Boat Special This Week-Featured Yacht

Hi. James here. We have a motivated seller looking to move this boat. Please take a look and give me a call to schedule a sea trial or to discuss.

2006 Silverton 34 Convertible

This is an exceptional – original owner, professionally maintained, freshwater use – Silverton 34 Convertible with low hours is fully equipped and ready for cruising. Equipped with Crusader 6.0 MPI 370hp (450 hrs) inboard engines, Lowrance LCX-113 Radar/GPS, Raymarine Tri-data, windlass, spotlight w/remote, new sound system on the bridge and new bimini w/full canvas enclosure (both 2015).

$115,000

Sportsman Boats boatmaker adding more space, 100 jobs in latest expansion

Sportsman Boats Manufacturing announced that it plans to create another 100 jobs and invest $3.5 million at its Dorchester County site to keep up with demand.

The company said it will be adding 70,000 square feet of production space to its Limbros Industrial Park site to accommodate growth in its upholstery, welding and fabrication operations.

Sportsman Boats is headquartered on Isaac Way, off U.S. Highway 78, where it recently installed an 800-kilowatt rooftop solar power system as part of its sustainability efforts.

The company said it now makes 21 models of saltwater center-console fishing and bay boats ranging in length from 17 to 31 feet. They are now carried by about 50 dealers. The company also has started selling in the international market.

The S.C. Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved state tax credits that Sportsman Boats can apply for in the future, based on the number of jobs it creates under the new expansion.

The company was started with six employees in 2011 by two former founders of Sea Pro Boats in the Midlands and Key West Boats in Summerville who were itching to get back into the industry as sales started to bounce back from the recession.

Two years ago, Sportsman announced it would more than double the size of its plant by adding 116,000 square feet of space. The $3.5 million investment also called for the creation of 150 jobs.

“Sportsman Boats is proud to have roots here in South Carolina and Dorchester County, and we are excited about our continued growth,” said Tommy Hancock, co-founder and president.

The Summerville area is a longtime hub for boat makers, a lineup that includes Key West, Zodiac of North America and Scout.

The industry, which was hit hard by the last economic downturn, is now cruising along on a rising tide.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association estimated that sales of new powerboats climbed 6 percent to 7 percent to 250,000 units last year, a trend the trade group expects to continue through at least 2018.

“Economic indicators are working in the industry’s favor — a continuously improving housing market, strong consumer confidence, growing disposable income and consumer spending, and low interest rates all contribute to a healthy recreational boating market,” said Thom Dammrich, president of the association.

Sweet Ride

Renowned naval architect Lou Codega talks about sportfishing boat design trends.

It was the late 1980s, and Joan and Owen Maxwell were on a quest to find themselves. The couple were wandering around an Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, when Owen had an idea.

“Let’s just build boats. That’s all I want to do,” he told Joan. “Maybe Albemarle still has one of the 21 molds. We can just work off that.”

This was the moment of conception, so to speak, for Regulator Marine, which today is one of the most respected names in the fishboat business.

NMMA: New powerboat registrations rose 6.3 percent in 2016

The National Marine Manufacturers Association said advance data show that new powerboat registrations were up 6.3 percent last year and that nearly all segments were higher.

The NMMA said the tow boat, pontoon, saltwater fishing boat and personal watercraft segments had the highest rates of growth last year, up 11.8 percent, 9.2 percent, 7.9 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively.

Outboards boats were up 6.2 percent on a rolling 12-month basis and inboard boats were up 11.8 percent. Boats 27 feet and larger were up 10.7 percent through December on a rolling 12-month basis.

The NMMA said sterndrive boats continue to lag other categories; they were down 1.5 percent for the year, according to advance estimates.

Advantages of Buying a Used Boat

Advantages of Buying a Used Boat |

Unless you’re buying a classic wooden boat with particular pedigree, most boats don’t appreciate in value the way houses do—they depreciate. They’re more like cars in that respect: Drive it off the lot or away from the dock and its value plummets.

The idea of a brand-new boat is hard to resist, but you might get better value finding a used boat to buy that’s been lightly used at a reduced price and take advantage of all the almost-new-equipment lavished on the boat. It’s true, we love our boats and we lavish gifts upon our loved ones—GPS’s, electronics, charts, fishing equipment, canvas, lines, you name it. Buying a used boat with improvements, equipment, or customizations added to it at below new price levels is a great reason to consider used over new.

If you’re considering the advantages of a used boat, here’s a big one. Once you’ve focused in on a particular make or brand, find out the cost and standard equipment of the boat when it was new. With this as a price and equipment baseline, look for desirable big-ticket item add-ons, like trailers, bow-thrusters, or canvas enclosures that cost thousands of dollars. Scrutinize the equipment list for added equipment. Getting a used boat that has all the practical equipment needed to take the boat out of port is akin to buying a furnished house in move-in-condition. I don’t think you will find too many brand new boats that come with signal flags, flares, life-jackets, emergency medical kits, maybe even dinghy’s and the like—someone else’s new boat outfitting is your used-boat advantage.

Here’s another idea: Ask for maintenance records that show what original or basic equipment has been replaced by newer and possibly better stuff, like new and bigger outboards. If it is a used sailboat you are intent on buying, the better value between identical boats is more than likely reflected in the boat with the better sail inventory. Smaller, non-descript items like cockpit cushions can make your boating more pleasurable and save you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.

We love our boats and lavish them with gifts. Take advantage of used-boat outfitting; it can save you time, allowing you to enjoy the boat more quickly, and keep a bundle of cash

Hello world!

Proposed Bill Could Help U.S. Boaters in Canadian Waters

THOUSAND ISLANDS, N.Y. — The St. Lawrence River is a prime spot for boaters to enjoy the water and scenic views. While being so close to Canada can be an attraction, it’s also caused some issues.
“So many tourists that come up, and even charter businesses and boat rentals, the first thing people are told now is when you get out there, don’t go too far from shore, because you don’t know what’s going to happen,” said State Senator Patty Ritchie.
That’s why local politicians are supporting a bill to make it easier for boaters. They addressed Canada’s Parliament Wednesday to talk about a measure that would no longer require American boaters to report to customs when passing through Canadian waters.

SEABREEZEYACHTBLOG

Yachting and Boating News