20 NATCHEZ ON THE WATERFRONT
What are the needs of today’s sailors?
By Dan Natchez* T
hey say things are changing and nothing could be more to the point. Boating is changing and the type of
leisure sailor is also changing. Historically, sailors were weaned
on boats, had a long history of sailing and would spend a good part of the day on the water, whether for fishing, cruising, racing or water sports. Today, there are so many demands on people’s time that a smaller and smaller percentage of people are sailing and those who do are either not going as frequently or for as long a period of the day or weekend. The diehard sailors and fishermen are becoming an endangered species. In their place are sailors
seeking instant gratification; they have not grown up on the water and, typically, have less working knowledge of boats, have less patience for when things go wrong and want all of the bells and whistles one can possibly imagine. The average age of sailors is
getting older and the entry of younger generations is limited. There are many reasons. One major reason is that the cost of getting into sailing is increasing at alarming rates. Another is the numerous other alternative demands for interest and time, as well as the impact of the electronic age – how many hours do children spend on a screen each day? At the same time, low cost boating experiences such as kayaking are growing at exponential rates. Basic kayaking costs a fraction of other boating, is relatively easy to undertake, can be done either alone or with others and is a quick getaway heading out and a quick put away when you’re done. Yet it seems that it keeps getting harder to convert those kayakers into bigger boat sailors. What today’s sailors are looking
for includes: • Ease of entry and an enjoyable, hassle-free experience. While boat manufacturers have come a long way in quality control, they have a long way to go to fully accomplish this goal. The automobile industry in the USA went through its transformation a while back when manufacturers were losing out to Asian and some European manufacturers throughout the world. This has changed dramatically and while far from perfect, the auto industry is making major inroads to real quality control. We often wonder why the boat manufacturers are
MARINA EURO-REPORT • DECEMBER 2014
taking so long to achieve the same results?
• Clean and inviting restrooms. This continues to be the number one issue around the world, but in today’s environment, it is taking on a new dimension. Marinas that offer top quality restrooms are experiencing better customer satisfaction and more visitors, which translates into higher usage and spending more money at that facility. This attitude is consistent with the changing type of sailor.
• Having more personal contact with those running the operations. Listen to sailors talking at social gatherings and you’ll understand
There are approximately 100 berths at Sun Harbor Marina in San Diego, California.
just how important it is to have these direct connections. I was recently checking out the reviews of a new restaurant and was really struck by how many of the negative reviewers commented that the owner of the restaurant was there, but paid no attention to them. The auto industry has learned this lesson and is now concentrating on personal attention to customers, from how the ‘phones are answered to who meets and greets the customers,
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