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State of the Marinaut Business
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Leo Smith



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 193
City/Region: West Seattle
State or Province: WA
Photos: Leo
PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 11:57 am    Post subject: State of the Marinaut Business Reply with quote

After attending the Seattle Boat Show yesterday and looking over acres of boats, I realized that there wasn't much in the way of trailerable cruising boats around the 22' range. Plenty of ski/wakeboard boats, fishing boats, and yachts. Other than the 25' C-Dory, the SeaSports, Ranger Tugs, and Cutwaters, the trailerable cruiser offerings were minimal.
So how are things going in the Marinaut world? How many boats have left the shop and how many boats are under construction? I have a feeling that if this boat was on display at the SBS, Les would have plenty of orders and a healthy backlog.
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Jake



Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 171

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Been wondering the same. Nothing new on Facebook. If I understood correctly, it was Les's father having health problems a while back. Hope all is well.

Jake
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Aurelia



Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 2331
City/Region: Gig Harbor
State or Province: WA
Photos: Aurelia
PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is the thread for that:

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=19735&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

And what Les had to say in the past:

"The Marinaut will not be at the SBS. There are really lots of reasons: it's expensive, we don't have enough people to man a booth for 10 days, etc. The real reason is that I'm completely afraid of the response to the boat; right now we're building them as quickly as we can and can deliver about 4 to 6 boats a year. If I got orders at the boat show for 10 boats it would be a very difficult thing to deal with. I've been told "it's a good problem to have" but I disagree with that sentiment 100%; a salesman would love the situation but as the producer of the boat it's a nightmare and sure to make lots of folks unhappy."

Greg

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Gig Harbor
Aurelia - 25 Cruiser sold 2012
Ari - 19 Cruiser sold 2023
currently exploring with "Lia", 17 ft Bullfrog Supersport Pilothouse
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Captains Cat



Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 7313
City/Region: Cod Creek>Potomac River>Chesapeake Bay
State or Province: VA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Captain's Choice II
Photos: Captain's Cat
PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 10:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jake wrote:
Been wondering the same. Nothing new on Facebook. If I understood correctly, it was Les's father having health problems a while back. Hope all is well.

Jake


Les' dad Dusty is recovering quickly, had lunch with him a week ago. See SBS2015 thread for pictures. And Les has all the orders he can handle and all he really wants! It's a great boat!

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Captain's Cat II 2005 22 Cruiser
Thataway (2006 TC255 - Sold Aug 2013)
Captain's Cat (2006 TC255 - Sold January 2012)
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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20779
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 8:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Les builds a very high quality semi custom boat, and is not interesting in getting rich, or high volume. I had discussed with him the 25 or other larger boat, and althought the demand might be there--he is happy now with the current boat.
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Bob Austin
Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
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RobLL



Joined: 05 Aug 2014
Posts: 421
City/Region: Bremerton
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I ran a (very) small business we were repeatedly warned that expanding beyond small size was an extremely common way of going broke. It takes a lot of money to scale up a business. Typically hiring and training more people, more product in the pipeline, more production facilities, more of the owner's time for management, etc etc & ..
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Sea Wolf



Joined: 01 Nov 2003
Posts: 8650
City/Region: Redding
State or Province: CA
C-Dory Year: 1987
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sea Wolf
Photos: Sea Wolf
PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's my understanding that due to limited space and workforce, Les has contracted out the basic hull-building process on the Marinaut boat to a very competent nearby builder, but is still doing the outfitting and finishing in their own shop.

This is just another reason to want to not scale up the operation.

Joe. Teeth Thumbs Up

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Sunbeam



Joined: 23 Feb 2012
Posts: 3990
City/Region: Out 'n' About
State or Province: Other
C-Dory Year: 2002
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Photos: Sunbeam
PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sea Wolf wrote:
It's my understanding that due to limited space and workforce, Les has contracted out the basic hull-building process on the Marinaut boat to a very competent nearby builder, but is still doing the outfitting and finishing in their own shop.


Just to clarify (because the word "still" could make it sound as if this was a change), the Marinaut hulls/decks/bulkheads have always been built off site. I think this is a good thing because the company that builds the hulls is a really competent fiberglass/yacht specialty place in Port Townsend. They build large/complicated fiberglass hulls, so their skill sets and equipment are top notch and in constant use. EQ takes it from there (which is when the detail work really comes into play).
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Jake



Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 171

PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like good news all around. Thanks to all for the updates. A great product with great people behind it.

Jake
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Les Lampman
Dealer


Joined: 30 Oct 2003
Posts: 779
City/Region: Whidbey Island
State or Province: WA
PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 2:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh boy! Where do I start? By nature I'm an open and gregarious person and would like to keep everyone updated on everything. That said, I'm pretty sure if I had been doing that those that know me would have worried about my sanity, and those that don't already know me would steer a wide path assuming the worst.

I'd like to be making a big announcement right now with the assurance that I'm 100% correct but I'm not quite there yet. With that said, let me make go ahead and make a 99% announcement.

The announcement is that we've come to an agreement with Nordic Tugs to produce the Marinuat 215 for us. Most folks hold Nordic Tugs in high regard and I'm no different, I think this is the best way for us to get a high-quality boat to market with the ability to make more boats available.

Previously, we were having the fiberglass components molded for us in Port Townsend by Townsend Bay Marine and then we'd build the boat from the bare shell stage. A few months ago they informed us they were not interested in continuing to make the bare hull shells for us. Of course, that launched a search for a place to have that done since we don't have the physical space to do that at our shop in Cornet Bay. That's been a very long process and we've been in ongoing talks with Nordic Tugs for the last six months or more. It's been really important to both of us (Nordic Tugs and Marinaut) to get this right, and while it's taken a lot of time, I believe it will all be worth it.

Unlike our situation with Townsend Bay Marine where they only fabricated the bare shell, Nordic Tugs will be building the complete boat for us. The M215 will come to us (at the shop in Cornet Bay) just as the C-Dory, Arima, and Rosborough boats did, ready for us to install the engine, electronics, accessories, and outfit it for delivery to our customer.

I want to point out that Nordic Tugs will be building the boat for us to our specifications (with their outstanding craftsmanship), and that it is, in fact, our boat. The truth is that I've been at the Nordic facility a few times now and looked over their hull layups, their cabinetry, their wiring, and general fit out and, if anything, we could learn a thing or two from them if we wanted to continue to build the boats at Cornet Bay. I couldn't ask for a better fit, they have the same business philosophy (deliver a quality product and the sales will happen) and their operation is much like ours, just on a larger scale. They still hand build each and every boat, just as we do, and their attention to detail is no less than ours.

Over the last 3 years or so we've only been able to build 3 or 4 boats a year (there are 10 of them out there at this point). That turned out to be a good thing because we've been able to really fine tune the process but at some point you have to be able to put more boats out. You can get away with building only 3 or 4 big boats a year and still have a profitable company, that doesn't work very well with small boats like the M215. Having said that, the numbers don't have to be huge, I'd like to think we could start building maybe 12 boats a year rather than 3 or 4 and that in itself would be a rather significant change. If the demand is there we can build more but we're not intending to take over the world. The boat itself (the quality and the happiness of our customers) is much more important than how many we can sell and build, and as long as I'm involved that's where the focus will remain. Sounds cliche but it really is quality based, not quantity based (I honestly believe if the quality is there, the quantity takes care of itself).

Having Nordic Tugs build the complete hull also opens up the possibility of having a few dealers. If we're able to go that way we'd have maybe 4 to 5 dealers; one in the Southeast (northern Florida maybe), one in the mid-Atlantic (Maryland?), one in the Great Lakes area, and EQ Harbor Service in the Northwest. There may be another area or two worth exploring but at the moment this is "what ifs".

It is my intention to have the Marinaut 215 at the Seattle Boat Show next year and to finally make the boat available to a wider audience.

I want to offer my apologies to the C-Brats community in general. Over many years (I joined the group in 2003) I've derived a great deal of pleasure from everyone involved. It's been wonderful on both a professional level and on a personal level. Those that know me know that the latter is a much more significant thing than the former. My apology is for not being more active than I have been in the past few years. I get a great deal of satisfaction out of being able to give back to the community and that's hard to do when you're not active. The last two or three years have been a tough go for me personally (though in comparison to some I'm quite blessed and I know that) and has taken a lot of my focus away from boats in general and fun things like the Brats.

In addition, I'd like to thank the C-Brat community. Big Time. You've supported me greatly throughout the years; you've been a source of inspiration, a source of friendship, a source of strength, and just a lot of fun. I can't express in words the appreciation I have for the support and friendship you've given my father (Dusty) through the years. It's really heartwarming and very special.

I feel ready to hop back in the saddle and get back after it this year.

All the best,

Les

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Les

www.marinautboats.com
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Granath



Joined: 11 Feb 2008
Posts: 30
City/Region: Vancouver
State or Province: WA
Vessel Name: Solis Ortus
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Les,

Congratulations on the agreement with Nordic Tugs. Seems like a natural course in adding another chapter to the Marinaut History. Chapter one was building the mold and original boat, chapter two was EQ Marine building ten boats, and now chapter three is making this wonderful boat accessible to more customers. (At a moderate increase in volume while keeping the quality) Glee and I wish you the best of luck.

Michael

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Jake



Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 171

PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 4:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Les,

That certainly is a big announcement and a very good one as well. Only been on a Nordic once but I could really feel the quality just walking about the boat, should be a great fit for you and the Marinaut. Congrats.

Jake
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hardee



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 12632
City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
Photos: SleepyC
PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Les Said:
Quote:
"I want to offer my apologies to the C-Brats community in general. Over many years (I joined the group in 2003) I've derived a great deal of pleasure from everyone involved. It's been wonderful on both a professional level and on a personal level. Those that know me know that the latter is a much more significant thing than the former. My apology is for not being more active than I have been in the past few years. I get a great deal of satisfaction out of being able to give back to the community and that's hard to do when you're not active. The last two or three years have been a tough go for me personally (though in comparison to some I'm quite blessed and I know that) and has taken a lot of my focus away from boats in general and fun things like the Brats. "


Les, no apology necessary. You have been giving back all along, in many ways. I have had both PM's and phone calls returned, as well as time from you when I stopped at EQ. You have always been willing to take the time to be sure i understood the answers and that has always been appreciated. And I'm going to bet I'm not the only one who has called or stopped by and received a gracious response. Thank you for being here. We all have lives, and life happens, so I think we all understand. Thank you again.

As to the announcement, that sounds like great news. It is a big step to turn ones own very personal project over to someone else and let them take over. Nordic builds quality and the Marinaut will do well coming from there stable. Congratulations on the next big step.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon


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Big Mac



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 189
City/Region: Chehalis
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2001
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Mary Ellen
Photos: Mary Ellen
PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 5:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Les, good luck with your new adventure. Nordic Tug has been around a long time. I am sure that you will enjoy the new partnership. Now all you have to do is sell and rig the new boats. You might even have time to get in a little boating and finish up your demo boat. Big Mac
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Pat Anderson



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 8551
City/Region: Birch Bay, WA
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Daydream
Photos: Daydream and Crabby Lou
PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 5:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, Les! This sounds great all the way around! Congrats, you and Nordic Tugs are sure to be a winning combination!
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