Saturday, January 17, 2015

New Nordic Tug Model – The Nordic Tug 40!

You’re hearing it here first!  The 37’ Nordic Tug transitioned to the 39’ Nordic Tug and now it’s morphing again, this time into the Nordic Tug 40. 

Gateway Yachts and Nordic Yachts Northwest will once again be leading the way by adding this new model to our fleet this season – tentative completion date will be about July of this year (2015).
Although the 37 and 39 were similar in outward appearance, there were numerous changes that occurred inside the boat – new windows, new head layout, new second stateroom layout, larger helm station, smaller nav station, upgraded engine and systems, new flybridge, new galley layout, etc.
The Nordic Tug 40 will be another step forward in the evolution of the tug.  The major changes, that are first noticeable, will be the larger aft cockpit that’s created by moving the transom back to where the swim platform ends now.  This will create more usable space to make the aft cockpit more functional.  This change also creates the ability to install doors on each side of the aft cockpit, creating easy entry and exit into and out of the boat.
With the addition of twin gunnel doors, the prior transom door will shift to the middle of the transom instead of the side.  This extra space and ease of entry is an enormous improvement.  The 40 will then acquire a substantial new swim platform that’s attached to the transom of the boat, making the overall length increase to a little more than 42’ overall.
There are a ton of other changes occurring, and I’ll be writing about those as I can get pictures to share with you – changes that I’m sure are going to be well received and appreciated by Nordic Tug owners who expect a quality and well thought out product.
Here’s a photograph of the first 40 hull showing how the modification is beginning.  The transom is being slid backwards, creating the space for the gunnel doors – visible in this picture at the far side of the hull:
This hull is modified to extend the length - from this modification the 39 mold will then also be modified and from that mold all future 40 Nordic Tugs will be made
 Here's a picture of the hull from the bow prior to being modified:
First 40 Nordic hull taking shape prior to being modified.
This is going to be a very special boat, I can't wait to see it on the water.  Please contact us if you would like to get your Nordic 40 built, or would like to get your share of a Gateway Nordic Tug 40!

The Time is NOW to Arrange Upcoming Season of Boating!


Yes, I know it’s the middle of winter, but now’s the time to be making plans for the upcoming boating season!

GATEWAY PROGRAM: 

The Gateway Program Hard Schedule Bid for the months March - August occurs in February right after the Seattle Boat Show!  New entrants enter our new boat fleet initially on the bottom of the list... but the list rotates down two positions with each bid, so any new entrant prior to February will bid AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.  

Those who get a Gateway share after the bid will be taking time after all the other members have already bid, so it’s a big benefit to getting your share before the end of the show that starts next week and runs January 23 – February 2.

We have shares available in all the current Gateway boats including:

-         2013 28’ Aspen C90

-         2014 32’ Aspen C100

-         2014 Nordic Tug 39

And we currently have two all new boat models under construction:

-         2015 38’ Aspen C111

-         2015 40’ Nordic Tug (New modernized Stretched version of the 39 w/larger aft cockpit, gunnel doors, and many other improvements)

NEW NORDIC TUG OR ASPEN:

For potential new whole boat buyers, if you desire to own your prized Nordic Tug or Aspen this season, you need to have your boat under construction ASAP, as in now! 

Both Nordic Tugs and Aspen have order backlogs, so depending upon what you want you may already be looking at a delivery that’s late in the season.  The sooner you start the build process, the sooner you will be enjoying time in your quality new boat!

See you at the show and on the water!

Friday, January 16, 2015

New Gateway Program Options and All New Website

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

January 13, 2015

GATEWAY YACHTS OFFERS NEW LOW-COST PROGRAMS

Gateway Yachts of Anacortes, WA, announces program changes meant to make it even more affordable to enjoy time on the water.

In addition to our traditional Fractional Ownership program we are now offering two new programs:
  • Lease Program – The lease program costs substantially less upfront and rolls monthly lease payments into the all-inclusive monthly fee. This knocks down entry barriers, and also creates an easy and predictable exit strategy.

  • SuperShare™ Program – A SuperShare is by far the lowest cost way to spend time on the water in a new Nordic Tug or Aspen. A SuperShare owner buys the boat of their dreams, bases it at their favorite Gateway location, gets scheduling priority for 10 weeks of use per year (or more), and Gateway guarantees to pay 100% of the fixed operating expenses and the remaining portion of the boat’s monthly payment (usually 75%).

Details of both these programs can be found on our all new website at www.GatewayYachts.com.

These new programs come into effect with new boats only, while the program remains unchanged on the boats already in our legacy fleet.  The first two new boats under the new program are Gateway V, a new 38’ Aspen C111, and Gateway VI, a new 40’ Nordic Tug.

Both these boats are currently under construction and Gateway Yachts is offering a 10% discount for those who purchase shares while the boats are still under construction.

CONTACT:

Nathan A. Martin, Founder
Gateway Yachts, LLC
2808 Morrison Ct. Anacortes, WA 98221
                                                                           
Phone: 253-229-1817
GatewayYachts@gmail.com

Monday, January 12, 2015

Aspen C111/ Gateway V Progess...

Work on Gateway V is progressing very nicely as we get closer to the Seattle Boat Show.  It won't be 100% of the way together by then, but it sure will be shortly thereafter.  Regardless, we'll have it at the show inside of Century Link Field so that everyone can see her progress!

Engineer Computer Rendering in Gateway V Colors
This boat started out with a series of sketches like this original idea for the master stateroom:


 
Then initial engineering was done to produce the mockup that was displayed at the Seattle Boat Show two years ago:
 

38' Mockup contructed to get customer feedback, and then to make improvements.   
The mockup was stretched and modified several times based upon customer feedback received.  For example more than 12" was added to the aft cockpit to make it more spacious.  Engineering caught up to this as you can see in this 3D computer rendering:
Computer Rendering of White Hull Showing Aft Cockpit Detail
What started as an idea was turned into a set of hand drawings, then initial engineering, then a full scale wood mockup, and then detailed engineering.  This process is far beyond what most boat manufacturers do.

I'd like to point out the extraordinary engineering that goes into this boat - not only did Aspen build a 100% full scale mockup, but take a look at the computer work that goes into the structure and systems:

Hull Cross Section - Note how double hull, bulkheads and systems are integrated.

Each bulkhead is computer cut from these engineering drawings.




Liners drop in over bulkheads to make a very rigid structure.  Three staterooms are visible here.
The engineer, in this case Fabrizio De Luca, can look at individual areas and then layer then together as seen below:





Once the engineering is complete, computer die parts are cut and assembled into plugs.  Thousands of man-hours go into making the plugs and then the molds which are finished to mirror perfection:

Below are pictures of the deck plug being produced:
Deck Plug During Construction.

Once the plug is made, then the mold is made from that plug.

Mold being waxed prior to forming actual part.
And from the mold the actual boat parts are made, that's the stage we're in today.
Hull bulkheads and conduit being put into place.  No wood in the structure, bulkheads are made of Coosa, a product that will last a century or longer.


Hull Bulkheads being put into place - you can see double hull construction at bottom.

Larry Graf, Aspen Founder, in front of hull as it is removed from the mold.
Of course there are a ton of details that go into the process to get it this far, but now we're seeing all of the Aspen crew's hard work come to fruition:

Hull in assembly with starboard hull liner ready.

Bow Thruster installed and fairing shape worked.
Port hull, Northern Lights Generator with its Lugar engine in place.

Starboard hull engine room - plenty of space for the Volvo D6

Volvo D6 engine sitting in crate after being placed for fitment.  Gateway is installing the 435 hp version.

Drive shaft.

Aft Starboard hull liner installed.

Starboard hull liner - aft section.  Head below, and holding tank.

Northern Lights 5kw generator with shrouds removed for installation.

Starboard main fuel tank installed.
Great progress, it will come together pretty quickly from here.  We look forward to seeing everyone at the boat show January 23 - February 1.

Shares of Gateway V are available, please contact us now so that you can enjoy time on the water in this marvelous boat this season!

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Pleasure Boating Rules!


As in life, there are always rules that lead us to success. Some of these rules are carved in stone while others are carved in bulkheads of boats. These later rules have been preserved for our benefit below;  

Pleasure Boating Rules

  • Rule #1 - Pleasure boating should be pleasurable and safe.
  • Rule #2 - Pleasure boating allows you to experience some of the most beautiful places and associate with some outstanding people on the planet.
  • Rule #3 - A good first mate can make the captain look good, an untrained mate can do just the opposite. 
  • Rule #4 - If the mate is not having fun, there won’t be much boating.
  • Rule #5 - It is the captain’s responsibility to train his crew so that they have fun.
  • Rule #6 - If the crew is not comfortable with what is expected of them, it is the crew’s responsibility to request training. 
  • Rule #7 - Satisfaction with pleasure boating increases as the captain and crew gain experience and becomes familiar with the activities associated with handling the boat and managing her systems. 
  • Rule #8 - The frequency and duration of your boating adventures is in direct proportion to the confidence the captain and crew share.
  • Rule #9 - The joy that comes from the shared experiences while boating create some of life’s most memorable experiences.  
  • Rule #10 is a poem with an important message….
“On an ancient wall in China where a brooding Buddha winks, deeply graven is this message: “It’s later than you think."

The clock of life is wound but once and no man has the power to know just when those hands will stop, at late or early hour.

Now is all the time you own, the past a golden blink. Go boating now my brothers; "It's later than you think."

Friday, January 9, 2015

Seattle Boat Show: January 23 - February 1

Seattle Boat Show 2015
Booth 39 inside the CenturyLink Field Events Center
debuting the new 38' Aspen C111, a 32' Aspen C100,
and a new Nordic Tug 39 Flybridge. 
 
Hope to see you all there, and be sure to contact us for tickets! 
  
Seattle Boat Show 2015
CenturyLink Field Events Center

800 Occidental Avenue South,
Seattle, WA 98134

West Hall, Booth 39
 
Monday - Thursdays 11am - 8pm
Fridays 11am - 9pm
Saturdays 10am - 8pm
Sunday (1/25) 10am - 6pm
Sunday (2/1) 10am - 3pm

VIP Night Friday, January 23rd from 5 ~ 9 PM

VIP Night Friday, January 30th from 5 ~ 9 PM

         
Need tickets? Give us a shout!
360.293.9411 or nordicnorthwest@gmail.com

More Information on the Seattle Boat Show

How to Sell a Boat - It all boils down to PRICE & PRESENTATION!


Presentation done the right way!
Boaters rightly develop an emotional attachment to their boats.  You’ve invested a ton of time, money, and energy into the purchase and you’ve acquired many good memories… but once you’ve made the decision to sell, it’s helpful if you ‘let go’ and start to think of it as someone else’s dream, that will put you in the right state-of-mind to make unemotional selling decisions.

Once the decision is made, there are really two goals; sell it as fast as possible, and sell it for as much as possible.  Gracefully would be nice, that way everyone builds positive relationships and fond memories – that’s what we strive for (although it’s not always easy)! 

Should you use a broker or dealer?  I think that if your boat is worth more than $50,000 the answer is definitely yes.  But if it’s worth less than that, then you may be okay selling it yourself if you have experience doing so.  Regardless, follow the guidelines that follow as much as possible.

I boil the boat selling process into two categories – it’s all about Price and Presentation.  Get them both right, and you will maximize your return in short order!  Get either one wrong, and you will pay the price in time, money, and aggravation.  Keep Price and Presentation in mind as these principles can be applied to selling almost anything:

PRICE, PRICE, PRICE!

 – Why certainly, yours is definitely the nicest boat on the market!  "Sit right back, and you'll hear a tale..."

And you’ve spent all kinds of money in maintenance and on all the latest gee-whiz gadgets! 


It sure would be nice to recover everything invested, but unfortunately most boats are not appreciating assets. 

And you know the saying in real estate about remodel work?  You should only expect to get about 50% back out of a remodeling project.  And that some projects, like kitchens, have more return than other projects?  Same is true with boats, so don’t expect to get more than market value for your boat with all the money spent, almost all boats have money added and that’s what creates the market value.  Neglect a boat’s maintenance, however, and you will pay the price with below market resale.

So it’s usually best to price your boat based on valid market data, and not on emotions.  This brings in the use of a Broker, as most boats priced above $50,000 won’t have accurate pricing information in NADA or other publically available locations.  Brokers and dealers have access to Sold Boats Data that’s available from Yachtworld, this is the boat MLS and is very much like the real estate MLS. 
Make sure your broker shows you the data, they should find comparable sales that justify a realistic ask price.  Analyze the data – what is the average asking price?  What is the average selling price?  What is the typical spread between sales price and asking price for that model?

That type of data is invaluable in making sure you set a realistic price, one that’s neither too low nor too high.  Yes, you want room to negotiate, base that amount on the average ask/sell spread.  If you price out of that range, expect to receive less overall for the sale.

The most common error sellers make is setting the asking price too high – this is also a broker mistake if they allow it, the asking price should be an unemotional decision based on valid market data.  Beware – some brokers may tell you a high listing price in order to get the boat listed with them, knowing that eventually sellers capitulate to the market reality.  This is a surefire way to create a painful and enduring sales experience.

In the past year I’ve seen a couple bad examples of this – either another broker started them out way too high, or the seller insisted on being way above market in hopes of ‘taking a stab at an above market price.’  This very seldom works.  Instead, the actual buyers who are watching the market will get turned off to a boat brought onto the market at too high a price – even once the price is lowered (in frustration) they will not come back as they deem the seller unreasonable.  This is especially true the higher the price of the boat – get above a half-million dollars in value and the pool of eligible buyers becomes very few and very sophisticated.

Sometimes I may think from the data that a price is right, but the market may have changed or there may be something about the presentation of a particular boat that makes it languish.  I recognize this if I don’t become engaged in a serious sales conversation for more than a month, or if there are no written offers received within two to three months.  If this is the case, then it’s best to re-evaluate sooner than later – something isn’t right, price or presentation, and it needs to be corrected.

PRESENTATION!

There are many aspects that go into a good presentation, let’s hit the most important:
  • The boat must be clean!  If it’s not, expect buyers to treat it like a project and expect it to sell at a commensurate price!  This is the reason Nordic Yachts Northwest has its own fully staffed professional detail department.  ALL aspects of the boat need to be evaluated and brought as close to new boat look (and smell) as possible. 
o   Start by removing clutter inside and out.  Remove all personal items and anything you’re not willing to sell with the boat.  Very much like real estate, you want potential buyers to take ‘ownership.’  They don’t want to own your swim suit hanging on the shower rail!  Personal items say it’s the seller’s boat – you want them to take possession.

o   Exterior – Oxidation needs to be removed, the gel coat should be shiny, rails shiny.  Lines and fenders should be new or like new, same with the power cord.  These items date a boat, whereas starting with fresh items say it looks like new and has been well taken care of.

o   Interior – Wood needs to be clean and shine like new.  Carpet and upholstery should be cleaned if in good condition, but replaced if dated or worn.  Windows should shine inside and out.  All drawers and lockers should be clean and empty.  Bilges should be spotless, dry, and odor free.

o   Mechanical – All systems should be checked for functionality and repaired if necessary.  It is smart to change all fluids prior to showing and prior to survey.
  • The boat needs to be highly visible! 
o   This means placing it where it can be easily seen by the public and easily sea trialed.  Choose a brokerage house that believes in letting people sea trial the boat BEFORE they give deposits and sign contracts!  Taking prospective qualified buyers out on the boat shows that there’s nothing to hide and is the very best sales environment there is.  Old school brokers who ‘don’t do boat rides,’ deserve the sales they don’t get.  Also make sure your broker or dealer is active in displaying boats in local boat shows.  This is the most successful place for sales as most potential buyers attend the shows.  They are worth the money and effort – our dealership has tremendous success at the shows, try to get your boat in the shows!

o   Visible not only in the physical world, but also in the digital world!  Listing on the MLS is most important, but so is a dealership that is active online with a good website and online advertising.  Online, by the way, is where it’s at and where it’s going.  Printed magazine ads are still used, but are expensive and progressively less effective – they typically help a brokerage establish their brand, but are not as successful in finding buyers as online ads and boat show presence.

o   Visibility also means relationships and contacts.  Experienced brokers know the market and have spent time at shows and boating getting to know who and where potential buyers are.
  • The more pictures, and the higher the quality of the pictures, the faster and for more money the boat will sell!  I take good pictures, yet I still hire a professional photographer for all sales as it’s worth it.  I have sold many boats to buyers sight unseen, just based on the pictures!  And I know that good quality photos bring more lookers and result in higher sales prices.  The setting, the light, everything must be considered, including the possibility of video.  Look for a brokerage that uses professionals and who detail and then stage the boat in advance, it makes a huge difference.

Actual Broker Picture (Bad)

Professional Photographer Picture (Good!)
Note that once we got involved with this boat, we removed the clutter, detailed it correctly, then presented it in a photogenic setting.  Which boat would you be interested in?
  • If possible, pre-survey the boat.  A marine and/or a mechanical survey is typically done by the buyer, and is their responsibility to pay for.  However, many issues can come up during the survey process and it can take a long time to schedule it initially and then to address any items found.  My experience tells me that a pre-survey is worth the expense.  It identifies potential problem areas so that they are resolved before the sale is made.  This is proactive and can save many headaches, well worth the expense and many buyers will accept the survey thus making for a quick and painless closing.  Also, having all systems and potential problems worked out in advance make the boat look well cared for – this is the right way to sell a boat – fresh fluids, up to date maintenance, clean bottom paint, new zincs, and a fresh survey to prove it.  A good broker knows the good surveyors and will accompany or check in on them during the survey to answer questions or even fix small items prior to them making it into the survey – another reason working with a full service dealership with maintenance personal is a positive.
There are many, many aspects to creating a good presentation, I have touched on only a few of the important ones.  Take the time to consciously address presentation with your sales broker, and make sure it’s a high priority for them.  Look at the other boats they represent, are they presented well?  Are they CLEAN?  Are they displayed professionally where the public can view them.  Are they professionally photographed?  Do they take them to local boat shows?  Do they inspect items and work proactively to prevent problems that may come up during a sale? 

Best of luck with your sale, I hope it’s a great experience for you.  Keep a positive but unemotional outlook and you will have fun and be proud knowing that your former boat is out making healthy dreams come true for another family!

See you at the shows!

Nate Martin