Owning and operating a marina on the Big Rideau Lake is a ton of work, and a ton of fun! People remark to me all the time: "I wish I had your job". In almost every way I agree with them 100%. I have a passion for my life and my work and that pays huge rewards to me and ultimately back to you. When we love our work, the results are expressed through the relationships with you and your satisfaction.
I had many of those "fun moments" the past week. After doing my favourite Saturday morning duty of serving coffee and paper around the Len's Cove docks to all our fantastic boaters (and sneaking in a quick boat showing), our new Boating Coach (Fraser Hambleton) and I rushed of for the NGG (Rinker, Hurricane, Sweetwater, AquaPatio, PolarKraft) dealer meeting in Elkhart, Indiana. We flew into Chicago, and although I have made the drive over to Indiana many times before, we proceeded to get lost in our rental car. Let's just say, we saw a lot more corn than we needed to!
Fraser and I quickly made the rounds of all the new boats for 2014, and planned our orders. We then broke bread with the dedicated people of NGG and our dealer friends from around the world. I then left him there to learn all he could about our great partner so he could help you choose the right boat for you. See, Fraser came over from a Chaparral dealer, and needed to immerse itself in the other brands we carry. I, on the other hand, needed to jet off to Miami, and drive down to the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. One could accurately argue that this is a definite perk of the job! Other than missing my family and getting a little behind on some paperwork, it was a highlight for sure.
What I experienced there was a dealer meeting like no other. Being able to drive the best boats in their respective classes, out in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, was incredible. The culture and passion for building these outstanding boats was immediately apparent. These are some of the highlights:
The all new for 2014 307 SSX was in a class all by itself! Twin 300hp and full to the brim with 12 passengers, she handled the chop with ease and felt sports car nimble in the big openwater. The rest of the SSX line-up (257, 277, 287, and show stopping 327) was impressive and gorgeously designed. Some really unique features are too numerous to list on these boats.
this 33' feel significantly larger. This is luxury at its finest. The Extended Plane Hull makes for
superior performance, minimal bow lift, and the ability to throttle back and maintain cruise with minimal effort. The 270 Signature handled amazingly well with a single 300hp twin prop and was smartly styled and laid out for the size.
The absolutely quality and value in the "Real Deal" pricing on the line of H2O bow riders and fish and ski 18' , 19', and the all new 21' models showed how Chaparral could pack amazing quality and value into a no haggle value priced package with trailers to boot!
The 206, 216, 226, and 246 SSI Wide-techs are in a class of their own when it comes to luxury and performance in a spacious bow rider. These are boats built to perform incredibly, last a lifetime, and be stylish for years to come. The are gorgeous, and have a ton of room in both the cockpit and extra wide bow.
The Sunesta Deckboats have huge interior space, yet remain nimble performers. With awesome features like enclosed heads and extremely functional rear seats that also fold down into large sun pads, the 224, 244, 264, and 284 spell fun on the water all day long!
The entire Chaparral line up have touches, features, options, and finish qualities that rival and beat all contenders, without exception. Once you get in one, spend some time inside, and ultimately get behind the wheel and go out on the water, we know you will agree. That's what I did, over and over again, as many times as I possibly could while in Key Largo. I have a pretty decent sunburn to prove it, and some serious lines from the huge smile that was constantly present. We can't wait to show you the 2014 Chaparral line up very soon.
See all my pictures from the trip here on our Facebook page. Watch for Fraser's wrap-up of the Hurricane, Rinker, Sweetwater, and AquaPatio dealer meeting soon. Next stop - MasterCraft in Orlando in December! I love my job!