Our eastern shore location was convenient for some, but most customers have been very positive about this transition. And quite frankly, there are economies that come with a single location that allow us to invest more into marketing the boats we list. After all, the trend is not walk-in traffic, but web traffic – people look up boats and brokers online. Then, half the time, these days we actually bring the boats to them. Recently, we’ve traveled from Rock Hall to Solomon’s Island, and Woodbridge marina to make Sea Trials convenient. We succeed in today’s market with greater service – we strive to make it an easy, comfortable experience for buyers and sellers alike.

When people do visit us at Shady Oaks Marina, me and my team make the most of the combined offering of slips, service and brokerage. We can offer big discounts on service to prep boats for sale and reduced slip rental while a boat is being sold. Buyers like it because we maintain a good inventory of boats on the docks for people to browse, and sellers appreciate the reduced costs when they’re ready to move on to their next boat. And the marina itself is such a great location by water and by land, covered slips, local amenities – once people discover Shady Oaks a lot of folks end up keeping their boat here.

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We had vets aboard from both Afghanistan and Iraq. It really makes you appreciate the men and women that put their lives on the line for our country. Below are a few pictures we snapped during our outing. And you can click through to learn more about the great work Bob Messick does through Charter for Veterans. Their mission is simple: Provide free recreational therapy yacht outings that empower our recovering combat wounded veterans to achieve new physical goals in an engaging outdoor social environment.

All in all it was a great day on the water, and the therapy was good for all of us.

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The fact is, if a broker is truly working hard for you, they are spending a lot of money and time promoting your boat – not just bringing a picture of your boat to the show, but enticing buyers with Open Houses, extensive online and print advertising, and a BIG presence at the shows. Finally, there’s service. It’s not just returning your calls and being polite. You need experience that helps you find the right boat, and take the right deal. You need connections that hook you up with the right mechanic or marina or a lender that will deliver. Finally, it’s integrity – you need a career broker who has traded on their reputation for decades. Apologize for the rant, but after working hard in this business for nearly 30 years now, it’s hard to watch discount brokers suddenly turn heads with outrageous promises. But that’s okay, we’ve watched them come and go, while we continue to build relationships by making good deals work for every buyer and seller we have the privilege to work with.

We Put Our Money on the Line

Other brokerage companies advertise that they will take trade-ins. In reality, their goal is to get you to take the trade. We are one of the few brokerage houses willing and able to take trade-ins on our listings to help get them sold. Give us a call.

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The 27^th annual Bay Bridge Boat Show wrapped up on April 26^th at the Bay Bridge Marina, and while attendance was down slightly again, we still consider the show a huge success. We had a 30 boat display and sold five boats, with many other solid leads generated. The weather was beautiful and reps from Tiara and Marquis were on hand with us as well.

The expansive show covered over a half million square feet with a broad variety of boats, equipment and accessories; in total over 300 in-water boats were displayed with 100 more on land plus tents full of boating accessories. Given the volume of the show, we are proud to have had the largest display there!

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it out to the show to see us! Check out a few pictures from the show below. Up next, The Yacht Show at National Harbor.

Bay Bridge Boat Show

BBBS

The Boats

Hanging out in the Martini Office

Boats

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Martini Yacht Sales is pleased to announce the addition of Jeff Martini to our sales team.

Jeff Martini

Jeff first entered the boat business in 1973, working on the railway at Shady Oaks Marina, painting bottoms and hull sides, and installing teak decking. After a stint with the Public Works department for Anne Arundel County, he returned to the boat business in 1983 and hasn’t left again. Jeff has held positions at Gates Marina in the parts and sales departments, eventually becoming the General Manager; and at the Yacht Center as a Broker and eventually Sales Manager. While at the Yacht Center, he attended Meridian Yacht University, receiving certificates in four consecutive years. Jeff also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland.

In March 2009, Jeff made the move to Martini Yacht Sales to rejoin his brother – John Martini. We had helped make Gates Marina a top ten Sea Ray dealership through the eighties and fully expect the same kind of results with Martini Yacht Sales.

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We attended the National Capital Boat Show at Chantilly Expo Center last week. The attendance was good and the feedback was positive. We were able to make a few appointments and have already started trying to locate some of the boats that people had interest in. Our next show will be the spring show here at Bay Bridge Marina. This show is the largest spring in-water show after the Palm Beach Show.

Check out some pictures of our display in Virginia below.

Martini Display at National Capital Boat Show

Martini Display

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Walter McArdle & I attended the Miami International Boat Show last month, and though attendance was down a bit from years past, the quality of attendance seemed to be a little bit better to me. There was a lot of interest in our Tiara line, and a 50’ Marquis Sportbridge (the “new 50”) was sold through our sister company, SI Yachts. They also sold a 54’ Viking Sport Cruiser – so overall, that kind of activity is a good sign. All in all it was a good trip. Not to mention – Miami is always a good time!

Check out some of the pictures from the show below. Up next – The National Capital Boat Show in Chantilly, Virginia.

Marquis in Miami

Miami Show

Miami Party-Wide Dock

Party Tent Interior

Marquis

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