Yacht.com Blog

Since leaving Miami, I have flown back and forth to the Caribbean, up to New England and then drove down the East Coast to spend a few days with the 120 members of the Yacht Broker Association of America this week in Baltimore before landing again in Charlottesville to continue the development of the site.  I enjoyed spending 2 days with this group talking bout how they are using the web to connect to their clients.  During their Annual International Conference predictably many of the conversations about the business of yacht brokerage were colored by the climate of our down-turned economy.  The interesting thing is that for the most part, this group remains positive and understands that there are still great opportunities to have a good year of sales.  Good brokers are finding ways to provide value, customer service and opportunity through creativity, outreach, utilizing new tools on the web and good old fashioned hard work.  Dawn Speros of The Gowrie Group which provides insurance, gave a great talk where she highlighted that economy aside, people love boating, it’s an emotional connection not found in other aspects of their lives and they will always find a way to incorporate it into their life.  It is a true statement.

We know manufacturers are still building new boats, listings are still being posted and boats bought and sold and I can assure you as the temperatures begin to climb, boats are getting geared up to go back in the water.  Remember this time last year?  We were all talking about how many boats would be tied to the dock because of rising fuel costs.  Its always something, but this year we know boaters can take off, leave the stress on land and get back to the activity which bonds us all together.  We’re busy building the full yacht.com site for you and its easier knowing there is one common bond and activity we can surely support as a resource to connect you all.

We’re not superstitious… we’re hungry.  It’s been a busy couple of months developing the Yacht.com site in places much colder than sunny Florida.  We have a lot to show for what is coming up next and would love feedback, so if you are in the Miami area from 12 PM – 2 PM on Friday, Feb 13, please join us at the Marriott Biscayne Bay for a sandwich and some screenshots of where the site is headed.

Planning on stopping by?  Let us know: support@yacht.com will make sure we have enough food.  If you can’t make it and would like to leave a comment here for us – I’ll be sure to get back to you (but I can’t promise sending lunch over).

The United States largest boat show has already been underway for the hundreds of industry professionals who have set up their booths and staged their yachts to welcome the VIPs today at the 3 major locations that comprise the 2009 Miami Boat Show.  Just like in every industry hosting shows this year, there is a lot of positive outlook on the new products being rolled out, and a lot of speculation about who is showing up to buy.

We at Yacht.com  are here to talk to everyone, from boaters checking out new products on the dock, to dealers hoping to generate strong leads and sales in a challenging economic year for boating.  We want to find out what the manufacturers are saying about their new models, what’s the hottest new development we are seeing with engineers and what kinds of deals are out there right now – when we all are looking for the best deals.

In our own web world, we are enthusiastic that in this time, it seems we all need a place to gather, virtually as it may be.  Some great experts within their fields will be contributing to this blog on topics like marine finance, buying and selling your boat and the vast topics of marine insurance.  We’re talking to service mangers who will be offering tips as we roll into spring and we all begin to draw the boats out of winter storage.

If you are attending the Miami Boat Show this year – let us know how you are finding it.  Anything we should check out before the show closes on Monday?  With multiple locations, everyone needs a direct link to the good stuff. (pun intended)

We hereby christen, the Yacht.com blog – a place to come for news, stories, expert opinions and a community of boating enthusiasts to share collectively with.

So who are we?

Just as our mission statement says; we are a group developing Yacht.Com as the most fun and useful gathering place for boaters: the site that provides a permanent and secure identity for boat enthusiasts, most completely connects the people, culture, lifestyle and business of yachting.

We are in the development stages of the full-featured Yacht.com site, currently offering our @yacht.com e-mail forwarding service and a sophisticated news service.  Try out one of the topics we have been following for you.  Whether it’s the marine industry, blue water cruising or global yacht racing, we have a rich source of information collected – live and growing delivered straight to our site.

That being said – this blog is an open place for communication.  If there is a topic you would like to see covered; by us or an industry expert, let us know.  You need to register with yacht.com to be a commenting reader of this blog, but signup is easy.

So let us know who you are, what you want out of your online boating community and check back often.