All hands on deck to prepare for boating season

BEDFORD — The Great Northeast Boat Show took place at the NH Sportsplex over the weekend, for the 16th time. For some of those involved, it's a family affair.

Bob and Alex Conrad are the father-son duo in charge of moving inventory at North Water Marine, in Laconia — Bob’s the owner, and Alex handles sales. They brought boats down to Bedford on Friday to do just that. 

Sitting aboard a Viaggio Diamante pontoon — "viaggio" is Italian for "voyage" — Bob said the boat business is chugging along as usual.

“So far this year, it’s been good,” he said. “Boats are discretionary spending.”

He brings boats down to another show in Boston, but said the Bedford show is “very much a Lake Winni show.” That observation appeared correct; just about every dealer and marina known by residents of the Lakes Region were represented at the show over the weekend. 

“We’ve found pontoons have been very strong for us year over year,” Alex said. His remarks were echoed by sales representatives at other marinas, too. Though consumer preferences are steady, their behavior has changed a little. “The impulse buy has kind of faded away.”  

For example, there’s a few times this year when Alex remembers a customer who made an impulse decision to make a deposit on a vessel, but backed out of the purchase later on. Cold feet sometimes happen with big purchases, he said, but the “COVID sticker shock” appears to be lost to the dust bins of history.

Buyers themselves are more knowledgeable and informed about the industry, Bob’s noticed. 

“They’re more serious.”

A deposit made at the boat show holds a vessel for a customer. Typically, North Water Marine will deliver it to the buyer later on, similar to how some car purchases are handled. 

For Bob and Alex, the business is a family affair. North Water Marine, located in the Weirs, has been an operating marina for decades. It’s a capital-intensive business, Bob said, and he views his endeavor as multi-generational. Alex will eventually run the business. 

“We talk to each other like father and son,” at work, not like boss and employee, Alex said. He thinks it helps them work faster and accomplish more. Working alongside his father has helped him learn to effectively manage people to get desired results. 

For customers looking to purchase their first boat, Alex will typically remind them, “you’re investing heavily in your vacation.” Boating is an outdoor, family-oriented pastime. And buyers should avoid second-guessing their own gut instincts.  

“If you like a boat, you like a boat,” Alex said.

But boat ownership isn’t uncomplicated. Aside from the purchase of a boat, a buyer needs to consider ongoing maintenance and storage, among other things.

“Have that planned out, and budgeted for,” Alex said. 

Suzette and Blair Anthony live at the Weirs. They’re the producers behind the Great Northeast Boat Show, which they created for pragmatic reasons. Why should buyers spend hours, or even days, driving all around the lake to visit every marina, when they could browse all of their collections at once? 

“We thought, ‘oh, there’s an opportunity,’” Suzette said. 

And they capitalized on it. Over the weekend, 17 boat dealers brought 226 boats, representing over 75 different brands. Customers were able to browse the massive selection all in one place, and receive expert advice from boat dealer employees, directly. Suzette and Blair described the show as “truly a one-stop shop,” and said it helps reinforce the local economy — “buy where you boat” is their motto. 

“All of the dealers do a better volume of sales than they do at the Boston show,” Suzette said.

It’s better for customers, too. Manufacturers offer boat show-specific specials and rebates to customers who make a deposit during the event. Plus, it saves customers time, as they’re able to compare various options directly, all at once. 

“You don’t have to drive 180 miles around the lake,” Blair said.

Chris Flint runs Cardinal Charters on Lake Winnipesaukee. He’s an Andover, Massachusetts, resident, but became a customer of North Water Marine — Flint purchased a pontoon boat there in order to run his business. 

“I actually, with Alex, designed this boat,” he said. He’s had a relationship with Bob and Alex for years. 

“About five years ago, I started putting my boat on their valet service,” Flint said. “I’m out there 70, 80 times a year.”

He’s noticed the changing market, too. Customers like pontoon boats. For years, Flint said he preferred another type, describing himself as a “standard, V-hull guy.”

“These pontoons are different now,” he said. “Mine has a 340-horsepower Suzuki on it.” 

“We’re down here to sell some boats, move some inventory,” Zach Graham from Winnisquam Marine said Friday evening. “Definitely, pontoon boats are popular this year.” 

He’s looking forward to ice-out on Lake Winnipesaukee, when the season really gets going. But they’re proactive all year long, he said, preparing for summer boating and connecting with customers to sell boats. They brought 25 vessels to Bedford this year. 

“Bennington is the only pontoon that we carry,” he said. “We’re exclusive with them.”