[Rhodes22-list] now comes gb/concluded

[Michael D. Weisner]

Stan,

Sure, no problem.  Just let me know when you have a moment ...

Mike
s/v Shanghai'd Summer ('81)
Nissequogue River, NY

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "stan" <stan at rhodes22.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 Email List" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Monday, August 24, 2009 11:39 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] now comes gb/concluded


> thanks Michael,
>
> some day when you have nothing better to do, you have to show me how you
> made it come out the way I wanted it to.
>
> ss
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Michael D. Weisner" <mweisner at ebsmed.com>
> To: "The Rhodes 22 Email List" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Sent: Monday, August 24, 2009 11:24 AM
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] now comes gb/concluded
>
>
>> (Stan, I think that this may be a bit easier to read - Mike W)
>>
>> Now Comes GB / Concluded
>>
>> Dear Rhodies,
>>
>>        Thanks for your thoughtful responses. You have started the wheels
>> rolling. "General Boats Certificate of Support" program is now at a
>> printer
>> who specializes in "Certificate of Origin" numbered boat forms. We will
>> post
>> a copy as soon as it comes in (as soon as we learn how). We have also
>> added
>> a page, "A word about Private Rhodes Sales and Purchases" to include with
>> all boat show handouts and inquiries mailings. We will also send this 
>> page
>> to the List with the hope that List members will collectively agree to it
>> being periodically posted for the advantage of List buyers and List
>> sellers
>> who prefer direct transactions.
>>
>>        Your e-mails deserve a response, so here goes:
>>
>> 1.     A few of you suggested we may be breaking some law..
>>
>>        As an engineer, I only had four courses on business law but I
>> suspect that a "voluntary" program would not be breaking any law - any
>> more
>> than those trying to intimidate opinions at "Town Hall Meetings" by
>> posting
>> unconcealed weapons on their bodies.
>>
>>        I did suggest the imagery that one might look at the Lo/Ro as a
>> sales tax but I did not mean literally - rather as a concept no different
>> than the commission (sales tax) a broker puts on a house or car or boat,
>> every time he or she sells the same item over again to another buyer.
>>
>>        A few said that we can not legally deny service. If we are out of
>> business, this is a mute argument. Our position merely points out that 
>> our
>> limited resources, of necessity, have to be prioritized. (Try an American
>> Express card without a Costco number and see if they give you the
>> discounted
>> gas or try calling HP with a question and see how this works with
>> for-profit
>> companies.)
>>
>>
>> 2.     There was a response hint that this discussion was inappropriate
>> for
>> a List that should be focused on a narrow menu. I am with David Bradley.
>>>From GB's perspective there have never been any problems with any 
>>>subjects
>> any List members wanted to bring up on the List. We like the
>> knocking-of-the-boat topics - it gives us an opportunity to correct our
>> conceptions or, the knockers' misconceptions. Personally I feel it is 
>> this
>> broadmindedness that makes the List so much more interesting than other
>> lists and note that many who do take sabbaticals usually return or 
>> quietly
>> keep monitoring. More to this issue, however, is the fact that Bob Keller
>> and others' responses of interest in GB's future appear to make this kind
>> of
>> discussion relative.
>>
>>
>> 3.     So, re Chris's joined concerns re Business Plans: Physically we
>> feel
>> up to another 50 years but have to face the facts of life; and changing
>> facts of business life. GB is burning thru capital running in circles
>> trying
>> to bite its tail helping outside private sales and purchases. If no
>> solution
>> to that spinning, the business plan is self evident. On the other hand a
>> money making GB will attract one of you out there; or encourage our
>> current
>> employees (who have now evolved into an unbelievably expert crew) to step
>> up
>> to more responsibility; or a well heeled builder falling behind with his
>> current clunker, to come to recognize the Rhodes and make an offer too
>> good
>> to refuse. If your concern is Long Term Business Plan then your concern
>> has
>> to be with the Current Term Plan: A solution to the subsidizing of 
>> freebee
>> bites being taken out of the tail that has been wagging this dog.
>>
>>
>> 4.     The two way street: Todd, tongue in cheek, wants GB in turn to pay
>> for leads obtained for boats to buy back and graciously waives all prior
>> fees he feels due. Wrong on two counts: These boats may be so bad that we
>> deserve a commission for doing an innocent buyer the great favor of
>> getting
>> that disaster off the market. Remember, originally our boats were built
>> for
>> us by shoddy contractors or by counterfeiters, no longer around to 
>> service
>> their buyers. Like a bank taking torn bills out of circulation, we have a
>> graveyard of hulls that will not be returned to circulation. For the good
>> boats you let us buy, your fee should come from the owners for helping 
>> get
>> his or her boat sold.
>>
>>
>> 5.     Re Scott's question of who pays the Lo/Ro commission
>>
>>        Many of you approached the "who pays" question with a buyer's
>> mindset. The final, now in-the-works program, concluded that the seller 
>> is
>> the more motivated and rewarded, having only one boat to sell, while the
>> buyer has many to choose from.
>>
>>
>> 6     Retroactive?
>>
>>        No. Never gave that a thought, David Culp. Current owners are
>> grandfathered in our good favor. Our disfavor, so far, has only been
>> bestowed on sellers who, advised of the program, demonstrated no interest
>> in
>> GB's burden in making private sales possible or what effect their freely
>> dipping into GB's resources would have on GB's ability to stay in 
>> business
>> under their myopic terms.
>>
>>
>> 7.     There was a response suggesting that maybe GB should be the direct
>> seller of ALL used Rhodes.
>>
>>        We are not for this. David Culp is correct. This would be a
>> conflict
>> of interest. If we have a prospect who can afford going recycled, we 
>> might
>> find it difficult to encourage them to buy your listed Used Boat instead.
>> Where prospects are budget bound, or where location is a consideration, 
>> we
>> always direct them to the List or to private sellers we are aware of. We
>> want private buyers and sellers completely free to do what works best for
>> them. But we do want them to emerge from denial and face the reality that
>> almost every Rhodes sold and bought has, in some way, been the result of
>> GB's efforts of time and money - and that those contributions have to be,
>> at
>> least, partially amortized.
>>
>>
>> 8.     Rick's Blackberry Theory - and why it is not our problem.
>>
>>        It probably is true that less sailboats are being sold because 
>> more
>> people have become couch potatoes eating berries. But the Rhodes is
>> getting
>> a bigger share of this shrinking market. But the largest share of Rhodes
>> sales is becoming private sales. GB must be reimbursed for part of all it
>> does in making this market - there are no alternates.
>>
>>
>> 9.     Ruffled Feathers:
>>
>>        For those like John who seem miffed because I implied that a used
>> boat they were buying is not up to our standards, we are pleased they 
>> have
>> ended up with a boat they are happy with and will not go down the road
>> that
>> talks about how older and new boat construction differs.
>>
>>
>> 10.     The Parts part of the Business.
>>
>>        Ben's focus on parts and the few like Rick, reviewing their right
>> to
>> buy parts from whomever they wish and god bless capitalism, is an issue I
>> do
>> not take issue with - I do not want to dilute the private boat
>> selling/buying issue here, with One exceptional reminder: There are 
>> enough
>> proprietary parts of a Rhodes that just are not available elsewhere and
>> therefore would not be available to Rhodes owners if the Rhodes is 
>> ushered
>> into boat Heaven, tomorrow.
>>
>>
>> 11.    I think Mary Lou suggested, perhaps member dues. Sounds attractive
>> but, not being a joiner by nature, I tend to shy from this direction and
>> tend to like a direction with as little record keeping and repetitive
>> nature
>> as possible.
>
>
>> We hope that when you digest what we have worked out with the GB
>> Certificate
>> of Support program, it will earn your support for its valuable
>> contribution
>> to Private Buyers, to Private Sellers and to Prime Care Provider: GB. 
>> Soon
>> almost every potential private Rhodes buyer will be aware of his or her
>> choice as to whether they should buy their Rhodes from a private seller
>> who
>> can or, who has elected not to, sell his or her Rhodes with a GB
>> Certificate
>> of Support numbered document.
>>
>>ss __________________________________________________
>
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