On Apr 1, 9:01 pm, "JimH" wrote:

"John H." wrote in message


I hope not. I've got one about three miles away that I use frequently.
I'm
going to pick up my boat in two weeks, and I'll need the lines, anchor
rode, life vests, etc.
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)


Just curious as your purchased the boat last year and knew what it
needed:
Why didn't you shop for theses items over the net at a more reasonable
price
months ago?


Not all that worried about saving $4. I've a good relationship with my
West
Marine guys. Besides, for PFD's, lines, and some of the other stuff, I
like
to be able to see, try on, and/or feel what I'm getting.
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)



*Relationship* with the WM guys? Heck, they are most likely hourly
employees who will leave for a better job in a heart beat. Sort of like
building a relationship with someone from Walmart.

Regarding the saving of a whopping $4 on "lines, anchor rode, life vests,
etc. by purchasing from your buds at West Marine vs. marine retailers on
the
net.............all I have to say is.......eh?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


I suppose every store is different in terms of people. I agree with John.
We have a West Marine in Plymouth that has been operated by the same two
people for years and many of the employees have been there quite a while as
well.
My experience has been that although West Marine is pricey (aren't all
"marine" products?) the people at this store are always helpful, friendly
and fairly knowledgeable.

I don't like buying sight unseen on the Internet and rarely do. I want to
eyeball, touch and feel any major purchase. The minor marine related
purchases are usually impulsive .... meaning I think of them as I am passing
West Marine on the way to the boat. I don't have the patience or
discipline to plan a project a week in advance, then go online to order the
parts. If I did that, I'd lose interest in the project or forget what it
was.

Then there's always the situation of starting a project on the boat and
discovering you need some parts that are only available at West Marine or at
an on-line outlet. I can't leave the project half done, so it's off to
West Marine.

Eisboch

On Wed, 2 Apr 2008 03:06:10 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

Then there's always the situation of starting a project on the boat and
discovering you need some parts that are only available at West Marine or at
an on-line outlet. I can't leave the project half done, so it's off to
West Marine.

The one in New London and Mystic has had the same crew for the past
ten years or so - knowledgable and in the New London store, one of the
gals there is a retired electronics engineer and really knows her
electronics.

I've never had a problem with West in terms of knowledge - price,
that's another matter.

On Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:04:24 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 16:56:02 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

Not sure but for all I know, it looks like they may tank...

http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...0080326?rpc=44


They are just another "brick and mortar" that is getting killed by
competiton from big boxes for common stuff and the internet for
specialties.
The last few times I walked around West Marine they were deserted. I
was the only person in the store. They just opened a Bass Pro Shop
here that going to kill the fishing tackle places too (along with boat
stores).

That's not necessarily true. There are things at local shops you
can't get at Bass Pro and the personal service makes up for a lot. I
buy a lot of my fluke rigs at Hillyer's in Niantic, Ocean State Tackle
in Warwick, RI or Schaffer's in Mystic. You can't get live or dead
bait at Bass Pro and why drive to Gillette Stadium just to go fishing?

As to price, on major brands, Bass Pro is priced within .10¢ of the
local shops - at least for things like plastic lures, plugs, line,
etc. You can buy the same Ugly Stick (the only fishing rod worth the
name) for the same price at a local shop as you can at Bass Pro.

On their own stuff, they beat the heck out of the major brands - I'll
give you that one.

If they were like Wal-Mart with one on every corner, that would be
different.

On Apr 1, 8:16*pm, "JimH" wrote:
"John H." wrote in message

...

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 16:56:02 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote:

Not sure but for all I know, it looks like they may tank...

http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...0080326?rpc=44

I hope not. I've got one about three miles away that I use frequently. I'm
going to pick up my boat in two weeks, and I'll need the lines, anchor
rode, life vests, etc.
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)

Just curious as your purchased the boat last year and knew what it needed:
Why didn't you shop for theses items over the net at a more reasonable price
months ago?

Personally, a lot of my purchases I like to touch and play with before
purchase, then I want it right away. I shop the net, but not
exclusively.

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 21:08:23 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote:

On Apr 1, 9:01*pm, "JimH" wrote:
"John H." wrote in message

...





On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 20:16:28 -0400, "JimH" wrote:

"John H." wrote in message
. ..
On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 16:56:02 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

Not sure but for all I know, it looks like they may tank...

http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...0080326?rpc=44

I hope not. I've got one about three miles away that I use frequently.
I'm
going to pick up my boat in two weeks, and I'll need the lines, anchor
rode, life vests, etc.
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)

Just curious as your purchased the boat last year and knew what it needed:
Why didn't you shop for theses items over the net at a more reasonable
price
months ago?

Not all that worried about saving $4. I've a good relationship with my
West
Marine guys. Besides, for PFD's, lines, and some of the other stuff, I
like
to be able to see, try on, and/or feel what I'm getting.
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)

*Relationship* with the WM guys? *Heck, they are most likely hourly
employees who will leave for a better job in a heart beat. *Sort of like
building a relationship with someone from Walmart.

Regarding the saving of a whopping $4 on "lines, anchor rode, life vests,
etc. by purchasing from your buds at West Marine vs. marine retailers on the
net.............all I have to say is.......eh?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

In a way I would agree. But, in a different example, I've delt with
one local music store for several years, and have spent literally
thousands of dollars with them. The crew there loves me, especially
since they work on a small salary plus commission. But I'm on good
rrpore with them and they with me, and they are pretty knowledgable
with their products, and they know I'm not one to be con'd.

I wouldn't say that I'm "to the death" friends with them, but they've
always treated me great. I wouldn't say they're your typical huge
retailer "sales geeks" like what you find at Sam Ash, Guitar Center,
and the like. They're not out to grab a fast buck and dont' care how
they get it.

Anyhow, back on track.

I'd say that JohnH could be speaking well about the people he deals
with at WMarine, because they probably know him and like to keep him
as a customer.

The way their tanking, they might want to keep him as a customer
because he he might be the last guy out the door before they close the
gates ... LOL!

Well, I'd sure like to be among the first in the door when they have their
going out of business sale!
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)

On Apr 1, 8:51*pm, HK wrote:
Tim wrote:
On Apr 1, 7:29 pm, HK wrote:
JimH wrote:
"John H." wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 16:56:02 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote:
Not sure but for all I know, it looks like they may tank...
http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...0080326?rpc=44
I hope not. I've got one about three miles away that I use frequently.. I'm
going to pick up my boat in two weeks, and I'll need the lines, anchor
rode, life vests, etc.
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)
Just curious as your purchased the boat last year and knew what it needed:
Why didn't you shop for theses items over the net at a more reasonable price
months ago?
Interesting. Our local Parker dealer puts a "safety/convenience kit" in
each boat it sells, properly spec'd and sized. My new Parker came with
flares, six life jackets, a "tossable" cushion, a Danforth anchor, 10'
of chain, 150' of anchor line, four dock lines, a whistle (!), and a few
other goodies, including a full tank of fuel. Plus, the dealer installed
at no cost to me the electronics I mostly did not buy from him, and also
at no cost to me fitted the trailer I did not buy from him.

I guess I could have gotten a "better deal" shopping out of town. Not.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

that sounds like quite a bit of dealer generosity, but I wonder if you
would or could have saved money by not have all the case candy thrown
in?

I think you paid for the *complimentary freebies, Harry. But still, I
will admit it was a good gesture on the dealers part. I would have
felt good if they had done the same for me.

Oh, I'm sure the price of the goodies was included in what I paid, but I
did check around. I spec'd the new boat out at a dealership near
Virginia Beach during a visit to that area, and that dealer's "cash
price" was about $1200 more than I paid. I also called a dealer a little
north of here, and got a quote very similar to what I paid.

It's entirely up to the dealer to set the price for new, "current"
Parkers, but as far as I know, none are into price busting, since there
is no incentive for them to do so. Typically, by mid-April, the factory
is "sold out" for the year. Parker is not a high-volume manufacturer.

The Parker family is really nice to deal with. When my Parkers were
being built, a member of the Parker family snapped some photos and
emailed them to me. They also arranged for me to buy an "accessory" this
year at cost, and helped me get the dealer to install it for less than
the going rate.

I'm not saying the boats or the company or the dealership are "perfect,"
but there is a high amount of "repeat" purchases among Parker owners,
and that speaks to customer satisfaction. I looked at a couple of other
21' center consoles before I decided to buy another Parker. Most of them
were built up from a two piece hull and deck with liner assembly, a
method of construction I do not much like.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Was the "goodies" included with your 36' Zimmerman like lobster boat?

Gene Kearns wrote:
On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 16:56:02 -0700 (PDT), Tim penned the following well
considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

|Not sure but for all I know, it looks like they may tank...
|
|http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...0080326?rpc=44

Aside from WM's specific problems, it is an industry wide problem that
won't go away for quite some time.....

http://www.boating-industry.com/output.cfm?id=1229185

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aFGRVkX98Hzw




What? There are serious economic problems? :)

Regarding the saving of a whopping $4 on "lines, anchor rode, life vests,
etc. by purchasing from your buds at West Marine vs. marine retailers on the
net.............all I have to say is.......eh?

Since money seems to be no object to you, I wonder why you use the "net?"
You seem to contradict yourself. No offense intended.

I like West Marine because they have everything I need when I want it. I'm
an impulse buyer, or a buyer of necessity, and when I want/need it, I want
it NOW. I can do that with WM. I've purchased stuff online as well, like a
new tube for the kids for instance. I bought it in December after Christmas
when the retailer was having a sale. Since I was not planning on splashing
the boat for a few months yet, it was the CONVENIENCE of buying online that
drove me to the purchase, not any particular cost savings.

There's something to be said for retailers that specialize in one particular
area like WM. If WalMarts were on every corner, the world would be a much
more unpleasant place indeed.

--Mike

"JimH" wrote in message
...

"John H." wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 20:16:28 -0400, "JimH" wrote:


"John H." wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 16:56:02 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

Not sure but for all I know, it looks like they may tank...

http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...0080326?rpc=44

I hope not. I've got one about three miles away that I use frequently.
I'm
going to pick up my boat in two weeks, and I'll need the lines, anchor
rode, life vests, etc.
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)

Just curious as your purchased the boat last year and knew what it
needed:
Why didn't you shop for theses items over the net at a more reasonable
price
months ago?


Not all that worried about saving $4. I've a good relationship with my
West
Marine guys. Besides, for PFD's, lines, and some of the other stuff, I
like
to be able to see, try on, and/or feel what I'm getting.
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)

*Relationship* with the WM guys? Heck, they are most likely hourly
employees who will leave for a better job in a heart beat. Sort of like
building a relationship with someone from Walmart.

Regarding the saving of a whopping $4 on "lines, anchor rode, life vests,
etc. by purchasing from your buds at West Marine vs. marine retailers on
the net.............all I have to say is.......eh?

On Apr 2, 5:15*am, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:


If they were like Wal-Mart with one on every corner, that would be
different.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


I thought that the "on every corner" line applied only to
Starbucks....

On Wed, 2 Apr 2008 20:44:22 -0700, "Mike" wrote:

Regarding the saving of a whopping $4 on "lines, anchor rode, life vests,
etc. by purchasing from your buds at West Marine vs. marine retailers on the
net.............all I have to say is.......eh?

Since money seems to be no object to you, I wonder why you use the "net?"
You seem to contradict yourself. No offense intended.

I like West Marine because they have everything I need when I want it. I'm
an impulse buyer, or a buyer of necessity, and when I want/need it, I want
it NOW. I can do that with WM. I've purchased stuff online as well, like a
new tube for the kids for instance. I bought it in December after Christmas
when the retailer was having a sale. Since I was not planning on splashing
the boat for a few months yet, it was the CONVENIENCE of buying online that
drove me to the purchase, not any particular cost savings.

There's something to be said for retailers that specialize in one particular
area like WM. If WalMarts were on every corner, the world would be a much
more unpleasant place indeed.

--Mike

Saving a couple dollars is not that big a deal. Saving a couple hundred is
a bigger deal.

I use the net for both purchases and information. Sorry if that seems
contradictory.

I like West Marine for many of the same reasons you do.

So what's the problem?
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)