[winni4ever]

After just being layed off from a local marinal on the west side of the lake, I probably have some answers that may answer a lot of people's questions , startle some folks and maybe do a little more looking before buying a new boat on the lake in the next year.
To start, Thurston's probably has one of the best reputations on the lake for sales and service. In my brief encounters in passing thru the years, they do a very credible job. Much to their credit and not known by all, they were honored ny Cobalt Boats in 2009 for having the highest CSI score in the region, the US and the entire worldwide dealer network. The highest honor anyone could receive. In case anyone did not know, the family that owned Cobalt boats for 40 years sold off over 50% of the company to a private equity firm, Rosewood Equity back in 2008. Anyboby in this economy knows that equity firms are in a position to take over companies, seat members on the board, pump up the number of boats produced and flip the company with inflated sales figures. Cobalt's national sales manager, no name given, is walking into 20 + yr Cobalt dealers and telling them that they have to buy an outrageous amount of inventory...more than they had ever sold in 20 years... in this economy....and if they didn't like it , see ya later. Thurstons look to have taken the smart route and said see ya.

As for East Coast Flightcraft, they are NOT a marina on the lake with full marina services and a tax bill to pay for waterfront property. They operate out of a steel building landlocked in Middleton Mass and an old wooden building in Meredith not even on the water. No wonder his prices are cheaper..no services to offer. For years, they have been launching boats that they sell at Googhue and Hawkins in wolfeboro even though they are NOT supposed to sell out of their territory. Now comes the good part, Goodhue and Hawkins is now listed as the Cobalt dealer as they were snookered into a deal with ECFC to sell off his inventory if ECFC was allowed to use their facilities.
It gets better, in 2007, ECFC became a Formula boat dealer for Massachusetts called Boats of Boston , renting space from Danversport Yacht Club in danvers Mass...again no taxes or real estate to own. They have been selling Formula's the same way using Goodhue Hawkins as a lauch ramp... great service.
Now, to no one's surprise, Lakeport Landing is NO LONGER a FORMULA dealer on the lake any longer. Formula Boats has been calling local marinas looking for a new dealer..... And it goes on, Monterey boats is calling marinas looking for a new dealer. What happened to Shep Brown's /?? And now Channel Marine has lost Crownline boats right after they come out of bankruptcy and Crownline is moving to Winnisquam Marine. What happen to four Winns that they sell?

And as of last weekend, as much as I hate RUMORS,Irwin Marine is about to announce something big..!!!! Could it be they are buying Lakeport?? One could only speculate. Wouldn't surprise anyone at this point.

My only reason for this post is to advice the general public to beware of all these boat builders and the games they re playing with all the local Marinas