basic questions will identify a boater's needs.
What kind of activity or activities do you want to do on the boat?
"In some cases, the person may want to do many things," said Tadd, the Discover Boating program manager. "It may not be the best boat for fishing or the best for water-skiing, but you can fish and water-ski."
How many people (and or pets, as in Remy's case) will be on the boat? What are their ages – younger, older, active adults, etc. If you want to trailer the boat, it should be 26 feet or less to allow for easy travel.
Will you boat overnight, cruising into Mexican waters or beyond?
How much do you want to pay? The San Diego Boat Show has starter boats such as a Bayliner Bowrider from under $10,000 to yachts at $2.5 million. The saying in the boat industry is that the best time to buy is when you're ready to buy. There are "show specials" today and tomorrow.
Tadd recommends plenty of dealer interviews to find the best deal and the right boat. Does it fit your budget? Ask questions about after-purchase service. Request a test drive. Check for the best financing.
"It's best to buy locally because it's not uncommon for a boat to have to be tweaked after it's bought," Tadd said.
Some boats that have a head and sleeping compartments offer a tax advantage as a second home.
All new boaters should take a Boater's Education Course and the Seamanship Course.
"They teach you the rules of the water, the techniques for docking and how to equip a boat and understand and work the electronics," Tadd said.
Modern technology has taken the mystery out of boating, Tadd said. In addition to radar, there's Global Positioning Systems and Chart Plotters, auto pilot, all "give boaters a lot of comfort on the water," Tadd said.
But Tadd said the latest technical advance, Genmar First Mate, allows people on land to follow a boater's route.
The Genmar family of boats such as Carver may come equipped with First Mate. Non-Genmar boats can be fitted with Sea Key.
"Not only do you see where you are, but people on land can see where you are, too," Tadd said. "If you run out of gas, get lost or have an accident, you push the button and communicate with someone on land. You can get local fishing knowledge, weather updates or get someone to come out and tow you in. You can even get technical advice to help fix the boat, or make dinner or marina reservations from sea."
And oh yes, Bunny and Jay can call ahead to see if they take pets.
Variety at annual show whets appetite of those with 'boating gene'
By Ed Zieralski
January 11, 2003
Tom Trainor, yacht manager for MirineMax, says a poor economy won't keep people from recreating.
Their names were Bunny and Jay, and they had their cuddly pet dog, Remy, along with them to search for the boat of their dreams.
"Remy has to see the boat, too," Bunny said as they scanned the more than 300 boats and luxury yachts at the 15th annual San Diego Boat Show.
Those who predict doom and gloom for the country's economy aren't doing it this week from the San Diego Convention Center and Marriott Marina, where the boat show runs through tomorrow evening.
Unemployment stories crowd the national news. CBS' "60 Minutes" does a piece on middle Americans lining up in food lines in Ohio. A tent community of homeless crowds into El Cajon. But here at the San Diego Boat Show, Bunny and Jay and Remy show up with gatecrashers at noon on Thursday.
M2O Marine from Mission Bay sold a boat in the first 1-1/2 hours of the show, and Olympic Boats of Pacific Beach doubled its first-day sales from a year ago.
"People work to recreate," said Tom Trainor, yacht manager for MarineMax, which has 60 stores in 18 states, including a new store on Harbor Island. "The economy isn't going to keep people from recreating."
And there is this: "If you have the boating gene, you're going to boat," Trainor said, adding that MarineMax's motto is to "Deliver a dream."
So what is the "boating gene." Who has it?
The National Marine Manufacturer's Association says 18 million Americans have it, so do more than 30,000 in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada, proven frequent boating visitors here. They all have the boating gene.
"It's someone who has grown up boating as a kid, or was involved in boating at an early age," Trainor said. "A lot of people are naturally involved with boating. They have families, and the wife and kids get into boating, too. We've learned not to just focus on the guys. Let's face it, wives work today. They make decisions and need to learn how to run the boat."
Trainor said the important thing for a new boat buyer to do is to figure out exactly the right boat for his or her lifestyle.
For that, we visited the Discover Boating section
of the show, where Steven Tadd helps prospective buyers arrive at the decision that will float their boat. He said answers to some basic questions will identify a boater's needs.
What kind of activity or activities do you want to do on the boat?
"In some cases, the person may want to do many things," said Tadd, the Discover Boating program manager. "It may not be the best boat for fishing or the best for water-skiing, but you can fish and water-ski."
How many people (and or pets, as in Remy's case) will be on the boat? What are their ages – younger, older, active adults, etc. If you want to trailer the boat, it should be 26 feet or less to allow for easy travel.
Will you boat overnight, cruising into Mexican waters or beyond?
How much do you want to pay? The San Diego Boat Show has starter boats such as a Bayliner Bowrider from under $10,000 to yachts at $2.5 million. The saying in the boat industry is that the best time to buy is when you're ready to buy. There are "show specials" today and tomorrow.
Tadd recommends plenty of dealer interviews to find the best deal and the right boat. Does it fit your budget? Ask questions about after-purchase service. Request a test drive. Check for the best financing.
"It's best to buy locally because it's not uncommon for a boat to have to be tweaked after it's bought," Tadd said.
Some boats that have a head and sleeping compartments offer a tax advantage as a second home.
All new boaters should take a Boater's Education Course and the Seamanship Course.
"They teach you the rules of the water, the techniques for docking and how to equip a boat and understand and work the electronics," Tadd said.
Modern technology has taken the mystery out of boating, Tadd said. In addition to radar, there's Global Positioning Systems and Chart Plotters, auto pilot, all "give boaters a lot of comfort on the water," Tadd said.
But Tadd said the latest technical advance, Genmar First Mate, allows people on land to follow a boater's route.
The Genmar family of boats such as Carver may come equipped with First Mate. Non-Genmar boats can be fitted with Sea Key.
"Not only do you see where you are, but people on land can see where you are, too," Tadd said. "If you run out of gas, get lost or have an accident, you push the button and communicate with someone on land. You can get local fishing knowledge, weather updates or get someone to come out and tow you in. You can even get technical advice to help fix the boat, or make dinner or marina reservations from sea."
And oh yes, Bunny and Jay can call ahead to see if they take pets.
