Anchors Aweigh (Matt O'Hara | Owner, Freedom Boat Club Lake George)

The boating industry has welcomed over 800,000 new boaters into the fold in the last couple of years and is hard at work reaching new, more diverse audiences to continue growing boating. As more and more people experience boating and boat ownership for the first time, it is incumbent on marine businesses to make sure that the boating experience is as headache-free as possible. One aspect of boat ownership that can be frustrating is not just the expense of service and maintenance, but the challenge in finding good service providers. One company looking to change that dynamic is SHIPSHAPE.PRO.

I got to speak with Merrill Charette, founder and CEO of SHIPSHAPE.PRO. While living on his sailboat the last 5 years, Merrill has launched several marine industry focused businesses, products, and even a podcast! Merrill’s Marine Industry Digital Agency helps marine businesses optimize their presence on the web. On the Shipshape podcast Merrill interviews top boating journalists, experts, and liveaboards exploring the many perspectives of life on the water and in the maritime industry. At SHIPSHAPE.PRO, Merrill is working to connect boat owners and service providers to reduce the friction of boat ownership and help boaters remain boaters for longer. Merrill was also inventor of the Dinghy Thingy which was featured at (and saved) the Newport Boat Show in 2019. We discussed life aboard a sailboat, how he got into the marine business, and much more, enjoy!

We have seen technological advancements drive tremendous change in the boating world. Most prominently, these new technologies have improved the boats themselves – more on-board electronics and capabilities, better boat building processes and materials, connected apps and more.

But outside the boats, technology is helping the businesses who enable boating – marinas! One such area is marina management software. What was once (and still, often, is) done with pen and paper and endless file folders can now be streamlined in a do-it-all marina software suite. Slip reservations, service work orders, inventory management, invoicing, and more are available at the tips of our fingers. This improves the efficiency of the business, surely. But is also improves the boating experience for the customer with easier tracking of billing, online payments and reservations, and the ability to quickly pull up a service history on a boat.

I recently spoke with Lucas Isola, founder of Molo (disclosure: we use Molo as our marina management service provider), a management platform for marina businesses. When Lucas saw a marina owner struggling to keep track of their business, he combined his lifelong passion for boating and deep tech background in the medical industry to try to solve this problem. The result, Molo, is an iPad and web-based software that helps marine businesses gain efficiency and offer new levels of customer service. We discuss how software is helping boaters and marina owners, his life in boating, how he got his family into boating, and more. Enjoy!

I really enjoy meeting and speaking with people who have made boating a big part of their lifestyle, especially people like Steve Payne, who went from knowing next to nothing about boats to living and traveling through Europe on one. Steve has been able to use his skills as a photographer, creator, and community builder to live the boating lifestyle and share it with the world. His youtube channel, Jaywalking the World, recently surpassed 100 episodes. He has sent out thousands of Friendly Flags in an effort to foster a communal spirit among like minded boaters. His photography skills will be showcased on marina websites around the world. And he is just a blast to chat with. Enjoy!

Last year, Warner University announced a partnership with the Institute of Marine Technology to start the Marine Technology program on campus in Lake Wales, Florida. The intent of IMT’s Marine Technology program is to prepare individuals for entry-level technician opportunities in the watercraft industry.

Attendees not only learn how to work on watercraft and gather hands-on experience, they work in a real-life marina environment and understand the inner workings of marinas and boat dealerships around the world. Industry experts have already made guest appearances and been signed to the program’s advisory council.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports there will be more than 1.2 million jobs in the diesel, automotive, motorcycle and marine industries in the United States by the year 2024. To reach that total, the transportation industry will have to fill more than 37,000 technician job openings on average every year. 

Justin Maley, the Director of Industry Relations for the IMT Program at Warner, has dedicated his professional career to the marine and powersports marketplace. He brings real world industry experience, valuable professional connections and proven education strategies to IMT. Justin is a well known and highly respected leader and educator within this specialized niche.

Justin established a name for himself during a very successful motocross racing career. He is credited with designing the Bermuda Motorsports Park, serving as the national service manager for numerous OEMs, working as a technical advisor on multiple Powersports 20 Groups, and acting as a service department consultant to countless dealerships where he taught them how to improve their performance to boost the bottom line.

Justin has made several stops within the motorsports industry in roles including dealer trainer, service manager, writing dealer training modules, Sr. Technical Publications specialist, and many more. Justin has also had some very interesting experiences along his path including teaching courses in the European off-Road power curriculum, and for sever years training members of the U.S. Elite Military Forces to rise and maintain a fleet of motorcycles in the deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq.

He is extremely enthusiastic about the new opportunities at IMT and is especially pleased to share his world-class experiences, unique perspective and customized educational curriculum with students.   

Justin and I spoke about the new IMT program, the need for more students to get into the field, how much fun working in the marine industry is, and some basic tips to keep things running smoothly so you recreational boaters spend less time and money getting things fixed that could be prevented. Enjoy!

On his involvement with the new marine program.....I came on to help write new curriculum. The point of this program is not to rehash what’s already out there, it's to write brand new curriculum that’s up to date that would help the industry move forward. My role expanded from there to helping out with marketing and helping run the program. 

On changing the perception of marine careers.....We have a stigma that is - anyone who says they’re a technician is the guy in the greasy overalls on the corner lot and that’s not what a technician is these days. I worked at a large school that did the headcount thing. I viewed myself as part of the problem rather than part of the solution. I stepped away from education and went to work for some OEMs. My passion is education and helping the next technicians come along so we would go to these vocational facilities and do some classes. I saw their curriculum that was written in 1998 and they’re still teaching the same things. When this opportunity came about, it’s not that we wanted to change the industry or the way education is done, we just want to keep it real life to the dealers and the OEMs. We want to supply them with a technician that can help them make money and help them survive. 

On how the curriculum is structured.....We’ve gone out to dealers and OEMs to talk to the people that are out there doing it to find out what they want. We are 70% theory, 30% hands on. The experience will come down the line but the knowing how something works, we need to get that into their head as quickly as possible.

On the reception within the marine industry.....The interaction with the marine industry has been beyond what we thought. We actually had to step up and have a conference in June where we’re inviting everyone to come to the campus to discuss how we can change our training to fulfill their needs. All the schools are invited as well. If they want to hear the problems that are in the industry from the people that are working on a day to day basis, they can adjust their curriculum accordingly. We’re not only looking out for ourselves, we really want to help the industry and the only way to do that is get everyone together and decide on a path that’s going to help the industry.

On messaging to recruit students.....We’re saying if you really love the water, there’s a way you can make money in the marine industry. There has to be people who know how to pull things apart and put them back together. There’s real jobs out there in the real world. One of the things I tell the students is that every job that’s out there in real life is available in the marine industry and probably a little more fun. The marine industry is screaming out for every level, every position.

On personal boating experience.....I live on a lake. And the good thing about our program is we have our own boat ramp and dock and a bunch of boats over there. If I get a little antsy I’ll tell the secretary I’ve got a meeting and I’ll drop a boat in the water. All of our students have that ability once they fix something to go out on the lake. I’ve been out on the water in Italy and Germany. In Germany I lived close to a Lake called the Bodensee and went out on that quite a bit as a passenger in the boat. I’m getting more into operating the boats myself now.

On what boaters can do to keep things running smoothly.....It always comes back to the basics. One of the big things that people do is they never keep tabs on their maintenance. They lose track of when they changed the oil last and how many hours were on the boat. Or they put it off. When you decide that you have a maintenance plan, you need to stick to it. Keep tabs on your hour meter and make sure it actually works. Get yourself a service manual and do what the service manual says. The people who build the boats spend a lot of time writing the service manual. I see every day people doing jobs without the service manual out and it costs them a lot of time and a lot of money.

On training special forces.....It was a good part of my life. We were teaching special forces operatives to ride motorcycles in the desert and complete missions safely on motorcycles and ATVs and UTVs. It was very fun and a good thing to be a part of. Working with those guys and seeing what they had to go through to be a part of these teams was amazing. We would take a guy who had never ridden a motorcycle in his life and in five days be able to complete missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was good to know you are helping them be safe while they are over there protecting us and looking after our way of life. It’s very eye opening to see these guys come in and know that they are going to put themselves in harm’s way for what we consider a normal life.

Barry Slade is currently the VP of international sales for Regal Marine, where he is responsible for sales and marketing efforts supporting 72 international dealers in 51 countries. Barry has overseen over half a billion dollars of boat sales in his career and has been involved in every aspect of the boat business – starting as a First Mate, running a charter boat, and a variety of roles and responsibilities at some of the top boat manufacturers.

Barry’s illustrious career includes stops at Anchor South Management where he oversaw management of multiple facilities featuring over 1500 slips and 74 houseboats; Sea Ray Boats as Director of International Operations and Global Brand Management, coordinating sales activities for Sea Ray and Boston Whaler brands; Baja Marine as VP of global sales; Director of Sales at Azimut where he helped launch Azimut USA; and Hatteras as International Sales and Marketing Director.

Barry’s experience as a licensed captain as well as a recreational boater and industry leader on the manufacturing side provided the opportunity for a wide ranging and incredibly educational and fun conversation. It is the first and I’m gonna guess last time Stinger Missiles are mentioned on the podcast, and we cover things like manufacturer building trends, how he learned to boat in the Caribbean, differences boating internationally, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!

On getting started in the industry…..Following college, I had taken some trips to the Bahamas on a raggedy old 65’ ketch with 16 or 18 college kids on it. It was my first time in blue water and following some experiences early in my childhood it all came together. I just knew that’s where I wanted to be. I was in the auto industry, I turned in my car, sold my house, and moved to the Virgin Islands. I got my captain’s license and started in the charter business. After a season, I came back to the US and got a job with Hatteras as a first mate on their demonstrator. I feel fortunate and blessed to be in a business that I love with a product that I just can’t get enough of.

On boating memories from his youth…..I had one defining moment. On my ninth birthday, I remember vividly my father waking me up and saying, ‘You’re not going to school today, we’re going fishing.’ We went out on about a 70’ head boat out of Carolina Beach, and I was sick as a dog all day long but I had the best time. I remember the Coke, I remember the saltines, and we caught fish. We had a great day and I fell in love with big water and the ocean.

On his time as first mate…..We learned to sail, learned to work lines, anchoring techniques, navigation. Coming back in to Government Cut in Miami from the Bahamas was always an experience. It was fun but also a great learning experience. Some things come easier than others but by and large I felt like there are others who have come before us and done it so I can too.

On personal boating…..We are fortunate at Regal that there are some boats that we have access to occasionally. Some of it is product testing, some is enjoyment. One of the great things about Regal is many of the employees are avid boaters so by using boats we can be better critics and offer suggestions that make our boats better. My kids have grown up on boats, I honeymooned on a yacht in the Virgin Islands. Boats have been an integral part of my life and especially the enjoyable times in it.

On favorite places to boat…..I’ve boated in Singapore and Hong Kong, the Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Mexico, lots of places. They’re all unique. They all have something to offer and are wonderful in their own way. If I had a favorite it would most likely be the Caribbean only because I’ve spent so much time there and have many memories. There are a few places I’d like to boat. One is Croatia. I’ve heard some of the islands are just breathtaking, simple, take you back in time boating. The other is Fiji and Bora Bora. They are overwhelmingly beautiful and seem like they would be good places to cruise and dive.

On building boats for the overseas customer…..There are some differences. We as a manufacturer have to cater to those differences. There are a lot of places where they need enclosures. The weather is cold and the seasons are short so they like a pilot house enclosure even on small boats. Mooring is quite different. Most of your international marinas, particularly for boats over 10 meters, you have what’s called a Mediterranean moor. You’re anchored on the front and tied at the back and as a result you have a passerelle which is a boarding gangway.

On differences boating on big boats…..Your mistakes get a whole lot more expensive! It’s really just anticipating what’s ahead. With a large boat, you have a lot of momentum, a lot of mass. It’s a spatial orientation. Understanding where you are and where you want to go, and how the forces of nature and your engines and thrusters can all work in concert to move you in that direction.

On design and building trends in the industry…..The first thing that is really apparent in the market is the trend towards outboards. They’re becoming immensely popular and we’re up to a full family of boats with outboards. Starting at the 23 OBX, we’ve got a 26, a 29 and a 33. We’ve got a full complement of beautiful outboard boats. The surf market, the tow boat market, is also one that continues to grow and attract boaters. We’ve developed a family of surf boats that we believe are among the best in the non-traditional tow boat segment. Using Volvo Penta’s Forward Drive we’ve been able to create a surf system that creates an extremely good wave but also allows the boat to do all the things it was originally built to do. It cruises well, it handles well, it docks easily, great fuel economy. Everything about the boat that made it a terrific all around boat gets the benefit of now being able to surf. We’ve moved into the fly bridge market with the recent introduction of our 42 Fly. We’ve traditionally been a Coupe builder, along with the 42 Fly we’ve got the 42 Grand Coupe. Large retractable sunroof, single level, and beautiful state rooms below. Were always monitoring what’s out there, what’s selling, what the competition is doing and trying to be ahead of or in the mix with the competitive forces in the market.

On reaching out to new markets…..We want to connect with the emotional side of boats and boating. It’s a big discretionary item, there’s a lot of emotion involved. It’s also a memory making machine. We look at our boats as things that families will use to create memories that they’ll have for a lifetime and we want those to be good memories. They call it pleasure boating for a reason and if it ceases to be a pleasure, then we’ve not accomplished our mission. You’ll see in some of our video the emotion that’s a part of boating. The Dreaming With You video connects back to the childhood emotion that I identify with as a kid, that 9 year old with boats and boating. That’s what bonds us all. The younger generation still has that opportunity. Albeit they’re being introduced to a lot of different ways to come into boating. There’s boat clubs like the Freedom Boat Club, there’s the sharing economy through other vehicles, but once you’re there and you’ve had that experience, we’re all the same. The emotion is an integral part of boating.

On what stands out at the Regal factory tours….The people. We have an incredibly tenured team. Some real dedicated and fantastic boat builders that love it when people come through the plant. They love to show their art, their trade, their expertise. The thing I recall from my first visit was what I call ‘Seeing boats doing what boats were meant to do’ – that is, floating and running. Most of our boats go into a test tank where systems are run while they are floating. They see what a boat is gonna do when it gets out into the real world. The larger boats go into a test track where we can essentially give it a sea trial.

On Barry’s retirement boat…..I’m more attuned to a trawler style. They offer some great benefits of extended range, offshore capability, something with redundant commercial grade systems. A pilot house boat, something with side decks, something with good launch and retrieval capabilities for tenders and toys, a cockpit of some kind is a must. Nice access to the water because I’d want to dive and be on or close to the water much of the time. You look at the market and there are a number of people building good boats like that. One of them that comes to mind is Nordhavn.

On what he would never go on the water without….If I’m just going out local it would be a cell phone. You can do a lot with a cell phone, you’ve got charts, the phone, the weather. So, a cell phone and a way to charge it. If I’m going off shore the two things that are essential are a float plan and a ditch bag, which has many things that you would potentially need in an emergency. Its designed so that you can ditch it. The bag itself is designed to float with the contents in it which would include things like flares, a VHF radio, EPIRB, dye, comfortable life jackets. I even carry a set of wooden plugs so if you ever spring a leak you have something that’s tapered and fits right in. A mask so if you ever need to see something on the outside of the boat you are all set.

On boating apps…..A good weather app, there’s a ton of those. Something that allows you to see the detail in the storm, allows you to see the lightning. Navionics and Garmin, some of these guys have really good apps that tie in with their electronics. There’s one that’s called Windfinder that I really like. There are tide apps if you’re coastal boating. A lot of the glass cockpit technology that you see in the modern boats they have that same functionality.

On advice for someone thinking about getting into boating…..You’re about to embark on a very wonderful stage of your life. You should do your homework and investigate the different ways to expose yourself to boating. Make the investment to learn about boating and boats. Find a good dealer in your area that can help you through the process. You can go to Discover Boating. There are a lot of ways to boat and a lot of different kinds of boats and you want to have a good experience with a boat that matches your needs.

Amazon, Google, Facebook….Brunswick. What do all these companies have in common you might ask? All will be exhibiting at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. While you don’t often see marine brands lumped in with these technology titans, Brunswick has made innovation a key focus as technology becomes a bigger and bigger part of boating. From launching an innovation lab in partnership with the University of Illinois, to leading the way in connected boating with Nautic-On, Brunswick has recognized that in order to continue growing boating participation, technology must play an important role.

Lee Gordon has been able to combine his passion for the boating lifestyle with his skills as a communicator and storyteller honed from years as a journalist to take on the role of Director of Marine Public Relations and Communications for Brunswick Corporation. Lee Manages global public relations, communications and media activities to support all marine brands under the Brunswick portfolio including Mercury Marine, Brunswick's boat group and Business Acceleration division. Lee is in charge of communications for, it is safe to say, one of the largest marine companies in the world.
Lee had a 15 year career as an Emmy nominated TV news/sports anchor for CBS and FOX, winning 25 Associated Press awards while covering some of the world's biggest events such as Hurricane Katrina, 9/11 and various Super Bowls. All the while, he took every opportunity he could to get out on boats after having great boating experiences growing up in Chicago.

I recently had an opportunity to meet Lee, and to see him present, at our franchise conference as Brunswick purchased Freedom Boat Club this year, and after seeing him present I knew I had to have him on the show. He did not disappoint, as we talked about what got him into boating initially and the positive impact it has had on his life, fun stories from the boating industry life, some of the key Brunswick initiatives including presenting at the Consumer Electronics show, and more!

All I can think about is fishing after speaking with Betty Bauman, the Founder and CEO of Ladies Let’s Go Fishing/Executive Director of the LLGF Foundation, Founder and CEO of MetroMedia, and Program Manager for Save-Fish.com. Betty started her career as a PR Manager for Wellcraft, Donzi, and Aquasport before starting her own agency. Along the way she has supported the Fort Lauderdale Billfish Tournament and Treasure Cay Billfish Tournament.

Betty is a frequent radio guest on Fish Talk Radio with John Henigin and Mike Ritz broadcast to millions of listeners including iHeart Radio, and on Bill Kelly's fishing radio show in Islamorada, FL SUN FM 103.1 and iHeart Radio.

As Program Manager of Save-Fish.com, Betty created and launched a go-to informative website on how and why to release fish, partnering with the Save Our Seas Foundation, an internationally-based nonprofit with the mission of preserving oceanic habitat.

Finally, Betty has helped over 8,000 women graduate from Ladies Let’s Go Fishing! The seminar series — often dubbed “The No-Yelling School of Fishing” — is renowned nationally. Bauman established a partnership with the State Department in 1997 when she offered the state a solution to the lack of opportunity for women to learn fishing and conservation skills. “Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!®” is a national organization dedicated to attracting more women to sportfishing and to promoting conservation and responsible angling. LLGF promotes networking among women anglers and emphasizes mentorship between novice and experienced members. The organization has earned rave reviews from national media including “Inside Edition,” CBS’ “The Early Show,” NBC's “Nightly News with Tom Brokaw,” “Good Morning America,” “Outdoor Life Network,” USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Southern Living and more. The weekend seminar series offers a complete fishing experience presented in a non-intimidating environment. Leading sportfishing and marine industry professionals teach classes and provide hands-on training in inshore, offshore, bottom and fly fishing techniques. And it’s not just for ladies, women are now encouraged to register male and teen guests to join them!

The Foundation is a 501C3 whose mission is to provide educational opportunities for women and families to learn fishing and conservation.

It's a wonder Betty had time to join me but I am sure glad she did. Enjoy!

On getting started in boating…..I always loved boating. We always had a small boat when I was growing up. And back in the 70’s I got a job with Wellcraft Marine doing their marketing. At that point I got my own boat and I didn’t even think twice about how to drive it. I had a whole company of people I could go to for reference. I loved the water and I loved the outdoors! I had some exposure with boating through work and I just really enjoyed boats. Now I have a Ranger boat which is fantastic.

On getting into fishing…..With my job at the boat company I did learn fishing. They would bring me to fishing tournaments and put me on boats to fish with, say the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Arthur Smith Tournament. It was there I realized I need to know a little more about fishing. I was fishing on my own boat and I just kind of winged it and I realized if I had some training I would be a little more productive and catch more fish.

On challenging parts of learning…..The trickiest part was docking and trailering, how to get the boat in the water. And also things like how the pumps and batteries work. For fishing it was what kind of lures you use for what kind of fish and what do you do with the lures. Those are all things you can learn but as a beginner we’re not born with that knowledge.

On equipment for beginners…..It’s the rod and reel. And learning what’s conventional, what’s spinning, what kind of reel you need for the fishing you want to do. For boating it’s what kind of boat do you want, what kind of boat suits you.

On inspiration for LLGF…..I like to fish, and married a guy who is a tournament champion. We would go fishing and he would bark out orders. And by the time I asked the question it was already too late to perform the task. Because of that I could never learn in the actual situation. I realized if I had a place I could go without him where I could learn the theory, and use the equipment, tie the knots, have a chance to practice, and then go out on the water and practice my skills on the environment then I would be a better part of the fishing team.

On feedback from graduates…..I get the feedback that we changed their lives. They were wanting to be fishing and once they took this they had the courage to go out and challenge the sport and find ways to go fishing. A lot of them ended up buying boats, getting the tackle and now they’re sending me pictures of them fishing in other countries. It gave them something really fun to do, something to look forward to, and ways to make memories with friends and family.

On boating as a family activity…..Boating and fishing are so unique and so important. A family can get together in one place, without the electronic distractions, and they’re actually talking, sharing, doing things together. It’s a very special sport.

On favorites place to fish…..My favorite places are the Florida Keys, Chokoloskee, which I call the Jurassic Park of fishing, and the Bahamas. For me it’s the kind of fish you can catch, the scenery, and the destination. It all kind of works together.

On conservation…..The things that we instill at LLGF and through save-fish are how to release fish that you’re not intending to keep or you accidently catch, how to use the dehookers, how to use fish grips. If you must take a photo, try to leave the fish in the water. Don’t keep it out of the water longer than you can hold your breath. Hold it sideways. Use wet hands, not gloves. That is their home. You have to really think about the impact of what you’re doing on the water.

On favorite fish to catch….. Sailfish of course! They really give you an exciting show. You go from boredom to sheer excitement in one second. Sometimes you have 3 or 4 sailfish on at the same time. I like to kitefish for them and we use goggle-eyes for that. So we are drifting with kites.

On fish for beginners…..What’s nice about Mahi-Mahi is that there’s a lot of them sometimes and they can be caught using simple strategies such as trolling. Sometimes there’s so many of them that you can make mistakes and lose a few until you get the rhythm of bringing them to the boat and positioning them. And they grow very fast, they’re good to eat, and they’re beautiful. They glow green and blue underneath the water and when you have a school there it is just sheer excitement!

On continuing to learn fishing skills…..Come to another LLGF in a different city! They can join a forum, that’s a good place to look up information. Read Magazines, there are a lot of great ones, for instance Florida Sportsman. Also, we teach them how to go into a tackle shop and what questions to ask. A lot of tackle shops have friendly people there that you can walk in and say ‘Hey, I wanna catch a redfish or a snook can you show me what lures they’re biting on?’ Go to shows where they have seminars. And then wear fish jewelry and wear fish clothes. You’re going to run into people that will comment on them and you will make some friends and those are other people that are sources! 

On great fishing advice received…..One of the best is don’t be afraid of your fishing mistakes. Use them as a way to learn. Practice is king. The more you practice, the more you go fishing, the better you’re going to be.

On the importance of sponsors…..The registrations only pay a percentage of this year round operation. Without the sponsors, there would not be a LLGF. All of our sponsors can be found on our website and they are all so important and appreciated!  

On advice to anyone thinking about boating…..Do it! You’re gonna learn by experience. Try to build a network around you of people who fish and boat. Fishing and boating is something really fun to do. Especially if you’re already boating, fishing is a way to interact with what’s on the other side of the ocean, what kind of world is down there. With fishing, you can reveal what is down there and interact with it and have fishing stories to tell for the rest of your life.  

I caught up with Scott Croft, Vice President Public Affairs at BoatUS, after he spent some time on the road assisting with BoatUS teams in Hurricane damaged Florida. When he is not out in the field, Scott is Responsible for all external publicity and media relations for the half-million member boating services, advocacy and safety organization. Duties cover all BoatUS departments, including Government Affairs, Consumer Affairs, Towing Services, Insurance as well as the BoatUS Foundation for Safety and Clean water. Scott learned to boat and ski on the great lakes as a youth and later in life spent 10 years in the US Air Force, which is where his love of boating was resurrected on the coast of Japan. After that Scott worked with some exciting travel and tourism clients like New York City, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica before his passion for boating delivered him to his current role at BoatUS.

Scott and I discussed how he got into and re-entered the boating lifestyle, the variety of benefits BoatUS provides boaters, current issues that are important to boaters on capitol hill, the importance of boat insurance and more! Enjoy!

On getting started in boating…..My grandad had a ski boat on Lake Erie when I was in my single digits. He got me up skiing. Then I got out of it for a while when I wasn’t near any water. I picked it up again when I went into the military. I was in the Air Force stationed in Japan and I had at my leisure a fleet of Yamaha 13 sailboats. It lit my passion again.

On sailing in Japan…..I was in Okinawa. It’s ringed by coral so you had these reefs just a few hundred yards out or potentially several miles out and you’d sail from shore out to the reef and back. It was unbelievably clear, warm water, like something out of Jacques Cousteau.

On learning to ski…..I remember getting pulled up many times and swallowing many gallons of Lake Erie water. We started knee-boarding and that progressed to two skis and it took me a couple summers to drop a ski. I always felt I would lose sight of where we would drop the ski but we always found it.

On his current boating whereabouts…..I’m on the sail side now. I’m on the Hudson River. We have a wide expanse called the Tappan Zee and it’s spectacular. There’s 300, 400 foot cliffs on one side. If you’ve ever heard of the Hudson River School of painting, that still exists today. When I go out on the water I see these magnificent sunsets and majestic mountains, it just puts me in the right place.

On coming together after the hurricanes…..I gotta tell you something about the human spirit. We were down there salvaging vessels. Every day we got to go home to our air conditioned hotel, these folks didn’t. But they’d come up to us with cold water and say ‘do you want a cold water?’ Neighbors were helping neighbors start to clean up. People were helping to push boats out of people’s front yards and driveways, it was heartening to see.

On the importance of boat insurance…..I looked at this hurricane event as an educational moment for people to ask themselves what's in their policy. Boat insurance is unlike automobile or homeowners. It’s a lot less regimented and what features that you have in your policy can vary significantly. People either insure their boat with a policy that covers everything, that includes liability coverage. The second way is a liability portion only. It doesn’t pay for damage to fix your boat, only damage to others. The last way is they self-insure. They decide they don’t wish to have a policy and if it’s a total loss they can eat that loss. The only reason you have to have insurance is if your lender requires it or if you physically want that policy. I told people after Irma, even if you don’t have full hull coverage its really smart to get a liability only policy because it’s really affordable and it covers a lot.

On why he loves boating…..Boating is in my heart. I live and breathe boating, it’s something I believe in - keeping the family together with all the things that compete for your time like technology and sports. Today boating still keeps the family together.

On his favorite boating destination…..It’s going to sound crazy but Lake George has been at the top of my list pretty much my whole life. There used to be a bunch of boats at the south end of the lake and a marina there that rented boats. I talked my mom when I was 14 or 15 into signing on the dotted line and going out for an hour or two. Of all the places I’ve been in the world I still like the Adirondacks, I like Lake George, it’s the closest to my heart.

On the benefits of BoatUS membership…..We are the nation’s largest advocacy services and safety group. The first part of our triad is looking out for the recreational boater’s interests. Whether that’s an advocacy issue or something going on in a state or federal level. The services we offer, of course, are insurance and on the water towing. We’re the largest on the water towing outift in the country with TowBoatUS. We have over 600 red tow boats at 300 locations so if you are going to break down on the water, and it’s a question of when not if, we’ve got your back. The BoatUS membership offers a lot of discounts on things like marina slips and fuel discounts. We have over 1,000 partner businesses and 600-700 of them are marinas. We also can’t forget BoatUS Magazine and to me that’s one of the biggest benefits. It simply gives you the best information to make your boating better.

On what causes people to need their services…..The number one reason why 70,000 people called us last year for routine on the water help was engine trouble and part of that is unknown. Number two is battery issues. Its engine issues, electric issues, battery jumps and running out of gas in that order. It will happen and its really easy to get an on the water towing plan. Very much like a AAA for the water, we’ll come get you 24 hours a day. What we do is make a bad day go a lot better.

On current advocacy efforts…..BoatUS is the only representative up on the hill representing recreational boaters. We try to make sure that when you go out on the water that day its as hassle free as possible. Ethanol is a big issue. There’s a movement that requires an increasing amount of ethanol in relation o our fuel supply. We have big challenges with that. Ethanol is scouring tanks and causing fuel related issues and that is still the #1 national issue with us. We’re not anti-farmer or anti-biofuels, we just want safe fuel for our boats. Coast Guard funding is a big thing right now on Capitol Hill. We have to ensure the things we need like the weather that NOAA provides or the rescue services are not cut. This is a game of numbers. Those with the most voices often get the attention they need. We want to create the largest advocacy group in the country. Join BoatUS and become part of that advocacy effort. Sign up for our email alerts that let you know about legislation going on in your state that will affect your boating.

There is so much more useful information in this interview so give a listen and let us know what you think! 

From Shark Fishing to Shark Tank

We talk about technology in boating a lot, and will only continue to do so more and more. The genius in Vance Zahorski’s invention is that he saw people with thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in electronic technology designed to aid them in catching fish, and when they got them on the boat or to shore, they were fumbling with nail clippers or knives or you name it to cut the line. He thought there had to be a better way and went out and created it.

Line Cutterz are sleek, adjustable rings with a double-sided blade perfect for quick and efficient cutting of mono-filament and braided fishing line and they can now be mounted to virtually any smooth, flat surface. Line Cutterz can cut light and heavy fishing lines used in most types of freshwater and saltwater fishing. They can also be mounted to fishing rods, boat rails, and even kayak seat posts. Vance got his big break after appearing on prime time hit show Shark Tank. He has now expanded the product line and grown the business significantly.

Vance discovered his love of fishing at a young age fishing on the lakes of Wisconsin with his grandpa catching sunnies, bass, walleye and northern pike. He fished year-round including ice fishing in the Wisconsin winters. As he got older, he expanded his love of fishing to include ocean fishing and kayak fishing.

We had a chance to talk a LOT about fishing and his really cool experiences in the sport, how Line Cutterz was born, what they are doing to give back and get more young people involved in fishing, and more!

As you’ll hear me say in this conversation, chartering a catamaran through the virgin islands or on the med has been a dream trip for me for as long as I can remember. So it was really fun speaking with Renee Sawyer, owner of Out of the Blue Yacht Charters. Renee has been a General Manager of select service and full-service hotels as well as boutique hotels for 25 years. Renee’s passions are many pertaining to the Caribbean however, sailing, underwater photography, interacting with all types of wild life and marine life are at the top of the list. After living her dream of sailing the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, she has set a goal of helping others to realize their dreams of a fully arranged yacht charter vacation. We spoke about her early days fishing, her time as a crew on a yacht charter, and how a broker can help make sure your charter vacation goes smoothly. Enjoy!

It has been a very interesting time to be in the boating industry. Right when we would normally be ramping up and commissioning boats for the spring, doing the boat show rounds, and seeding future sales, Covid-19 hit and we were shut down. Soon after, the term ‘social distancing’ became part of our lives and it became more and more clear that outdoor activities, away from other people, were the safest ways to have fun this summer. Boating quickly saw a surge in interest like we have never seen before and we have had our busiest summer yet! From initially thinking we may lose an entire season of boating, to setting sales records, it has been a roller coaster ride but we are thrilled to see so many new people getting hooked on boating.

I recently spent some time chatting with Skip Sorenson with this as a backdrop. Skip started his career as a fourth-generation shipbuilder and since has achieved proven value creation results for both public and private equity companies. He has been involved in multiple restructuring and process improvement initiatives as both a CEO and CFO. Sorenson has been involved in a multitude of M&A transactions during his career, selling and purchasing both private and public companies. He was awarded "CFO of the Year" by DCEO Magazine in 2011.

Skip launched Anchors Aweigh Capital in 2013. Anchors Aweigh Capital is a boutique investment banking firm formed to pursue the buying and selling of maritime related businesses, including shipping, tankers, and ship and boat building companies, as well as industrial, alternative energy, and technology companies. Since the founding of the firm, AAC has investigated and facilitated multiple boat and shipbuilding transactions, including the facilitation of the acquisition of Intrepid Powerboats, a major, center console boat brand. The firm has recently been hard at work acquiring notable boating companies, including Century Boats and Vanquish Boats. Skip is also hard at work building membership in the Club Yacht Charter business, making luxury yacht charters more accessible through fractional charters.

Skip and I discussed growing up in a boatbuilding family, the recent M&A push in the boating industry, how the pandemic has affected boaters and boat companies, the impact technology is having on boating, and more, enjoy!

Think about your typical vehicle buying experience, whether it be car or boat. You research online, head to the showroom either eager to interact with a salesperson armed with all of your knowledge or dreading the back and forth, let me ask my manager negotiation. Some showrooms may stand out to you – well decorated, nice waiting room, great coffee, for me – an area to wait with kids toys. But the experience can often be….unremarkable. And when it comes to boats, something you are buying for the fun of it, the experience should be remarkable! Boats by George, located on our home lake in upstate NY, Lake George, is turning this typical shopping experience on its head and innovating the whole boat buying process. Boats By George is celebrating its 40th anniversary and represents esteemed brands like Cobalt, which they are a top 10 global dealer for, Chris Craft, Malibu, Axis, and Barletta Pontoons. With the recent purchase of a 50,000 square foot former event space, Boats By George is creating an immersive and interactive boat buying destination.

I spoke to Adam Pensel, General Manager of Boats By George, about how this concept will redefine the showroom experience, bring new potential boaters into the mix, become part of the community, and bring back the joy in vehicle shopping. Adam worked his way up through the family business as a dockhand, delivery captain, salesperson and marketing lead prior to taking the GM role. We also spoke about his early days boating with his family then on his own by age 10, technology and connectivity trends in boating, the importance of safety and conservation, and much more.

Fun fact, Adam’s grandfather owned the marina we currently own and operate. When we were renovating, we found his original deed, and saw the mortgage payment. That has gone up just a bit in the past 60 or so years… enjoy!

Alexander Watson is an entrepreneur, adventurer, and lately, an author. With his wedded partner Dale Harris, Alexander rescued his family business, a furniture studio, built a portfolio of rental properties, and then sold it all to restore a vintage motor yacht and travel ‘The Rivah’. Watson’s book, River Queens – Saucy Boat, Stout Mates, Spotted Dog, America tells of their escape from the urban jungle and passage through the nation’s midsection. It is full of stories from the finding of the boat, to the characters they met along the way, to the challenges presented on the river.

Their boat, Betty Jane, A forty-five-foot wooden motor yacht built in the height of the Korean War is hardly an extravagance; it is an obscenity. Promoted as part of Chris Craft’s "Freedom Fleet" for 1955, it had all the conveniences of a well-appointed home at twice the cost. She had fitted carpets, polished mahogany paneling, an en-suite for the owners, and quarters for the crew.

The journey starts with an over-the-road transport from Lake Texoma, the impounded Red River on the Texas/Oklahoma border, to Applegate Cove Marina on the Arkansas River, one hundred miles south of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The journey ends at Cincinnati, Ohio on Labor Day Weekend 2009.  Alexander is primarily the deckhand. He is better able to shinny down docks and throw lines. He swabs the decks and shines the brass. He is also the painter, plumber, and carpenter. His upbringing in the world of fine furniture and interior design gives him intrinsic understanding of fine joinery and finishing.

We discuss how Alexander got into boating, and specifically how he and Dale decided to take this journey. The book is full of colorful characters and vivid experiences from their time on the river and though you will get a sense of it from our conversation, we very specifically left a lot of the book in the book so that you can pick it up and give it a read.

Enjoy!

Kelsey Albina is currently the Communications Manager for Seakeeper, Inc. Seakeeper is the global leader in marine stabilization. Seakeeper’s innovative technology changes the boating experience by eliminating up to 95% of all boat roll, the rocking motion that causes seasickness, fatigue and anxiety. Kelsey is responsible for all internal and external communications for Seakeeper including: 

Public Relations, social media, email, their ambassador program, corporate communications, and corporate responsibility. Prior to Seakeeper, Kelsey worked at Bonnier as the Marketing Manager of the Fishing Group.

Kelsey grew up on and around the water and always knew she wanted to find a career that harnesses that passion. In fact, she has enjoyed boating trips with three generations of family members aboard so she never really had much of a choice! Kelsey’s mother grew up boating in the Bahamas and passed that passion right down. Kelsey was racing sailboats with her mother at a young age, became scuba certified and still enjoys big diving trips. She currently has a boat of her own with her fiancé, and truly lives the boating lifestyle.

We discussed her days spent on the water as a child, great boating and diving trips she’s had, the incredible innovations happening at Seakeeper that are allowing more people to enjoy boating, and more! Enjoy!

Growing up Boating.....

I’ve been on the water longer than I can actually remember. The first thing that really comes to mind was when I was five years old and my mom had a Hobie 16 and we were going camping off one of the little islands where I grew up. This was Easter weekend and I was devastated that the Easter bunny wasn’t going to be able to find me. She assured me that the Easter bunny has a canoe and I have nothing to worry about and of course I woke up that morning and the Easter bunny had found me on the island and the basket was waiting for me!

Learning Boating Skills.....

My mom has a passion for boating as well, she grew up in the Bahamas so it’s been something that’s been a part of my life for my entire life. I did sailing lessons when I was little. We’ve always had boats. We started out in sailing then became traitors and got into power boats. She’s the one who taught me everything pretty much. We became this well-oiled machine of me crewing for her on our own boats. By the time I got old enough to do it myself, I knew what I was doing.

Boating in the Bahamas.....

We went to Freeport, Nassau, and Eleuthera growing up and more recently she took me to the Abacos and we rented a boat over there and did some snorkeling and saw the Green Turtle Club. It’s a big boating and fishing club on Green Turtle Quay. Her mom and dad ran it for over a year.

Life Below the Water.....

My favorite thing is scuba diving. I now have my advanced open water certification and try to plan a trip every year. This past year my fiance and I went to Belize to do the Great Blue Hole which is just about the depths of recreational diving limits. It’s this big sink hole where when you get down to the right depth there’s these big stalagtites that hang down and stalagmites and you can swing among them and then maybe 20 feet below you there’s sharks circling this giant black pit. It was a little bit scary but exhilarating. There's something called the Wreck Trek which you can do in the keys. You go from the upper keys to the lower keys and they stop at all the different wrecks on the reefs there.

Favorite Places to Boat and Dive.....

Diving it would be Belize, there's just so so much life there. My favorite place to boat is in my home waters. Somewhere where you know what the weather has done to the landscape, and you can predict when a storm is coming through and you just know the area. That’s the easiest and most comfortable place for me to boat so just being home on my boat is my favorite place.

Current Boating Lifestyle.....

We have a 15’ Boston Whaler. We adopted it from my mom. She upgraded from the Whaler and has a 25’ Rosborough which is a more Northern Trawler style boat so she can spend the weekends on the boats. I think the people who live on their boats are so, so awesome. Having the ability to just go out whenever you want and all your stuff fits in this compact place. I think that lifestyle, even if it is just for a short period of time, would be such a challenge and you learn so much about boating and yourself, I think it sounds awesome.

Seakeeper's Role in the Boating Experience.....

Seakeeper is the global leader in marine stabilization. It takes all the side to side roll out of your boating trip at rest or under way. It is a gyroscopic stabilizer so it has no external appendages. We can stabilize boats as small as 27 feet up to over 200 feet. It has an active computer control so it can automatically detect the sea conditions and react instantaneously, there’s nothing you have to set.

Seakeeper's Growth.....

The growth is booming. It’s hard to keep up with how fast we are growing. In February we launched the Seakeeper 2 and that’s our smallest Seakeeper to date for boats 27-32 feet. We launched the Seakeeper 5HD which is our heavy duty model mostly for commercial and military applications in July. We expanded the factory and added twelve new assembly lines. We opened an office in Italy and grew out of our headquarters in Maryland and got a larger office there. And have had a couple of OEM manufacturers that have standardized Seakeeper. Bertram standardized across their entire fleet and Scout standardized on some of their models as well. Our goal is to get down to about 21 feet. We want to make the water accessible for as many people as possible and make Seakeeper a reality for the average boater. We even have somebody on the Keys who is going to be one of our Ambassadors this year. He has a 23 foot Sailfish and he has a Seakeeper on it. The lengths are a guideline but if you have the space that thing will work on a smaller boat.

Seakeeper's Corporate Responsibility.....

We’re going to have two different areas that we want to give back to. One of them will be the more environmental organizations that are making sure that our waterways are around for future generations so that everyone can continue to enjoy them. The second factor will be focusing on the ways that we can give access to everybody and making sure that their time is enjoyable on the water.

How to Join the Lifestyle.....

For a lot of people, and I speak from a woman’s perspective - just start small. You don’t have to go out and buy a brand new 27 ft center console and launch it by yourself the first day. There are so many ways you can start small. Whether that’s getting a kayak or canoe or something you can manage yourself, or something like joining a boating club where you have help and assistance and somebody to do some of the work so you can get used to being on the water. Inevitably when you start small, you’re going to want to get bigger and bigger as you learn more. You’re going to want to go farther and stay out later and break those boundaries and that’s when you get the confidence to take the next step.

Stephanie Vatalaro was recently promoted to Vice President of Communications for the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation. RBFF’s mission is to implement an informed, consensus-based national outreach strategy that will increase participation in recreational angling and boating and thereby increase public awareness and appreciation of the need to protect, conserve and restore this nation's aquatic natural resources.

Stephanie has been with the RBFF for over 10 years and has helped steward the Take Me Fishing and Vamos A Pescar national campaigns, providing the tools to help people get started. RBFF’s digital assets, TakeMeFishing.org and VamosAPescar.org, are the most comprehensive fishing and boating websites nationwide and are the key destinations for individuals to learn, plan and equip for a day on the water. They have now exceeded 12 million! Pageviews under Stephanie’s watch.

After boating on Lake Erie as a young child, Stephanie’s family moved at the age of 7 to Florida where her father became a fishing guide in the Florida Keys. From catching Pacific sailfish in Costa Rica to boating on the Potomac with her family, Stephanie has maintained her love of boating and shares it with her husband and daughter.

In 2016, RBFF announced its 60 in 60 goal to increase yearly angler participation to 60 million in 60 months. This aspirational goal comes at a critical time for the fishing and boating industry. It was a great time to catch up with Stephanie and find out more about how they are working to achieve this lofty goal, the accomplishments to date, and learn about how her love of boating was fostered through family and is being passed down the same way. Enjoy!  

On her first boating experiences…..It’s one of those all in the family things. I was born in Ohio and my grandfather was a boater, so I started going out on Lake Erie as a young child. When I was 7 my family relocated to the Florida Keys and my dad became a fishing guide. We had two boats, the boat he worked on, and then a center console that was the family boat. He would take us out to go snorkeling and swimming but we also definitely went fishing.

On memorable catches….The first fish I caught was on Lake Erie, but I don’t vividly remember the first catch. I certainly have great memories of some of my big catches! I had the opportunity to go to Costa Rica and I caught a 120 lb. Pacific Sailfish and that was amazing. It was quite a fight.

On learning to boat…..As a kid, my dad took it all very seriously, the safety part in particular. I learned a lot of the basics as a kid. He said if I wanted to operate the boat I had to take a course and get my license and make it official. As an adult, with my husband, I started doing it more hands on myself.

On family boating now.....We now have a 24’ Pursuit center console. It’s something we can go fishing on, we can take to the beach, hose it off at the end of the day. My husband is the captain, I have anchor duty.

On raising a boating daughter…..She has been boating since she was an infant. As she gets older, we’ll start getting her involved more in helping with things. We can give her jobs, pack this bag, do that. She really likes being on the water. She fishes off her grandpa’s dock and she is quite the fish slayer!

On the RBFF 60 in 60 initiative…..I will give that credit to Frank Peterson, our President and CEO. There are a few numbers in his head that he has said if we can hit this this and this, our industry will be in pretty good shape. One of those numbers is 12 million visits to our website and we hit that this year. The other, and I think the more important one, is the 60 million number. If you look at fishing participation numbers they have been pretty flat over the last several years and with the changing demographics, in order to even maintain that flat rate a lot of change has to be made. What we really need to do is energize the industry to get that number even higher, to get on the front end of these changes and try to make that difference now. It’s a rallying cry for the industry. Let’s do this together. You’re not in this alone. The RBFF is here to help. We’ve developed tools for people to recruit, retain, and reactivate anglers (known as R3).

On what those changes are…..People are becoming more multicultural. Families are not the traditional families that they always looked like. There are a lot of other activities competing for people’s time, and boomers are aging out of the sport.

On their Disney partnership…..I didn’t even know fishing excursions were available at Disney but they are and they’re great, they have a fantastic stocked lake, almost a guaranteed catch. They are reaching the exact target audience we’re after. Years and years of research have led us to this group called Multicultural Family Outdoors. These are parents, people with kids age 6-12 , who are involved in outdoors activity but don’t fish yet. Getting through their channels has been really beneficial to us and we’ve seen an increase in our brand awareness and intent to go fishing and boating.

On RBFF's digital outreach…..Takemefishing.org is a huge part of our success. People are getting their information online so it has become a largely digital campaign because that’s where our family outdoors audience is. The website is all about getting people the info they need to get started – how to, where to, and licensing. We have all the basics on what kind of gear you need, how to reel in a fish, how to prepare your catch. We have a map where people can go and look in there are for different bodies of water that also has points of interest on it. We want to make sure people are aware that people need their license and that those dollars go back to water conservation efforts on the state level.

On the challenges facing millennials who want to boat…..That’s a secondary target audience of ours. We’re calling them Untethered Explorers. They’re millennials who aren’t married and don’t have kids yet but they’re into the outdoors and we reach them through digital and social media outreach. We run an influencer campaign that speaks to that millennial target. [Their challenges] are time, it’s not having the mentor or the experience and not knowing that these opportunities are very close to them. A lot of younger generations are moving back to the city and they don’t realize that there are a lot of urban fishing and boating opportunities.

On what boaters need to get started…..More than a thing, I would say training is important. Do your homework first. Before you go out on the water understand the rules of the road, navigation basics, how to read a chart or GPS. If there’s a chance to do a training or do a trial take it!

On where she hasn’t yet, but would like to fish…..Patagonia. It just looks amazing. I love the landscapes, I'd love to be fly fishing in a river with all that beauty surrounding me. Anywhere that has turquoise water, I’m in.

On her dream boat…..It’s not practical but I absolutely adore big sportfishers. Big Vikings or Hatteras. Something about those boats is so beautiful to me. When I go home to the Keys I see them. We’ll get back into cruising some day and we’ll have some type of trawler to cruise around.

On advice for would-be-boaters…..Before you dive in, you should go out with some friends, try different boats, go to boat shows, go out with anyone who has a boat, feel it out, do your homework. Figure out what you want to do on the water and match the boat to your lifestyle. We’re in a time where there are so many different styles of boats. We have the Discover Boating boat comparison tool on our website. You go through and say what activities you like to do and it serves up the different styles of boats. There really is something for everyone.

The RBFF is doing great work, check out their website, particularly their interactive map, if you have any interest in fishing!

Leading up to National Safe Boating Week, I was excited to speak with Kristen Frohnhoefer, President of Sea Tow International. Sea Tow has been the on-water assistance fleet of choice for boaters since 1983. A franchise-based marine assistance organization headquartered in Southold, New York, Sea Tow was founded in 1983 by Captain Joseph Frohnhoefer after the U.S Coast Guard stopped responding to non-emergency calls.

Since that time, Sea Tow has grown into a thriving network of over 100 locations across the United States with additional offices in Europe and the Caribbean. Sea Tow Services International is a family-owned and family-run business. As the daughter of the founder, Kristen Frohnhoefer has spent over 25 years working for Sea Tow learning about every aspect of the business. As President, Kristen is responsible for overseeing all internal operations including the membership program, marketing, sales, communications and call center operations. Kristen also serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Sea Tow Foundation, a national public service organization that promotes safe boating practices and educational initiatives that directly reduce accidents, fatalities and property damage related to recreational boating.

Kristen grew up sailing and powerboating, spending time in Newport, Essex, and Block Island, RI. She still gets out on the water and enjoys sailing to Shelter Island and Sag Harbor, and cruising around the Peconic Bay, beaching the boat and watching her niece and nephew swim and enjoy the water.

Kristen and I spoke about their Designate a Sober Skipper campaign, tips to keep your boat working so you DON’T need a tow, some of the great benefits of Sea Tow membership, and more. Enjoy!

On the Designate a Sober Skipper Campaign…..Just like you wouldn’t get on a car and drive drunk, you shouldn’t do it on the water. Designate the sober skipper before you leave the dock. Boating should be fun and safety helps make boating fun. That person makes sure everyone has a great time and that everyone gets home safely. We all know that boating is one of the best activities out there. Blood pressure goes down when you step out on the water. It’s a great family activity. It should be a good time. If people take a couple small steps to ensure it’s a safe day, everyone’s also gonna have a fun day and be able to go back out over and over and make it that lifetime sport.

On the industry reception.....The Sea Tow Foundation launched the campaign a couple years ago. We’ve gotten tremendous support from Sea Tow franchise areas and also partners across the country from the US Power Squadron to the state of Washington State Parks, to Coast Guard auxiliary, local marinas, boat dealers, and individual groups and associations. One of the materials we have is that wristband that someone can get locally or can go request on www.designatedskipper.com. It’s just a reminder that the designated skipper can wear on the boat to say 'I'm the one responsible.' We encourage people to share the message on social media and we do as well. It's not just the boating safety groups, it's actual real boaters doing this on a daily basis.

On growing up in boating…..I think the first picture of me is when I was about 2 months old. My parents were really big into boating. My father said the first time I went out we took a wave over the side and I got soaking wet and I didn’t even cry so apparently, that was a good sign and they kept going boating. We first had a 22’ Catalina sailboat and then we had a 30’ Newport sailboat. We also had a couple 13’ Boston Whalers but most of my early childhood was spent out on the sailboat, sailing over to Newport or Essex, spending the night in Block Island, or just rafting up with friends. I remember those great days out with the family.

On the learning process…..While I was required to take a boating safety course, I was often the mate, not at the helm. My father liked to be at the helm and that’s what he did. We sort of learned through osmosis but I’m really good at putting the sails up, taking the sails down, and tying us up at the dock!

On power vs. sail…..They’re two different experiences. We don’t own a sailboat anymore but my cousin does and luckily, he keeps the boat five minutes from my house so we go out sailing on the Peconic Bay. Sailing is such a serene activity, you’re just gliding through the water. You’re gonna get somewhere faster with a power boat; you take in more of the experience when you’re sailing. It depends upon your mood for the day.

On favorite boating activities…..Most of the time it’s going to raft up with friends. Or we’ll take a ride around Shelter Island. Maybe head over to Sag Harbor. Or go out with my niece and nephew. It’s great to see them experiencing the water as children, beaching the boat to get out there and pick up shells or watching them swim in the water and jump off the boat.

On the origins of Sea Tow…..My father always loved the water. Back when he was in college he started another company called Water Thrills. He would take people out and teach them to water ski, he would take them parasailing. He was already out on the water trying to get people into boating and have them feel comfortable with water sports. He’s always been involved in the marine industry and found out about the industry changing and the Coast Guard no longer doing non-emergency assistance and said ‘You know what, I can do this and this is going to be my opportunity to really make my living on the water.’ It took a while for the Coast Guard to adjust, it took a while for the boating public to adjust, but I think people realized over time that there’s no way the Coast Guard could possibly provide all these services in non-emergency services while still focusing on their primary mission. We have 102 franchise locations and boaters are covered nationwide. We have over 600 boats in our fleet and operate out of thousands of ports across the country.

On what makes a good Sea Tow Captain…..The same thing my father had – passion. They need to have a passion for helping people. Sea Tow is more than just getting on a boat and towing someone. Yes, you need to have the skill, but you need to understand it’s our job to help people, to get them home safely. When someone is calling us, it’s because something happened that was unexpected and it’s ruining their day. So it’s really important that we’re able to get people home safely and quickly.

On the most common reasons for calls…..The most common call is just a simple mechanical issue. Something happened that was unexpected, that tow home is our most common. We also get a good number of calls for someone who ran aground. They’re not hard aground but they’re just in an unfamiliar area, or that shoaling moved, or that sandbar that wasn’t there before is now. And then you have the good one where the fuel gauge is no longer working or they ran out of fuel or didn’t plan for the 1/3 rule – always have the 1/3 to head out, 1/3 to get back in, and 1/3 in reserve. And we get a lot of jump start requests. Right at the end of the day when people are coming in after the radio has been on all day and drained the battery.

On what boaters can do to minimize risk of needing a tow…..We always encourage our members to be proactive in maintenance. It is important to have that regular maintenance. Especially if you’re in the northeast and there are seasons, you want to do that spring commissioning and winterizing. Double check your fuel gauge on a regular basis, know how much fuel you put in your boat. Those fuel gauges don’t always work. Education ahead of time and knowing the area you’re in and being familiar with the waters is very helpful.

On National Safe Boating Week…..We’ll be participating in Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day on Friday May 19th. There are so many options for comfortable life jackets out there, from inflatables to belt packs, that it’s a great opportunity to spread awareness that life jackets can be comfortable, and most importantly can save your life. The Sea Tow Foundation will be promoting everything on social media and you’ll see some of our life jacket loaner stands have ribbon cuttings during Safe Boating Week.

On changes in the industry…..The changes I see coming now are in how people are getting into boating. I see the peer-to-peer market, where current boat owners are going to rent their boats out to individuals through sites such as Boatsetter, as something that’s going to change the market. Boat clubs are blowing up at the moment because people see it as a way to get into boating, they’re just not ready to make that purchase yet. They can try it out and eventually move towards purchasing a boat. The way of entry is really going to be the disruptor to the industry of how we get people into boating and how people get that first experience.

On essential items for a day on the water…..Make sure you do have a cooler full of water and some snacks because you never know how long you’re gonna be out there. You might want to bring an extra jacket in case you get stuck a little bit later. Before you head out make sure you’ve taken that safety course. Even if you think you know everything, you might not.

On advice for would be boaters…..If they’re investigating boating and what type of boat they want, go to discoverboating.com to do some research. They should also try it out. Whether they rent a boat for a day or find some friends with a boat, just head out and see if they like it. Go to a boat dealer and take a ride. Once they’re more serious about it, take a boat safety course. Of course, right before you get the boat, make sure you buy that Sea Tow membership!

Kristen provided a lot of valuable information and I strongly encourage you to visit the websites mentioned for Safe Boating Week and Designated Skipper to continue learning how you can enjoy safe boating practices. Thanks! 

As climate change becomes a bigger issue for boaters every year (see boat damage from this year's storms as exhibit A), there are many companies looking for solutions that will help slow down this process while also enabling boaters to continue using the waterways in powered vessels. Electric mobility is one of the top solutions and I was fortunate to speak with Steve Trkla, President of Torqeedo Inc. Torqeedo is the market leader for electric mobility on the water. Founded in 2005 in Starnberg, the company develops and manufactures outboards and inboards, electric motors and hybrid drive systems ranging from 1 to 80 hp. There are also all sorts of functional and innovative accessories – from lithium batteries and solar charging equipment to smartphone apps. 

Steve has been with Torqeedo for a decade and has been responsible for launching Torqeedo products in the North American market, from Travel to Deep Blue. His wide-ranging experience in sales and marketing in the high-tech sector and his excellent feel for trends in the nautical industry have reaped great success for Torqeedo in the USA and Canada. Besides leading the US team and acquiring new customers, Steve has ensured Torqeedo's constant presence in the media in North America and helped us achieve a strong market presence within a short period. Before joining Torqeedo, he worked as sales director for a number of Silicon Valley start-ups, helping them achieve sales and growth. His understanding of IT products led him to Red Oak Marketing, a provider of online marketing strategies in the marine industry. And from there it was just one small step to Torqeedo.

Steve and I spoke about when he joined the boating lifestyle, innovations in electric mobility, and some of the ways Torqeedo is leading the charge towards more environmentally friendly boating.

On his boating past.....I have not been a lifelong boater. When I went off to college I met a very good friend who was an avid fisherman and boater and I ended up really enjoying it. He had different boating options as our friendship grew but the first time it was a Lund-style fishing boat on Lake Jennie in Minnesota. Later he taught me how to water-ski and after that we did some fishing on Lake Michigan out of Manitowoc-Two Rivers Wisconsin.

On learning to handle a boat.....I was always a passenger and it really wasn’t until my younger brother and I bought our first boat together that was the first time that I started driving a boat by myself. It was a Four Winns family style boat. We had that where I boat today which is the Chain O'Lakes about 45 minutes outside of Chicago. It's been since Torqeedo that I really had to learn how to operate a boat on my own. I didn’t take courses. We had several demo boats that we show to customers so more and more I was taking advantage of using the boats. At first, driving and operating the boats was somewhat simple. Learning the etiquette on the water was somewhat simple. Where I found it to be the most nerve-wracking is when you bring it into a dock and need to tie it around other boats and people are watching. And so that took a little more building confidence but each time you get better and better and eventually you get to a point that it becomes second nature.

On learning boating etiquette.....The Chain O'Lakes is a great lake to learn etiquette because when you have a series of lakes that’s just 45 minutes outside a city of six million you have one of the most active boating waterways that there is in the country. You learn it quickly - and that is knowing how to show intention when you're on the water and there are lots of different boats on the water, knowing how to keep distances from kayakers and fishermen, knowing what's right and wrong in no wake zones when you're going through the channels.  

On the growth of the electric mobility market.....It has been an evolution. Back in 2007 when we had our one motor which was the Travel 801, it was a revolution at the time. It was all so new to the marine industry so what you found back then is most of the consumers would come up and go, ‘is that electric’? And a year or two would go by and those same customers would go, ‘that’s the future’. And my favorite part this year was at the Annapolis Boat Show, the amount of customers that were coming to our booth that knew everything about Torqeedo, and how many customers had bought our systems and told us how much they love what we’re doing. It really was a ten year progression of ‘what is this’ to ‘that’s the future’ to ‘its here’.

On common misconceptions about electric mobility.....There has always been this term ’Range Anxiety’ – how long and how fast can you really go with an electric motor. Those were the early misconceptions. When people thought of electric motors they thought of the trolling motor market, they didn’t think of it as something that was competing in the horsepower class against the gas motor market. That is changing as technology is continuing to change and electric is so much more mainstream. That is probably the biggest misconception, the speeds and range electric motors can give you.

On how marine mobility compares to other markets.....The greatest driver is the auto industry, the second is the e-bicycle market. If you look at marine, the industry and acceptance is matching that of where the auto industry was ten years ago and bicycle industry was five years ago.

On technology driving the business.....Over the last two years one of the great innovations and revolutions of the marine industry for electric mobility is the lithium battery technology. We invested in some of the best battery management system technology to ensure that we have the safest units on the market today. We do produce on the low-power range our own lithium batteries. The partnership with BMW has been a wonderful opportunity. We’re able to take their automotive lithium battery technology in the high-power segment and marine grade the battery. You have the shock mitigation, the venting, the waterproofing and the cell management system.

On growth opportunities for electric mobility.....We started with the Travel series of motors as recreational solutions. Then we attacked the 'green lake' market with our line of cruise motors. And then we moved into the paddle sports industry with our Ultralight systems. All of that was a retail product. In 2012 we announced our first high power system, the Deep Blue. And we really ventured for the first time into the commercial segment of the market and that’s when our growth took an even steeper increase. Going forward, the significant growth that is expected over the next five years is in the project sales and commercial side.

On prop technology as part of the solution.....What we learned from the beginning was that we had such great motor design and such high torque motors we needed to build our prop design to match the power of the motor. So each one of our systems has a unique prop that goes with that system so that we maximize the efficiency of the motor and in some cases we set world records for efficiency in water.

On boating advice received and given.....First and foremost, and I've been told this by several people, is to always wear a life jacket. No matter what I do wear my life jacket. The second thing is take care of what you purchase!

Editor's Note: I am so excited about the potential Torqeedo has to help make boating a more environmentally friendly activity that we have signed on to become Torqeedo dealers out of our marina. Check out www.torqeedo.com to see if there is an electric marine solution for you! 

I learn so much in every episode, it is sometimes hard to keep track of it all! Every once in awhile, I'll do a little recap. The first five episodes featured Dan Glickberg, CEO of Dan Glickberg Food; Lisa Almeida, owner of Freedom Boat Club Jacksonville; John Giglio, President and CEO of Freedom Boat Club; Barry Slade, VP of International Sales, Regal Boats; and David Karpinski, President of Taylor Made Products. Here are some great tidbits on equipment, destinations, boats, and advice if you are thinking about getting into the boating lifestyle!

Equipment:

My guests are very focused on safety which is great! Being a safe boater definitely makes it a more enjoyable experience. John mentioned a PFD (personal flotation device) as the best investment anyone can make. He also recommended a handheld GPS, something that can make sure you get out safely and get back in safely. Dan made a great point about protecting your eyes and making sure all your senses are operating well with a good pair of polarized sunglasses. He also suggested a couple of his favorite fishing manufacturers, Ugly Stik and Penn reel. Barry talked about the importance of a cell phone and something to charge it. Some of the apps he uses are Navionics and Garmin, and Windfinder. Lisa also mentioned Navionics, which I can tell you we recommend to all our members. He also discussed going offshore and having a float plan and a ditch bag, which has many things that you would potentially need in an emergency. Lisa went the fun route and introduced us to Maui Mats!  They are a blast, check them out. She suggested Being a BoatUS member and a Sea-Tow member as well. Dave let us know about the importance of having properly sized fenders for your boat to protect the important investment! They’ve continued to innovate in color with their new line called Storm Gard.

Boating Destinations:

Hearing about where my guests have boated and want to boat is one of my favorite parts of doing this. I know I have a lot of new places I want to check out! Dave started on the Sacandaga Lake in upstate NY and has been all over for his job but remembers very fondly a great fishing trip with his son to Ft. Lauderdale catching sailfish. Barry has traveled the world - Singapore and Hong Kong, the Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Mexico, the Carribean, and more. They are all so unique and special, he recommends them all! A few places he would like to get are Croatia. Fiji and Bora Bora. Dan grew up fishing in Montauk and loves to fish in the Florida Keys for Tarpon - his favorite activity. He hasn’t been but would like to go to the Bahamas for bonefishing. John loves his Florida boating with his family and cruises through Lemon Bay and to Don Pedro State Park. Through his job he has loved boating in the Carolines, the Great Lakes, the West Coast of the US, every time he’s on the water he thinks it’s the most beautiful place, til the next trip! Lisa likes her boating events and wants to go to Put-In-Bay in Ohio and the Columbus Day Regatta in Miami, where thousands of boaters come together. The connectivity of these events is her favorite part of boating. She also loves boating around Fort George Island where it’s like a party of your 500 best friends.

Advice for would-be boaters:

Boating is an activity that appeals to lots of people who dream about it but can’t get off the fence. There are many perceived barriers to entry. I love to find out what kind of advice the guests have for these would-be boaters. Dan and Lisa say to stop thinking about it and do it! It doesn't have to be a dream. Just make it happen, make the decision, there’s no time like the present. Lisa, Dave, and Barry all suggest starting with a visit to Discoverboating.com. John and Barry both point out the importance doing your research on what type of boating is the right fit – buying, renting, joining a club. And take a class to make sure you’re comfortable! Barry also suggests researching your local dealers as a resource. Across the board, the biggest thing they all want potential boaters to know is that joining the boating lifestyle is a decision that will lead to great experiences, memories, and something that will make you very happy!

Boats, boats, boats!:

Our guests have been fortunate to have experiences on all types of boats, and still themselves dream of their ‘next’ boat. Barry was a first mate on a Hatteras and now has access to Regal boats through his work. He loves the idea of a trawler style and points to Nordhavn as a manufacturer to check out for this type of boat. Dan got his start on a 25 foot Mako fishing boat, and is ready for a Claude Torres fishing boat of his own like the one he later fished on as a child with his dad. While John has a fleet of over 450 boats in his club and a 14’ side console for his kids to learn on, he thinks for his lifestyle a 23-25 foot center console with a 4-stroke outboard is a perfect boat. Lisa got started on the family Glastron, and later a Wellcraft. She currently cruises in her 32 Monterey cruiser with twin Mercs and her 22 Sea Ray Sundeck. Because you know one is never enough! Lisa daydreams of upgrading to a 46 or 48 sedan bridge to enjoy the views from up top! Dave’s first experiences were on a 1969 Glastron IO boat that came with the family lake cottage. He currently has a 22 Regal bowrider which is great for his family boating activities.

Random Notes and Quotes:

Lisa:

It was always a mindset of, 'of course you can do this!' It's really not that hard, I believe it's more of a mindset that women can do it. It's really just about pushing through the fear of the unknown, of the not doing, and if you've got someone there coaching you, teaching you, and letting you just be like, it's okay you made a mistake, then gaining experience and confidence is just what it takes.

It’s really fun to bring your animal on board, but you also want to remember that you're in charge of them. You want to make sure they're safe, so number one - your dog should have a life jacket that fits them well and makes them comfortable. Also, when you're coming down to the dock you want to have them on a leash because if it's a floating dock they might feel wobbly and uncomfortable. Then definitely you have got to have water and a water bowl for them.

John:

There are a lot of technological advances now, specifically with marine electronics. The electronics companies have really started focusing on customer experience.

There’s been a huge focus on trying to engage minority boaters. They are cultures that didn’t necessarily grow up boating but that is a huge opportunity for our industry. What you are going to see over the next several years, as the baby boomers age out of boating and the industry continues to look for the young people to get engaged in the industry, people are going to focus a lot more on bringing those new markets into the boating industry.

Boating should be fun. The people on the boat should have a fun time and a safe time. With the training that we offer and with some training the industry is going to be coming out with, hopefully that will solve a big part of the attrition with boat buyers moving out of the industry. If they’re going to make that leap and buy a boat or join a club, we want them here for a long time.

Dan:

I learned by doing it. To me there's no trick, it takes a little time, a little experience, but once you do it often being on a becomes second nature. It's really about putting in the time. 

Being out on the water is really about the people you are with and the stories you tell. It's really a time when you can put everything else going on in your life away, put your cell phone away, and detach and focus on being in the moment. 

Salmon is probably the easiest fish to cook. You can just put some olive oil, some lemon juice, and some fresh herbs on it. Put it on the pan, brown both sides, and put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes depending on how big a filet it is. With any fish, especially if the skin is on it, put the skin side down first, and then flip it to the filet side and you want to cook them for about the same amount of time. If you cook it well enough on the skin side, you can actually eat the skin. It tastes pretty good, very high in protein and Omega-3's. 

David:

At their younger age, everything is about respecting the boat, the people around you, the experience, the safety requirements. You can add on the lessons about navigation and tying knots but everything up until now is - we do it right and we do it safe. They’ll grow up to love boating, but they’ll have the base of knowledge and respect of the craft to do it right.

The first piece of advice was from my dad – docking is the hardest part, have good fenders! His comment to me which I still take to this day is to take it slow. People don’t realize there aren’t brakes on a boat. When he taught me, he said do it deliberately, take your time, there’s no hurry to get into the spot, do it right and do it once. The other thing which is instilled in me is the entire safety component. Don’t drink and boat. Don’t be unsafe in the way that you boat, and respect the others around you and it will be a good day!

 Barry:

The first thing that is really apparent in the market is the trend towards outboards. They’re becoming immensely popular. The surf market, the tow boat market, is also one that continues to grow and attract boaters. 

We want to connect with the emotional side of boats and boating. It’s a big discretionary item, there’s a lot of emotion involved. It’s also a memory making machine. We look at our boats as things that families will use to create memories that they’ll have for a lifetime. The younger generation still has that opportunity. Albeit they’re being introduced to a lot of different ways to come into boating. There’s boat clubs like the Freedom Boat Club, there’s the sharing economy through other vehicles, but once you’re there and you’ve had that experience, we’re all the same. The emotion is an integral part of boating.

In the five years I have spent as part of the boating industry, I have often tried to put into words how impactful boating can be for creating memories, sharing experiences, and just spending quality time with family and friends enjoying the beauty of being on the water. In that time, I don’t think I have ever done it as effectively as Jesse Simpkins does day in and day out. Jesse is the Director of Marketing for St. Croix Rods and was recently named the Chairman of the Board of the American Sportfishing Association. You can tell even from this short conversation that Jesse eats, sleeps and breathes fishing, and loves sharing it with others. From conservation efforts to ensure strong fisheries, to improving rod technology making the experience more enjoyable, access to fishing is a major focus for Jesse in both his product and advocacy roles. We discussed Jesse’s first fishing experiences on a farm pond, his evolution into the serious angler he is today, great products coming out of St. Croix (and what goes into them), and some of the important advocacy issues the industry is tackling around Conservation. Enjoy!

Diversity is not something that is often associated with boating and the boating industry. Many people have a stereotypical boater in mind, and I’m guessing as you read this you do too. One of the biggest obstacles to expanding the reach of boating is that so often, the way someone gets into boating in the first place is being exposed by family or close friends. If no one in your orbit is boating, you are much less likely to try it and pass it on to others.

However, there are many people doing great work in bringing recreational boating, and the boating industry as a career, to new audiences. Willard Franklin, along with his wife, son and daughter, are working hard to help make boating and fishing more diverse, inclusive, and safe. As members of the Four W's Fishing Team, they work to build communities that support water health, fish, safety, and the joy of boating and fishing. The Four W's Fishing Team promotes the outdoors to elementary, middle school, high school, & college students preparing them for careers in the outdoors. You may also find them educating new and potential boaters at churches, car and boat shows, fairs, and even as a friendly face at the boat ramp! Willard and I discussed how fishing has been passed down from generation to generation in his family, how the Four Ws came about, some great boat safety tips, and much more (including of course who the best angler in the family is). Enjoy!

Anyone who has been following the podcasts probably can tell I have a particular interest in electric boating. That's why I was so excited to connect with Mark and Tim from Templar Marine. 

Templar - whose mission is to eliminate our carbon footprint on global waterways and provide affordable, year round, eco- friendly, low maintenance electric boating to the general public, for personal use and for small commercial use such as water taxis, eco lodges and sightseeing tours - has designed a very unique and innovative electric boat line. Utilizing the same hull design but offering several versions and styles, they have been able to economically build stylish electric boats for personal and commercial applications. Tim Bieber has been boating his entire adult life and when we saw the concept being rolled out he instantly knew that this was the future of boating that he hoped for. 

Tim and I discussed his passion for boating, the attributes of the Templar line, and much more! 

Nathan Heber is the Founder and CEO of Boatyard, the world's first on-demand marketplace for recreational boating. The Boatyard app makes it easy for boaters to find and book qualified marine professionals for services ranging from fuel delivery to cleaning to captaining a boat. Boatyard also has a B2B application. Boatyard for Business provides marine professionals with an easy-to-use platform for automating their admin tasks, while helping them to deliver remarkable customer service experiences to their boat owners. 

Nathan grew up in Miami Beach and has been boating since he was a child. Later in life, he took up sailing and has been hooked ever since. An avid kite surfer, Nathan has found that being on and around the water is an invaluable component of a happy life for him and his family.

We discussed his sailing adventures, the founding of boatyard and how it helps both boaters and marine professionals, ways to make the boating lifestyle accessible, and much more. Enjoy!

On growing up in Miami Beach…..You grow up on boats. I’ve been boating my entire life. Seven years ago my wife bought me sailing lessons and I’ve been sailing ever since.

On learning to boat and sail.....I was probably too young to remember how I learned to boat. Sailing has a lot more components. Understanding angles of wind and all the technical stuff that goes into learning to sail, I’d have to say learning to sail is harder. We took a private lesson, just me and my wife and the teacher He was an Olympic hopeful who teaches out of 79th Street in Miami. We took 10 or 12 hours with him and then we could pay him to have access to the sailboats and jump on whenever we wanted.

On the inspiration for Boatyard.com.....In a way, it started when I was a kid because I’ve been hearing about this pain point my entire life. The sailing lessons led to a series of events that led to the creation of Boatyard. We were taking a trip to the BVI and jokingly she said, "Why don’t we just sail down there.?" It was an off-season time and they agreed to do a short, bareboat charter for us. The two of us went island to island and had the greatest adventure of our lives. When we came back we wanted to rent that same sailboat and it was $800 a day. We thought, if our neighbors knew that we were responsible professionals who were certified sailors I’m sure they would let us rent it for less. But at the time there was no mechanism to do that. I set out to build a peer-to-peer marketplace. I was in an accelerator to do that and kept hearing from our boat owners what a pain it was to service their boats and I saw this big opportunity that wasn’t being tapped. So we pivoted the business and that’s how Boatyard was created.

On solving boat owner's biggest headache.....When we originally launched, boat owners were really resigned to word of mouth or google searches to find the providers to service their boats. There’s the old joke the best two days of a boat owner’s life are the day they buy it and the day they sell it and a lot of that has to do with what a pain it is in between to find qualified guys who will show up on time. They’re out there but the average boater has to sift through and find those people that they can trust. We looked at that and said, if we could create a marketplace where we aggregated the best providers we could find and then gave boat owners a really simple user interface where they could place a request and get a qualified service provider, and have a really great experience, we thought we could change the way boat services are ordered. 

On what boaters use Boatyard for.....The most popular are fuel and boat washing. We’ve been able to expand our service offering to mechanical service, captains, boating lessons, on water help with Sea Tow and a number of other services.

On the reception among boaters.....You have people who are forward thinking and progressive about technology and those people really buy into it. It’s a challenge to get people who aren’t forward thinking to try it but once they do they continue to come back. 80% of our orders come from someone who has ordered from us before.

On the reception among marine professionals.....Currently, they don’t really have a great place to put marketing dollars where they’re gonna generate a good ROI. With us, the fees we take are far less than the cost of acquisition for attaining those same customers. In addition to that, they don’t pay us until they make money. We’ve had great experiences and great luck finding amazing providers that are very forward thinking and willing to provide this high level of service that we demand for our users. We’ve even had some customers tell us we’re the reason they didn’t close.

On finding qualified service providers.....It’s a challenge across the whole industry. It’s hard for me to understand why that’s happening in such a big way. Boating and boat services is one of those industries where it truly needs a skilled labor set, where having that job can provide someone with a comfortable middle-class lifestyle or more. Some of it comes down to messaging. Letting kids know who are coming out of school or who are in other technical schools about the great opportunities there are in the boat services industry.

On helping marine businesses grow.....We’ve recently launched a new platform called Boatyard for Business. It’s a B2B SaaS platform that helps marine professionals manage their service requests. They can basically run their whole business off it. It takes all the admin duties that take up a lot of time and keep the smaller shops from growing and allows them to get it through Boatyard for a small monthly fee.

On getting new boaters into the industry.....It's great what you guys are doing with Freedom Boat Club, the launch of all the peer-to-peer boat sharing platforms, Boatsetter, Boatbound, Sailo, and then companies like Dockwa that make it easy to book dockage with the click of a button. One of the biggest things we can do is make boating more accessible which is happening but also just getting more people on the water. We all know it’s not the boat that makes you happy, it’s the experiences that you have.

On misconceptions about the boating lifestyle.....Still, a lot of people think that boating is for wealthy people, that it’s intimidating, that it’s not accessible. By having boat clubs and peer to peer and all the tech to make it easier to use the boat, I think that’s going to go a long way towards introducing a lot more people to boating. At Boatyard we think that when you own a boat it shouldn’t be a hassle. You shouldn’t spend your free time fixing it, you should be spending your free time on the water and we’re trying to solve that pain point.

On the changing demands of marine customers.....Millennials prize access over ownership. There’s a whole significant portion of our business that comes to us because there’s no one else to talk to. Close to 40% of our orders are placed between 5pm and 9am or over the weekend. I think it’s really important to be able to transact 24 hours a day and make it really easy for customers to connect with you. Customers are having much higher standards as far as customer service goes. If the marine businesses are not doing it now, they’re going to have to in order to make customers happy.

On how boating can drive happiness.....They’ve done a ton of studies on what drives true happiness and it all came down to experiences. When you’re planning an experience, you have all the excitement leading up to it, then you have the time on the water, then you get to look back on it fondly. That’s what drives true happiness. That’s what we all need to work on – how to enable more people to have these remarkable experiences on the water.

On learning to kitesurf.....I picked it up because I couldn’t sail and boat as much. I couldn’t make a whole day of boating but I could throw the gear in the car, set up, go kiting and come home. Last year was the first time I went kiting off a boat and that was spectacular. I’m a pretty good snowboarder and I surf and it still took me 10 hours to pick up. No matter what, it takes some commitment. Once you learn it you can get much better much quicker. The best thing to do is get a little trainer kite and fly it on the beach. Once you get the kite control down, you can pick up the board part fairly quickly. I have a 9-meter kite, a 12-meter kite, and a 15-meter kite for the light winds. The next thing I want to get into is to learn how to foil.

On advice for would-be boaters.....It can fundamentally change your life. When we learned how to sail it gave us something we could enjoy together for the rest of our lives. You’re out there, you’re enjoying the elements. And it opens up a world of new experiences you can have. You can go to new parts of the world and have this incredible experience with this incredible perspective that not everyone can have.

It was so great and uplifting speaking with Nathan. He truly believes that boating and being on the water can lead to a happy life and incredible experiences you will never forget, and is working tirelessly to make those experiences easier to come by. Check out Boatyard and keep an eye out for it in an area near you soon! 

Matt Sellhorst is the founder and CEO of Boat Dealer Profits and the creator of the SPLASH System guaranteed to help select dealers sell more boats, make more money and have more fun. Matt is the sales and marketing columnist for Boating Industry Magazine, host of the Boat Dealer Profits podcast and Boat Dealer Profits TV where he shares tips, tricks and tactics to boost profitability in any dealership willing to implement the ideas. Sellhorst has also been featured in the Movers and Shakers edition of Boating Industry and has spoken multiple times at the Marine Dealer Conference and Expo, Marine Retail University, dealer and manufacturer events and other industry conferences. His journey from a 'no-boat-selling-son-of-a-gun' to a top producer at a 6 location dealership to sought after coach and consultant to dealers around the world mean all of his strategies are based on real world, nose-to-nose, toes-to-toes experience that have been proven to work in today's changing boat sales environment.

Matt grew up boating and still has a great love for being out on the water with family and friends. We talked about podcasting, how to have fun working in the boating industry (hint, it's not really work), the positive feeling of putting families in the right boat to start making memories of their own, and more. Enjoy!

On his boating start......As a kid I remember it vividly. I was five years old, I had an older brother and a younger sister and my uncle talked my parents into getting into boating. I remember climbing up on the wheelwell, it was a 16’ Larson tri-hull, and I’m barely seeing over into the boat and from that day forward the Sellhorst family was boaters and I thought I was in Heaven. From that day forward its been a part of our family. Growing up in Nebraska, I went to little tiny lakes. Day one, I learned how to ski. My brother learned right away and I started on a little sled that you would pull behind and stand up on. My brother and I taught ourselves how to barefoot when we were about eighteen. It’s always revolved for us around family and friends.

On his current boating lifestyle.....We have a lake place on the Lake of the Ozarks where we have a 22’ South Bay tritoon that we go out on all the time and we have a 32’ bowrider. If you’ve ever been on the Lake of the Ozarks, it can get pretty rough so that’s the cruising boat if you want to go explore. I’ve been going down there since I was five years old and I bet I haven’t been on a third of the Lake. It’s still my favorite place to be on the water.

On fitting your boat to your lifestyle.....I’ve got two little girls and for me, it’s a tritoon. I can’t even believe I’m saying a pontoon is the way to go but just a 25-footer with the big outboards, that’s perfect for my lifestyle right now. I remember when I was actively selling and we could take the boats out and there would be a 28’ or 30’ cruiser out and I would pick the pontoon or the tritoon. Don’t get me wrong. Getting in the bowrider and putting the hammer down and hearing that thru-hull exhaust and those twins rumbling, that’s fun too but 90% of the time, it’s the pontoons.

On getting into the boating industry.....When I was in college I worked at a local marina and it didn't feel like work. I got into finance and went through an IPO and started my own mortgage company. Everything was going great until the financial crisis hit and I had to make the hard decision to close the business. After struggling with that I decided I wanted to go to the Lake to work and do something I really love. My first year was nothing to write home about but the second year, there was a conversation I remember with Jeff Hall, he said you have to ask for the sale. You have to help them buy a boat. You have to actively ask them to take the next step of getting them involved with the lifestyle otherwise you are doing your client a disservice.

On feeling good about putting clients in boats.....That vision of me at 5 years old and all the memories I made. Having all my college buddies coming out on the boat with my parents and my brother and sister, I mean who is hanging out with their family that much when they’re twenty years old? If you’re a boater, you probably do. If you know in your heart of hearts this is the right match for them, and they are capable and financially able to buy the boat, it’s your duty to get them to do it. It’s your job to get them through that fear so that they can have those memories.

On the importance of having fun at 'work'.....There are a lot of ways to make money and with running a business, there’s challenge after challenge. Too often, all of the drudgery and wearing seventeen different hats, sometimes you’ve gotta step back and say, 'we don’t sit in a cubicle. We get to go to the lake and ride on boats and help people get involved in the boating lifestyle.' That’s pretty darn fun. It's so much fun to talk about how can we get this industry to grow, how can we get more people involved. There’s somebody that’s gonna make a memory that’s gonna stick for decades.

On boat safety.....When we were at the lake, you wear your lifejacket from the time you leave the cabin and you take it off when you walk in the cabin and you’re ready to go to sleep. If you’re a kid and you’re at the lake, you’re wearing your lifejacket. It’s a non-negotiable rule. Several of things with kids, they know if it’s negotiable. When the boat’s moving, you’re sitting down. It’s what I would teach my clients when I did deliveries. Mom and Dad, whoever is handling the boat, you make the rules and you make the rules for all guests and all kids on the boats. Here is what I recommend – life jackets, always sitting, don’t reach your hand outside the boat when you’re coming to a dock. Just little things that you have to set the rules for your boat and your boating environment.

Matt has an incredible enthusiasm for the boating lifestyle and for spreading that love of boating to others. If you're a dealer, check out his site and find out how he can help grow your business. If you're a boater, find a salesperson whether you are buying a boat, joining a boat club, or any other way of joining the lifestyle who cares as much as Matt does about finding the right match for your lifestyle. 

Bringing Generations Together With the Waketoon

What do you get when you combine two of the fastest growing segments in boating? The Avalon Waketoon! Combining all the elements that made pontoons popular – space, comfort, increased power, and extra amenities – with the ability to surf behind the boat led to an NMMA Innovation Award at the recent Minneapolis Boat Show and lots of headlines after. The waketoon does not use ballast to accomplish its surf wake, providing many benefits including time savings and limiting the transportation of invasive species.

Jim Wolf is the President and CEO of Avalon & Tahoe Manufacturing. Jim grew up boating on lakes big and small throughout Michigan and still enjoys many of those same bodies of water today.

Jim has grown Avalon from 70 employees to over 400 while increasing sales revenue almost 20x since purchasing the company in 2002. Jim and I spoke about growing up as a boater, how he ended up at Avalon, and some of the key engineering innovations behind the waketoon. Enjoy!

Randall Lyons' career in the marine industry spans more than 20 years and he is currently the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association. Prior to his role with the Trades Association, Randall had extensive experience in the marina world managing the Newburyport Marina on the North shore of Massachusetts, and as Director of Communications for the Nantucket Boat Basin. Randall also got a taste of the dealership side of the business working for Russo Marine. Randall’s success is exhibit A of how getting a foot in the door in the marina industry can lead to a long and fulfilling career – Randall’s first boating job was cleaning toilets at the Boat Basin, where he would later rise to the Director level!  

Randall didn’t grow up boating but quickly found that it was a passion of his and he decided to turn it into a career. And now he has the opportunity to raise his two children in the boating lifestyle.

We discussed some of the great initiatives Randall’s organization is working on to address industry challenges including getting more people into the work force and more kids on the water, and Randall had some great advice for people considering the boating lifestyle. Enjoy!

On the current work of the MMTA.....We have an Educational Trust that’s focused on workforce development as a key initiative and then a newer initiative we’ve been focusing on on is our Kids in Boating. On the workforce development side we've determined that one of the main reasons that we feel the shortage is out there is because not a lot of people know about boating industry jobs and about the industry in general. We decided one of the ways we could help support that is to create an industry video to focus on what jobs are available and just a quick overview of the boating industry that will highlight it and get people to ask more questions. Once we decided to create that video we determined that we needed somewhere for people to follow up so we built www.massboatingcareers.com.

At the end of the day, it's educating people about the boating industry and making sure they’re aware that we're predicting thousands of jobs in the future right here in Massachusetts let alone on a national level.

On the industry messaging needed.....I think that the boating industry is just a great place to work. That fact alone is what needs to be the driving force around the workforce development issue were having. We need to get that word out there starting at a young age. We’re very fortunate to work with people that are doing a recreational activity that makes them happy. Those are our clients. You can have a great successful fulfilling life in the future and its an awesome place to work.

On his start in the boat industry.....I started in college and was given the opportunity to take a summer job on Nantucket Island at the Nantucket Boat Basin and I started out cleaning the 18 bathroom facilities at the Boat Basin. I did that for three summers and worked my way up to a year-round position and stayed there for seven years. That was my start and those are the stories you gotta hear more about – start out small and work your way up and make a career out of an industry that’s a great place to work.

On our clients, boaters.....They are guests at the end of the day. They’re not just your customers, they turn into your family and that certainly is your goal. You see boaters of every shape and size. The key word is the boating lifestyle. That’s a key element of success stories for businesses that are doing well right now. They understand that it's not just an activity, it is a lifestyle. People are passionate about the work and the boaters are passionate about their time that they get to spend on the water. They want to maximize their time on the water and enjoy it as much as possible and that goes back to the workforce development issue. If you have a boater that is told the backup is 6-10 weeks, it may cause them to get out of boating or consider another activity.

On how marine businesses can improve the lifestyle experience.....I like to see marinas and dealers doing more for their guests, offering them more activities, seminars, and events and encourage them to stick around and make sure they are enjoying the lifestyle to the maximum.  

On getting kids involved with boating.....The statistic that is thrown out there typically is that the boating industry is aging 6 months every year. So the more we can do today to get kids on the water, the better off our industry could be in the future. We created a KIDS in BOATING initiative. We offer grants out to non-profit boating groups in Massachusetts. We also created what is now called Mass Kids Boating Day to help support kids boating events that are taking place in Massachusetts. Ideally this concept will grow on a national level. In 2017 there were 4 events that we helped support and three of those were touch-a-boat events. Freedom Boat Club was a big participant in one of the events. The Freedom crew took kids out on the water and kids got to enjoy a boat ride. It gets them talking about boating, gets them involved in it. In 2018 we’re going to focus it over two different weekends and try to partner with a couple of other groups on a national level.

On his personal boating.....I grew up on the South Shore so I was always working around the waterfront but didn’t grow up boating. Now, with two kids, I can see that be the reverse for them and have my kids grow up to be boaters. On the statistical front, 70% of adult boaters started boating when they were younger so we do need to get them involved at a younger age. The goal, starting with a 12’ boat, is to grow and continue boating in the future. I would say the center console would be the next step. Sea Ray, Robalo, Boston Whaler and I have to mention Grady White. It’s stepping up in size and making sure it’s a little bit safer.

On the state of the industry.....The vast majority of our members are doing well and were able to plan more for the future because businesses are doing well. Dealers are selling more boats. We have smarter consumers and that helps businesses step up their game. Marinas are filling more slips, service is up, people are using their boats more which helps fuel. Its been a strong run.

On what potential boaters should know.....There’s a misconception that the boating industry is only for the wealthy. 72% of boaters have a household income under $100,000. 95% of boats are trailerable boats under 26’. The industry in general is doing a better job today making sure people are aware of the affordability of boating. Discover Boating does a fantastic job on that front. Make sure people know you can start off small and continue to grow if you want!

Randall's group is doing some great things, please do check them out whether you are in MA or anywhere else! 

I love to mix in guests who may not be ‘in’ the boating industry but rather demonstrate to us what boating can enable. Stephen Ladd is an author and adventurer who certainly pushes the limits on where a boat can take you.

In is mid-30s, Steve designed and built a 12-foot boat named Squeak and rowed and sailed her over 6500 miles over a three year journey, chronicling it in his book Three Years in a 12-Foot Boat. Nearly two decades later, Steve teamed up with his now-wife, Ginny, to spend five years on a 21-foot boat, traveling from Florida down through the Western Caribbean, navigating the river systems of South America, having a baby in Brazil and every kind of adventure you can imagine in between. They covered over 18,000 miles via sail, rowing, and motor in some of the later stages and visited almost 20 countries.

Please Enjoy as Steve and I discuss his vessel, his journey, and the book it inspired, The Five-Year Voyage.

Jim Palmer is a marketing and business building expert and in-demand coach. He is the founder of the Dream Business Academy and Dream Business Coaching and Mastermind Program.

He is the host of Dream Business Coach TV, the hit weekly Web TV show watched by thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners, and he is also the host of Dream Business Radio, a weekly podcast based on Jim's unique brand of Smart Marketing and Business Building Strategies. Jim is best known internationally as 'The Dream Business Coach' and creator of No Hassle Newsletters, the ultimate 'done-for-you' newsletter marketing program used by hundreds of clients in nine countries.

Jim has authored seven books and speaks and gives interviews on such topics as entrepreneurial success, newsletter marketing, client retention, how to build a profitable business and how to create your own Dream Business.

Jim is a cancer survivor, has been married for over thirty-five years, has four grown children and two great children. Recently, Jim and his wife Stephanie JUST SAID YES to their dream of living on a boat. Join their adventure, which is chronicled on Our Floating Home. 

Jim and I spoke about growing up boating, how they decided to live aboard, finding the perfect boat, and a whole lot more. This one is definitely worth a listen all the way through as Jim packed a lot of inspiring advice into this half hour, much more than I could fit in the blog. Enjoy! 

On early boating experiences.....I grew up boating. My grandparents had a cottage on a Lake in Western Massachusetts. My parents grew up in that cottage. I remember I learned how to water ski there on this little 14’ boat with a 40 hp Evinrude engine. I just really love the water and boating. My parents had a boat. My older brother is big time into boating. My own boating career started four years ago. We bought a 30’ Sea Ray that we kept at the top of Chesapeake Bay.

On deciding to live aboard.....A little more than a year ago, Stephanie was retiring from her career and came home and said ‘I think its time for a big adventure.' We didn’t know quite what that meant. Eventually she said hey, what if we lived on a boat? We sold our house and we bought a 50’ Carver motor yacht.

On how the adventure is going so far.....We are so in love with this boat. I loved my Sea Ray, the only difference is Sea Ray had so many great t shirts and Carver makes nothing! We have been loving life. It is slower, easier and we can feel disconnected from everything so much easier. It's an amazing lifestyle.

On how boating equals stress relief.....We had about an hour and twenty minute drive on Fridays from our home to our boat and we could feel ourselves de-stressing on the drive. When we stepped on the boat, 100% of whatever was going on that week was forgotten. It was an amazing way to de-stress. We could go ten minutes, drop anchor, and feel like we were on vacation.

On how to follow their adventure.....We started a blog – ourfloatinghome.com – everybody was so curious about where we were going and how to stay in touch. I just wrote a blog post called ‘Simple, Slower, and Chores’ and I describe how simple life is on the boat. We get up, I go up and watch the sun go up over the water, have breakfast. I love watching boats. We’re always looking at the water. It’s a slower way of life. We have no commute. We’re not dealing with traffic. We’ve got reality TV just outside our boat. And then for chores, when I had my home, I was tired of cutting the grass and shoveling the driveway, all that stuff. The thing about the boat, it’s always gotta be clean, something always gas to be fixed, and I don’t mind! I would so much rather wash and wax my boat than mow my lawn or weed whack!

On planning their route, or not.....It’s less planned out than you might think. We came up with an 18-month plan. It’s not bothering us that we don’t have a specific reservation or know where we’re going. I’ve structured my coaching business to do three days per week. All the calls happen Tuesday-Thursday. Friday through Monday we can be mobile. If we pull into somewhere we love we can stay there. We’re totally flexible and loving not having an exact idea of what we’ll be doing.

On useful technology for living aboard.....I have so many apps. I have an app called BoatTracker which will tell you your average speed, top speed, how long you were out. That’s a very good way for me to keep track of oil changes and things like that. It will also show you with a satellite where you were with your entire trip. There’s another one I got called Anchor Alarm. When you set your anchor, you use your finger and draw a little area that the boat is allowed to swing. If it heads out of the circle you have drawn, it will alert you. The other thing I use is Navionics. It’s always updating and is really cool.

On 'Just Saying Yes'.....Some people say you should have waited a year and maybe, but are you ever really ready? Sometimes you just have to say yes and go for it. Sometimes you can overthink things, the what if. When you get really excited about doing something big in life, you get romantically excited about it but then the other side of our brain kicks in and we start playing the what if game.

On using Social Media to further boating education.....We both belong to a lot of these Facebook groups. There’s a facebook group called LiveAboard, Trawler Living, Carver facebook groups. There's boat repairs, so many things you can learn from other people. There’s an education out there if you’re willing to look and be open minded.

On possible future boating plans.....There’s a thing called the Great Loop! We started reading these books and it’s something we are considering. We’ve read several stories of people who do the Great Loop, it takes them about a year. One of the things that appeals to us when you do the great loop, most of it is slow. You're seeing parts of this country that nobody really sees.

Please, listen to the whole podcast. The blog really doesn't do this one justice! Happy boating! And to all the Northern listeners, I hope you delay the shrink wrapping as long as possible! 

I had the great pleasure of speaking with Adam Gamble, writer, publisher, and avid fisherman. Adam conceived, wrote or cowrote, and supervised the production of three hundred titles in the Good Night Books series for pre-schoolers, which currently has more than nine million copies sold worldwide, including many to my family. Adam recently wrote and published The Power of Positive Fishing alongside Michael J. Tougias,New York Times bestselling author and coauthor of thirty books for adults and six books for young adults. He is best known for his nonfiction narratives of survival and rescue stories including The Finest Hours which was made into a movie starring Chris Pine and Casey Affleck The Power of Positive Fishing is an emotional journey interspersed with humor on how two individuals finally began tapping their full potentials, while hooking some great fish along the way. Adam and I discussed how he got started in fishing, what makes a great fishing companion, learning from mistakes and much more. Enjoy!

Wow, I had so much fun recording this episode with Lisa 'The Boatanista' Almeida. Born and raised a Floridian, who claims to bleed salt water when she gets cut, Lisa turned a successful career in Sales and Marketing into her current role as the Owner of Freedom Boat Club, Jacksonville and St. Augustine. Before owning her Freedom Boat Club locations, Lisa rose to Director of Marketing for the nine state Bellsouth region. During her tenure, she was continually recognized for her innovative, creative problem solving, and her ability to engage an audience with her speaking skills. In 2007, when she took an early retirement from Bellsouth to make a career change, she followed her passion for being on the water. Lisa is a member of the Captains Club, The Jacksonville Power Squadron, The Jacksonville Marine Association, and serves on the City of Jacksonville’s Boating Committee. As an Aquaholic she has done many charity boat rides for underprivileged children, and was instrumental in saving the Jacksonville lighted boat parade. In 2016 Boating Industry included Lisa in their list of Women Making Waves, recognizing women in the boating industry who have made large contributions to its success, propelled its growth and led their organizations into the future. Lisa has been a distinguished franchise owner winning several national awards including Marketer of the Year and Brand Champion.

Lisa’s passion for boating and enthusiasm is inspiring. We covered so much - how she boated at 3 weeks old, ‘boat-gating’ at Jaguars games, advice for boating with pets, empowering women boaters, essentials for beginners, following her passion into a fulfilling career she loves, and more. Enjoy the conversation!

On getting her boating start…..I like to say that boating is a part of my DNA and I didn't really even have a choice because my parents were competitive water skiers and they competed all over the states. They actually competed at Cypress Gardens. My mom kept waterskiing with me until she was six months pregnant. Then three weeks after I was born she said they would put me in a carrier and tie me up underneath the bow, I would go to sleep when the engine started. When the engine would stop I would wake up and then they would feed me, and then the engine would start and I’d go back into slumberland.

On her first boating memory…..I remember being at a tournament and I was three years old. My mom used to ski in a tutu and she would be on one ski skiing backwards and there's a picture of me three years old with a ski rope in front of me, and I had a little bathing suit with a tutu and I'm standing there with my leg out back trying to imitate my mom. I just remember it being such a loving atmosphere, and fun, and everybody was having a great time and that's what boating actually means to me.

On the first boats she was on…..I know that it was a Glastron, and another one of the first boats that my dad had was a Wellcraft. There's also another picture of me like four years old sitting at the helm staring at the wheel, and my dad said you're staring at it thinking ‘when do I get to drive.’ 

On learning to boat…..I was about 8 or 9 when I started learning to drive the boat. And then at 14 or 15 I was driving it with no problem. Later on, when I bought my first boat, my dad came up and really spent a lot of time with me and teaching me about the lines, and currents, and wind, and trailering.  He has a great method called push/pull, learning how to spin on yourself with just one engine. He taught me about the throttle, and putting it in and out of gear, and just practicing and making it okay if you didn't do it right the first time. 

On whether boating was intimidating…..Never, and I think it's because my dad had three girls and so because he wanted to ski and he always wanted to go boating, we all had to learn how to drive, back the trailer, etc. It was always a mindset of, 'of course you can do this!' It's really not that hard, I believe it's more of a mindset that women can do it. It's really just about pushing through the fear of the unknown, of the not doing, and if you've got someone there coaching you, teaching you, and letting you just be like, it's okay you made a mistake, then gaining experience and confidence is just what it takes.

On the feeling of being a confident boater.....I will tell you it is really really fun when I'm in my 32 Monterey and I am driving and I pull up to somewhere and pull it right in, and there's a guy standing there and many times he's going 'wow that's pretty impressive.' One of my favorite stories was in Fernandina Beach. They have a shrimp festival every year. It's a three day event with bands and music and food. I had a girlfriend and two guys on the boat with me and I was driving my 30 Sea Ray and it was pretty tight and we were coming in and I heard somebody on the dock say 'watch out, there's a lady at the helm.' We came in, I spun it around and backed up, and they gave me a standing ovation. It was awesome!  

On her personal boats.....I have a 32 Monterey cruiser with twin Mercs on it which I absolutely love. I have a 22 Sea Ray Sundeck which is an awesome boat. Because you know one is never enough! 

On her dream boat…..I’d really love to have a 46 or 48 sedan bridge because it is really nice to get up top on the sedan. The views are different, you can see things different and it's really fun when you're anchored out and everybody's hanging out up top.

On boating to Jaguars games…..That is so much fun. It is one of my favorite things for my members to experience, even friends who have never done it. The stadium is on the river and right across from the stadium is the city Marina, so we don't tailgate, we boat-gate. Just like tailgating, everybody brings food, we put a tent on the dock, and it's really awesome when we're going underneath the bridge and you see the bumper-to-bumper traffic and we don't have any. Why go by car when you can go by boat?!

On her boating destination bucket list…..I want to go to Put-In-Bay in Ohio and I also want to do the Columbus Day Regatta in Miami, where thousands of boaters come together. Put-In-Bay has the round bar and a bunch of boats rafted up together. That's really when my heart is the most open and it's the most fun, when we're all rafted up together and there's all different kinds of boats and everybody is just one big happy family. It's just that connectivity. You don't ever meet a stranger, but you meet tons of strangers and that's the best thing for me about boating.

On her favorite boating activity…..Now my favorite thing really is going to the beach and rafting up with folks - swimming, enjoying activities, having kids around, bringing them up in the boating world. We have an island here called Fort George Island that is a big barrier island. The beaches are gorgeous and everybody just goes and rafts up together and anchors and it's kind of like you took your boat to the beach with a party of your 500 best friends.

On a new favorite piece of gear.....Maui Mats!  They are 6 feet wide by 20 feet long. You can walk on it, you can put coolers on it, you can put chairs on it, kids love, it, and adults love it. It's really fun to just hang out on the Maui Mat, swim on it, jump off it, and walk on water.

On essentials for beginners.….I think definitely Navionics or something like that on your iPhone is a must. Being a BoatUS member and a Sea-Tow member, I recommend both because they each bring different things to the table, is also very helpful. There is so much you can learn from reading your BoatUS magazine, getting online, seeing their feed on Facebook. Anytime I get the magazine I'm pulling out articles on really cool tools to have on board, places to go, and things about boating. I think both of those things are really really important.

On her favorite boating ‘book’..…I don't really have a boating book other than my West Marine catalog! My friends do tease me that I would rather go to West Marine and walk around than go to the mall and it is the truth!

On her career change…..I went on an African safari and we were touring this mud hut, and 8 people slept in it and they were gracious and happy and I had an epiphany moment. I came back and decided to leave Bell South. Freedom Boat Club interviewed 12 people (11 men and me) and I got the job. Now I understand the difference between loving what you do and having a passion for what you do. I work all the time and I never feel like I'm at work. Even when I'm on my boat on the weekends at Fort George, in the morning and night I'm on my laptop working but it doesn't ever feel like work. I want to do it. I love doing it. I want everyone to get on the water and experience the joy of boating with your friends and your family!

On boating with pets…..It's really fun to bring your animal on board, but you also want to remember that you're in charge of them. You want to make sure they're safe, so number one - your dog should have a life jacket that fits them well and makes them comfortable. Also, when you're coming down to the dock you want to have them on a leash because if it's a floating dock they might feel wobbly and uncomfortable. Then definitely you have got to have water and a water bowl for them. They make a bottle that actually has a ball on it that the dog can lick and water will come out of it. There's lots of different things that you can buy but definitely have to keep them hydrated because when they get in the water they're going to drink, and if it's salty that's not good for them.

On success in the boating world..…I think of Carl Blackwell from Discover Boating and the reason that he comes to mind is because his whole goal is to make people aware about boating and learning about boating. Their website and their facebook page has a plethora of information. Of course I think about John Giglio, CEO and President of Freedom Boat Club. Many of our members leave and buy their own boats. They fall in love with boating which is great. We're putting product on the water for people to see and those people are taking friends. It's giving boating so much exposure. John's done an amazing job growing the business, we're at 120 locations. 

Final advice for someone thinking about boating..…Stop thinking about it and do it! It doesn't have to be a dream. Just make it happen, make the decision. If you're unsure if you're a boating family, rent a boat. If they like the rental boat and you're still not sure about wanting to buy a boat, join a boat club. If you feel like you already know you're a boating family go to Discoverboating.com, read about the different kinds of boats, go to a boat show and see what kind of boat you think you want to buy. Just make the decision. There's lots of support out there, there's lots of help out there, just do it! Rent, join a club, or buy. Put one foot in front of the other and just make that decision and get your family out having so much fun. They're not on their iPhones, they're not on their iPads, they're laughing and joking and you are creating family memories that are going to last forever!

I can't wait to join Lisa on a boat-gate to a Jaguars game someday. Leave questions or comments below. 

Rok Babarovic is part of a team that is redfining a genre of yacht. As Business Development Manager, Rok has helped launch the Overblue series of yachts – part power cat, part houseboat.

Sensing that people today are seeking comfort, safety, innovation, efficiency as well as adventure all combined in one product, Overblue designed a yacht that offers all the comfort of modern home, is able to cruise in all conditions, is full of innovative solutions, is easy to maintain, is ecological and competitively priced.

Prior to joining Overblue in 2015, Rok worked for Seaway Yachts with a focus on sales and marketing and as a Senior Project Manager on carbon high performance blue water sailing yachts.

Rok grew up boating around the islands of Croatia and has had many amazing experiences boating around the world in places like Norway, Greece, Hong Kong, and the Caribbean.

We discussed what it was like growing up in one of the most beautiful boating destinations in the world, how he transitioned from Computer Science to the boat industry, the origins of the Overblue design and how it came to market, and much, much more. Enjoy!

On growing up in the boating lifestyle.....I’ve been involved in boating since I was little. My parents live on an island in Croatia and this is where I started with small fishing boats with my father. Everyone has a boat there so in the summer we used to mess around with different boats and take the tourists around and play. This is how my hobby boating started until I joined it professionally around twenty years old. It’s not a very big island but in Croatia it’s the second biggest island. My father was born in a village with five hundred people. Once a week a ship came from Split and brought everything the small village needed. When I started spending my summers on the island it was all about fun, spending time on the boats and fooling around.

On Croatia as a boating destination.....There are over one thousand islands. I've been sailing there for most of my life and it's really something unique. It's still very preserved so you get to experience nature and sail around island hopping. Islands are not far from each other so you’re safe from the sea, from the bigger waves, which is very comfortable for newcomers.

On sailing versus power.....I always take a sailboat. It brings me closer to nature and allows me to switch off. Lifting those sails up, listening to the wind, just switching off is one of the nicest things you can experience on a boat.

On boating around the world.....One of the very unique places which I was astonished by is Norway. It is something extremely unique and a one of a kind experience with very steep mountains and fjords and beautiful nature and sea. Down south you have Greece which is totally something different. Not a lot of marinas or ports like we’re used to in Croatia or other parts of the Mediterranean. Then you have the Caribbean, another experience totally different and unique. Hong Kong is also a beautiful place and then going further down south in Australia and New Zealand – I remember going out on a powerboat in Auckland going fishing for snappers. Sometimes when I go fishing with friends in Croatia we go for two or three days and we’re happy if we catch a bucket. But when I went for an afternoon in Auckland by the time we finished putting the baits in half were already full with fish. In two hours we had a full cockpit of snappers. That was just amazing.

On the Overblue reception in the US.....I love the US market and the way people are open minded. This year we had three boats at the show and it turned heads around. We had a lot of visits and half of the people were dealers and brokers from the industry. We appreciate this market so much because people are so open minded and when they see Overblue and come into the cockpit area with a nice big flat platform, no steps around, they come into the salon with the nice big sofa, they just get it. They understand immediately why this boat is designed the way it looks.

On the origins of Overblue.....Our founder has owned a lot of boats and was always a little bit restrained to enjoy space and comfort. They went to one of the lakes in the United States and rented a big house boat and really loved the space. He was really blown away by the comfort but at the same time, the same way he was fascinated by the volume and space, he was not very impressed by how the boat was built and the design and implementation of all the furniture inside. Also, he was not impressed with the fact that these houseboats are not really made to move around a lot. So he asked himself why nobody has built or designed a boat which has all this space and volume focused around the person, but can also go out in the sea. It needs to offer simple solutions in terms of usage, maintenance, handling etc. Eventually we said we have to build one now. The whole idea of the range was 44 and 54 which soon became a range of six models today because of the demand in the market.

On getting CE Class B Certification.....At the end of the day, it’s registered, designed, certified and engineered as a power cat. The fact that we’re using the full beam allows us to use the terms home environment, home dimensions, head room, and things like that, but it’s a boat, it’s a catamaran.

On changes in the boat industry.....I think the boat industry has changed more in the last five to seven years than in the last thirty years. Traveling around a lot, talking to a lot of different people, cultures, mentalities, I see that owners are using boats in a different way. You will experience soon that the younger generation has a tendency to not like to own things. This is one of the facts we will have to accept because we are selling something that people don’t really need. We’re selling something that people actually want so the approach to the market is completely different. All the boat builders will have to understand that because they will need to adapt. Organizations such as timeshares and boat clubs are unique approaches to the market that are needed today and are actually successful. This is where Overblue offers different ways of owning and using this product, applying it to the industry in terms of different businesses. We’re at the moment building a boutique hotel on the Overblue 58. They’re going to sell cabins with a captain. The product offers it and this is what’s very nice for whoever wants to own it and enjoy it.

On advice for aspiring boaters.....When you decide to boat, two questions are the most important. The first one is 'what can you afford?' and the other one is 'how much time do you have?' This will define how you can actually boat, whether it's spending more time on a bigger boat or weekends on a smaller boat, whether that’s sharing a boat with a friend or chartering a boat because you are too busy. Those two questions will direct you. Advice that I was given when I was doing a lot of sailing was 'respect the sea'. If you follow that advice you will always enjoy, you will never be surprised, and even if you do get surprised you will be prepared. After all, it’s nature and it’s extremely strong and we should really know what we’re doing. Respect the sea was one of the strongest pieces of advice I’ve gotten in my career which affects the way I boat.

I had a blast talking to Rok and hope to get to visit them overseas and see some of the boat building in action! 

Boating to the Rescue

Boating has long been thought of as a great way to enjoy nature, spend quality time together with loved ones, and disconnect from our busy lives to get away from it all. Now, more than ever, those qualities of boating are the reason it is positioned to be the perfect social distancing activity in our Covid-19 world.

We, like many, have been homebound for a month plus. All social engagements and activities for our kids have been cancelled. Cabin fever is real. And now, with warm weather approaching, along comes boating! We know that boating is going to look different – for example we won’t be inviting anyone outside our immediate family on board any time soon – but it remains the number one thing we are looking forward to doing over the next several months. And, we are happy that marinas have been considered essential so that we can work to provide the same relief to others!

In this context, I was able to speak with David Gee, Editor-in-Chief of Boating Industry Magazine, to discuss his life on the water and the current state of the boating industry. David has tremendous enthusiasm for boating and particularly watersports, and his optimism about the future of boating as a family pastime and as an industry where we make our living is highly encouraging! As he said when discussing how boating is positioned to meet the need of the moment, ‘Boating to the Rescue!’

Enjoy and stay healthy!

It is an incredibly exciting time in the boating industry. We have seen two years of record sales, dealers are selling production slots because they can’t get inventory fast enough, more Americans than ever are enjoying time on the water with family and friends, and the pace of innovation continues to accelerate which is providing a better and more frictionless boating experience.

Within the innovation category, electric propulsion is experiencing an influx of investment, and new motor options are steadily hitting the market. General Motors recently invested $150 million into Pure Watercraft. ePropulsion just announced a Series B raise in the tens of millions of dollars. Arc electric boats has raised over $30 million with investors including actor Will Smith, music mogul Sean Combs, and NBA superstar Kevin Durant. Torqeedo continues to impress, recently winning METSTRADE’s Boat Builders Award in collaboration with Groupe Beneteau’s Excess brand and mobility technology company ZF.

I enjoyed speaking recently with Ben Sorkin, founder of Flux Marine. Ben grew up boating on our home lake in upstate NY, Lake George, which has me even more excited about what he is doing. Ben has been able to merge his passion for boating with his passion for tinkering into an exciting start up career. After stints interning at Tesla and working full time designing electric systems at Navatek, plus a decade of planning and researching electric motors on his own, Ben co-founded Flux Marine with the goal of revolutionizing electric propulsion in the marine environment.

It was a great time to catch up with Ben as he and his team recently took home two big awards at the Newport boat show, Best Green Product and the Best New Boating Operation, Maintenance or Safety Product.

Ben and I discussed how he got his boating and fix-it start, the benefits and challenges of electric boating, we got into the weeds a bit about battery technology and talked about the power their outboards will be brining to the market.

Full disclosure, I am an investor in Flux marine and will be purchasing one of their motors to use in our Freedom Boat Club fleet this coming year.

Enjoy the conversation!

There have been some extremely exciting developments in the electric boating space in the past year. PURE Watercraft raised over $37million to continue their expansion. Vision Marine had a successful IPO. Torqeedo delivered its 100,000th motor. And a variety of smaller companies are making strong plays as the space grows. While the momentum is exciting, it is clear there is still a long way to go to make electric a widely adopt way to power a boat. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Graham Balch, Managing Broker of Green Yacht Sales. Graham is an avid sailor and joined the boating industry after stints as a consultant, educator, getting his MBA and then shifting course and starting in the brokerage business before launching his own venture. Before striking off on his own, Graham distinguished himself in the brokerage world with a variety of performance awards, including Highest number of sailboat sales out of 300 sales reps nationwide. Green Yachts began in 2019 and is dedicated to supporting the electric boating community on the water by selling, servicing, and advocating electric powered boats. Green Yachts aspires to helping customers who want the benefits of electric propulsion while enjoying inspiring, well-made, award-winning boats. I learned a lot from Graham and love his strategy of making sure people who do go electric are successful with it. This means making sure they have not only the right motor, but the right boat, the right technical skills, and the right expectations. Graham and I discussed what drove him to focus on electric boating, design and technological advances and needs, what consumers can look for in the future, and more. Enjoy!

Zenon Bilas is a 7-time USA Barefoot Water Skiing Champion. He has over 30 years of teaching all levels of water skiers, including national and world champions. He has performed barefoot shows and water ski clinics on four continents with stops in the USA, Sweden, Belgium, Brazil, Japan, Lebanon, and China, including one show for over 500,000 people in Yueyang, China. He has authored hundreds of articles on boat tests, product reviews, and water ski coaching tips. And, you may remember a certain cartoon tiger waterskiing in a TV commercial for Frosted Flakes….that was Zenon skiing as Tony the Tiger’s body double!

Zenon and I discussed how he got started on the water, tips for training, finding a coach, and driving the boat for tow sports, innovation on the manufacturing side, and more. With all Zenon has done and continues to do, it was impossible to cover everything we wanted to get to. I really hope I can get him on again for a follow up episode (or two!). Enjoy!

On what got him interested in being on the water…..We were fishing. We went to a pond in Chicago and it was fun. We did that, and that winter they had a show on fishing in the Northwest Territory and that really intrigued us. That made us go out and buy a 7 ½ horsepower Mercury outboard. We started going to Wisconsin Dells and fishing on the river. We would put the motor on a Jon boat and go fishing.

On moving into bigger boats…..Like a lot of things, once you get into it, you get into it. We bought a 15’ Silverline and it had an 85 horsepower Mercury. It was kind of a sports boat and we went fishing. It served both worlds. We would go to a place on the river, put the boat on shore, and go fishing from the beach. Wisconsin River had stripers, walleye, and occasionally we caught sturgeons. I remember driving that boat. You hear of people now buying their first boat being a 50-footer. I didn’t think of it until now but we had a progression. From pond to 7 ½ horsepower to 85 horsepower. We started from the smallest and learned.

On watersports entering the picture…..It was being at the right place at the right time. We were in the Wisconsin Dells and we went to the Tommy Bartlett Water Ski Show. I tried skiing the year before that and the cottage came with a pair of Cypress Garden skis. But we never skied before. For some reason, I was the one to try it. We tried it and tried it and I couldn’t get up because we didn’t know what we were doing. We went back to fishing. The next summer we saw the show and that was the game changer. I saw water skiing and jumping and all the tricks they did and barefooting really intrigued me.

On going from not getting up to hooked…..We would also boat on Round Lake in Northern IL. My brother bought a pair of skis and he learned from a friend. And that friend said he would help me. I didn’t want to get up on skis, I was into fishing. He was insistent and he got in the water and showed me how the skis and my legs should be positioned. I was more comfortable with him in the water with me. The first try I got up 50 or 60 feet. We tried one more time and boom, I got around the whole lake. The coaching was a big inspiration. Going from trial and error to having someone with me. I think that coaching in any discipline is really important. The coaching for me was watching the ski show. I would watch it over and over. I had to go up the ladder. I learned to get up on two skis, then I learned to slalom ski, get up on a single ski. That all was self-taught.

On training for skiing…..I remember skiing so much one Sunday that when I landed back at the beach I couldn’t move. Back then I didn’t know what I was doing. Once you start coaching people and writing about it, you start thinking about it. When I train I push myself but in a good way where I can’t get hurt. I’m a believer that if you stay within a certain range of technique and not over training, that it’s hard to get hurt. So, what I do is a push myself but I pace myself. I’m in tune with my body so I know when I need to stop or take a break. I can tell when I teach other people that they don’t have that sensitivity.

On what you can do off the water to see improvement on the water…..If you’re gonna focus on one main thing it’s eating right. I’ve been through this, I’ve gone and skied a ton and gone to the gym and I was getting out of shape because I wasn’t eating right. Eating right is the basic foundation so that any training you do after that will be complemented. If you don’t eat right your training won’t be as effective. I know a lot of people do yoga, it’s great for stretching. I’m not a big fan of doing too much at the gym because I see people who are hardcore at the gym and then they get hurt. Any kind of workout should be a light workout, stretching exercises, yoga or pilates; those are all great for skiing. You want a high strength-to-weight ratio.

On what to look for in a good coach…..Have someone who has a really good understanding of technique. It’s not trial and error. There’s a lot more information now. Someone who understands body position., how you should be on your skis and on your feet. Someone who has a deeper thought about it than let’s go out and try it.

On how to be a good tow sport driver…..If you want to learn to be a good driver, the main thing is to listen to the skier. It’s not about you, it’s about the skier. You have to listen to what they want and develop a sensitivity to what they want. Then you have to become sensitive to the surroundings and waterways, to seeing speed and how you accelerate, that you’re not abrupt, and be aware of traffic around you. Your job is to drive for the skier in tow, not just to drive for fun.

On innovation in boat manufacturing…..The innovation on boats keeps getting better. You’re seeing boats that do specific things better than before. Unlike a lot of other segments of boating, the water sports industry cares about the wake. Every wake is different. The slalom wake is different than the wakeboard wake, which is different than the hot sport right now which is the wake surfing wake. The tow boat companies are creating features in the wake to make the experience better for the person behind the boat.

On similarities and differences across tow sports…..There are some differences but a lot of similarities. The biggest similarity is the balance point. Your body position is very key to all those events. The key element is to have your weight centered over the middle of your feet. Most people ski or wakeboard more heel heavy. You can do a small change in your body position which will put your weight over the center of your feet and that’s a focus in all water sports.

On advice for getting started…..With boating or getting into tow sports, it’s coaching. Absolutely have someone coach you. Don’t do it by trial and error. It’s going to take longer and you have a really good chance of forming bad habits. It’s harder to get rid of bad habits than to teach someone good habits. Get coaching right now, today, whatever level you’re at. You’ll progress much quicker and you’ll enjoy it more!

There was SO much I did not get to with Zenon and we will have to talk again. His experiences competing at the highest level of the sport, traveling the world, writing for various publications, getting back into competition at the age of 55 and more are all things we didn’t get to tackle.

I really enjoyed recording this episode, as the guest is a friend who I have been fortunate to have a lot of fun on the water with.

Chris Hefferen currently helps manage Subsea Fleet Support for Noble, a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. The company owns and operates one of the most modern, versatile and technically advanced fleets in the offshore drilling industry. Noble performs, through its subsidiaries, contract drilling services with a fleet of 28 offshore drilling units, consisting of 14 drillships and semisubmersibles and 14 jackups, focused largely on ultra-deepwater and high-specification jackup drilling opportunities in both established and emerging regions worldwide. Chris has been with Noble since 2011 and has traveled the world maintaining their fleet, doing rotations of up to 90 days living aboard the ships.

Chris grew up sailing with his father off the coast of Massachusetts and attended the Massachusetts Maritime Academy where he concentrated in Marine Engineering and was a member of the varsity sailing team.

When he’s not at sea for work, he is at sea for fun aboard his C&C 41 Leverage, which he purchased at the age of 25 to fully dedicate himself to the boating lifestyle. Chris has extensive regatta and offshore long-distance sailing experience – for instance he has completed 7 round trip sails from New England to the Caribbean, including multiple trips with just himself and one crew, and just as many Figawi races from Cape Cod to Nantucket.

I have had the pleasure of being a guest on Chris’s boat many times including a week in the BVI, many of the previously mentioned Figawi races, sails in Newport, RI and Boston, MA, and more. Chris is a first rate captain and I am truly indebted to him for helping create some of my all time favorite memories on the water.

This is a really fun interview with some great stories from sea including an incredibly harrowing tale of foul weather way off shore around the 16-minute mark, working on 90 day rotations off shore, and his ambitious sailing goals he'd like to accomplish before the age of 40. This is jam packed with too many stories to write so give a listen, and if you’re in the market for a sailboat, check out his listing. Enjoy!

On his sailing start.....I started out sailing when I was young. My dad had smaller sailboats off the coast of MA. As I progressed I went to Mass Maritime Academy and joined their sailing team. From there I ended up doing some off shore racing and sailing and the play part came when I purchased my own boat at 25 years old. I bought that before I ever bought a house. I learned strictly through my dad, I never had any opportunity to go to a sailing school or anything. We usually sailed just off the coast of Newburyport, MA and Portsmouth, NH. Usually day sailing and a couple of overnight trips.

On getting into racing.....Racing didn’t come until I went to college. I actually got cut my freshman year first semester. I had sailed and had plenty of experience but I didn’t have the gear or terminology down. I tried out the next semester and did make the team. The dynamics of sailing are the same, I always tried to make the boat go as fast as possible so that part was easy. It was more the tactics against other boats and trying to position yourself ahead of them or in the right spot to make sure you can stay ahead and beat them ultimately. We would go through drills, but it was more observing the better or more senior people and the coach would have some input as well.

On some of his favorite college races.....We raced from Maine to Annapolis. They had quite a program down at the Naval Academy. They had 44 foot sailboats all of the same kind. That was a lot of fun having a one-design sailboat so you didn’t have to rely on any kind of rating system to keep the playing field level.

On deciding to attend Mass Maritime.....My dad knew that I liked to be outside and work with my hands, and being close to the water. I went my sophomore year and looked around, and all the beaches and water was intriguing to me. They had an engineering program and all the boats around. I applied early and got in early and never looked at another school. The backup plan was…there was no backup plan.

On the inspiration for buying his own boat.....When I went to Mass Maritime, I met quite a few people who didn’t go to school there and one of them introduced me to the off shore sailing aspect. I did a few off shore deliveries with him on other people's boats, moving them from Massachusetts to the Caribbean. I did one delivery on a Swan 48.We sailed 9 days straight to the Caribbean and I remember approaching the islands and seeing the clear waters and blue colors and that’s when I decided I needed my own boat that could go offshore, I could handle by myself, and something that I could live on so that I could reach those places on my own terms and own schedule.

On DIY work around the boat.....The reason I do the work myself is it saves me a lot of money. It's hard to find marine technicians. And I like to know all the ins and outs of my boats, especially doing trips off shore where I am completely reliant on the boat. If something fails I know where it is and how to fix it, I think that’s the most important part of DIY work.

On his favorite places to sail.....In New England, my favorite place is Nantucket. Everyone is on vacation there. It is completely relaxing and fun and has beautiful beaches. Bermuda is a wonderful spot as well. Not only do they have incredible waters, flight-wise its only two hours from Boston. The people are friendly, it's a very protected island, and in the way of off shore sailing it was put in a perfect place to be a harbor of refuge between New England and the Caribbean. I started off sailing in the BVI when I took my boat down the first time and that is a beautiful area. I know they were recently hit by two devastating hurricanes and it’s a different landscape from when I last saw but the beauty is still there and the people are friendly. The water is the same temperature as the air and the wind is always blowing perfectly.

On what he is looking for in his next boat.....I want the strength of the current boat that I have, I like the speed for its size. But I'd like more tankage, and a couple more cabins so that families and friends can join us wherever we sail off to next. Ultimately the goal is to cross the Atlantic from New England before I'm 40 and see some of the Mediterranean, then down to the Caribbean and come back up, the great Atlantic Loop (Ed note: I think Chris made this term up, but I like it and what a great goal!). I'm looking for a boat strong enough to do that, 50-60 feet. There's a wide range of boats out there. I've looked at modern boats, classic cruising boats. I’m excited for the next chapter.

On sail versus power.....I’m partners in an old 18 foot bass boat, a 1956 Palmer Scott built in New Bedford, MA. It currently needs a bit of work before we put it in next year. But when it comes to sailing the distance, I prefer to use the wind instead of fuel to get across oceans.

On life aboard the work boats.....I did about five years on oil tankers running between Alaska and if we got lucky down to Hawaii. I used to do 75-90 day rotations and that got a little old. I looked for something shorter and decided to move to drill ships and became an engineer on a drilling rig. It floats in about 10,000 feet of water using thrusters to keep itself on location and drilling into the earth as deep as 40,000 feet. Since then I've shifted into Subsea engineering. We maintain the blowup preventer and all the associated equipment.

On the best boating advice received.....The best advice is have your ducks in a row when it comes to safety. That was always drilled into my head and now that I skipper my own boat I would never want to hurt anybody on board and think about what I could have done differently. Other than that it's being comfortable on the water. To have a nice day on the water you have to be relaxed and comfortable with your boat and what you’re doing and that goes out to everybody else's attitude and affects them to positively have a nice day.

On essential equipment.....Life jackets are a basic, simple thing to have on board but that’s a great start right there. I have an EPIRB on board and that gives me a lot of comfort knowing wherever I am in the world I can activate that and help is on its way. I also carry a life raft when I go anywhere off shore, it would be foolish not to.

As I mentioned, there's a lot more packed into this half hour, so give a listen and let us know what your boating goals and dream destinations are! 

One of the things I have come to realize in talking to so many boaters over the last few years is that boating in and of itself is great, but often times it is the means to another end. It is a gateway to a wide variety of activities and experiences that bring happiness into so many lives. Just think of all the things boating can give you access to: fishing, diving, cruising, skiing, wake boarding and wake surfing, time with family and friends, camping and hiking in remote places, boating up to restaurants...the list goes on and on! My last two guests in particular were great reminders of the fact that it isn't just boating, there are many other ways to enjoy the water. Nathan Heber talked about his love of kite-surfing that spawned from his days of sailing, and Rachel Johnson is now an avid stand-up paddle-boarder after growing up on powerboats. The things they all have in common are the love of the outdoors, the appreciation of nature, and of course - the water. Put all these people on or near water and you have a formula for instant happiness. I hope you all find the same. 

Rachel Johnson is the Executive Director of the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC). She oversees the strategic direction and daily operations in support of the NSBC’s mission of Safer Boating through Education, Outreach, and Training. Rachel has been with the NSBC for nine years, previously as its Communications Director.

Rachel was recently appointed by the Department of Homeland Security to serve as a member of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council, has done extensive committee work with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators as Subcommittee Chair and Committee Member, and, most recently, her article on the importance of developing and implementing grassroots campaigns and their impact on positively changing people’s behaviors was published in the U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings magazine.

Rachel was recently recognized with PR News’ People to Watch in PR Under 30 and the Association Forum and USAE’s “Forty Under 40,” recognizing 40 up-and-coming association or nonprofit professionals under the age of 40. Among other accolades, under her management, the NSBC’s “Ready, Set, Wear It!” Life Jacket World Record Day received ASAE’s 2013 prestigious Summit Award for making “America and the world a better place to live” and, in 2016 alone, the NSBC was recognized with eight national awards.

Rachel and I discussed, of course, safe boating and some of the outreach initiatives they are working on; how she has fun on, and below, the water through her stand up paddle boarding and scuba diving hobbies, and lots more!

On their latest outreach.....Our Get Connected campaign is our newest campaign. The idea behind this is letting boaters know about the engine cut off device and how, if you're wearing it, you can stop what could potentially be a tragic propeller strike or something similar. It is really a positive campaign and we want to focus on the proactive always wearing it.

On living the boating lifestyle.....I’m originally from outside of Baltimore and I grew up on the Bush River. My parents had a 23’ powerboat. These days I’ve traded it in for a stand up paddleboard. I like that slow, easy style of the SUP. My parents had two boats that I remember. One was a smaller 19’ Bayliner. Then they upgraded to a Trojan powerboat. They also had a couple of PWCs. For me it was just about being out on the water. My first job was a lifeguard at one of the yacht clubs. 

On what attracts people into boating.....Every story is so personal. the water draws you in of course and I think all of us share that. But why it draws you in differs – some people love to go fishing, or crabbing at 5am, whereas some like me just want to relax on a quiet Saturday morning. Some people just want to hang out by the dock. They want to relax and hang out with their friends. It draws out your sense of adventure, but everybody’s story is a little different.

On spreading the word about boat safety.....Nowadays, with social media and more access to non-profits and to companies, the safety side of things has changed. It’s so much more readily accessible than it was when I was growing up.  Things like the media and social media are helping to bring these important topics to the front so we can have these important conversations. Bringing in some spokespeople that speak to our audiences help. Shaw Grigsby was wonderful to work with. And just last month we introrduced a PSA with Hunter Bland. He says to this day ‘I would not be here if it were not for my life jacket and engine cut off device.’These people’s lives get changed by a couple of seconds and people like Hunter want to do such good in the world sharing their stories so others don’t have to face the same consequences.

On the importance of partner organizations.....We have an incredible member base. This past year we introduced two new categories for instructors and instructor trainers that want to get more into the training side. We have member organizations and what I really love about them is how varied they are. We have other non-profits, boating and water safety groups, local USCG Auxiliary Groups and Power Squadrons, manufacturers and the commercial industry side. Even though we come from different audiences, we’re all sharing that same message

On the the hazards of Boating Under the Influence.....Last year, where the primary cause was known, alcohol was listed as the leading factor in 15% of deaths. We partner with NASBLA on their Operation Dry Water campaign. Nationwide they work wit state agencies to ramp up enforcement. We support them with our outreach efforts. You can have fun enjoying what boating offers without boating under the influence.

On bringing safe boating to children.....We’re coming out with an entire new youth program. The sidekicks activity books teach kids about boating safely. They are absolutely amazing but we have been using those characters for 20 year so coming up in the very near future we are printing new books to bring in the next wave of our youth program!

On her scuba passion.....We’re big scuba divers and have been around the world to go to different dive sites. My husband was a rescue diver in the Navy and has thousands of dives under his belt. I’ve always loved the water and I thought 'why am I not under the water, why am I not closer to this beautiful nature?' I started diving around 21 or 22. We got to dive with some reef sharks in the Bahamas. We went to Bermuda and went diving there. Costa Rica was an amazing dive, we saw a barracuda. The one that will never be beat is when we went diving in December in Iceland alongside the Tectonic Plates.

Additional safety tips.....On a national level, the life jacket wear rate for adults is really low. Last year, 83% of those that drowned weren’t wearing a life jacket. We always want adults wearing their life jackets. Boating under the influence is a big one for us. And then some other simple things before your trip like filing a float plan. The Coast Guard has a free app where you can file the float plan and send it to a friend. Another one is taking a safe boating course. One other is think about the weather before and throughout your boating trip. Don’t be afraid to postpone it if the weather is bad.

On advice for soon-to-be boaters.....Get out there and try different types of boats! There are things like boat clubs. Take up your friends offer. Try out different types. Think about what you want to do on the boat. It’s such a gateway to other activities. Sometimes the boat is what gets you to what you want to do. Discover Boating helps you determine which boat might be right for you. Seek out the experts and see what resources they might have for you.  

Alex Caslow, with his wife KC, founded and owns Red Beard Sailing, the official US dealers for MiniCat, Xcat, Reverso, and RowOnAir brands. Alex was introduced to sailing by his grandfather at a young age and has been able to turn that passion into a career, helping others experience the same joy he gets out on the water under sail. In 2015, they did some extensive research looking for a portable sailboat option as consumers, and were so blown away by the MiniCat that they built a business around it. They then added XCat and later Reverso and RowOnAir, and Red Beard Sailing started to take off.

The flagship line, Minicat, is a unique, small and light, but full-bodied sailing boat – a catamaran with inflatable floats. With excellent sailing characteristics and simple control, MiniCat appeals to young budding yachtsmen, experienced sailors, and even world explorers such as Laura Dekker.

All MiniCat models fit in a car, camper, yacht, or on a plane. They can be assembled in 30 minutes or less, with no extra tools required.

Alex and KC have decided that will be involved in many charitable sailing events nationwide and have made it part of their mission to keep today's youth involved with sailing and provide children everywhere with an opportunity to experience the sport.

Hope you enjoy my conversation with Alex ‘Red Beard’ Caslow.

This was such a fun conversation to record. Dan is one of my oldest friends and the person who introduced me to boating. Dan was on boats before he could walk and it wasn’t long after that he was fishing. My earliest boating memories are on Jinx, the Torres fishing boat Dan’s dad would take us out on in Montauk.

Dan is currently CEO of Dan Glickberg Food, a venture capital family office and media company, and a partner at Rodeo CPG, an advisory services and venture capital fund.

Previously, he was the fourth-generation founding family member at Fairway Market. This is where Dan truly became THE expert on fish and seafood as Fairway had one of the top seafood departments in the country. At Fairway he quickly earned the nickname “the face of Fairway Market.”  Dan took an active role in promoting the company through his cooking demonstrations, both in the stores and on TV. He also lent his expertise on "At The Table" segments on WOR Radio’s Joan Hamburg Show and on "To The Market" segments on WOR Radio’s Joe Bartlett Show.  

With Dan Glickberg Food and Rodeo CPG, Dan is actively engaged in venture capital opportunities and consulting in the food industry.  He was also an investor and star on the Food Network series Food Fortunes and was named one of Gotham Magazine's Top 100 bachelors in New York City in October in 2014. 

This episode features some great fishing stories, practical equipment advice, and culinary tips you don't want to miss. Enjoy! 

On starting to boat…..I've been on boats since before I could remember. I started out on the docks, in Montauk where my dad was an avid fisherman. By the time I could walk he took me out on the water and I've been hooked ever since.  

On the first boat he was on.....It must have been a 25 foot Mako fishing boat. My dad had already bought a couple of used boats before that but the Mako was his dream boat and once he got that, we were out fishing all the time. 

On his earliest memories…..My first memory was catching a striped bass. This was back in 1990 and striped bass had not made their big comeback yet so catching a striped bass was a big prize.  

On learning to boat…..When I first started off my father was pretty protective of me so I started by tying lines, doing odds and ends, obviously cleaning the boat. As I got older and I mastered all the things around the boat, my father took us out of the inlet and after a couple minutes said 'your turn to steer the boat.' We switched seats and I learned by doing it. To me there's no trick, it takes a little time, a little experience, but once you do it often being on a becomes second nature. It's really about putting in the time. 

On fishing in Montauk…..We were usually fishing for striped bass, fluke, porgies, and sea bass. We would go out for tuna once or twice a summer. The Atlantic Canyon, where the continental shelf is, seems to be a great place for not only tuna, but also Mahi Mahi.

On catching tuna…..We'd go out there, we'd fish for mahi for a couple hours. They tend to hang around lobster pots and buoys. We'd spend the whole night chunking for tune. We'd get them to bite sometime after midnight and we'd spend the morning hours pretty much non-stop fish. It was an amazing experience. 

On time spent on the water.....Being out on the water is really about the people you are with and the stories you tell. It's really a time when you can put everything else going on in your life away, put your cell phone away, and detach and focus on being in the moment. 

On his favorite place to fish…..I love the Florida Keys. I love backcountry fishing. I really enjoy sight fishing where you see the fish you want to catch and you throw your bait in the line you think that fish is gonna go. We'd go tarpon fishing, bone fishing. We'd go fishing for snook. If I could only go fishing one place the rest of my life, that would be it. Catching a tarpon is something that, if you haven't done it before, you go out and do it. It's similar to tuna except they jump and they have nowhere to go but straight out. 

On where he hasn't fished but would like to…..The Bahamas, that's supposed to be the epicenter of bonefishing. The bonefish are so thick that you don't even have to go in a boat, you can actually just wade by the shore and you have schools of hundreds of fish coming by every five to ten minutes. 

On his most embarrassing moment on the water..…I was seven or eight, we were coming back to shore from a shark tournament, and we caught this huge thresher shark, over 200 pounds. As we hit the inlet, you're supposed to call the dock and tell them what you caught. My dad told them I caught it. So as we're pulling into the dock, everyone is cheering, we had this huge shark, and I would not come out of the cabin. I was hysterically crying and my mom had to come onto the boat to get me to come out of the cabin. 

On his dream boat…..My dad had a boat maker down in the Keys named Claude Torres, and obviously his boat was called a Torres. That was really his first heavy duty fishing boat. He went through two or three of those, 38 feet. They took to the sea really well. I have way too many childhood memories on that boat to want anything else. 

On boating as part of his family lifestyle....It has to be. The water is too big a part of my life. I can't imagine my life without boating. I'd do the same thing, as soon as my kid can walk I'd get him or her a life jacket and get out there learning at a young age. 

On boating equipment…..One thing people might forget, and to me it's the most important item that you can have when you're out on the water, is a good pair of sunglasses, definitely polarized. I think you tend to forget how much the sun reflects off the water. Do not leave the dock without a good pair of sunglasses. 

On essential fishing gear…..If you're getting started, you have to have a good rod. For the pole I like an Ugly Stik, and for the reel I like a Penn reel.

On seafood.....Most of the seafood I ate growing up was caught that day. We'd go out, catch a bunch of fish, and then eat it that night. So I was always really into seafood. It's a great source of protein, very healthy. Because fishing and seafood were such a big part of my life growing up, it seeped into the family business and we had one of the best seafood departments in the city, if not the country. 

Favorite fish to eat…..It changes from season to season and it depends on what part of the country I'm in. I definitely like local seafood, if it's line caught even better. In New York my favorite fish is fluke or flounder. Very mild, love the flavor. You don't need much more than butter and fresh herbs and lemon. If I'm going out on the West Coast I'll probably do something like halibut. Down in Florida my favorite fish is yellowtail. 

Easiest fish to cook…..Salmon is probably the easiest fish to cook. You can just put some olive oil, some lemon juice, and some fresh herbs on it. Put it on the pan, brown both sides, and put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes depending on how big a filet it is. With any fish, especially if the skin is on it, put the skin side down first, and then flip it to the filet side and you want to cook them for about the same amount of time. If you cook it well enough on the skin side, you can actually eat the skin. It tastes pretty good, very high in protein and Omega-3's. 

On what to drink with fish..…What I love, especially in the summer, is we have this somewhat new brewery called Grimm. I'll take a good, light Grimm Sour Ale. With fish you definitely don't want anything that's too big. If you want to go with wine you could definitely go with white wine or if you want to go with red wine you could do something like a Pinot Noir from Oregon which tends to be on the lighter side. 

On lessons learned on the water..…I think being aware of your surroundings is very important. It's always important to be safe. That's something I've carried with me, always being aware of my surroundings and what's going on in the world around me. As we've gotten older and we have more and more technology, being able to unplug and disconnect from the outside world and enjoy being in the moment is extremely important. 

On success in the boating world..…Frank Mundus (passed away 2008). He was a fisherman in Montauk, best known for being the #1 Great White fisherman in the world. He was the basis for the captain in JAWS. 

Final advice for boaters…..If you are thinking about getting out on the water, definitely go and do it. There is no time better than the present!  

I had a great time speaking with Dan and remembering some of our best times on the family boat…and can’t wait to go bonefishing in the Bahamas with him! Leave any questions or comments below.

Niels Kisling is in charge of Marine Sales and Marketing at Davis Instruments, a company with a huge range of products for sailors and powerboaters. Many of you boaters and especially sailors are probably using or have used Davis products and may not even know it. In 2017, Neils accepted the Miami International Boat Show Innovation Award in the Category of Boat Care and Maintenance for their Snap Tool Multi-Key.

Niels has spent his entire life boating and sailing, on boats his father hand made! From a rowboat to a 20’ catamaran, Captain Kisling provided Niels a variety of ways to enjoy the water from a young age. Niels grew up boating on Long Island but moved to the West Coast in elementary school and continued pursuing his love of boating off of Capitola, California. It is here that one of the most harrowing events one can imagine occurred in Niels life. Sailing in a race from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara, Niels and his two boatmates got caught in bad weather, hit by a freak wave, and capsized. Sadly, both of Niels friends succumbed to exposure, but Niels persevered. After almost 24 hours at sea, through the sheer power of will, he stayed with it until a tanker saw him a half mile away and maneuvered to rescue him. The power of Niels spirit continues to shine through to this day as he chooses to live his life to the fullest, helping people enjoy the water and spreading the word about safe boating.

While we did not get into details about this event, we did have a great discussion about how he got started in boating, navigating at sea, Davis products for everyday boaters, a unique partnership with the O’Neill Sea Odyssey, and more. Enjoy!

On his current boating life.....I’m about five miles away from the harbor. We have a boat that was built in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz was the leader of the light boat design concept back in the 70’s. It’s a Wilderness 40, designed by Gary Mull and it was built by Wilderness Boatworks just about eight miles from where I live.

On boating as a child.....I was born in Long Island, NY. My folks moved us out here when I was nine years old. In Long Island we were boating but it was a much different kind of boating. My dad built all our boats and our biggest boat was a 20’ catamaran. We lived on the Bay and the boating was very serene, the wind didn’t blow very hard. Our smallest boat was a little rowboat my dad made me when I was three years old. It was five feet long with four foot oars and I used to be able to take that out by myself any time I wanted to.

On boating in his blood.....My dad called himself Captain Kisling, that’s where I got my handle Captain Niels. He went to sea when he was sixteen years old. This was back in 1922. He didn’t have much interest in school so he left home and went to sea on a Danish trading schooner that sailed between Denmark and England. Then he became a third mate and became a radio operator on ships sailing between Denmark and the Far East and Denmark and the Caribbean.

On learning to boat.....I think I learned by osmosis, or learned by watching my dad. We used to go sailing and he would ask me to do tasks and I would do it. It was always very relaxed, I never got yelled at. He would encourage us to do things and if we did it right he would praise us. I think that rubbed off. When I take people sailing today we are very casual. There's no yelling or screaming, just a lot of explaining.

On teaching kids to boat.....I think one of the biggest things that parents can do wrong is to expect that their children are going to enjoy the same boating lifestyle that they do, and some parents can put a lot of pressure on that. I've taken my boys out on the sailboat ever since they were six weeks old. This morning I was talking about what my son's earliest memory might be and Christian told me his earliest memory was laying in the bean bag in the cockpit looking up at the sails. I thought that was pretty cool.

On the Davis product line.....If you're a sailor, you know our Windex wind vane. We have been the North American manufacturer and distributor for going on forty years. Most people with a sailboat look up at their masthead and see your Windex up there. It was designed really well back in the 60’s and still works really well to this day. The next most popular product is Davis Fiberglass Stain Remover. We sell a bunch of it to the US Navy. You’ve got Happy Troller which is great for fishermen trying to slow down their motors. You’ve got Queaz-Away wrist bands which keep you from getting seasick. The whole company was founded on plastic sextants and navigation tools.

On the importance of learning navigation skills.....People are losing the ability to put an X on the chart to locate their position. I’m still a believer in paper charts. I encourage my kids when we sail to plot their position on a chart. You can do that with a GPS if you do it on a regular basis. If the GPS ever goes out you only have to go back an hour or two and you know where you were. I think it’s a pretty important thing. One of the coolest things that Davis has experienced lately is that the US Navy has made it mandatory to have a sextant on board and to have two people who know how to use it. For a long time the US Navy discontinued celestial navigation because GPS is so bulletproof but about ten years ago somebody got smart and realized that our electronic navigation can shut down any time and all of a sudden you have Navy ships out there that don’t know where they are. Sextant navigation being in demand on Navy ships has increased demand for home hobbyists and boaters.

On the O'Neill Sea Odyssey program.....Jack O’Neill founded this program with Tim O’Neill. They had the concept that they’d like to give back to the community so they made a foundation called the O’Neill Sea Odyssey Foundation where they take schoolchildren out in their sixty foot catamaran for free but in order to be taken out your school has to perform ten hours of community service. It’s a two part program where they take you out on the boat and collect plankton, do navigation with our compasses, and have a little program about the environment and effects of pollution on the ocean, then they go up to the classroom and have a one or two hour program to back up what they do on the water. Right now they are at 995,000 kids they have taken out and this summer they are going to have their one millionth kid on the water.

On the most important item to bring boating.....My kids and I always wear our inflatable lifejackets. We really like our inflatable life vests because you don’t even know you have them on but if you fall in the water they’re a huge benefit. Now I realize that all I have to do is slip or fall in the water or hit my head and it’d be very stupid not to have a life jacket on, or have it down below. I think that’s probably the single most important piece of equipment we go boating with.

On the best piece of boating advice received.....I was always bothered by sailing downwind. I was always afraid of jibing by accident. My seventh-grade school teacher who built a boat with me taught me the simplest piece of advice that I’ve passed on to thousands of people - 'If you’re afraid you’re close to a jibe, push the tiller towards the boom'. When you do that, the boat comes up into the wind and you get further away from a jibe situation. General boating advice, I think somebody told me a long time ago to go out there and have a good time. Boating gets you to live in the moment. When you’re out there boating it’s all about what you're doing right this second in time. It's not about what bills you have to pay or what appointments you have back on land. Living in the moment is why I go boating.

It is always exciting speaking to and learning from others who are advancing the subscription and membership boating model, especially seeing all of the different market segments who are finding value in this way of boating. One such leader has found traction in the premium luxury subscription segment and I had a great time speaking with First Mariners Club founder, Kevin Dorry. Kevin is an entrepreneur and adventurer with a successful track record as the founder of a web development firm and co-founder of RewardJet, a program boasting over 300,000 members. Beyond the corporate world, he is an Ironman triathlete, marathoner, licensed pilot, 200GRT boat captain, and master scuba diver. We discussed his first job in boating on the Circle Line cruise boats, how First Mariners Club began and their amazing fleet, and about the many benefits of the subscription boating model. We are both strong advocates for the membership boating lifestyle, but provide it in a very different way. If you spend a lot of time in South Florida, and are looking for an amazing way to enjoy luxury experiences on the water, check out the First Mariners Club! Enjoy the conversation! 

Matt Putnam is a founding partner and Managing Director of the Leisure Property Advisors. He specializes in the sale of marina, golf and leisure properties throughout the United States and Canada. Prior to becoming a broker, he served as the financial analyst and marketing coordinator for the National Golf and Resort Properties Group for two years. Matt has held an active real estate license since 2006 and been in the Leisure Properties industry since 2009.

In addition to investment sales, Matt and his team focus on building advisory relationships with clients and routinely provide market research, financial analysis and management best practices at every point through the property ownership life cycle. Matt has served a wide range of clientele from single property owner-users to $100B pension funds and everything in between. Matt has been a part of transacting more than 40 leisure properties since 2011. Matt served as the national marina director at Marcus & Millichap and was an integral part of launching and building the marina division there. 

Matt grew up in Florida on and around the water starting boating and fishing from a young age with his grandparents. Matt’s had lots of experience owning his own boat and as a Freedom Boat Club member and still gets out on the water and makes it a big part of his family’s life with his wife and his daughter.

Matt and I talked about his experience growing up around the water, how he got into leisure properties, some really great insight into what’s going on in the marina ownership world, and most importantly for boaters, advice on how to pick a marina and what to look for when you’re deciding on where to keep your boat.

Growing up in Florida…..

I am in Tampa and I’ve lived my whole life in Florida. I grew up in Dunedin, on the water on the west coast. I grew up with an appreciation for the water. My grandparents grew up in Englewood and we did a lot of fishing and boating and developed an appreciation for the water early on. As far back as I can remember I was fishing at the dock at my grandparent’s house. My grandpa had two boats so we would go fishing regularly and if I wasn’t on the boat I was on the dock or the seawall fishing. They also had a home up on Saginaw Bay and we spent a lot of summer time there in the water and on the water. I didn’t start fishing in the area I live until early high school when some of my friends started to have access to parents’ boats so I’ve been fishing in this area about 20 years.

Learning to drive the boat…..

We had a couple experiences here and there from a pretty young age but it didn’t always go well. My grandparents lived in a canal and there was always the prospect of turning a boat around in a tight space. I remember trying to help my grandpa do that on a couple occasions that always ended with him taking the wheel and setting the boat back in the right direction.

Owning a boat…..

My first experience with my own boat was once I moved back here from the Panhandle. I tease my wife, we had dated for quite a while and I bought my first boat before I bought her engagement ring so that was the tone that I set and she always teases me about that. We had a Maverick flats boat that we spent a lot of time fishing here locally and trailering down to the Keys for lobster season and to fish and dive down there.

The family boating lifestyle…..

My wife didn’t grow up boating in the capacity that I did but she took to it from early on in our relationship. She loves being on the water. We’ve got a four-year-old little girl that now has the same affinity for being on the water whether it’s fishing or just cruising out to an island and spending time in and around the water. And our dog is the same, he loves to be on the boat as well.

Joining Freedom Boat Club…..

We sold our boat when we were pregnant. It was a flats boat, very low to the water gunwales and we didn’t want a toddler moving around on a boat that didn’t offer a whole lot of protection. We sold it with the idea that we would get a bigger boat and life got in the way. Earlier this year we finally said - we're sick of not being on the water in the capacity that we're used to and we love doing - so we joined Freedom Boat Club and we’ve gotten a heck of a lot of use out of it, both personally and I’ve gotten to use it for business.

A typical day on the water…..

Our day out on the water consists of fishing for a couple of hours, probably boating to a restaurant to grab lunch, and then spending time on our barrier islands here. I’ve got a friend of mine who owns a charter fishing business down here so the more serious fishing is done with him. We go offshore so we’re typically targeting grouper or snapper and every once in awhile we'll catch a cobia or kingfish.

Current state of the ‘hot’ marina market…..

These generational assets that have been in families for multiple generations and for whatever reason the next generation doesn’t have the interest, passion, or desire to take over the family business, we see that a lot. And there are a couple of big groups that are very well capitalized buying marinas in scale trying to execute on a business plan. You’ve got this top down consolidation, two or three big groups out there actively acquiring marinas. And it’s just like anything else. Once people see these big firms going after a product type, it becomes more desirable to them as well. At the end of the day, worst case scenario in a lot of cases, you end up with waterfront property!

Helping marina owners…..

We are a true full-service real estate firm. That means we’ve got folks that focus solely on debt and equity, we’ve got a valuation team that does appraisals, project management, all the way through the gauntlet of an ownership period. We’ve tried to position ourselves to add value through that whole period.

Marina industry trends…..

I see the marina space trying to transition to more of a country club type atmosphere. People don’t want to just show up, get on their boat and never interact with anybody. A lot of times it’s folks bringing clients to the marina and they want that high level of service, they want their boat to be gassed up, they want ice, they want the dockhand to know their name. Beyond that, having other service lines gives somebody a reason to store their boat at a particular location. Investors often times are looking at a marina and thinking – what else can I do here? Marina owners are looking at how they can get more potential boaters to their property.

Helping boaters choose a marina…..

You want to look at the age and condition of the facility. If you're going into a dry stack, age and condition of the forklift. You don’t want an old beat up fork lift that could scratch and ding your boat. Same thing goes for wet slip marinas. Old beat up docks can beat up your boat pretty quick. And then it's just, how is it staffed, what is the level of service. Those things are pretty easy to tell just walking in, talking to people behind the desk. Then it's - what comes with storing my boat here, when you pull it out of the water, are you going to flush the engine and hose it down. What hours are you available to put my boat in and take it out.

Advice for boaters or aspiring boaters…..

The best piece of advice that I’ve ever received is just take it slow. Boats don’t have brakes so trying to do anything too quickly generally works out pretty poorly. And be open to constructive criticism. The people that I see pick it up the quickest and become the safest boaters are the ones who are willing to learn and take advice from people who have been doing it a long time.

I was able to catch up with Reagan Haynes, Senior reporter and social media manager for Soundings Trade Only, between her travel for stories. Reagan has been writing in-depth business analysis and news for the boating industry, specializing in banking and finance regarding the marine industry, as well as EPA and environmental standards in boating, for over 15 years. One of my favorite features each issue is Reagan’s Q&A with industry leaders. Reagan’s reporting has taken her across the country, and around the globe. Recent assignments include hurricane coverage in the Keys, political reporting in Alaska, boat shows in places like Newport, RI and more!

The boating industry continues to keep Reagan interested with a vast array of topics she has had the fortune of covering over the last decade-plus. In that time, she has come to not only feel personally attached to the experience of boating with her family, she has also become connected with boats themselves, people who love them, as well as those who make their living building them, selling them, and all things related to them.

Her stories have earned numerous awards over the years including the AP’s Best Business story of 2003 (in the region and circulation) with the Frederick News-Post, numerous Apex business story awards as a freelancer at Trade Only, and four straight years of Boat Writers International Awards for stories including: 2014 for the January 2013 article, “Insurance Costs Likely to Spiral”, 2015 (for 2014) was third for "Band of Sisters", 2016 (for 2015) was for "Bracing for Life Without Boomers”, and 2017 (for 2016) was for "Cheer up: We Could Be Golf".

In addition, Reagan was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of Sail America. If it is happening in the boating industry, there’s a good chance Reagan has written about it, interviewed someone who is in the middle of it, or has a plane ticket to go cover it. Enjoy!

On her latest travels…..Most recently I was in the Florida Keys. I was covering the damage from Hurricane Irma. I had never really seen anything like that before, pretty hard hit. I was there the day after they opened up. I didn’t expect it to be so leveled. Before that I was in Alaska with Yamaha Marine at a fishing Senate Subcommittee session on the Magnuson-Stevens Act. I was in Newport, great show, great traffic, and probably my next show will be Miami. That’s the best thing about my job, it’s always different.

On covering the Hurricanes…... I was there the day after they opened up. I didn’t expect it to be so leveled. I was pretty nervous to go down and ask people about their boats. I was worried that I was going to be talking about a thing when they were focused on basic needs being met. I was really surprised that after basic needs and helping each other out they were most concerned about their boats. The attachments that people have with their vessels, there was no other way for me to learn that in such a profound way than to talk to these people who had lost their boats.

On the importance of marine insurance companies…..Those guys with the insurance companies, they listen to these stories all day every day. The man I spoke to yesterday was 50 days in the field. I had never really considered insurance companies as first responders, but when things like this happen they really are.

On getting into and reconnecting with boating…..My second story for Soundings Trade Only was about the boating industry post 9/11. That struck me a lot because I had expected it to be a business story and what it turned out to be was about boating bringing people together. My dad had a little aluminum fishing boat when I was little and we always fished. I fished with my granddaddy who lived in Missouri. I was the sibling who liked to fish so we would go out on that. We still fish, but I drifted away from boats and boating. That story had an impact on me.

On why she loves the boating industry…..There are such great people and I get to be on boats all the time which is awesome. It’s a career people choose because its their passion and that’s the kind of people I like to surround myself with, people who do what they love.

On boating with the family…..We get out on boats any time we can. Most recently we went to New York City. Mercury Marine was holding a non-boating media event. I got our kids and husband on the water. My big kids got to try the joy stick control on a Scout. That was their favorite part of the whole trip. These are tourist destinations that draw people from all over the world and all three, hands down, their favorite part was the boat.

On most essential item to bring on the boat…..The dry bag. I’ve been burned too many times. I’m always writing on the boat and always have equipment on the boat. Gotta have one of those….

On her favorite boating destinations…..It’s hard to top Alaska but it’s probably tied with Cartagena, Columbia. In both places, the people are amazing, and it’s breathtakingly gorgeous.

On recent debuts that have impressed…..That Hinckley was pretty astounding. The Dasher is what they are calling it with twin Torqeedos. I thought that was pretty unique. It is so amazingly quiet, it’s just such a different experience to be under power and hearing nothing but the slap of the waves against the hull.

On some of her favorite interview subjects…..Shep McKenney, the way his mind works is pretty amazing. He developed the joystick on the Hinckley picnic boat. I just like that kind of mind. Instead of saying jet powered boats don’t operate as smoothly in close quarters, he said we can design around this. And then most recently with the Seakeeper Gyro. Anybody who thinks that instead of you just accept it, they can think and design around it, is really cool. Another person I love to interview always is Jack Ellis at Info-Link. He’s a big picture industry guy. He’s a lifetime boater. He sails and is a power boater so he has all perspectives. And he just loves data. He has really good ideas and is realistic about the industry and where it is and where it’s going and what might need to change in order for it to thrive.

On the attractiveness of joining the boating industry as a career…..One of the unique things about this industry that stands apart from other industries as I’ve seen them is there is a lot of room for upward mobility. You really can work your way up from any position to any position. You hear it all the time and I don’t see it changing.

On the importance of reaching women boaters…..There needs to be more focus on women. The industry makes a mistake assuming a woman won’t care about power or running boats. Women could drive a lot of growth if they were spoken to in a way that would assume that they do care about doing those things.

Reagan covered so much more in our conversation. Follow her @ReaganHaynes on Twitter to stay updated on all the great articles she is publishing.

It was a real treat speaking with John Giglio. John is President and CEO of Freedom Boat Club, the world’s largest and oldest private boating club in the nation now celebrating its 27th anniversary. With 15,000+ members in 115+ locations in the US and Canada and sporting a fleet of more than 1200 boats, Freedom Boat Club offers an attractive alternative to boat ownership and delivers memories that last a lifetime.

John, his wife Lisa and two daughters live in Venice, FL where the corporate headquarters are based. John purchased Freedom Boat Club in 2012, having previously worked for the company for several years in both senior level operations and sales capacities. Freedom Boat Club has doubled its growth since he took the helm. The company has received multiple recognitions both within and outside the marine industry. It has been named to the Entrepreneur’s Magazine “Top 500 Franchisees” for the past five years, as well as being ranked in the Inc. Magazine’s “Top 5000 Fastest Growing Companies.” Boating Industry Magazine named John to its roster of “Top 16 Movers and Shakers” in 2013.

John has a unique perspective on both boating and the boating industry. His experiences as a recreational boater, as the owner of a 450-boat fleet, and as a leader in the evolution of the boating industry all combine to make him an incredible resource and someone I have been able to learn a lot from. In this conversation, we cover things like learning to boat later in life, passing that knowledge onto your children, great places to boat and day trips in FL, industry trends and insight, who he would love to spend a day on the water with, and more. Enjoy!

On getting into boating…..I did not grow up boating but my wife did. Our first date was on a friend’s boat where we did some water skiing and our second date was on her waverunner. After those two fun events I was hooked, I knew that the boating lifestyle was something I wanted to be a part of. 

On learning to boat…..When I moved down to the west coast of Florida, my boss at the time had a big 42’ Hatteras. We would go out just about every weekend, either diving, or I got into spearfishing. They also had a few smaller boats so we would take those boats out. Just show up at my boss’s house, hop on one of the little 17’ Whalers, and run around for a little while. That’s where I got my one on one instruction from my wife.

On teaching his daughters to boat…..I have a fleet of over 450 boats and I vowed I was never going to buy a boat personally….but then I had kids! I bought a little 14’ side console to teach them how to operate. I made them take the Florida boating class so we can take them out on the boat and they can drive while I’m sitting right next to them. It’s been great teaching them how to operate a boat and getting them out on the water from a young age.

On favorite family activities…..We do a lot of inshore fishing, knee-boarding, tubing, and skiing. And then just general cruising. Where we are there are lot of waterfront restaurants and little beaches, a little place called Snake Island that we like to go to. It’s great family fun.

On his favorite place to boat…..We have a great area south of Venice called Lemon Bay. You’ve got a mixture of no wake zones, open areas. There’s great fishing. There’s a little place called Ski Alley. And then just further South there is a place called Don Pedro State Park which is a great place to go dock the boat and head down to the beach. We see dolphin, we see manatee, we sometimes see sea turtles. It is the perfect little Florida trip down the west coast.

On fishing offshore…..We take the boats between 20 and 25 miles offshore. There’s great grouper fishing, snapper when they’re in season, and amberjacks. So there’s a great variety and diversity of fish that you can catch offshore. But if the wind is blowing a little bit and the Gulf’s choppy, there’s also great recreating and fishing inshore. It’s just a beautiful area to go boating.

On boating all over the country…..The Carolinas are beautiful, the Great Lakes are beautiful, the West Coast of the US, beautiful. That’s one of the major benefits of this job, when I’m traveling and visiting the locations, I get to go to really really nice places. And every time I go someplace and I’m out on a boat, I think to myself ‘this is the nicest place I’ve been to.’ It goes to show you the lifestyle and how boating affects people because everywhere, regardless of the type of boating or the type of boat you’re on, you’re still on the water and it’s still a phenomenal experience being out there.

On his dream boat…..The more I know about boats, and with some of the boats being built now, I think for my lifestyle, a 23-25 foot center console is a perfect boat. That’s a boat that could stay inshore as well as go offshore. It’s cost effective. You can put a nice 4-stroke engine on the back of that and you’re not killing yourself in fuel.

On essential equipment for beginners…..The best investment anybody can make is some type of PFD (personal flotation device). From a safety standpoint that’s the biggest. From a boating standpoint, a second recommendation is that you pick up a handheld GPS, something that can make sure you get out safely and get back in safely.

On boating innovation…..There are a lot of technological advances now, specifically with marine electronics. The electronics companies have really started focusing on customer experience. Now they have 3D technology, so if you’re out there fishing you can actually get a 3D side scan reading and you can watch fish swimming by your boat. They have a lot of interactive electronics now so that all of the electronics on the boat operate the systems on the boat. You can pull up an app on the phone and you can see how hot the engine is running, you can get speed, diagnostic information. The engine manufacturers as well as the electronics manufacturers and boat manufacturers have really worked well the last few years so that it is as simple as it can possibly be for someone to take a boat out and operate it.

On changes in the industry…..There’s been a huge focus on trying to engage minority boaters. As the population base of the US changes dramatically, the demographics are changing dramatically. They are cultures that didn’t necessarily grow up boating but that is a huge opportunity for our industry. What you are going to see over the next several years, as the baby boomers age out of boating and the industry continues to look for the young people to get engaged in the industry, people are going to focus a lot more on bringing those new markets into the boating industry.

On new market outreach at Freedom Boat Club…..We really solve a lot of the industry’s problems. When you look at those markets, they’re people that are not traditional boaters so the club concept fits very well into their lifestyle, at least to begin getting them engaged in boating. We offer training, we offer a variety of boats, and those are two major hurdles when you’re bringing someone new into the industry. We get them comfortable and hopefully we create lifetime boaters.

On boating attrition (54% of boat buyers in 2005 are no longer boating)…..I can almost guarantee that the majority of those people aren’t boating today because they had a couple of really bad experiences when they started. Boating should be fun. The people on the boat should have a fun time and a safe time. With the training that we offer and with some training the industry is going to be coming out with, hopefully that will solve a big part of the attrition with boat buyers moving out of the industry. If they’re going to make that leap and buy a boat or join a club, we want them here for a long time.

On recommended reading…..I know its state specific but there is a Florida safe boating handbook. I think that from an educational standpoint, get some type of resource that’s going to explain the basics of boating before you get out on the water. The Florida safe boating handbook is something that I give to everybody whether they are considering the club or considering buying a boat.

On spending a day out on the water with anyone (besides his wife and kids)…..I would have to say Bill Belichik. I’m a huge Patriots fan and I think if you’re going to try to get some time with Bill Belichik, it probably needs to be on a boat where there aren’t any distractions. I think he’s a brilliant coach and a brilliant motivator and I’d love to pick his brain for a few hours.

On advice for someone thinking about getting into boating…..Do your research on whether buying a boat, renting boats, or joining a boat club are going to fit your lifestyle. And before you get on a boat, take a classroom class and a hands-on training class to make sure you’re comfortable. If you’re comfortable the first time, you’ll be comfortable beyond that.

We covered much more in our conversation. The hardest part of recording this episode was narrowing down what to talk about given his participation in so many different parts of the boating industry. Leave any questions or comments below! 

You could say Diane Seltzer is a jack-of-all trades in the marine world. In her day job Diane is the Marketing Director for SureShade. SureShade designs and manufactures innovative retractable sunshade systems for the marine industry that enhance and facilitate the boating experience. Diane is responsible for branding, public relations, social media implementation, advertising, web site management and marketing communications…and in her 8 years with the company has won multiple Marine Marketer of America awards and has seen it go from concept to factory installed option on over 100 boat models! Diane is also the founder and editor of multiple boating websites for boating enthusiasts including myboatlife.com and boaterkids.com. On the industry side, Diane is founder and editor of Marine Marketing Tools, a collaborative site to share marine marketing best practices, tools and resources - exclusively for boat dealers, marinas, boat builders, marine suppliers, boating product manufacturers and boating service providers. If that isn’t enough to keep her busy, Diane has also written and self-published a children’s book called The Amazing Adventures of Boat Girl!
And yes, she still has time to enjoy the boating lifestyle herself, anchoring out in her ‘spot’ with her husband and daughters and cruising the Chesapeake Bay. Diane and I covered a lot about starting to boat later in life, hitting milestones at SureShade, and most importantly tips for raising young kids in the boating lifestyle and how to safely enjoy being out in the sun all day. Enjoy!
 

On getting into boating…..Before my husband and I were married, we were invited out for a trip on a sailboat and we took a 6 hour cruise down the bay. We spent the weekend in Rock Hall, Maryland. By the time we got to Rock Hall we decided we were not sailors, but the weekend we spent at the marina was so much fun, being out on the water, being around boaters, everyone was so friendly. By the end of that weekend we said we need to get into boating.

On her first boat…..By the end of the summer we bought our first boat. It was all new to us, neither of us had ever boated before. We ended up buying a 1982 25’ Bayliner. After a couple of years we were hooked on the lifestyle and upgraded to a newer, bigger boat. We’re on to our third boat. We have a Sea Ray 410 Sundancer. It’s a great boat!

On learning to boat…..The first time my husband got behind the wheel of a boat was when we bought the first boat and they dropped him in the water. He spent all winter reading books about boat handling and how to drive and dock a boat. It was all book knowledge the first time he actually drove the boat. A lot of trial by error. All that book knowledge stuck with him through the years. He knows what you’re supposed to do and not supposed to do. [Also important were] learning how to relax and learning our individual responsibilities out on the water. It comes down to communication and experience. Once you learn not to yell at each other and to just calm down a little bit docking gets a lot better!

On raising children to be safe boaters…..We’re fanatical about life jackets. Before we even get out on the dock they’re in their life jackets. Walking down the dock, when they’re climbing on and off the boat, when were underway, they’re in the life jacket. They also know that docking is the most stressful part of boating so they know that there’s no carrying on. You sit in your seat and let the captain and first mate do whatever they need to do. They learned really early on about the rules being on the boat. They learned not to hang over the side of the boat and not to hang their toys over the side of the boat because they will be gone!

On advice for getting kids to wear life jackets…..It was always the rule. They didn’t know anything different. Sticking with the rules, no exceptions, it’s just a part of life on the boat. We try to get them fun character life jackets that they really like. For my older daughter, we got a cool watersports jacket so it’s more comfortable for her. 

On authoring The Amazing Adventures of Boat Girl…..The inspiration was my older daughter Emma. When she would put her life jacket on and hold our hand and jump from the side of the boat to the dock, we would always kind of say ‘Hey Boat Girl!’ She was super empowered because she had her life jacket on and she started getting more confidence getting on and off the boat. Then it expanded to, ‘wouldn’t it be fun to do a little story about Boat Girl and just about being on the boat?’ It’s just all about our day out on the boat and using the life jacket idea as giving you that superpower confidence when you’re wearing it.

On her current boating life…..We’re on the Chesapeake Bay. It’s a beautiful, enormous body of water that stretches from Maryland down to Virginia. There’s tons of rivers that are all along the bay. Lots of nooks and crannies and small little fishing towns on the eastern shore and big cities on the western shore with Baltimore, DC, and Annapolis. We always say you could spend a lifetime boating on the Chesapeake Bay and exploring it all.

On hitting the 100 boat model mark at SureShade…..It was pretty cool. I’ve been with SureShade since the beginning. Eight years ago SureShade debuted on its first boat with the Boston Whaler 370 Outrage. They were relative newcomers to the boating industry, came up with this product, invented it, patented it, brought it to the industry at IBEX and within two years got their first factory install. Fast forward eight years and we have 100 different boat models that offer it as a factory option or standard feature and then there’s a huge aftermarket part of the business as well. Walking down the docks at Miami and seeing all these boats was definitely a pinch me moment.

On increasing demand for SureShade…..It’s a push and pull demand. We’ve been working very closely with the manufacturers so when they come out with a new model they’re designing it into their boats. What’s happening with the ones that don’t offer it on a boat, boaters are going to their dealers and saying I want this shade that I’m seeing on this other model. It’s an opportunity for the dealers to offer as a value add product, to have their service department generate some revenue, so definitely a push and a pull. The more boats you see with it on, the more other boats want to add it, the more private owners want to add to their existing boat.

On innovation from SureShade…..We’ve expanded the product offering so now we’re able to offer product for boats of all sizes. Last year we won top new product with boating industry for our RTX pull out shade, for boats under 27’. The way it works is you just lift and pull it out and within seconds you’ve got shade covering your cockpit or your bow. When you get into the bigger sizes we have the manual shade that works with a hand crank. 30’ and above you have the automated shade which is electrically wired and you can operate with a switch at the helm. When you get into bigger boats you have our M3 product which can extend up to 10 feet.

On the importance of Sun Safety…..We really didn’t realize until we started getting feedback from customers about how important the sun safety aspect was to them. We’ve heard from skin cancer survivors that say this is the only way they’re able to be out on the boat any more. So many boat designs leave part of the boat exposed. We were lucky enough to hook up with Mike Schimdt. He’s a skin cancer survivor and did a PSA campaign with us about his bout with skin cancer and how important it is to stay protected out on the water. That turned into an industry collaborative called Sun Safe Boating where we’re looking to educate the industry as well as individual boaters about the importance of sun safety. We feel like it is just as important as any other element of boat safety, it’s your health, it’s your life.

On attracting new boaters…..From a financial side, having more entry level boats that people can afford. It’s a big financial commitment if you’re not experienced. Also, ways to get into boating with boat clubs like Freedom Boat Club (editors note: I own a Freedom Boat Club franchise), offering the ability to rent boats to give people a chance to experience the boating lifestyle before they make a bigger financial commitment. We’re seeing a lot of new boat styles coming out that serve a lot more purposes. You see a lot of crossovers and dayboats that are good for fishing, cruising, overnights. So I think the industry is trying to pull in a younger demographic but also give boaters more options and make their boats more multi-purpose. I would also add more physical access to boating with more ramps and docks and marinas, especially in urban boating areas, is another big thing the industry could be doing.

Hope you enjoyed that one. Please visit the Sun Safe site and stay safe out there! 

Wanda Kenton Smith has worked in the boating industry since 1980. A journalist, she launched her career as editor of Water Ski and Windsurf magazines, and later worked as editor on additional trade titles in both the sailing and watersports sectors. She also has served as the marketing columnist for Soundings Trade Only since 1998, a post she still holds today.

Wanda previously served as vice president of marketing for Regal Boats for 11 years prior to launching her own award-winning, full service advertising and PR firm for 13 years that serviced more than 35 global and national marine accounts.

Today, Wanda serves as chief marketing officer of Freedom Boat Club, continues to consult on select accounts, speaks at industry events and is active in several marine industry initiatives. She is president of Kenton Smith Marketing, president of Marine Marketers of America and chairperson of the RBLC’s New Market Task Force.  She also is the event producer and publicist of Boaterz n Bikerz of America: Hull of a Tour.

On her first boating experiences.....When I was in middle school, my oldest brother purchased and refurbished a 19’ wooden sailboat and my family and I spent a lot of time on that sailboat on the river and local waterways. He had boated when he was younger and had always wanted to have access to a boat. I was obviously the fortunate one to enjoy the benefits of that. My brother and my dad taught me to sail when I was younger but I took a Coast Guard class years later when I was working at Regal Marine and I never looked back. That was a turning point.

On boating in her adult life.....We have owned five boats in my adult life. We had two Regals, a bowrider and a deckboat. My favorite boat that I have ever owned was the very first Super Air Nautique, when the whole wakeboard industry started. We were the kings of the lake and the envy of all of my daughter’s friends. We took them boating and wakeboarding every chance that they got. We also had a Hunter sailboat and a Scout dual console. I now have access to over 500 boats through the SW Florida Freedom Boat Clubs.

On her current boating lifestyle.....Now we like to get out and cruise. Go to waterfront restaurants. We really like going picnicking, finding sandy beaches and trying different locations.

On favorite boating destinations.....Two locations come to mind. The first is Italy. I had the opportunity to go boating in Portofino and Lake Como. It was absolutely spectacular. The second place is the Bahamas. Totally love that turquoise blue water and be able to snorkel and see all that fabulous sea life.

On starting in the industry.....I just got lucky. I was working in Miami and we had moved to Orlando and a friend of mine knew a guy who was advertising for an editor for Water Ski Magazine. I jumped all over it. Terry Snow was the publisher of the magazine and he took a chance on somebody pretty green and helped me launch my career. I went on from Water Ski to launch Windsurf magazine and then to edit Waterski Business, and then got into the agency side of my business.

On championing women in boating.....It was late in the 1980s and I was working for Regal Boats in charge of marketing Part of my assignment was to do competitive research. I went down to the Miami Boat Show to go and visit 25 different booths and to get information on products. I walked away with some interesting insight. First of all, nobody asked if I need any help. Sales guys wouldn’t give me the time of day. From a marketing research perspective that was fantastic. It struck me that no one at any of the booths took me seriously as a buyer. I started a conversation about it in the trade press and wrote a column about it. I went on to launch a training firm that I called Marine Marketing for Women. All told, I had the opportunity to personally train over 4,000 people! I feel like it was an important step in educating the industry about the buying power and the influence that women have in the industry.

On Freedom Boating Divas.....We launched Freedom Boating Divas for female members of the club. Our goal with the program is to make our female members feel more safe and competent at the helm and to provide opportunities to meet other women who share the same passion for boating. Here in Southwest Florida, we offer free unlimited training classes exclusively for the ladies that we schedule twice a month in different locations. The second part of that is the social part. By hosting social events exclusively for the divas they have the opportunity to meet with and mingle with other women who share the same boating DNA and passion. 

On engaging new markets.....The RBLC was organized several years ago with the primary purpose of growing the boating industry. I chair the new markets task force. We had a VIP influencers group that represent different ethnicities and our task force addresses opportunities to engage new and diverse audiences to boating. Ultimately, our goal is to promote engagement. We are focused on three markets – all affluent Hispanic, Asian, and African-American markets. We produced an award-winning educational module that includes latest demographic and economic trends and the highlight is five outstanding case studies with best practices from boating companies who are successfully engaging and selling to these markets. All of the information and the webinar is available for free from download at the RBLC.org website.

On Boaterz n Bikerz of America: Hull of a Tour..... It originated from a conversation between myself and Jim Krueger. We were chatting one day during a ride and we talked about our bucket list and we both agreed that our number one bucket list trip would be doing a cross country ride from FL to CA. We planned it and thought it would be fun to mix in some boating activities and decided to invite others in the industry and our friends who also love boating and biking.

On the connection between boaters and bikers.....It’s a fact. I was at the National Sailing conference a few weeks ago and Bonnier shared some statistics – 18% of people who sail are also active motorcycle enthusiasts. There’s such a definite lifestyle crossover. Those of us who like to motorcycle and like to boat like that sense of freedom, that sense of adventure and escape that those lifestyle sports deliver. 

On past tours.....It was 3,000 miles. We went from Destin, FL to San Diego. We rode the flatlands, through the scorching dessert mountains, we stopped at the Grand Canyon, plenty of spectacular coastlines, we experienced extreme heat, snow, rain, hail, thunder. It was amazing. We started at Legendary Marine at the yacht club, we had a sunset cruise in Texas aboard a 90’ party boat. And then we had a 2 ½ hour splash down in San Diego Bay aboard a brand new Beneteau poweryacht and sailboat. Our second Tour was the Freedom Ride. It went from Florida to Washington DC. We folded into the million bike extravaganza called Rolling Thunder that’s held Memorial Day in DC and it pays tribute to MIAs and POWs. We got to ride all the way down to the national Mall with veterans. It was a very touching and moving experience for all of us. We stopped at 5 different freedom boat clubs en route. In Annapolis we had an opportunity to board 7 different boats and watch a command performance of the Blue Angels. We had the Pacific Coast Rush. We shipped our bikes to Seattle and we rode down to San Francisco and took a loop out to Big Sur. We launched it at Alexander Marine with Regal Boats and did a launch party on a 78’ Ocean Alexander Yacht. Our splashdown was in San Francisco. We did a sunset sail aboard a large sailing Catamaran. The trip took us through the Glacier National Park. We cruised all the way down Pacific Coast Highway. We rode through the giant redwoods, literally through the trees. And we loved the twisting mountain ride of Big Sur and Monterey. It’s just moments that you’ll never forget, absolutely phenomenal.

On the 2017 Lobster Roll.....The event is July 15th-22nd. We’re starting in Portland and ride the Maine coast to Canada. We twist through the white mountains in New Hampshire. We make a stop at Cape Cod and then we splashdown in Newport, RI. For those of us who are bikers, we don’t like the typical tourist traps. We’re staying in some quaint small towns. We’re going to go whale watching, we’ll be tubing, lots of fun things getting off the beaten path.

On the importance of sponsors.....Freedom Boat Club is back as our title sponsor. Regal Boats is our boating sponsor. Soundings Trade Only is our media sponsor and I will be writing a blog which will be appearing every day of the tour. Sea Tow is sponsoring our chase vehicle so if we have any breakdowns they come and get us. BRP Evinrude is our power sponsor. Moose Landing is going to be hosting our launch party and two Freedom Boat Clubs are going to be participating with boat rides and Kenton Smith Marketing handles the publicity.

On how to participate.....You have to have a motorcycle license and we do require group riding experience but there is no cost to participate. I have a hotel planner with our discounted group rates. If anyone is interested about getting more information they can email me at wanda@kentonsmithmarketing.com or visit www.kentonsmithmarketing.com

On advice for getting into the industry.....It makes sense to talk to people in the industry. There is a lot of opportunity right now for technicians and people working on the service side. Find people who are willing to talk to you about what they do and what they enjoy most. If you’re a passionate boater and you love the water and want to be part of a dynamic industry, this is a great place to drop anchor. We have great people and sell fantastic products and are selling fun. I can’t think of anything else that’s more fulfilling and rewarding than this!

Paul Fenn’s career in the boating industry led him to Jeanneau where he eventually took the helm as President of Jeanneau America. Paul ‘passed the baton’ in 2014 but is still on board in a consulting and marketing role with a major focus on brand and lifestyle videos. Paul’s video production extends to his Take a Shot Media company as well as his personal boating life which you can see on his great blog at www.pfenn.com.

Paul grew up boating in Connecticut and although it was a major part of his life and a passion of his through school, he graduated without a clear plan for turning his passion into a living. From working charter boats and helping with a transit from New England to the Caribbean, to moving to Annapolis to sell boats, Paul got a taste of how fun working in the business could be and he ultimately ended up at Jeanneau, and hasn’t left!

Paul and his wife have raised three kids in the boating lifestyle and have gotten to experience family fun on the water in places like Thailand, the Seychelles, and many more amazing destinations.

We discussed his childhood boating, his time at Jeanneau, family trips, and the importance of video in marketing the boating lifestyle. Enjoy!

On growing up a boater.....I grew up on the water. I live steps from it just off the Chesapeake Bay. I grew up in New England in a small town called Noank, just at the mouth of Mystic River on Fishers Island Sound. By the time I was 15, I had access to a thirteen and a half foot whaler and I was the king of the sea in that boat.

On his earliest boating memories.....We had a little boat called the Skimmer. It was a little wooden boat about 8 feet long, had a wide transom, narrow bow. I remember my dad taking me out and teaching me how to row. Back then we rowed with open oar locks. You really had to get your stroke correct. We had a little 3.5 horsepower engine. I ran around in that at a young age, even by myself at age 9 or 10. My dad loved the water. He loved to sail. When we moved to Connecticut he got into racing small sailboats. He had a boat called the Jolly Boat that he raced with my sister. He loved to be on the water and make the boat go quick.

On racing sailboats.....I enjoyed racing but on the Long Island Sound there would be times that you'd go out and there wasn’t a breath of air, so I never became a proficient racer although I still race today when I'm invited to be a guest. I did a race last year with a dealer of ours who owns a Sunfast 3600. We raced it from Miami to Havana, Cuba. We were out for about 24 hours. You don’t realize how close Cuba is to Miami. But it was a lumpy ride. I just ran into the same folks this last week and we were reminiscing about what an awesome time we had. That’s the way these things go. When you're out there, you're getting beat up and ask yourself what you're doing, and by the time you get to the bar in Cuba you say what an awesome trip, we gotta do that again.

On the family trip around the world.....It was my wife’s idea. She wanted to take a world adventure before the kids got too old and didn’t want to go with us anymore. We were on the road for three months but probably could have been on the road for a year. It's not always easy traveling with a family of five. We sailed in the Seychelle Islands. Thailand was really exceptional. We sailed in Phuket. It was just amazing to sail around these beautiful islands. They're very mysterious. They have a lot of limestone in the geology which finds its way into the water. The water itself is sort of a milky emerald green, it's super warm and you get these amazing structures that have been worn down like the inside of a cave.

On chartering boats as a travel option.....We had this idea but didn’t follow through on the whole concept. We thought it would be a neat thing to buy like a season pass from a charter company like Moorings or Sunsail or DreamYacht, we sailed with DreamYacht. You pay X amount and you get on and off the boats wherever they have a base around the world. We chartered with DreamYacht a few different times so they knew who I was, helped me get the boats ahead of time, knew what my itinerary was so when we came in they were ready for us. It wasn’t hard and getting around the world on charter boats is a great way to do it. You can fly in and all you have to do is provision and away you go.

On his path into the marine industry.....I went to college in New Hampshire and then I came home after graduating with no real plan. I wound up working on a local charter boat and at the end of the summer, someone invited me to do a transit from New England to the Caribbean. Then I got a job at a small charter company up North. One thing led to another and I wound up in Annapolis selling boats on the retail side. An opening became available in Jeanneau and I took that job with the idea that I’d stay for five years or something and it turned out being a twenty year career. In 2014, I passed the baton to a friend who was interested in moving up in the company. I'm still there as a consultant and doing marketing and brand videos. I’m not running the company any more but I’m very involved with Jeanneau and other members of the Beneteau group.

On Jeanneau's current line.....We build something like four or five different ranges of powerboats with three or four models in each range. We build sailboats from 30’ up to 64’ and then we have our whole Prestige Yacht range building boats from 46’ up to 75’. It’s a company that has a great deal of expertise and a huge range of talents.

On using video as a marketing tool.....We started using video at least eight years ago. We started videoing some of our boats and then we started using video in more of our marketing campaigns. Youtube has become such an amazing vehicle to get the word out. What enables someone like me to be successful at it is that consumers like videos and ones that are authentic and not overproduced. Videos that give good information but are enjoyable to watch and not a corporate video that’s like a brochure in motion. I’m fond of saying that for social media to be successful, your media has to be social and you have to be social with your media. They’re all a story, some of them are funny and some are a little more serious but it's all storytelling.

On the Jeanneau BVI rendezvous.....We started offering a rendezvous for our owners in the BVI in 2012. We have owners all over North America coming from Canada and California and Texas and they all come down and charter a boat and we spend a week together sailing around the BVI. We get something like 20 boats to join us. We’re going to go back down for 2018. It would have been very easy for us to say this is probably not the best year to go but we just felt that we had a lot of customers down there and if we came we would help the Caribbean recover quicker. During the Annapolis Sailboat show we ended up raising several thousand dollars for Hurricane relief efforts and we are going to direct that money through the Richard Branson Foundation. We’re going to meet with a representative from the Foundation when we’re down there and hand over this check and get a tour of the islands and see what the hurricanes did. We’re trying to be part of the solution because we want to see people get back down there as soon as possible.

On why he likes boating.....I like boating for the simple reason that it gets me away from all the electronics and all the noise of real life. If I can go cruising and wake up in the morning and have my first cup of coffee in the cockpit and just look around, I'm a better person. At sea, offshore, you realize that despite all the advances in technology, when you’re off shore and you’re on the water its exactly the same as it was a thousand years ago. For anyone, being out on the water is a lot of fun. It’s a great social activity available to the entire family.

Making boating easier. Frictionless operation. Lowering the barrier to entry. Reducing the average age of the new boater. These are all goals that are being accomplished through the development and introduction of new and exciting on-board technologies. Connectivity is a major part of some of the largest marine companies in the world including Yamaha and Brunswick. We are all so used to living connected lives and expect that the things we use will ‘play along’. Our cars, our security systems, our fridges, all of these and other IoT enabled devices that make our lives easier are ubiquitous at home and at work….and soon on the water. Siren Marine has been providing boaters with peace of mind by connecting the boater to their boat with real-time monitoring. They want you to spend less time worrying about your boat and more time enjoying it.

I recently spoke with Alex Puskar, the National Sales Director for Siren. We have started experimenting with Siren on some of our Freedom Boat Club boats and Alex has been a tremendous resource in getting us set up. Alex is an ABYC Certified Marine Electrician, ABYC certified marine diesel Technician, and a NMEA certified Marine Electronics Installer. He knows his stuff and you can tell.

We discussed how he grew up boating and fishing, connected boating and how it helps the user experience, advice for getting started in boating and some other ways in which the industry is appealing to the next generation of boaters. Oh yeah, and this conversation happened days before the HUGE announcement that Yamaha was acquiring Siren, so although that partnership is mentioned, Alex did a great job not blowing his cover and letting the cat out of the bag early. Enjoy!

Episodes 6-10 featured a wide range of boating experts and industry people: Betty Bauman, Founder/CEO of Ladies Let’s Go Fishing; Dan DeGeorge, VP of Sales for Docka; Stephanie Vatalaro, VP of Communications, Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation; Diane Seltzer, Marketing Director, SureShade, Founder/Editor myboatlife.com and boaterkids.com; and Kristen Frohnhoefer, President of SeaTow International.

Safety:

With the timing of these episodes falling around National Boat Safety Week, we touched on a lot of safety issues. Kristen and the SeaTow Foundation are working hard to promote the Designate a Sober Skipper Campaign and National Safe Boating Week. National Safe Boating Week is the kick off week but safe boating is a year-long effort. Freedom Boat Club participated in a national PFD awareness effort. Diane and I discussed raising safe boating children and that starts with getting them accustomed to wearing their lifejackets as soon as they step on the dock. Start the good habits young! We also talked about the importance of Sun Safety and the industry collaborative called Sun Safe Boating. This can often be overlooked but is an incredibly important aspect of safe boating.  Many of our guests took the boat safety courses as children and Stephanie was no different, her father required it!

Getting Started:

Diane was not a boater as a child, but was hooked after a weekend trip on a sailboat in Rock Hall, Maryland. Soon after, she bought her first boat with her now husband, but then boyfriend. His initial training came from reading everything he could get his hands on and still carries that book knowledge with him on the water today. Kristen, on the other hand, has been boating since just about birth. She too was required to take a boating safety course and learned how to sail and operate power boats. Much of her childhood was spent out on the sailboat, sailing over to Newport or Essex, spending the night in Block Island, or just rafting up with friends. I remember those great days out with the family. Stephanie was boating as a young child on Lake Erie, until at age 7 they relocated to eh Florida Keys and her father became a fishing guide! Dan’s family rented boats at their summer getaway on Lake George before purchasing their own, and his father taught him how to boat. Betty also loved boating growing up but got more serious about it after getting a job with Wellcraft doing their marketing. That’s where she also learned to fish, figuring after working some tournaments she needed to know a little something about it!

Favorite things to do:

Betty loves to fish in the Florida Keys, Chokoloskee, which I call the Jurassic Park of fishing, and the Bahamas. Stephanie and her family go out on their 24’ Pursuit center console for a day of fishing or going to the beach. Kristen spends her time on the water rafting up with friends, taking a ride around Shelter Island or Sag Harbor, or going out with her niece and nephew beaching the boat, watching them swim in the water and jump off the boat. Diane is on the Chesapeake Bay - a beautiful, enormous body of water that stretches from Maryland down to Virginia. She says you could spend a lifetime boating on the Chesapeake Bay and exploring it all. Dan still likes to come to Lake George to cliff jump and do watersports with his Dockwa team.

Important for Beginners:

Kristen says make sure you do have a cooler full of water and some snacks because you never know how long you’re gonna be out there. You might want to bring an extra jacket in case you get stuck a little bit later. Stephanie suggests, More than a thing,  is do the training beforehand. Before you go out on the water understand the rules of the road, navigation basics, how to read a chart or GPS. If there’s a chance to do a training or do a trial take it! Betty wants to make sure you get the right rod and reel. Learn what’s conventional, what’s spinning, what kind of reel you need for the fishing you want to do. For boating it’s what kind of boat do you want, what kind of boat suits you. Visit your local tackle shop and they will point you in the right direction for the fish you want! Discoverboating.com comes up with almost every guest. It’s a great place to start the research process and find out what type of boating – buying, renting, or boat clubs – is best for you and what type of boat fits your lifestyle.

Random Notes and Quotes:

Betty:

I realized if I had a place I could go without him where I could learn the theory, and use the equipment, tie the knots, have a chance to practice, and then go out on the water and practice my skills on the environment then I would be a better part of the fishing team.

I get the feedback that we changed their lives. They were wanting to be fishing and once they took this they had the courage to go out and challenge the sport and find ways to go fishing. 

Don’t be afraid of your fishing mistakes. Use them as a way to learn. Practice is king. The more you practice, the more you go fishing, the better you’re going to be.

Dan:

He was watching the dockmaster run around back and forth between docks and writing reservations in a notebook and walked up and asked the dockmaster about how he takes reservations. The dockmaster said it’s the way we’ve always done it, it’s an old school industry. There’s a lot of room for us to help these marinas and operators get more efficient and create a better experience for the boater.

Boaters love it because they’re used to it in other industries. They can go online or on their phone and make a hotel reservation or an airline reservation, so it only makes sense that you should be able to do it for marinas and for boating. 

Stephanie:

If you look at fishing participation numbers they have been pretty flat over the last several years and with the changing demographics, in order to even maintain that flat rate a lot of change has to be made. What we really need to do is energize the industry to get that number even higher, to get on the front end of these changes and try to make that difference now. It’s a rallying cry for the industry. Let’s do this together.

We run an influencer campaign that speaks to that millennial target. [Their challenges] are time, it’s not having the mentor or the experience and not knowing that these opportunities are very close to them. A lot of younger generations are moving back to the city and they don’t realize that there are a lot of urban fishing and boating opportunities.

Diane:

Eight years ago SureShade debuted on its first boat with the Boston Whaler 370 Outrage. They were relative newcomers to the boating industry, came up with this product, invented it, patented it, brought it to the industry at IBEX and within two years got their first factory install. Fast forward eight years and we have 100 different boat models that offer it as a factory option or standard feature and then there’s a huge aftermarket part of the business as well. 

We’re seeing a lot of new boat styles coming out that serve a lot more purposes. You see a lot of crossovers and dayboats that are good for fishing, cruising, overnights. So I think the industry is trying to pull in a younger demographic but also give boaters more options and make their boats more multi-purpose. I would also add more physical access to boating with more ramps and docks and marinas, especially in urban boating areas, is another big thing the industry could be doing.

Kristen:

We always encourage our members to be proactive in maintenance. It is important to have that regular maintenance. Especially if you’re in the northeast and there are seasons, you want to do that spring commissioning and winterizing. Double check your fuel gauge on a regular basis, know how much fuel you put in your boat. Those fuel gauges don’t always work. Education ahead of time and knowing the area you’re in and being familiar with the waters is very helpful.

I see the peer-to-peer market, where current boat owners are going to rent their boats out to individuals through sites such as Boatsetter, as something that’s going to change the market. Boat clubs are blowing up at the moment because people see it as a way to get into boating, they’re just not ready to make that purchase yet. 

I had a great conversation with Derek Horner, content manager at ANGLR. ANGLR is a fishing intelligence platform built for anglers by anglers that consists of a free fishing logbook, app that syncs across mobile and web devices, optional tracking accessories and community of anglers who are passionate about growing and helping others grow. ANGLRs goal is to empower anglers through measurement, learning, and collaboration using both data and technology, elevating their fishing experience. The app helps plan, record, and relive their fishing successes, and failures, to improve their ability to catch more fish the next time out.  

After Derek made the jump from hobby angler to serious angler, he started tournament fishing which led him to Penn State University where he was the Captain of the fishing team. Soon after graduating, he ‘hooked up’ with the ANGLR founders and helped grow the fledgling company to where it is today. We talked about the resources he used to go from amateur to tournament winner, how technology is changing the game in fishing, new things coming from ANGLR in V2 and more!

It was a real pleasure speaking with Barry Berhoff, CEO of Shurhold Industries. Barry is an avid boater who lives and breathes Shurhold everyday not only as a job, but as a lifestyle. Under his direction Shurhold has become the global leader in high quality detailing products.

Shurhold was started in 1973 in the garage of William E. Peach. Over the next two decades Shurhold continued to grow and migrated into a 10,000-square-foot facility in City. Barry purchased the company in 1998 and expanded the company into a 20,000 square-foot state of the art manufacturing facility. He’s helped continue to expand the product line and grow it into the international company it is today.

Barry and I discussed growing up boating on Lake Michigan, family vacations living aboard their boat in the Bahamas, tips for keeping the boat clean and misconceptions about boat maintenance. I learned a lot and hope you do too, enjoy!

On getting started in boating…..I started as a child. My dad got into boating. We started boating on Lake Michigan. Being little it was a lot of safety stuff which I find myself now saying to my kids. We did it every summer and I just loved being on the boat. Everything from tying the knots to running the electronics to learning to drive and take care of it, it was something I was just drawn to. All my learning was through my father. The classes weren’t as prevalent as they are today. You can go to any Coast Guard Auxiliary; they’ve got online courses. It’s a much better environment for learning.

On teaching his kids to boat…..I do make an effort to get them learning about navigation, the rules of the road. Florida has an online boater safety course and both my boys have taken that. My older one just finished a two-week camp at Chapman School of Seamanship. They do an amazing kids course and have a whole fleet of little boats. The kids learn how to dock them and anchor them and man overboard drills.

On family boating now…..The family boat is a 43’ SeaVee Express model. It’s been a great boat for us. We do a mix of everything. Boats are always a game of compromise. There is no perfect boat because there are so many different styles and one day you want to do one thing, one day another. It’s great cause it’s still outboard so it allows us to still get up on sandbars and treat it like a little center console but being an express we still have a cabin and we still can take summer vacations to the Bahamas and live on the boat as a family. It’s a great time. No electronics allowed. It’s just about being together, being out on the water.

On essential gear to have aboard for long trips…..According to my wife the first and foremost thing is sunblock. You can never have enough sunblock down here. Probably the most important is safety gear. We never leave the dock without making sure that we have the Coast Guard required safety gear, and we have additional stuff that we take.  We carry an emergency life raft on board, an EPIRB, and a satellite phone.

On meeting like-minded boaters…..Yeah we have our summer cruising family. At each port we tend to bump into the same people around the same time of the year. We didn’t know what we’d run into but we found a lot more families than we expected. One thing that’s always true is that almost every boater you ever meet is friendly. People are out there to have a good time. This is their way of relaxing and kicking back. Not only is everyone friendly but everyone is there to help each other out. Whether I’m giving someone a spare part or someone is helping me fix something on my boat I didn’t know how to do, there’s always someone on the dock that you can help or that is willing to help you.

On Shurhold’s education goals…..The first and foremost thing that I hope that we provide is the information and education. It seems daunting if you’ve never done it before and we try to strike a balance. We are advocating that people don’t procrastinate and that they do the basic things on a regular basis. That’s going to serve them well and make their job easier over the long run and make sure the boat is ready for them when they want to use it.

On their popular video series…..We get a lot of really good feedback from the basic videos. All the way from what to do when you get back, the fact that you don’t have to scrub the boat every time but rinse it. A good rinse will do you a lot of good. We talk about the proper order in which to wash a boat. Top down, front to back, working with the natural flow of water. And then we do some on oxidation and waxing that have been very popular. A lot of people are afraid to use rotary tools or buffers and we show them how easy they are and how that makes their job easier. We take a lot of the mystique and voodoo out of it. Anyone can maintain and care for a boat. It isn’t that hard if you just do a couple of key things and do them on a consistent basis.

On what can be done to keep boats looking new…..There is a protective coat, a lot of people call it wax, we call it a protectant or polish, that your boat should have on it. Depending on whether it is up north or down south, how much sun exposure, is it covered, etc will determine how many times a year that needs to be done. Think of it like sunscreen on your boat. That is what is protecting it and making it look good, making it so that when you get back to the dock you can just rinse it and walk away. A good coat of wax or protection goes a long way, and making sure it is done in the right way.

On common maintenance misconceptions…..One of the biggest misconceptions that I can share is people want to know - Should they do two coats, should they do three coats? I’m surprised that people have this idea that more coats is going to do more, it really isn’t. Think of it like sunblock. Get one good coat on and somewhere down the road, do the second coat. The second coat the same day doesn’t do you any good. Putting sunblock on twice in 30 seconds doesn’t make it any better but doing it later in the day does. The other thing is there is definitely a difference between boat soap and dish soap. A lot of people will take products from the home and there are two major issues with it. First, a lot of the home products have degreasers in them and they are going to strip your wax. The other is if you happen to be washing the boat on or near the water, those are not environmentally friendly products.

On industry maintenance product advancements…..Our biggest advancements have been in the waxing technologies. Most of the wax today doesn’t have any real wax in it. It is a polymer base. There are little to no fillers in it. When we protect a boat, it is a lot more like putting a sunblock on cause you’re rubbing it in until it disappears and that’s it. There’s no powder, no heavy working to get it off. It’s much more viscus when it goes on so it bonds with the boat better, fills in the seams and pores better. That has made the chore of waxing a boat take half the time and half the work.

On industry boat advancements…..As technologies from other industries get cheaper and filter down into our industry you start to see it. We’ve seen it in the last couple years, a lot more advancement in some of the computer animated drafting and robotic mold making that’s really allowed some of the boat builders to do really unique things. You’re seeing a lot more bigger boats with outboards which has changed boating a lot. You’re seeing a lot bigger horsepower outboard boats which really lets the manufacturer focus on building the boat and not the engine. It allows them to get a lot more space and use space better and get much prettier curves and lines. The product and the quality that I’m seeing from the manufacturers over the last couple of years has been really exciting.

On boating destinations…..It’s on my bucket list to do the Great Loop as a cruising trip. We do a lot in the Bahamas and I’m really happy with that. We’ve done crossing the state of Florida through the locks and that’s an amazing little trip. I think we’re going to try in the next year to go north a little bit up through Georgia and Hilton Head.

On Shurhold’s product philosophy…..Everything that we manufacture is based on a couple simple principals. Everything we do is to help you keep your boat clean and simple. Part of keeping it simple is making products that are multi-purpose. We don’t do 22 different chemicals for 22 different parts of the boat, we do about 5 or 6 chemicals that cover the 22 parts of the boat. All of our handles and brushes and attachments are meant to cut down on storage so you have one handle that covers it all. We decided we could do that for the bucket so we came up with a series of accessories for the bucket. (Editors note: Barry describes the one bucket system in detail and it is phenomenal, check it out here!)

On advice for would-be boaters…..The first thing I tell everyone is definitely do it, you’re going to love it! The second thing I tell them is take a lesson. Taking a boater’s safety course, going out with someone to show them a couple basic thing, it really doesn’t take but an afternoon. It’s not a big investment but being comfortable on the boat will do you well.

Barry was great. Listen to the full episode for many more great tips and stories. 

Claude Beaulac is the VP of Sales and Marketing for the Canadian Electric Boat Company. I spoke with Claude just before it was announced that the CEBC was awarded the ‘Future of the Industry’ award at Quebec’s annual Marina Industry Gala.

The Canadian Electric Boat Company manufactures a line of 100% electric boats that do not produce any pollution or emissions. Powered by a lithium battery, CEBC boats can provide eight to twelve hours of use on a single charge. They are completely noiseless, handcrafted with high quality materials, and they even boast in their line the fastest electric boat in the world, the Bruce.  

Claude has boated around the world throughout his career and currently enjoys his personal boating on a beautiful lake in Canada in a private preserve. We spoke about the boat building process, upcoming shows, how he got involved with the CEBC and more. Enjoy!

On boat show strategies.....We want to show the world we can build something different than what is already out there so we bring out the Volt 180 with several different possibilities of power options. We’re really proud of showing it and when we’ve showed it, everybody was impressed and looking forward to trying one. That’s the key to electric boats. People like the idea but didn’t know it existed so they are discovering the idea that it is there today, not just coming in the future. We’ll be at Newport Beach at the end of this month. We have a boat rental business there, the eboat rental. That’s a great location to test and try out all the things that we develop because seasons are better there than here in Montreal. So far we have been the novelty at all the shows.

On the electric boat experience.....Everybody gets very surprised because when we get started they feel like we’re drifting. You don’t feel anything or hear anything. It’s a comforting feeling once you’re on the water and know that you have control of the boat and you’re going at the proper speed, and you don’t hear any noise but the water flapping on the boat, and the wind.

On hurdles to electric boat adoption.....The first barrier is that people don’t even know that it can be done. That’s 90% of the people that come to us at a boat show. The next one is ‘what’s the autonomy?’. They’ve seen things in electric cars and think that cars need to be charged a lot and they think of the extreme. People think they’re going to be on the water all day and wonder if it is going to last. We tell them it’s going to last eight to twelve hours depending on the speed you run with it and they are flabbergasted. It’s a matter of educating people.

On the CEBC product line.....The Quietude and the Fantail are the biggest sellers. In the last four years we’ve seen some Bruce being sold and now we’ve got the Bruce T Version with Torqeedo. The Volt just came out and we’ve sold three so far and are expecting quite a few more as we work with cities who have eco-recreational programs.

On boating around the world.....I've traveled quite a bit and got to boat in different cities in Switzerland, Greece, Australia, and China. In my family there were no boats but we had friends with boats, and my first wife had a sailboat we went on quite a bit. Now we have a cottage and have a small boat that we go fishing with. It’s a reserve so it’s a protected area. There’s moose, there’s deer, there’s bears, there’s all sorts of things walking around. We catch a lot of Trout and Pike.

On his favorite boating destination.....The Caribbean is a great place to go, when you can see the bottom and all the fish swimming around. Up by our cottage, the water is clear and when the sun is in the right direction, you can see the bottom of the lake in a lot of places. I like to boat in those areas where you can see the marine life underneath you.

On his mission at CEBC.....It makes a difference in the world and that was one of my criteria. I want to work for a business that’s going to make a difference in the world. This was a perfect mix. It’s a big challenge which is always what I’ve been looking for in life. We have a plan and we’re acting our plan on a daily basis.

On improving standards for eboating.....We’ve met with the people at the NMMA and ABYC to make sure that they put a category for leisure electric boats into their system and that they have rules and regulations to apply to manufacturers so that there are no accidents that happen with electric boats. We want this to be safe. We’re a bunch of people who are concerned about the environment and the safety of people.

On what draws people to the water.....I think it’s the pleasure and the freedom that you feel when you are out on the water. You are completely in a different element. When you get onto the water it’s that good feeling that you’re floating and it’s effortless. There are many ways to do it and you have to pick what you feel best with and think about your real need. We hear all the horror stories of people who say 'I loved the boat when I bought it and I loved it when I sold it' because they didn’t buy the right boat for their need. A lot of people buy the lifestyle but never live it. Think about what you’re going to do with it and try it before you buy it. 

I have enjoyed learning about electric boating through my conversation with Claude and previous conversation with Steve Trkla of Torqeedo. It is exciting to watch the developments in this segment of the industry and the possibilities of environmentally friendly boating continuing to grow will help make our natural waterways cleaner for generations to come! 

If you have seen a boat rising out of the water as it gets on plane and seemingly gliding above it, you have seen hydrofoiling in effect! Hydrofoils have been used in high technology applications like the Americas Cup races for years and have recently been applied to recreational craft including smaller runabouts and even surfboards!

I have been interested in learning more about foiling on the water, why they are used, what benefits they provide, and how they work. Luckily, I had a chance to speak with Tom Ward, founder of Epoch Boats.

Epoch Boats is helping usher in a new era in boating by building accessible hydrofoiling boats that are efficient, eco-friendly, and high performance. Their first class of boats is a skiff series that will be introduced in the middle of 2022.

Tom broke into the marine industry as an engineer for SeaStar Solutions where he rose to Director of Engineering and managed a fleet of test boats. He transitioned to Lippert Components where he also held the role of Director of Engineering before deciding to strike out on his own. Tom has also served on the ABYC Tech Board and is a wealth of knowledge about everything that makes boats work. We talked about growing up around boats and sailing, his experiences at SeaStar and Lippert, I got a great education on hydrofoils, and we discussed what Epoch is coming to market with. Enjoy!

Dan DeGeorge is VP of Sales for Dockwa. Founded in May 2015 and since Featured in Forbes, the NY Times, Boating Magazine, the Boston Globe, and more, Dockwa is changing the way boaters and marinas connect and reserve dock space. It allows boaters to search, reserve, and pay for transient dockage from their mobile device. It also allows marinas to manage their inventory online and connect with thousands of customers like never before. At the time of our recording Dockwa featured over 400 marinas and though boater numbers are not disclosed it was in the six figures. That is a lot of boaters connecting to marinas! Just prior to our conversation, Dockwa acquired Marinas.com, the world’s most extensive online marine directory of more than 75,000 marine locations, including 15,000 marinas, yacht clubs, and shipyards. Marinas.com was the first online resource of its kind for the marine industry, pioneering a comprehensive guide for boaters worldwide and amassing more than 100,000 users. With this acquisition, Dockwa has grown its marina partner network to more than 500 businesses and further expands its international footprint to Central and South America, and parts of Europe. Dockwa’s marina network and boater community tripled in size in 2016, resulting in a 1,766 percent increase in nights served.

Dan himself is an avid boater and grew up boating on our home lake, Lake George. Starting with some rental boats and now boating on his family Sea Ray, Dan never lost his love of the water while getting his Economics degree at Princeton, embarking on a professional baseball career with the Cleveland Indians, and finally joining the marine/technology industry, helping Dockwa go to market in 2015.

On getting into boating…..I grew up going to the lake every summer. My first time ever out on the water was on Lake George. We rented a Hurricane boat from Snug Harbor. For the majority of my childhood we rented and then we bought a Sea Ray that we can go skiing and wake-boarding on.

On learning to boat…..My dad was always one of those guys who threw you into the fire. As far as I can remember it went well! We went to a place where no one was around and by the time we got our boat I was ready to go. The most important thing he taught me was check the weather early and often before you go out.

On the Dockwa launch…..I was there pre-launch to market. It was the brainchild of our CEO, Mike Melillo. Mike had moved to Newport, RI out of college. He happened to live on top of a few marinas. One summer day he was watching one of the dockmasters take reservations, and it was a particularly crazy day. He was watching the dockmaster run around back and forth between docks and writing reservations in a notebook and walked up and asked the dockmaster about how he takes reservations. The dockmaster said it’s the way we’ve always done it, it’s an old school industry, and that set the idea off in Mike’s head.

On fostering change in the marina business…..It’s our biggest challenge but also presents the biggest opportunity. There’s a lot of room for us to help these marinas and operators get more efficient and create a better experience for the boater.

On response from the boating market…..We work with a little over 400 marinas. Boaters love it because they’re used to it in other industries. They can go online or on their phone and make a hotel reservation or an airline reservation, so it only makes sense that you should be able to do it for marinas and for boating. On the marina side you’re always running up against the challenge of people who have done something the same way for the past 30 years and there’s always that little resistance to change but once they see it working for other marinas and then use it themselves, it’s been well received.

On the Marinas.com acquisition…..On the boater side we want Marinas.com to be the place you go to for all things boating. Whether that’s long term dockage, short term dockage, repair work, buying a boat, we want it to be the place boaters go to find anything they need. Within that, marinas can gain more exposure to their customers.

On expansion and new locations…..We’re down in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and we just signed up a marina in the Dominican Republic. Ideally we’ll expand internationally. A big opportunity is the Great Lakes. We have a good number of marinas in the Great Lakes and a big help for has been that the Chicago Harbor municipal marinas use Dockwa. The Puget Sound is a big hot spot, that’s our next target domestically. Internationally is a little farther down the product road map. I’d love to get out to Italy.

On where he would like to do some personal boating…..I would love to go to the BVIs and hop around to the islands. I have a college roommate who grew up around the Puget Sound and speaks real highly of it so that’s on my vacation list.

On the Dockwa Figawi sponsorship…..This will be our third year. We officially launched at Figawi two years ago. I had never heard of it until I moved to Newport. The first week I joined the company we went and it’s a blast. It’s great for boaters and non-boaters, a great experience.

On the Dockwa Dock Free giveaway…..We were fortunate to team with BoatUS on that. It was an awesome promotion. Not only for BoatUS and for us but I think the winner has already made a few reservations to take advantage of the winnings.

On technology taking hold in the boating industry…..I feel like we’re getting closer to the tipping point, especially as the younger generation who is more used to technology starts to get more into boating. With Boatbound and GetMyBoat, the younger generations really value the experience and embrace the sharing economy so that will become more prevalent and force the marine industry to embrace technology.

On his dream boat(s)…..It was always a wooden Chris-Craft growing up on the lake. It looks so cool and smooth. Coming up to Newport, you see a lot of the newer center consoles like the Regulators, or Viking sport fishers, so I’ve gotten more into those recently when I moved up here.

Hope you enjoyed the conversation with Dan and check out the Dockwa app.

Editors note: Having done both a sailing trip through the BVIs and raced in Figawi weekend, the Dockwa guys sound like they know how to enjoy their work! 

David Karpinski, recently named President of Taylor Made Products, has been boating since he was 10 years old. Dave is a graduate of Syracuse University at Utica College where he earned a BS degree in Business Administration and Marketing.  He joined Taylor Made Products in 1993 as Mid-Atlantic Regional Sales Manager; responsible for growing the brand’s market share with the territory’s two-step distributors and marine retailers.  From 1994-1997, he served as National Sales Manager of Taylor’s Hardware Division.  He was in the role of Vice President of Sales & Marketing from 1998-2016, where he has directed worldwide independent rep organizations, created branding and advertising programs, and managed new product and category introductions. He currently serves as a board member on the National Marine Distributor’s Association, as Chairman of the Capital Region Salvation Army Board and as Executive Director of the Parkhurst Field Foundation, a non-profit foundation he formed.  He still boats on the Lake he grew up on with his wife Amanda, and two children, Michael & Elise who themselves are avid boaters.

Dave took me on a tour of the Taylor Made factory where I got to see where all the magic happens and the products we use day in and day out on our boats, and on our docks, get made. I was really impressed with the people, the processes, and the culture of Taylor Made. Dave shared with me some of the secrets to their success, showed me some of the new products they are developing, and let me know about how Taylor Made, after more than 100 years, is still growing and innovating. I was particularly moved by the pride the workers have in their craft, one employee noting when Dave pointed out their near flawless shipping record, he himself had just wrapped up a perfect year with zero mistakes! Hope you enjoy my conversation with Dave.

On boating in his youth…..Some of my best memories are boating. I grew up here in Gloversville, where the Taylor Made facility is. My parents bought a cottage on the Sacandaga Lake when I was 10 years old. With that cottage came a 1969 Glastron IO boat. At about 10 years old I got my first taste of boating. We would pack up our house 10 miles away and move up there for the summer. No TV, no radio, no internet, no nothing. We just went up there and enjoyed the outdoors.

On learning to boat…..I got my license when I was 16, as soon as I could. I took the safety course, learned how to navigate. At 16 I’m riding around on this beautiful boat with a 120 horsepower I/O Merc. It was one of the fastest boats on the lake so I was king of the lake. Driving the boat came with a lot of responsibility and conditions from my parents. We would take it over to a local beach, slide it right up on to the sand, spend the day at the beach. It was certainly a great part of my childhood. The operation of the boat was my dad, the rules of the road was dependent on the course.

On family boating now…..On the same lake I’ve got a 22 Regal bowrider. My son loves to tube and my daughter is just getting into it. We’ll spend all day out there going from a restaurant to tubing, visiting my dad who still lives on the lake. It’s a good family experience. Especially, my children, being able to unhook from their electronics and spend a day with family and enjoying the outdoors.

On teaching kids to boat…..At their younger age, everything is about respecting the boat, the people around you, the experience, the safety requirements. You can add on the lessons about navigation and tying knots but everything up until now is - we do it right and we do it safe. They’ll grow up to love boating, but they’ll have the base of knowledge and respect of the craft to do it right.

On destination boating…..Given my job here at Taylor, I’ve had a lot of great experiences in boating but the best I had with my son. I took him on a 10-year-old trip. It was something passed on to me from a colleague long ago. He said when your child turns 10, take him on a business trip, show him what you do, give him an experience he’ll remember for a lifetime. His choice was to go to Ft. Lauderdale and go fishing offshore. I’ve got a friend who runs StarBrite. He took us out for the day and we happened to get two sailfish. First time ever for either of us. Here he is, 10 years old bringing in a sailfish. Needless to say I’ve got two sailfish mounts in my house! Someday he’ll have that on the wall of his house and he’ll tell his children and remember how grandpa went out with him.

On the success and longevity of TaylorMade…..The Taylor success is rooted in its culture. It's new product innovation and quality. A lot of us are boaters, we know the industry, we live it. When you put something out in the marketplace, you want it to be new, innovative, different, to make the day on the water a much better experience for the consumer. It’s what you would want to use and how you would want to use it. A quality piece that the company stands behind. We’re known for our lifetime guarantee in fenders long before any other fender company would have thought of doing such. I think we’re known for quality and innovation.

On what you might not know about Taylor Made…..What I would want people to understand more is the scope of what we can do in just in time. Meaning almost a custom made product. Take boat covers for example. I’ve got a Regal 2200, I need a boat cover for that boat. You can go to our website or to any of our customer’s websites, find that exact boat cover, order it from Taylor, and have that made in 3 days and drop shipped to your house in black, or burgundy, or specifically what you need. You go to any of our customer partners and you see things that are in the stores or in the catalogues or in the dealers but you probably don’t realize the scope of what we do that is special ordered and drop shipped immediately to all boaters across the country.

On the newest product innovations…..Well there are two that are hitting the market this year that we are excited to introduce. One is a patented color technology in fenders. When you think about PVC fenders for the last 50 years, originally, they were white, blue, and black. Taylor innovated and added colors to it. Well we’ve taken it a step further and we’ve actually patented the use of a pearlescent additive to the PVC formulation. It took four years to get the formulation right. But think about a clear coat on a car - it’s not just a flat, basic color. There’s depth to the color. The same thing is happening with gelcoat and accent stripes on boats. Now, we’re able to make it in silver, or gold, and we’re able to color match the gelcoats to take it to the next generation. The days of flat PVC colors are gone. As a company that makes everything from the boat cover to the bimini to the fender what you want is consistency in the color. From one manufacturer, we can be consistent and it’s not a mismatch of what’s on your boat. We came out with a product line called Storm Gard that we introduced it in. The second is we introduced an entire line of solar LED dock lighting. Until now it’s been repurposed garden lighting. We’re introducing a whole line of innovative, motion sensing, wired expandable packs, all with soft white lights and solar powered. It’s the warm white light that you’d expect from a nice setting like a dock.

On the Fishing University partnership…..Charlie and Ray approached us and I took them through the tour and they were blown away by our capabilities. They said we need to design specific fishing products that people would be looking for. They helped us come up with a spot marker. You can take our same soft vinyl and come out with a guaranteed for life hotspot fishing marker. Or a boot that goes over the prop of your trolling motor. Out of the same PVC we’ve come up with a boot. Very specific designs for everyday problems. I go back to the comment about extending the day on the water, enjoying it more, and taking some of those nuisance problems and having a solution for them. That’s been a great partnership.

On the best boating advice received…..The first piece of advice was from my dad – docking is the hardest part, have good fenders! His comment to me which I still take to this day is to take it slow. People don’t realize there aren’t brakes on a boat. When he taught me, he said do it deliberately, take your time, there’s no hurry to get into the spot, do it right and do it once. The other thing which is instilled in me is the entire safety component. Don’t drink and boat. Don’t be unsafe in the way that you boat, and respect the others around you and it will be a good day!

On efforts to get more people on the water…..We, as members of the industry, sit on boards that have the mission to make it easier to do business and to get more consumers into the category. I won’t point much further than the Discover Boating initiative. It’s key to make it easy for people to have that first boating experience. If you’re a young couple looking for a leisure activity, you’ve got choices. What we want to do it make it easy for people to understand what the life is going to look like. If you go onto Discover Boating you’ll see ‘Find the right boat for me’ and you’ll see a lot of lifestyle pictures. The key is to let them picture themselves in that business. We fully support all those efforts in order for people to get outdoors and on the water and enjoying that lifestyle.

On advice for someone thinking about boating…..The biggest misconception is the barriers to entry. It’s too expensive or it’s too much of a pain or I’m too much of a novice. The first thing I’ll do is invite them out for a day. Once they experience it they’ll be hooked.

On who he would spend a day on the water with…..The answer for me is family. If I could get any one of my family out for a day, to me the biggest moments are with family!