[Rhodes22-list] Sail Boat Owners forum is being passed along tp new owners..

[curtis]

It's hard to believe, but 20 years ago Bly and I started SailboatOwners.com
with some good ideas, the energy of youth, and a hefty dollop of naivete.
Back in '97 there was no Google, no iPhone, and Amazon sold only books.
Independent brick and mortar marine stores were still a thing and sailboat
manufacturers built hundreds of new boats every month. In our very first
survey, 80% of respondents said they would never trust their credit card
number over the internet. (Turns out they were right!)

It was a winding path through those 20 years with lots of bobbing, weaving,
growing, shrinking, and more than a couple re-inventions. But somehow, here
we are in 2017, still standing. 

Today, feeling both excitement and nostalgia, we announce a change that will
see this site through the next 20 years: SailboatOwners.com has been
acquired by one of our employees, Al Fooks.

Those of you own Hunters will recognize Al's name. He joined SBO three years
ago as a mission-critical addition to our staff, serving 23 years at Hunter
Marine doing everything from assembly to production line management to
warranty support to customer service. He brings mechanical expertise and
contacts that dwarf anything we ever brought to the table. He is also a keen
entrepreneur, which will serve you well. 

Al's goal is to preserve the SBO you know. That includes staff, policies,
and mission. Dave and Karisa will still be here and in fact, Bly and I will
still be involved, albeit in different roles. Al's got some great ideas to
make SBO better, too, and as he gets settled I'm sure he'll introduce
himself and tell you more. 

Bly and I have been incredibly fortunate to work so long in the marine
business. Almost everyone who contacted us was excited to be talking about
their boat, and that makes for a pretty nice work environment. Above all
else, it was an honor to be part of this passionate, intelligent community.
For all you have contributed to make this site great and keep our business
running, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
 




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