The Powerboating Tribune Blog

Officials Question Need For Sewage On Beach

2005-06-19T11:09:00.000-04:00

Recently sun seekers found themselves engulfed in the putrid stench of raw sewage on Deray Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida. Apparently a connection at a pumping station that was being worked on gave way and let a large unsightly flow to escape. Luckily the unsightly sewage was detected and heath officials, watching where they stepped, sprang into action. Many beach goers in search of the perfect tan were not swayed from their mission to lie on the beach as the swill lapped the shore. Some boaters assured themselves that it was okay to cruise through the effluent. Now maybe I'm crazy but as much as I love boating, that would be a great day to stay off the water-and sewage!

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Whats Up With That Name?

2005-06-18T12:37:00.000-04:00

I hate them. Those cutesy, clever phrases that people plaster all over otherwise perfectly good boats never fail to make me grimace with pain and reach for the nearest six pack to ease my suffering. I know that I will anger many boat owners after they read this. I can only hope that there are others that share my feelings and will come to my defense if things get ugly.
Ask anyone that has wasted their time and money naming their boat if they also decided to name their car. You’ll probably find yourself at the receiving end of a blank stare. Why would anyone name a car? Well I can’t figure out why anyone would feel it necessary to name their boat. And if you feel it necessary to deface your property, there are certain guidelines. Boats must meet a minimum size requirement in order to be named. There are no technical specifications, but I’ve seen a few courageous souls push this to the limit. Yes, it’s very silly to name your jon boat. If your boat isn’t large enough to allow the name to be super-sized on the transom, then you must buy a larger boat. But now you face another dilemma. You can’t carry the name over so you have to be creative again and go through the grueling process of finding a new cutesy annoying name. Or do you? Hell no. Just add the Roman numeral II after it. Problem solved. If you stumble across a name that you like better and would like to change; too bad, you lose. Everyone knows that it’s bad luck to re-name a boat. Rich and famous actors and performers always change their names all the time and it doesn’t seem to bring bad luck. I say, re-name it. The biggest problem people face when picking out a name for their boat is the competition. My goodness! It is a given fact that the snobbier the yacht club (meaning the ones I’m never invited to)your rank is determined by the severity of the play on words used in your name as opposed to whether you are a Harvard or a Yale man.
While hanging out at the local marina, I discussed my feelings with a fellow boater that is not as cynical about such matters as I am. He suggested that I seek counseling in order to find the root cause of my harsh feelings and in doing so find a path to inner peace which would grant me the strength to perhaps render a moniker of my own. I was skeptical at first but after a couple of beers in the warm sun, I agreed to give it a try. After searching the marina for at least five minutes, I came across this wise looking crusty old salt that reminded me of the Gorton’s fisherman on the packages of those world famous fish sticks. Maybe it was because he saw the remains of the six pack under my arm, but after explaining my situation he readily agreed to help in spite of my comparison of his appearance to a package of frozen fish sticks.
We found a quiet spot on the dock that afforded us with a tremendous view of a dozen or more boats with incredibly annoying names. We began to probe the deep dark recesses of my childhood to see if my condition could have been caused by my mother. Let’s face it. Almost every imaginable problem in life can be traced back to early childhood and blamed on your mother. That must be it. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find any connection. That let my mom off the hook. Oh well. We examined every nuance of my nautical past. Nothing. It wasn’t my mom’s fault. It wasn’t because I didn’t own a sport cruiser or was never allowed near a yacht club. What was it? As I wiped of the last few drops of beer that dribbled down my chin, it hit me. It was as though I just had the largest strike in my life and my line was free spooling out of control. I had reached enlightenment.
It is because I have a general distaste for silly, clever, cutesy names that appear on anything, not just on boats! Why do race horses have to have clever names like Seattle Slew, Bold Ruler, or Hallowed Dreams? Why can’t they have normal names like Ed? My brain reeled. Why must greyhounds be given stupid names? How could anyone name a perfectly good dog Molotov, Wigwam Hoss or Blazing Desire? (That one really makes me wonder). All these names are real, I’m not making this up. My dog was named Ralph. What’s wrong with that?
I thanked Mr. fish sticks for his guidance in helping me find the cause of my problem but it didn’t change anything. I still had an overwhelming aversion to cutesy names. Fellow boaters that are foolish enough to defend this practice are usually quick to point out that the ancient tall ships that braved the oceans of years ago had names. I admit that this is a fact that cannot be disputed, but let’s put this in perspective. Those ships bore proud manly names such as; The Endeavor, Revenge, The Cutty Sark, HMS Victory, The Bounty and of course the S.S. Minnow. How anyone can compare those to names like Just Plane Fun, Sight To Sea, My Assests In The Water is beyond my comprehension. Can you image a Spanish Galleon sailing majestically across the Atlantic bearing a name like Second Wind? How about No Where To Blow or My Pie Rates? I cringe at the mere thought.
The reason that this is a major life crisis for me is that BoatU.S. just released their list of the top ten boating names for 2004. As much as it pains me, and it pains me a lot, out of respect for my fellow boaters I will break down and print the list.
Aquaholic
Island Time
Hakuna Matata
Happy Hours
Fish Tales
Liberty
Seas The Day
Freedom
Ohana
Summer Wind
I will try to be a good sport and congratulate those whose names were among the top ten. It’s painfully obvious that I’m in the minority and will never have enough backing to ban this practice or convince the government to tax it out of existence. It won’t be easy but I guess the best thing for me to do is to shut up and just grin and bear it. Hey wait a minute! I just felt a shiver run down my spine. Maybe that’s what I’ll name my boat; Grin And Bare It!! What do you think?

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Kaboom

2005-05-24T13:06:00.000-04:00

Thousands of years ago Great Britain's Royal Navy was still using tall ships to hunt down and destroy the bad guys. Now it was bad enough going about having to rely on all that canvas but to suffer for long spells at sea without women? The Royal Navy was too smart to let that happen. No it's not what you think. Someone would be needed to carry out one of the most dangerous jobs onboard so why not get a woman to do it? The job was non other than powder runner. It didn't require any special skills, training or talent. The job entailed getting your butt below decks into the magazine (that's where all the gunpowder was kept) and stuffing black powder cartridges which were made of cloth, into a metal container about the size of a half gallon of milk. Affectionately known a powder keg, this was then rushed up to the gunners deck to be popped into the guns. The dangers of running around a ship with enough black powder to propel a huge cannon ball several miles are self explanatory. The magazines were traditionally clad in copper-copper won't create sparks which are a very very bad thing. Not all ships however had such luxuries and simply carried the cartridges to the gun deck. There are more than a couple documented cases where the cartridges leaked and a spark or burning ember hit the trail of powder and burned like a fuse right back to the magazine. Adios! So this is my advice for all women boaters out there. Feel free to throw this back at your hubby when he loses his cool and yells at you for dropping a line or for not backing down the ramp as quickly as he wants. He'll get the hint!!
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I Wouldn't Buy One

2005-04-26T08:31:00.000-04:00

In 1848, a gentleman by the name of Joseph Louis Lambot built what is believed to be the first boat made of concrete. No doubt his neighbors tried to convince him that concrete wasn't the best material to use to build boats with because everyone knows that concrete sinks. There isn't any information to prove that Joseph's boat did or didn't sink. But if it did, it wouldn't have been because of his choice of building material. Why you ask? Because concrete does float. I'm not making this up. It doesn't seen natural but think of other materials that we use. A chunk of steel sinks yet steel boats float. Same for aluminum. Objects float not because of the ability of the material itself to float, (this is where it gets technical) but because of the weight of the water it displaces. If the weight, or mass of the water displaced is less than the mass of the boat-you float. That's how the Coast Guard comes up with those maximum weight capacities for boats. Realizing this could be a good way to build ships, a brave man in Norway by the name of N.K. Fougner decided to go for it and built an 84 foot long ship. It floated. Then along comes WWI and steel is getting tough to come by. So the U.S. invites Mr. Fouger over for some tips on concrete ships. Twelve ships were completed, but luckily the war ended before they were launched. I would hate to have been a crewmember on one even though I know that concrete does float. The government once again ordered twenty four new ships to be built when WWII started. None of them survived as they were used to build breakwaters. There isn't any large scale concrete shipbuilding anymore. However I must confess. Even though I know otherwise, I still don't really believe that concrete floats!

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Colossal Calamari

2005-03-22T12:27:00.000-05:00

Colossal Calamari
The Loc Ness Monster. Big Foot. Sasquatch. Are they nothing more than mythical beasts that are the building blocks for legends that will endure for centuries? While we're at it, let's add giant squid to the list. Perhaps not as romantic as the sight of Nellie at sunset, giant squid deserve their place in our folklore as well. Doubt their existence? Don't be a fool, because one day you may pay the price like world class sailor Olivier De Kersauson did as he sailed the ocean blue. For you non believers, I offer this account as proof of the existence of giant squid and their savage and unprovoked attacks on mankind. According to the BBC, which to some is considered to be a very reliable news source, a squid of immense proportions attacked Olivier De Kersauson as he stood steadfast at the helm of his ship. Point of clarification-even though sailboats and their operators are generally barred from this site, I think an exception is necessary in order to relate this important tale. Besides we can learn from his misfortune. Mr. Kersauson has over forty years of sailing experience so it would be hard to believe that he would misidentify the creature. Apparently this squid to beat all squids, wrapped two of it's many tentacles around the rudder. What possible motive could there be? Was it trying to adjust the course for some unknown reason? Was there a personal vendetta? Was it trying to bring the ship home to show it to momma squid? Was it sent by a crafty loan company to repossess the ship because of overdue payments? Or perhaps was it just playing as giant squid are known to do? Unfortunately in all likely hood, we will never have a definitive answer. Just imagine the sheer horror Mr. Kersauson must have felt as he saw this beast of mythical proportions rise out of the sea and attach hundreds of suction cups to his ship. What were his options? What should one do? To the best of my knowledge this subject matter has never been covered in any boater education course. Unarmed, all he could do was hope that one of those terrible suction cups didn't find it's way to his forehead. But luckily as fate would have it, the beast brought the ship to a complete standstill in the water. Then as quickly as it appeared, the squid released it's mighty grasp and vanished into the depths from which it came.But the story does not end here. The skeptics among us will most certainly question the validity of such unsubstantiated reports surrounding encounters with mythical beasts. Even more upsetting is the doubt that will cast it's dark shadow upon such encounters when an unlikely coincidence rears it's ugly head. Or tentacle in this case. The connection? I'm sure that we're all familiar with Jules Vern's classic science fiction yarn, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Remember the part when Captain Nemo's sub, the Nautilus is attacked by a giant squid? It just so happens that the recent attack of said giant squid took place during the running of the Around The World Jules Verne Trophy race, in which Mr. Kersauson was a participant. Purely coincidental? Maybe. Maybe not. One of the big differences between the two encounters was that Captain Nemo and the crew of the Nautilus knew all about giant squid and had received substantial training in how to deal with them in a panic situation. Only time will tell if the story is true or just another yarn fabricated by a sailor that spent too much time alone at sea waiting for a puff of wind. I'm of the opinion that even though it involves a blow boat, the story is true.
If nothing else comes of this story, at the very least it should heighten public awareness that this is a situation that boaters should be made aware of and given the tools and training necessary should they ever find themselves left to suffer the same fate. I just hope that if I ever see a giant squid trying to climb my boat aboard, I will have the tools and training needed to dish up the best calamari in the world. Even Better than Jules Vern could make !!!

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Is It That Time Already?

2005-03-01T17:56:00.000-05:00

Boat Show Etiquitte 101

After a year of waiting, it is here again. It is time the duty of all boaters to put aside any and all obligations that might interfere with the almighty Boat Show. Landlubbers will never understand the feeding frenzy that is created by those two simple words. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a newbie to the game, there are always a few pointers worth brushing up on. There are countless periodicals that offer some very sage advice in your search for that new boat yet at the risk of appearing to be overly smug, I have yet to see any advice that deals with the unspoken and subtle nuances of surviving boat shows. Until now. 1. Always bring gummy bears. You heard me. Yes salesmen are there to answer questions, but for those times when they don't know when to quit, encourage them to eat your gummy bears. That will buy you a few minutes in which to make your getaway.

2. Rent a tux. Never smile, look like you're deep in thought and say "hmmm" a lot. All other customers will suddenly become invisible to the sales people. A red carnation will really push you over the top and you will never be asked to remove your shoes in order to climb aboard. 3. One of the most common questions asked of prospective buyers is whether or not they will be trading in their current boat. Many a sale can depend on how much you can get for your trade. Whatever you do-I cannot stress this enough, never ask how much you can get if you trade in your wife as well. You might get top dollar but I guarantee it will be a very long cold walk home. Plus you'll never own any boat ever again. 4. Another important piece of advice regarding your spouse's feelings. It might be the perfect boat with a price lower than an ant's belly but if the salesperson happens to be a bubbly blond bimbo you'll never own it. Talk to men only. Remember the golden rule: Happy wife=shiny new boat. 5. There's always money to be found somewhere. Your kid's college fund? Why not? Higher education is definitely overrated and with tuition costs spiraling out of control, you'll never have enough money to send them to college anyway. Buy the boat. 6. Salespeople, the good ones anyway, are keenly aware of body language. This will work to your advantage. A checkbook should protrude conspicuously out of your front pocket. Note: It should be a phoney one-never bring real blank checks. To the astute salesman, this screams "ready to buy". Once again all other potential buyers will vanish. 7. Buying a boat starts at home. You have a year to plan for the next boat show season so start the planning early. Be a little nicer to your spouse. Flowers for no reason, a romantic dinner (don't overdue it). These things will give the illusion that you are acting out of love. When it's show time, your kindness will have had its subliminal effect. Sneaky? Of course, you're a guy remember? 8. Even though it seems to defy all logic, if you have little kids, bring them. You'll need some time by yourself away from the non-stop drone of a salesperson to give a boat a thorough exam before you buy. Now those little tikes can finally earn their keep. Ask the salesman to watch them for a minute-of course he will if it means a sale. After a couple of hours the little rug rats will have broken down the best salesman to the point that they will give you the boat if you will just leave- and take the little ones with you. As with any sage advice, not all of these pointers will work for all people, in every situation, all the time. Pick a few and adapt them to your situation and personality. But do be careful. Buyers might not be the only ones reading this!!

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There Is Always Room For Improvement.

2005-02-19T14:05:00.000-05:00

I've never been one to place much stock in New Year's resolutions. It's just too easy to set yourself up for disaster. That's not to say that there isn't room for improvement. Just ask anyone that knows me and that fact can documented in a matter of minutes. There isn't any hope for me in terms of my personal life but as a powerboater there are a few areas in which I could use a little, let's say, fine tuning.
1. I will refrain from laughing at the misfortunes of fellow boaters whose antics at the boats ramps create great fodder to share with other smug boaters. But I only laugh to hide my own lack of skill.
2. It isn't an item that you will see proudly displayed in the boating news but we have been known to make fun and speak poorly of those floundering about in sailboats. I will work very hard at correcting that. Wait a minute! If I were foolish enough to be a wind bagger, I would want to be taught a lesson. Scratch #2.
3. I will not buy myself an extraordinarily expensive toy for the boat and as an explanation as to it's origin tell my wife I won it in a contest. This includes new boats as well. (This one will be easy because it didn't work last year).
4. I am going to put a little card on the dash as a reminder: It will read "Oh little grasshopper, you are not the wisest boater on the lake. You have much to learn oh little one". It's easy to forget that sometimes.
5. I will no longer use pathetic excuses to get out of work, weddings, birthday parties etc. etc. etc. No way. This year my excuses will be unbelievably creative and planned out far in advance. I'm working on them now as a matter of fact.
6. Sick days are a wonderful thing and if careful planning is used, they can be a boater's best friend. But after using up all that I had last year I realized that what I did was wrong. Very wrong. I have to make sure I don't use them all to go out on my boat. I need to save some for those occasions when I can be a guest on a friend's boat.
7. Anyone that enters our house will immediately notice the only reading material present is either boating magazines or related catalogues and brochures. There are friends and family members that tend to frown on this lack of "intelligent" reading material. To avoid the inevitable confrontations I am removing the cover of each magazine as it enters the house and replace it with a cover from a magazine such as Time or News Week. I hope nobody picks up on the fact that it will be the same cover month after month.
8. Last but indeed the most important area that I need to work on is to stop walking around with blinders on. I need to be more aware that there are things that are more important than boating. I must be more flexible and not disappear to go fishing whenever I feel like it. I need to own up to my responsibilities. HA! Had you going didn't I? There's always time to worry about that next year!!

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Now Where Did I Leave That Boat?

2005-02-10T11:18:00.000-05:00

Now Where Did I Leave That Boat?

As the saying goes, a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work. Unfortunately that saying tends to overlook mishaps that are best forgotten. The nature of the beast is that we are easily entertained by the misfortunes of others. Really it's just a way of covering up the silly things that we all do. Some more than others-your's truly! This story has a happy ending though, so it's okay to laugh.

Michael Loshkaren, a commercial fisherman in California was found clinging desperately to a buoy at the entrance of the Los Angeles shipping channel. A strange place to be fishing from to say the least. Apparently someone in a nearby boat thought so as well and called the Coast Guard. Michael was rescued but he did not know where his boat was. It seems that this unfortunate soul had fallen from his boat but luckily was able to swim to a nearby buoy. His boat obviously had other plans for the day. Having been on auto-pilot, it went for a pleasure cruise six miles out to sea. The boat was recovered and Mr. Loshkaren was placed onboard to pilot the vessel home-escorted of course. Talk about a bad day of fishing!!

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Interview With Irwin Jacobs-GEO Of Genmar

2005-01-26T14:25:00.000-05:00

Irwin Jacobs-CEO of Genmar
If I were to mention the name Irwin Jacobs to most boaters, I'm sure I would be on the receiving end of a blank stare. Yet for those in the marine industry he is very well known. Could it be because of his position as CEO of Genmar Holdings Inc. ? Partly. Could it be because he runs sixteen of the top powerboat companies? Partly. Could it be his never ending supply of new inventions or unique marketing ideas? Partly. But more than likely it is because of his "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" approach that has made him a force to be reckoned with, like it or not. While talking with Mr. Jacobs, I found this disregard for political correctness to be refreshing. Coupled with his healthy sense of humor, my conversation with Mr. Jacobs was definitely one that will be hard to forget!
Mr. Jacobs is the life blood of Genmar, the parent company of some of the top recreational boat companies on the market; Crestliner, Lund, Lowe, Carver, Four Winns, Larson, Glastron, Wellcraft, Hydra-sports, Aquasport, Seaswirl, Ranger, Champion, Stratos, Triumph and Windsor Craft. Obviously it has been quite a career acquiring and running all of these brands. I asked how he got his start, assuming that it was his love for the sport that prompted him. Nothing could be further than the truth. "It was another business venture. I saw boating as an industry that had a lot of potential. In 1977 I purchased Larson boats and I've been at it ever since."
Jacobs never seems to do anything in a small way. One company would be more than enough for most people. In December of 2000, the OMC corporation filed for bankruptcy. Jacobs was ready to pick up the pieces. Four Winns, Hydra Sports, Seaswirl, Stratos and Lowe were grabbed by Jacobs and suddenly on the way to recovery. That would be more than enough for most mortals but not enough for Jacobs so he continued to acquire more companies along the way. I had to ask how he had the time and energy to run so many. "I have good people. I am only involved in promotion and marketing." Still quite a tall order. Genmar has been very progressive in using new ways of promoting not only their brands, but the sport in general. I gave Mr. Jacobs a chance to do a little bragging when I asked him if all these great promo ideas and innovations came from his head. "No definitely not. I don't believe that. I wish they were. We have great R+D teams". Not the answer I was expecting. He then went on to say "I don't work every day. I'm talking to you from my lake house so see I'm not working". I felt obligated to point out that since he was doing an interview he was working. He laughed and admitted "I guess I am". Definitely a type A personality.
Personally I think that even his toughest critics secretly admire his style. He's the type that voices his opinion. Luckily. A lot of folks in the business may share similar views but are so worried about being politically correct. Jacobs was the only one to publicly object to Bayliner's decision to begin building boats in Mexico. "I'm very much against building offshore and paying $50 a week for labor. I think it's kind of funny building Bayliners in Mexico when the company is named U.S. Marine". (U.S. Marine is the marine division of Brunswick Inc.) He went on to add "We are starting to outsource and I'm not happy about it. We have to do more to stay competitive". Obviously there were many industry insiders that felt that Mr. Jacobs was merely bitter because Bayliner was able to sell boats for less money. Jacobs denied that notion completely. One reason Bayliner should be able to undersell boats built stateside by any of Genmar's brands apart from the labor issue, is the fact that Mercury supplies engines to the Genmar lines. Ironically Mercury is owned by Brunswick. Yet in spite of that fact, Jacobs has been able to produce "entry level" boats that are very competitive in pricing. I was quite surprised that over the years Mr. Jacobs never added any engine companies to his stable as it would allow him to sell his boats for less. Last year Bombardier, builder of Johnson and Evinrude engines was up for sale. I asked Jacobs why he didn't try to pick up those brands, his answer surprised me. "I never wanted to be in the engine business. I want to provide customers the best options available".
Once again, never one to sit on the sidelines, Mr. Jacobs made his position very clear during a government investigation as to merit of accusations by Mercury Marine that Yamaha was in violation of anti-dumping laws. Dumping is a trade violation in which a company sells a product in another country at a much lower price than in it's own. Since several of Genmar's lines use engines from Yamaha, if Jacobs felt that there was any merit to the case he would have been all over Yamaha. Ironically, Mercury buys engines from Yamaha and sells them under the Mercury name. "I don't understand that at all, especially when Mercury needs the cylinder heads" said Jacobs." If I were Yamaha I would raise the prices (on the cylinders heads for the engines) or just stop selling them to Mercury. I just don't understand why Brunswick is doing that". I pointed out it seemed as though Brunswick just wasn't being very innovative over the years to which Jacobs replied "I'm glad to hear that someone else feels that way and that it's not just coming out of my mouth".
Jacobs has always been quick to assume a leadership role in the industry that always seems to result in positive changes, though many refuse to acknowledge this. Personal watercraft and their operators have managed to maintain a rather poor public image. Slowly that has been changing no doubt to Mr. Jacobs speaking out against the industry. In a rather bold move, Jacobs pulled out of the Nation Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). The group according to Mr. Jacobs, was not doing anything to change the negative effect that personal watercraft were having on the boating industry. The public would perceive pwcs and boats as one in the same and as a result powerboats would begin to be banned from bodies of water along with the personal watercraft. Jacobs has since rejoined the NMMA. When I asked what prompted his about face he replied that "luckily the government has stepped in and regulated a little".
Jacobs has been fighting an uphill battle trying to get all the boat manufacturers to agree on a common release date for the new model year. To me it seems like a no-brainer. It's been that way for the auto industry for a long, long time. I asked why are so many dealers and builders against it? After a good laugh he replied, "It makes absolutely no sense to me. There are no reasons not to do it. You have to have cooperation and a consensus. A lot of dealers are against it". I'm sure that will change given Mr. Jacobs' clout and persistence.
If anyone has attended a boat show in the last few years, then you have noticed the amount of money that had to come out of your wallet. Between parking, admission, and food, it is no longer an inexpensive way to take the family out to see the new toys that you are willing to spend your paycheck on. Concerned about the negative impact this was having on the industry, Mr. Jacobs did the unthinkable. He began having one company boat shows. Suddenly Mom and Dad could bring the kids and make a day of it. Free parking, cheap food and drinks, and a trout pond for the kids. And keep in mind you would be able to see sixteen of the largest brands. It was a huge success. How could it not be? But the industry was steaming. Several months back, an editorial appeared in Trailer Boats Magazine that viewed this as a very negative thing to do. When I mentioned the article, Jacobs responded by saying that "They thought it would divide the industry. Everything we (Genmar) do is seen under a microscope. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. What people don't see is everything I've done along the way".
Of course his marketing and promotional ideas don't stop there. Internet sales, regardless of the product have skyrocketed over the past few years. Seeing an untapped market, Jacobs started having clearance sales on leftovers on the internet. It figured if he could turn a profit on it, he wouldn't do it. Well yes he did turn a profit. I admit I was a bit taken aback when he told me that the gross sales exceeded 1/2 a billion dollars! You better believe that will continue and you will see more companies follow suit. I asked about some other marketing ideas he has used successfully over the years focused a lot on off site sales. "Boat sales in parking lots like Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Boater's world are great because people that might not make a trip to a dealer can see what boating is all about without going out of their way".
Building quality boats and selling them for a profit is the priority of most companies. Jacobs knew he was not only building quality boats, but turning a nice profit as well. But a question that most other companies weren't concerning themselves with was a simple one. Who was buying those boats. Boating is definitely a sport dominated by males. But what Jacobs realized is that in many households, women played a major role in the decision making process. Maybe women weren't driving the boats, but they were buying the boats. Picking up on this simple fact that goes unnoticed my many builders, Jacob's has been instrumental in promoting women' organizations such as Women Making Waves and Women at the helm. These programs are designed to bring women to the forefront, show them that they are capable of doing anything on a boat that men can and need to be given the respect from dealers and builders alike. "I'm disappointed that people don't jump on opportunities like this more" Jacobs said of the programs. I couldn't agree more.
Windsor Craft!! The first major innovation to hit the pontoon market since I can remember. Forgetting my manners for a moment, I pointed out that I felt that traditional pontoon boats were "wiener" boats and I had no use for them-until now. But Mr. Jacobs can take it just as well as he can dish it out, and we went on to talk about the new brand Windsor Craft. These are definitely not your grandpa's boat. Built out of Roplene, a polyethylene based material that is almost indestructible, is naturally buoyant and is not affected by salt water. Mr. Jacobs clearly loves this boat. "It's designed so it could be used in salt water. There are features unique to the Windsor Craft; the cabana, the captains seat-we want you to feel like you're sitting in your living room. The sides are higher for safety". But the most important question? How does it handle? "I took it out in the ocean and it sliced through the waves like a hot knife through butter". He went on to add that "We will be coming out with a larger one and a fishing model. If you can get a chance take one out for a drive". Will do!!
Building hulls out of something other than fiberglass or aluminum? The Windsor Craft is not the only line in Genmar's stable to use Roplene. The brand Logic, that Genmar acquired a few years back was renamed Triumph uses the same technology. The construction is totally different. A polyethylene powder is poured into a mold which is baked in an oven while it is being rotated. The result? A boat that comes out of the mold in one piece, and does not suffer from the inherent draw backs of fiberglass or aluminum. Unfortunately the early Triumph boats didn't quite live up to expections. "Unfortunately we brought it out too soon" Jacobs confessed. "We definitely made a mistake. We're not perfect, but if you don't make mistakes you're not trying". The future? "Roplene is going to be huge in the marketplace". Ironically Mr. Jacobs has just finalized the sale of Crestliner, Lund and Lowe to Brunswick. These were the three lines that were building aluminum hulls. Why? Two reasons. Focus on Roplene construction and expand the Vec and Vec Shield technologies.
VEC (short for Virtual Engineered Composites), is a closed mold building process. Instead of laying up fiberglass in an open mold. Without going into specifics, the end results speak for themselves. Faster production of boats, more uniform fiberglass and resin application and less pollution normally given off in an open mold process. VEC Shield is a protective covering similar to gel coat but far stronger. With Genmar no longer in the aluminum boat business, it's obvious the shift will be to start using VEC across the board. According to Mr. Jacobs "Most models 26ft on down will be built with VEC. This was a huge risk for us. We've been working on it for five plus years. Vec shield is about one year away". Interestingly enough, in 2002 Genmar filed suit against Brunswick and Bayliner for their claims to have developed VEC in the 1940's and publicly downplaying it's merits. Jacobs responded to my questions about the case by saying that "Brunswick retracted that. Apparently it was some marketing person that got a little too carried away, but they ended up retracting it". VEC and VEC shield have just recently been spun off into separate companies. Don't be surprised if you start to see more and more household items being built with the technology.
So where do we go from here? In the words of the man that seems to be pretty good at seeing what the future holds, it looks good. "The business will continue to grow with more big dealers, though there will always be a need for smaller ones. The environment will play a very important part in the future of boating. The elimination of styrene, which nobody else seems to care about, will play a big part. (Styrene is given off in the open mold process. The EPA has mandated the industry adhere to certain level. This is one of the major issues that VEC address and reduces emissions substantially).
There are dozens of people that make boating the great sport that it is but there are few that can match the contributions that Mr. Jacobs has made over the last twenty five years. The good news? He isn't done yet! Definitely take a few moments and go to http://www.genmar.com/ to learn more about the lineup of boats and the man that makes it happen.