"Jere Lull" wrote in message
news:2008022522322375249-jerelull@maccom...
On 2008-02-25 07:45:40 -0500, "Sir Thomas of Cannondale"
said:

I need some Interlux solvent wash .. West has it for about $22 dollars.
Hamilton ?? $16.50

You would at think ?? Why get undercut by a marine store with only four
or
five outlets in one state .. ??

It's worse than that. What used to be a good "sailor's" BOAT/US store has
fewer and fewer of the items I once got there. I used to find dockmates
and even a respected boating magazine author as store personnel -- people
who could answer the questions *I* have. That's gone, as well.

I frequent a couple different marina shops and found that after a while
they usually give me a "professional" discount. When I charge it to the
slip, my marina (hardly a cut-rate place) often beats even that.
Fawcett's, where I shop maybe once a season, made sure I got their card
before I checked out with some incidental parts last May.

And all of them, if they don't have it, can/will get it by tomorrow
morning (for reasonable requests).

Support your local chandleries. be a good customer (e.g. don't bitch), and
they'll serve you well.

If West *is* going through a shake-up, its because of what they've been
doing. Either they'll learn or die.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/


I took at look at the West Marine stock report for the fun of it..

Not a very good picture. Their business was off considerably toward the end
of 2007.
I think what I'd like to see is consistency. And they need to close stores
that are too close together.

There are two stores in Seabrook, NH within site of one another almost.
Neither of them is worth a ****.

For example, the paint department. It was awful. Empty shelves, no primer,
very little of anything.

Many of the products are of less quality. I hate to compare but it is very
Walmart like.

Last spring I bought some paint from one of the Seabrook stores. I called
back with a question and was pretty much
told to jump off a bridge. Very disagreeable. So, I took some of what I
bought back.

As a public company, the stockholders aren't getting much ..

West Marine Inc (NASDAQ GM:WMAR) closed yesterday at $8.48 per share.. one
year ago .. April 2007 ?? $18.38 per share..

Dah? Ya think the business is being run well? Said on the CNN finance site
that WMAR will report a loss going forward,

Not very promising. Especially in a tough market like boating products.