SPRING ISSUE OUT NOW!

Cover Story"Frederick Tilp"

“This was (His) Potomac Riv River” From the Days of his Youth in 1930 as a Sea Scout Sailing Catboats out of The Old Dominion Yacht Club on the Alexandria Waterfront, Frederick Tilp’s Passion for the Potomac River was so compelling that he cronicled his 40 years of voyages and “Gunkhole”excursions to create what many would consider the Bible of the Potomac.

Welcome to the Spring Edition of the Captain’s Potomac Quarterly and another promising Boating Season. I’d have to say, that we’ve enjoyed an extremely forgiving winter, and fair winter weather, always gets a boater thinking of his passion. We enjoyed numerous very successful Boat Shows, and from all reports to date, it would seem, that as unpredictable as show traffic appeared at times, area dealers expressed that they enjoyed very healthy Boat Sales. Many who attend these shows are quite unaware of the great lengths and expense that local dealers must go to, in order to present the new seasons offerings. If you have ever been a participant in a Boat Show, as many owners have been drafted, you quickly realize that the smallest booth can easily run about a grand for a five day show, of which productivity is mostly apparent over the weekend. A major dealer trying to exhibit a small fleet can quickly be into the 5 or 6 figure range, before the space is ever filled with inventory or staffed. Grandiose convoys of brand spankin’ new boats leave area dealerships to be staged for several days in advance of the actual show dates, while risers, ramps, and docks are built and installed to create public access to all these dry-docked showboats, and well, you get the picture. All of these efforts require extensive staffing and logistical planning. The exhibition companies that provide extraneous services at the show are all Union contractors with labor rates that reflect a grand production in the making. Needless to say, a poor show season can be a devastating “hit” on a dealer in the “dead of winter.” Winter boat show attendance and productivity are considered a harbinger of the coming season. So, next time you and your mate are strolling through the glitz and glamour of the local boat shows, filling your bag with slick, colorful literature, free cubs and key-chains, remember, it is your passions and desires that are being courted here, and even at “bottomed-out” boat show prices. . .a profit still has to be in there somewhere! Let’s hear some accolades for the areas dealers for the many “Shows Well Done!”