Houseboating Adventures - Issue 19 - (Page 16) HBA: Service really plays an important role for a dealer, how do you insure the right cares for your customers? SB: I am constantly accessing every aspect of the customers experience with Wahoo Marine Sales. We have a great network of service facilities that are always there for our customers. Warranty work is really a non issue for our customers. Gibson has implemented processes, people and resources to eliminate warranty issues. It says a lot about your quality when you surround yourself with top quality venders such as Crusader, Yanmar, Kohler, and Cruisair. These are companies at the top of their game and are significantly more expensive than their competitors. All these vendors have been chosen for their quality and warranty, not price. HBA: Does your personal boating experiences and knowledge give you any advantage in selling and setting up Gibson’s properly? SB: Absolutely. Like a stated earlier, we are out there boating with our customers, not sitting in our back yard barb-b-queing after selling you a Gibson. It is like a constant product test. After thousands and thousands of miles on the many Gibson’s that I have owned or cruised on, it gives us great insight to the product and ideas to greatly increase the function and cruisablilty of the product. HBA: Not many people may know that a dealer, such as you, can greatly influence the set-up and performance on a new boat. SB: Gibson has been a fantastic partner. We have a great relationship with open dialogue that greatly increases the quality and function of the Gibson houseboats. HBA: Please describe your newest Gibson houseboat for me, Scott. It’s one of the newest out of the factory isn’t it? SB: Gibson just introduced a new diesel engine package for the 2008 Gibson 47’ Classic. It is 47’ by 14’ wide, with a draft of 2’ 4". It has a galley down design with a full sized refrigerator/ freezer just like you would find in your home. The master bedroom sports a queen sized bed and a full head with a bathtub, and two cedar lined closets and dresser drawers. The cuddy has two full sized beds and an entertainment center, two cedar lined closets and a head with sink and shower.It will debut at the St. Louis Boat show in February. HBA: You have a very fuel-efficient set-up on this boat Scott. Tell me about it. SB: These engines where chosen for their fuel efficiency and their longevity. The 110 Yanmar’s are very bullet proof and are backed by a 2 year / 2000 hour warranty. )6B@" A05("%C&5AB9&@ They also mated the diesels to Hurth ZF-63 v-drives for efficiency and longevity. This engine packaged installed in the 47’ Classic when tested was the most fuel-efficient houseboat on the market today. We are boasting around 4 mpg at 2000 rpm’s with a hull speed of 9 mph and a range of approximately 750+ miles on one tank of fuel. One of the nice features of this package is that it will run on bio-diesel with no conversion. As bio-diesel becomes more available you will see your operating cost drop even further and it is a much cleaner fuel for the environment. HBA: How efficient is this boat compared to others in its class? SB: The efficiency has more than doubled from our gaspowered models. HBA: What about power? Efficiency is one thing, but in certain circumstances it’s good to have that heavy throttle. SB: I was skeptical when Gibson first proposed the package. Power and maneuverability were my greatest concern. I was there for the testing at Old Hickory Lake last month and I was absolutely blown away. I was extremely impressed with the power and the maneuverability. This houseboat is turning very large props that really walk this boat around where ever you ask it to go. HBA: How does your generator / inverter system contributes to the boats’ economy? SB: We order all our Gibson houseboats with inverters and it is because of the efficiency. The inverter reduces your generator run time dramatically. Gen set hours = fuel (gph) + maintenance costs + wear and tear = $$$ this cost can be around $4 to $5 per hour of run time. With our inverter system, most weekends you only run your generator a couple of hours instead of all weekend to keep the refrigerator cold and the lights on. 20 hours of generator run time at $4 to $5 equals approximately $80 to $100 per weekend compared to 2 hours of run time at $8 to $10 per weekend. Of all the money I have spent on boats and gear, the inverter has been the best money I have ever spent. HBA: How important will fuel and energy economy be to houseboats in the next decade in your opinion? How will this impact the way boater’s shop? SB: It will be a huge factor and I am glad that Gibson is leading the way for others to follow. Our customer demand and deserve the best of what there is to offer in the way of technology and efficiency. The number one question is how many mpg does our houseboat get. It was that way before fuel prices rose to record levels. Houseboaters in general have always been great stewards of the environment. HBA: Will more fuel-efficient hull designs be the next
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