About a month ago I was communicating with a young couple who are currently based in Fayetteville, NC. They had attended the boat show in Annapolis last fall and had some questions about the boat. I put them in touch with our dealership in Beaufort, NC and followed the process as they discussed the merits of the Back Cove 33.
Now I have to tell you that if you were at the Annapolis Powerboat Show in October of 2009 you were either stark raving mad or an intrepid boater. The weather that weekend was as bad as it gets and if you were there you were on a mission. So the mere fact that I heard from anyone as a result of that show made me feel pretty good.
As their interest in the 33 increased I invited them to come to Maine to see the boats in build. When you build boats in Maine and invite people to come and see you, you are quite used to having people say “Sure I would love to come. How would July be?”. But then there are people who went to that Annapolis Boat Show. And so they came to visit and their tour was very helpful.
Being able to see hulls in the mold and understanding the technology of building fiberglass parts. Being able to see areas of the boat that only boat builders see. They were able to witness for themselves the craftsmanship and pride with which each boat builder goes about his/her daily tasks; making sure that each operation helps to create the greater, high quality “whole”.
When they left (with a planned stop at LL Bean for a little post Christmas shopping) they had a new enthusiasm for Back Cove and a new understanding of what makes a Maine built boat. It’s not all resin and fiberglass, wire and wood, It’s all about the “Fierce Maine Pride”.
And speaking of pride, this young couple are both graduates of the United States Naval Academy. They have both served their country without question. I should have know they would come up when I asked them to.
