[Leprechaun]

Watch what THIS maneuver does to your wallets.

They're makin' Freeport Marine look better and better.

More here:

Less Competition mean higher prices

rgds, Leprechaun

 

[Toutog]

Less = More ( $$ that is !)

Hey Lep,
Haven't ya noticed ??? The Mom and Pop anything is HISTORY. Over the last 10>15 years the big get bigger and put the little guy out. I'll go to Freeport Marine anyday, 'cause there is many years experience in that place. Unlike some of the Superstores that pay youngsters minium wage to stock shelves.
That seems to be the trend in many businesses. I think once they get it all
we will be at their mercy,regardless of the product they sell is. How many local
Lumber yards are left around here?
H/D ran them all out.Same thing applies to Marine Supply.
BTW... Start thinkin' about repowering
the Shammy with a Big Block, it might need a little extra HP to push you around after a winter diet of....... KrispyKremes !

 

[614212]

Hi Leprechaun,
Actually, this may be good. There still is plenty of competition around (just see how many vendors were at the NYC show alone), and BoatUS has pretty good pricing on most things. West Marine, although some of their reps are inexperienced, has decent pricing too.
Like Tatoug said, Freeport Marine has the best knowledgable, experienced sales crew but their prices are not discounted; I have found them to be the highest priced on many items. But if you need a hard to find item, they will have it.
Hey, you didn't think getting into boating was going to be cheap, did ya?
Capt Tom

PS Maybe Noreast should get into the act and merge with the other local magazine LOL.

 

[Leprechaun]

Hmmm

T - I hear ya on the KK's. But putting a BB in my boat won't do a thing for it except increase my fuel bill. The hull configuration of a keel boat is such that it has a optimum hull speed. You can force it to go faster, but the power expended will not be proportinal to the speed increase achieved. And power takes fuel. Naaa, another nice smooth-running Ford 351 it will be. If I can find a new one next year, that is.

Capt. T. - See that hasn't been my experience. I find that Freeport Marine is actually LESS on many items than West Marine. It wasn't always that way, for about the first 20 years of my boating experience Freeport was always considered the high-priced alternative to the chains. Good inventory and massive experience, but hi-priced.

But a funny thing started happening about 5 seasons ago, it seems right about the time that West swallowed up EB Marine. (And WAY after they ate up Shanes.) It seemed that the pricing at West started creeping upward until now on many items they are WAY more expensive that Freeport Marine. Example: last season I had to pull my fuel tanks for repair and glass encapsulation. The re-install involved foaming them back in place with that hideously expensive two-part Evercoat foam. So I priced it at West, Boater's World and Freeport Marine. I cannot recall EXACT pricing, but it was at least 20% cheaper at Freeport Marine. Same for Epoxy resin, though not quite 20%.

And as far as tough to find items, NOBODY can beat those guys at FM. Example: last season the heim joint at the rear of the steering hydraulic ram split in half left me without steerage. So I made the rounds of the various chains and nothin'. Not a one had the piece I needed. All could order it, but I'm a working man, time is short and I wanted the boat ready to go the next weekend. So I traipsed over to FM and gues what? In stock and a few bucks LESS than WM asked. Another example: My dock buddy has a Guest spotlight with the flood/spot combo single bulb. We needed it for pulliing our green crab pots that nite and naturally it worked fine all season till the Fall. So Freddy made the rounds of all the chains and no-go, none had it. Again all could have gotten it shipped in, but not in stock. He went to Freeport and guess what, in stock. The light was up and running that afternoon and we did not lose a nite's work.

This kind of inventory mangmt and knowledge is too valuable to lose, so I make it my biz to patronize them whenever possible and if I pay a few percent more once in a while, so be it, FR is too valuable a resource to let slip away. Its really no different than buying your gear at your local tackle sho[ rather than via internet sales or thse big catalog players. Some stuff is just not obtainable locally, so for that stuff, there's not much choice, but really, who would I rather see succeed? Mike at Causeway or Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Missouri? The choice is clear for me with
tackle or boat supplies.

rgds, Leprechaun

 

[Toutog]

BB = Torque

Hey Lep,
It isn't the HP , it is the Torque
required to move your KK butt ....
You mentioned something somewhere
about your alternator output for your
TOP of the line electronics.....
contact SAILON Auto Electric in Syosset
they do tricks for high output alts on
ambulances,fire trucks, police cars , etc... I have used them for many Apps.,
including HO Marine stuff . They are the very best around , Call Jay after
your next KK .... YKW.

 

[Leprechaun]

Forget HP and torque on a keeled boat

Its about optimal designed hull speed.

No real advantage to putting a big-pistoni engine in my rig and plenty of downside.

Nothing would make me happier than a nice "Rat" in there - if you recall what's sitting in my garage, you KNOW where my head is at.

Good for the hotrod, not the boat, in this particular case.

rgds, Leprechaun

 

[MIKE TUNA]

Freeport Marine not expensive ? Oh yea great experance in that store and you pay for it to . Give me a break they are the highest out there .

 

[LkyLindy]

Prices

I've found WM prices to be ridiculous-even BW is cheaper

 

[Leprechaun]

Well many on SOME things

Mike, of course you cannot buy things like inboard exhaust manifolds/risers from them, better sources for that.

But if you go and compare them to the big chains, you will find that those chains are now selling at the same list price that FM gets.

And like I said, on some pretty pricey evercoat products, I found FM to be WAY cheaper.

it pays to know what WM or BW or B-US is charging before you go into FM, but to say that they are the most expensive around is not always correct.

Not in my experience. And anyway, like I said, if I have to pay 50 cents more for a can of wax to keep them around, that's fine by me.

rgds, Leprechaun

 

[MakoMike]

Guys,
do yourselves a favor and get the Defender industries and post marine supply catalogs.

 

[614212]

MakoMike,
Those catalogs are great if you don't mind waiting.
Lep, I'll look at Freeport again and do some price comparisons when I can. You're right, for $.50 I'll buy at Freeport, and since they are local to my boat. But big ticket items may be purchased elsewhere.
I'll have to keep my eyes open to the prices at WM some more.
Thanks
Capt Tom

 

[MakoMike]

Tom,
Defender and post marine are both in New Rochelle, NY, can't be that far from you, they're just accross the Throgs Neck Bridge.

 

[622691]

Defender left New Rochelle a few years ago, all that's left is Post and they seem pretty good, knowledable at least.

 

[MIKE TUNA]

Support you local stores . I also agree when you need something quick and they got it sure 50 cents is worth it . But if you support them , they be greatful and not greedy .

MIKE TUNA

 

[Leprechaun]

I like Post Marine myself

That's a nice big place, that Post Marine. Try to stop there a few times a season on my way back down from a day's work upstate.

The blond dude behind the electronics counter is especially helpful and will always price-beat the major chains.

Good place to pick up your bottom paint in the Spring.

Nice place to kill an hour or so.

I've found the typos in their catalog pretty hilarious too. Don't know about the latest examples, but the ones from a few seasons ago were pretty funny.

Too bad Defender pulled out of New Rochelle - that old store had plenty of interesting goodies tucked into its many little corners and was another go-to - like FM - if you needed something one-off.

rgds, Leprechaun

 

[617250]

Defender is in Nyantic, Connecticut, exit 74/75 on I-95, near the Millstone nuclear power plants, and where the Mi-Joy, Blackhawk, and Sunbeam party boats dock. A long haul from Long Island. They seem to be really concentrating on the mail order business, but they advertise sales, just at the store and at the shows, a few times each year.

 

[Leprechaun]

Here's something interesting that many are not aware of -

The Defender that was in New Rochelle was NOT affiliated in any way with the one in Conn.

I think one was Defender Marine and one was (is?) Defender Industries.

I found this out a few seasons ago because I wandered into the Defender in New Rochelle with the latest copy of Soundings and was looking for the products that were advertised on sale.

The dudes at New Rochelle made it VERY clear that they are not the Defender of the Soundings ad, that Defender was out in Conn, but they would honor the pricing anyway. As most other marine suppliers will.

Just passing this along for general info.

rgds, Leprechaun

 

[MIKE TUNA]

Anyone ever try Larrys Lighthouse Marine , Was there once picked up a few things . They seemed resonable .

MIKE TUNA

 

[baywatch]

Catolog Companys

I find I get the best prices from Boaters World. They have a nice array of artifical baits that beats everyones prices. Some of there stuff is high but that is why we shop.

It is like everyhting else, shop for the best prices. W/M is high on some items but whe they have a sale the items go fast.

The best Electronics Catolog is consumers marine. They are right in Jersey and the shipping is very fast even with no special sevrice and no tax if you are in NY. And they don't jsut deal in electronics.

If you have catolgs and they both have the same item put then against each other. Tell W/M, Defender has it for this much and they will usally meet or beat the price. I did it with a refrigeration unit and saved over 100 bucks. W/M won that battle.

I try to support my local people as much as possible. I had a battery charger go bad and got a new one in the Bargin Bilge in Patchouge. Turned out I got the wrong size charger and burnt out the new one in one season. They took it back and told the manufactuor that it was defective and I paid the differece for the upgrade. Great Guys there and will do anything for your bussiness cause they are not a frachise.

When I was rigging a new boat with electronics I tried Freeport and especially that Mario was horrible with prices. Tried to BS me if you don't buy now it will be up 50-75 bucks the next time you come in.

I got all my electronics from NY Marine In Port Jeff for about 50 bucks over cost on each item. Way to go Mario lost another one.

I heard that the NY show was off 40% in attendence because of the economy. What that means is that places like W/M and all will have a tougher time this year with people shopping around for the best prices.

Just my view anyway.

Bill