From the Helm of Shipyard Marine: Spring 2013

Hello Shipyard Friends and Fellow Boaters!

Somewhere under the snowflakes and ice shoves, spring is waiting to burst out the sun and fun we all crave! Are you ready for it? I sure am! This year we’re excited to announce many new updates at Shipyard Marine, including the position change of Chad VanderKelen. Chad has moved into boat sales. You might know him from helping you find boat parts when he was in our parts department. Better yet, now he is helping you find the entire boat! Brandon Hockers, our newest addition, is now taking care of parts, and we also have added a few more to our detailing crew.

Speaking of detailing, we have just opened our Shipshape Detailing Center at 1651 Velp Avenue in Green Bay. A new division at Shipyard Marine where our signature service is our Shine n’ Float and Shine n’ Fly detailing packages. Whether you’re away by boat or plane, With Shine n’ Float or Shine n’ Fly, you don’t have to pay loads of money just to stay in the Green Bay airport parking lot or feel bad leaving a dirty car behind at the marina. You can have your car detailed and ready just before you return from your trip away. Simply call us and we can give you more details…When you’re gone we shine!

What else should you watch out for? Shipyard TV will be an online show featuring yours truly reporting on special events, interviews, boat tests, and boating lifestyle. It’ll be a fast-paced, 3-5 minute entertaining clip guaranteed to get you excited about going boating. Stay tuned for more!

Also, our clubhouse just got a new facelift! We recently installed new maple cabinetry and granite countertops. Now rack customers can enjoy entertaining your crew in style before or after hitting the water.

Shipyard Marine Clubhouse

Meeting at the clubhouse is a great way to start off your day of boating. Speaking of starting off in style – thanks to all who attended our annual Crack the Ice Party. Even though this season seems to be taking its sweet time to get going, getting together with friends to talk boating always warms up the environment. Make sure to check out the pictures in the previous blog post!

See you out on the docks very soon!

Andy Howitt
President, Shipyard Marine

Crack the Ice Party 2013 Recap

Shipyard Marine had the annual Crack the Ice Party last Saturday at the Green Bay Yacht Club. Guests were entertained with summer picnic style hors d’ oeuvres and cold beverages.

Crack the Ice Party Sculpture

Outside, the humid spring air kept the temperature around the mid 40’s. On display was Shipyard Marine’s fabulous new Chaparral 327 SSX sport boat, as well as the venerable blue Donzi 38 ZRC, both lit up in blue LED lighting setting the mood for a rockin’ boat party.

On the dance floor, DJ DR WRATH was spinning the tunes to help kick of the boating season right. The dance floor soon started hopping and the ice sculpture would soon meet its demise!

Later in the night, Andy took to the microphone, offered up a toast celebrating the close to a long winter, and defeated the ice with the passion and indignation of a true boater’s spirit.

Donzi 38 ZRC

Chaparral 327 SSX

Party Crew

GBYC patio dwellers

Put your hands in the a-yer!

Ice Sculpture

Moments before the cracking

Thanks again to all who attended. Now we can only wait intently on the weather to cooperate!

Soon – very soon, my friends – we’ll see you out on the docks!

Spring 2013 Boaters Update at Shipyard Marine

Last year we were spoiled. It probably started around March 2012 – sometime mid month the snow was completely melted and we were experiencing temps in the 80’s. I remember attending a St Patty’s Day festival where there were tents and live bands set up outside much like a summer music festival. What a difference a year makes.

This year we haven’t gotten so lucky – depending how you look at it. If you’re into winter sports like skiing and snowboarding, I’m sure you’ve had great season. However, it’s been complicated for getting work done on boats that generally gets done before the season starts.

Below normal temps has made it hard for doing work on boats outside. With temps below 32 degrees at night, boats kept in heated storage have to stay inside to prevent risk of freezing. Work needs to be done in a heated shop. The type of work that can be done needs to be limited as well – like sanding for instance, to control dust.

When it does finally get warm there’s going to be a lot that needs to happen. This may lead to one heck of a backlogged bottleneck at dealers when it comes to getting boats ready for the recommissioning rush that happens on the start of every season.

April 2013 – Melting ice in Shipyard Marine’s channel

But despite frigid temps keeping the waterways well frozen, there have been promising reports of the rise in water levels. Precipitation from relatively heavy snowfall this winter may have a contribution to helping water levels to return. Although time will tell what the water will look like for summer boating. Chances are we’ll probably need a bit more rain throughout the spring and even into summer before we can call levels normal. Keep your fingers crossed!

Regardless, cooler temps will not hinder Shipyard from kicking off the season in grandiose style. This Saturday, April 6^th is the Annual “Crack the Ice Party” at the Green Bay Yacht Club, our yearly celebration to the boating season. It’s always a fun time to be had, with music, drinks, food, boats, and fun. This year DJ DR WRATH will be spinnin’ the records to “melt away the winter blues.” Come and check us out!

More to come!

When is the best time to sell your boat? NOW!

Are you considering selling your boat? Maybe it’s been sitting in the corner of the back shed for years; with so many other projects to get to, you just simply had the time to enjoy it. Or maybe you are considering in moving up in size. Maybe you noticed the 18’ bowrider getting a little crowded last season as the family gets bigger. Either way, Shipyard Marine is here to help you.

It may be hard to believe now, especially today, because it was 17 degrees this morning, and we’re just digging out of an additional 6 inches of snow from the previous day (I thought the month of March usually brings on springtime?). Something that isn’t so surprising is that Wisconsin weather always brings about its lovely surprises. I digress….

As I was saying, it may be hard to believe, but this time of the year we’re selling lots of boats. This differs from fall, as when we usually see a huge influx of boaters looking to sell at the end of the season. However now, people are thinking about spring. Cabin fever has been spreading. The phone has been ringing with folks looking to get into the boat of their dreams for an exciting summer that is definitely approaching.

So now is the time to move your boat! With Shipyard Marine brokered boats listed on 50+ websites, our brokerage program can help you sell your boat FAST, and you can turn your boat into much needed cash. Contact us today and we’ll get yours listed!

Green Bay Boat Dealer Wins Mercury Marine Service Award 5 Years in a Row

Mercury Marine presented Shipyard Marine in Green Bay, WI the prestigious Service Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Award for the fifth year in a row. A total of 99 dealers across North America qualified for the Service CSI Award for 2012.

Mercury Marine’s Service CSI Program measures the satisfaction of consumers after having service work done on their Mercury outboard or MerCruiser Sterndrive or inboard.

“It just goes to show how passionate my technicians are about boats and boating. I’m proud of what they can do and how they take care of our customers,” said Joe Lorge, Service Coordinator for Shipyard Marine.

To be eligible for the Service CSI Award, a dealer must maintain a score of 90 or better out of 100 in the Service CSI survey.

Sneek Peek: New 2013 Formula 350 FX

With 2012 quickly coming to a close, we at Shipyard get to say goodbye to a lot of boats as we tuck them away nicely for storage. We also get the chance to await new 2013 models as they come in. Fortunately for us we had a customer order a brand new 2013 Formula end of the season, and it recently was delivered with some time for us to drool over (don’t worry, we didn’t let it get on that fresh new Ultraleather!)

I happened to snap a few pictures to give you a little virtual tour of this cool sapphire blue beauty. Check it out:

View from back – as close to factory custom as you can get

Cockpit louge – Pure Formula comfort

Sapphire blue wetbar

Sapphire blue and red accents

Ready to glisten on the water!

Cockpit refrigerator

Racing inspired helm

Raymarine Chartplotter

Axius Joystick Docking System

Luxurious cabin – walnut hardwood floors

mid cabin berth, pillows and enclosures

Enclosed head

Flatscreen TV – could you not live here?

Is this boat not off the hook? Talk about quite a Christmas gift. Santa – I’ve been good this year… are you listening??

New model years are exciting. We’ll keep you updated this winter as new models roll in to give you a little extra warmth during those cold months. We can feel for you while you’re waiting to fire up your baby from storage on that first warm spring weekend!

Stay tuned!!

Election Day Poll at Shipyard – Use Your Vote!

Today is an important day for our country. It is a time to exercise our rights as Americans and choose the direction for our country. The Democracy of our nation It is what makes the United States such a great place to live, as we can choose the people who uphold our freedoms.

So in the spirit of our great nation, lets have a little fun of our own! We as a free people can choose – we choose how we’d like to have fun on those summer days on the water all over our beautiful country!

Now it’s your turn! Make sure to research the “platform” of each candidate (boat) so you can make a well-informed decision!

Which boat would you rather have for fun this summer?
Yamaha 242 Limited S	Malibu Wakesetter VTX

Season’s Over? Let the Dreaming begin!

Many ask me what happens to a boat dealer when the season is over. As we come to the fall and to the end of the year, many often finally find the time to reflect on a fun summer, or maybe start dreaming for the next summer.

Shipyard Marine Fall 2012 – Fall Winterization

Along with the process of winterizing our customers’ boats, we’re in the process of planning for upcoming boat show season. Many 2013 stock models are coming in. Chaparrals, Yamahas, new models and lines and more loaded with hot new colors and features.

2013 Yamaha Supercharged 192

Believe it or not, this is an active time of the year. We’re selling the new Yamaha pictured above and they are hardly even off the assembly floor! The picture above was a pre-released, top secret picture taken at the Yamaha Dealer Convention in Puerto Rico. Not only that, but we’re also selling 2013 Chaparrals, Formulas and more.

Why buy a boat this time of year you ask? Boaters may want to get a jump on the season with a hot new boat. Besides, it gets harder to special order a model with the features you want after the boat show season starts, as there is usually a huge influx of orders in to manufacturers from other dealers creating a backlog in production. So in order to ensure your boat to be ready for that first warm weekend in May, now is the time to plan your order. After all, what is more fun than having a fresh, hot, shiny new beauty in the garage building anticipation for when the weather gets warm?

Shipyard Marine has a LOT of exiting things happening. We’ve just added a new brand -
Robalo Boats – a line of fishing boats and center consoles to fill a niche we’ve been missing for our customer base. We’re very excited to get started with Robalo as we’ve even sold 2013 models that have yet to reach our lot!

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Robalo Boats

True sportsmen and anglers prefer the center console design, and there are many Northeast Wisconsin folks that enjoy spending their leisure time with a fishing pole in hand – especially in our locale with all of the prime fishing spots in the Bay of Green Bay and up in Door County.

Where are you at? Do you have a boat, but you could use a change? Or maybe you’ve been struggling with cramped quarters. Maybe it’s time to move up to something bigger. Give us a call – we’ll help you navigate the waters and get you ready for an exciting summer for 2013!

Scary Performance from a 50′ Monster

Once in a while something comes along that you can’t pass up. A boat can be just a boat, or it can be something more. It can verge from just a project to an endeavor. It can become a statement. Art – in its purest form.

When worlds collide it is often seen as a bad thing. Especially when speaking in a literal sense. But then when you question it again, and take time to notice what is really happening, it can be quite beautiful. It can break down the expected and create change. It can inspire. It can facilitate. It can accomplish.

This custom build Hustler 50 is definitely an exception to the norm. Hustler boats are already extravagant. So that makes this Wild Trips even more over the top. Custom built with a deck lowered 2″ and a smoothed to a mirror finish with deleted hatches.

The cockpit is out of this world with a command center style helm full of Livorsi gauges and Garmin 4212 GPS receiving engine data to on screen graphs for precise monitoring and modification. As you can see, no stone was left unturned.

With rock solid construction, this boat was built to be solid at speed. High performance boats generally have tenancies to rattle and creak from the point the motors are started. This Hustler makes no excuses or fuss and tracks dead straight. It corners like a slot car even at speed.

The three engines propelling the 50 Monster are true performance mills, but one thing specified was that they need to be reliable. The military-spec 665 cubic inch Marine Innovation motors can run on pump gas, and the power peak is at a low 5300 rpm. This adds many hours of longevity and relieves the finicky maintenance commonly associated with race motors.

 

This boat smoothly runs 110+ MPH and accelerates like a bullet. It is truly a remarkable boat for an incomparable time on the water. Best thing is you can even make this boat yours!

Contact Shipyard Marine for more information!

Thrill of the Chase: Best Boat Chase Scene

All guys know the best part of any movie is the car chase scene. You’re guaranteed to hear gears jamming, tires squealing, and engines screaming at high RPM. Some would even go so far as to say everyone wishes they could be in a car chase once in their lives – Okay fine, but it’s safe to say that if someone WERE stuck in a car chase, they would wish that they’d have the Bandit’s ’77 Black Trans Am.

But what about boat chases? Sure they are a little more rare in action movies, however I know there are some good ones out there.

The Italian Job has all kinds of fun chases, whether be with boats though the canals of Venice, or Mini Coopers though the sewer system. James Bond movies come to mind. Quantum of Solace gets an Honorable Mention.

However a bit more obscure, I think there is one that stands out. A piece of 70′s film magic, Puppet on a Chain seems to take it for me – there’s nothing like high-speed chase through the tunnels and canals of Amsterdam. You know everything filmed there was real – no computer animation or the safety of green screens to water down the effect – just PURE excitement!

Look at how fast those little runabouts are blazing through those reefs!

What’s your favorite?