[Rhodes22-list] Chris Cowie and GB

[Stan Spitzer]

As long as Chris Cowie introduced this issue to the List, as one who is 
struggling in this era of alternate facts, I feel compelled to respond:

Chris is being a bit, OK a lot, disingenuous with his,  "I am one who 
tried unsuccessfully to partner".

I like Chris Cowie, as a Rhode owner.  I don't know how it may have 
worked out as a partner.  He never tried.  Chris is referring to a visit 
to the plant a few years ago when his offer was:   In return for my 
giving him my waterfront house and a house on 5 commercial acres that I 
have near the plant and currently live in to care for Rose and the boat 
business, with its 9 industrial acres, he would see to it that Rose and 
I would have enough income to survive for the balance of our lives, or 
GB's, which ever ended first.  I smiled and he said that was just a 
negotiations starter. I did not see it, even as a starter. (As a sense 
of proportion for the accounting wired minds on the List, I value GB; 
its real and intangible assets, at 2 million.)

His interest in General Boats continued over the years but we could 
never bridge the gap between what I needed and what he was able and 
willing to provide:

With the loss of the input of my brother and wife, the company, with 
only 92 year old antique me left to do it all, needs /at-the-plant/ 
help.  Just one for instance: GB currently goes to one show, Annapolis.  
Elton and I would go to as many as 10, from coast to coast and boarder 
to boarder.  We controlled sales volume by the number of shows we would 
attend.  Chris has a wonderful business; in return to adding GB to his 
empire, he would run GB from Washington. That translates to more, not 
less work for me.  He never would accept the reality of the on location, 
shoulder to shoulder, daily managing needs of the business.  He never 
made an offer to buying into the business,  his proposals were to earn 
ownership by doing the impossible of running it from afar.  Maybe if I 
were 80 again I could have cloned myself to accommodate him.

Bitten by the potential and fun of this business, he recently announced 
he would go into competition with GB and recycle Rhodes. So sit back and 
enjoy. Not since pre Facebook days, when the List was alive with 
political free speech, is news related to the Rhodes we all love, likely 
to become more entertaining.

stan