It looks like Boston Harbor will get much cleaner because federal, state and local officials said they expect to have a no-discharge plan in place by Memorial Day 2008. This means boaters can no longer dump treated head waste into the water. (Read More…)

A French industry executive once posed this question during a symposium I attended in conjunction with a boat show. She wondered if Americans’ lack of leisure time was a big stumbling block to boating in the United States. (Read More…)

Hi all. I’ve been lurking on the Soundings Trade Today site and reading Wanda’s insightful marketing blogs for sometime and thought I’d regularly add my 2¢ to see if we can all benefit more from this section. Especially in light of the fact that we’re all in the same boat, trying to make the best of our advertising resources in light of a low performing marine marketplace. (Read More…)

I had dinner the other night with a busy industry executive who said something interesting. He has the money to buy a boat, but questioned why he’d make that investment when he’d probably use it once or twice. (Read More…)

It seems like at every turn these days the federal government is trying to institute policies that create more hurdles for boaters. Last fall we learned that a federal court decision could and, now, is leading to a federal permitting process for recreational boat discharge. (Read More…)

My last two Trade Only marketing columns have chronicled and championed my personal motorcycling “learn to ride” experience that ultimately led to the sale of two Harleys in a short window of time. Through this amazing experience, I’ve become a vocal advocate for this concept and believe we are missing the boat and quite literally losing sales opportunities by not linking boater education to sales. (Read More…)

In my August Trade Only marketing column, I proposed that we seriously consider boating’s overall brand image. When you think of boating, what should be the first image that comes to mind? (Read More…)

As we endure the worst economic/market conditions in the boat industry since the early 90s, I would like to take this opportunity to comment on what I am observing from some of our manufacturer/ partners. 

I have been presented dealer contracts that are designed to give the dealer less rights and the manufacturers a guarantee of success at the dealer’s expense. The business world can and should be a mutually profitable two-way street. The bottom line is, if I can’t understand the language in a contract as a layman due to excessive “legalese,” I WONT SIGN IT! (Read More…)

Theft and Burglary on boats is on the rise!

Theft and burglary on boats is on the rise.  Did you know that there have been five yachts stolen from the Miami area since the beginning of 2007 amounting to over $10 million? (Read More…)

I’d love to connect with boating industry folks who ride! Fun to get a bunch of us together at a boat show or something and ride together! (Read More…)