Boating Industry Canada August 2016 - 21

FOR SALE Bridgeview Marina & Storage quick notes as the boat is being hauled. It's not a haphazard process, they have a staff member appointed to take those notes when the boat gets hauled and pressure washed. Andy keeps the notes on every customer and adds ideas and suggestions for future follow-up. The list is then emailed out to the customer prior to December so they can decide which work to complete over the winter months. Andy says that after the boat is hauled and the customer pays for their winter storage, many people don't want to even think about their boat until January when they typically meet many of their customers at the Toronto International Boat Show. Then, the people are ready to talk about servicing their boat for the coming season and it becomes a soft sell. Later in April, Queen's Cove holds their Annual Wine and Cheese party which is where everybody gets into order for compounding and buffing for spring launch. Similarly, Bayview Yacht Harbour has a designated Service Manager and it's his job to be in touch with every customer. They sell service in the spring and in the fall. Perhaps the most important thing about doing winter service is how much it makes spring launch better and faster. Labour-intensive activities like pulling drives and replacing impellers should all be done in the winter. Michael Kelly commented that they have quadrupled their winter storage over the past 20 years and the summer headaches are greatly reduced. But, it has been a re-education process for their customers and some people may not buy into winter service right away. Overall, Andy agrees with Michael that it's a process of adjusting your business and educating your customers to be able to keep the doors open and all of the staff employed through the winter. As an incentive, Andy says they may reduce labour costs by as much as 20% on winter work but the owner has to also consider that when the boat is in the shop, they are not paying for winter storage. Bridgeview Marina & Storage on 1.5 acres with: * 50 boat slips, 30 amp hydro to slips, boat launch and pump out station. * Storage/work shop is 60 x 93 ft (includes chandlery). * Updated marina washrooms with showers. * Potential for additional building to be built on property. * Bonus also comes with a modern home on Georgian Bay. This house was custom built 8 years ago with open concept design on main ﬂoor featuring natural light and water views. 4 bedrooms, 3 bath, all modern ﬁnishes such as granite counter tops and walk in pantry, gas ﬁreplace. bonus is the in-law suite loft complete with full kitchen, bathroom and open concept living (located above garage). close access to Hwy 12/400. listed at $1,275,000. CONTACT: MARY MITAKIDIS SALES REPRESENTATIVE ROYAL LEPAGE IN TOUCH REALTY 705-527-9797 N PRO EW DUC T Conclusion The owners and managers at Bayview and Queen's Cove all work closely with the association and the Georgian College Marine program. They support initiatives for student recruitment in high schools and communities. Queen's Cove Marina Owner, John Swick, also serves on the board at Boating Ontario and is a strong advocate for the industry. Clearly, at both of these businesses there has been a huge commitment in dollars over time and sheer will to gear up their marina business to deliver 12-month service and therefore 12-month employment. Both Andy and Michael are clear that the winter work is cash flow. Hopefully, it pays the winter bills and makes it worth staying open, but the overall business benefit seems to be in attracting customers who are more willing to pay for quality service and maintaining a staff of top people who can deliver the quality the more profitable customers are looking for. MADE IN C A N A DA NOV-EIGHT™ 8 plait rope combines the strength and tenacity of a durable single braid Nylon Rope with a firm square braid that feeds well in modern anchor windlasses. Easy to handle, Nov-Eight stows in anchor lockers using a fraction of the space of equivalent size and length 3 strand ropes. Nov-Eight resists twisting and hockling making anchor deployment and retrieval easy and stress free. www.novabraid.com www.boatingindustry.ca 21 http://www.novabraid.com http://www.boatingindustry.ca

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Boating Industry Canada August 2016