NATCHEZ ON THE WATERFRONT 13
and come the weekend, most of the little available free time will be focused on the children and their structured activities. Dad’s free time and his individual priorities’ influence over the family agenda have been greatly diminished. If his wife is not that interested in sailing, the chances are that heading to the marina will not be a high priority. Amidst some of the 20+
‘Millennials’ in my office, I am constantly surprised when they start talking about their hopes to not own a car in their future! Why own a car when you can just hire one when you need it and not have all the costs and hassles of owning one? If owning cars is too much trouble for this generation, then where does that leave ownership of boats? Other conversations with
‘Millennials’ about boating often contain the following or similar sound bites: “It’s too expensive. I live in an apartment. I have no room for a boat. Only kids who grew up on their parents’ boat have any interest
in boats. It’s what old people do. It’s bad for the environment. It’s only for the really wealthy. It’s too scary”. There are many things we can do
to counter these arguments. Look at what is happening in the paddle boarding and kayaking segments. It has an extremely broad appeal – age, economics, ease of entry use and time management; and while many of the boards and kayaks were relatively cheap some are now very expensive, proving that when there is desire, people will spend. On the marketing front, while
there have been efforts such as National Marina Day in the US, far more needs to be done on selling both boats and boating to more than just the traditional male head of household. What do women want in a boat? What do women want in a marina? How do we make boating even more family-friendly? How do we reach ‘Millennials’, the current crop of young adults, and convince them that boating is something they want to make a priority for
their leisure time and Dollars? One answer has to lie in doing
better with social media and presence on the internet. In fact, kids of all ages (2-90) increasingly seem to be glued to their electronic gadgets and social media. Creating more electronic interaction with customers and spreading the word about how much fun they are having will guarantee rewards. It provides a great medium to share not just generic information on boating, but also the specifics: the regatta, the fish that was caught, the restaurant that they went to, the camaraderie, the peace and tranquility and the pure pleasure of boating. Another might involve really
embracing the paddle board/ kayaking movement. Many marinas I’ve spoken with have noted that they have been discouraging them as being a distraction, getting in the way, etc, but I can’t help thinking that this may be the wrong approach. What better way to get people interested in sailing than to
get them out on the water and even more so to get them down to your marina.
Costs, repairs and service Boating at most levels tends to be a fairly expensive activity and as expense increases, the boater’s tolerance for breakdowns and poor service decreases. That is not to say that there are not also price barriers alone that may be discouraging any number of potential would- be sailors from taking the plunge, but there are also many people out there who would be or would continue to be sailors if they felt they were getting better value for the money spent. Key to their feelings of value is
being able to use the boat when they want to and not having a problem – or multiple problems – with it. Spending a small fortune on a toy that works is one thing – spending it on something that does not is quite another. Once the boat/ sailing becomes more of a hassle
Boatyards should update customers on the status of repairs. MAY 2016 • MARINA ASIA-PACIFIC
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