[Rhodes22-list] Cowie/GB storm clouds

[mweisner at ebsmed.com]

Wow!  What's going on?  Storm clouds?

I went on a 10-day cruise and maintained WiFi silence, attempting to disconnect from the world and simply go for a sail.  As I sit and read da list I am truly concerned by the traffic, opinions and the requests.  I thought that we were a family, of sorts.

I have been asked by a few of you to remove certain members or prohibit their attempts to source sailing hardware or "compete" with General Boats.  As I have said to those list members and now to the entire list membership, I am the keeper of the list, not the owner.  I will not impose control, censure or remove members, unless specified by our charter.  While there is no doubt that Stan has benefitted from those who participate on the list as his customer service department, in-service education department, test pilots and cheering section, the list does not belong to General Boats nor was it conceived of as a part of GB.  Most of us have felt that our participation was well worth the time and effort.  Stan has usually found a way to say more than a simple thank you.  As a result, I have been happy to cough up the couple of hundred bucks a year it takes to host da list and help members learn to perform repairs or sail whenever time permits.

For those of us who have been working with Stan for decades (Stan and I met in 1980), we know that while his business practices and his communications skills sometimes come up a little short, he rarely ignores the persistent customer for very long.  I cannot imagine trying to operate an undercapitalized business like GB for all these years, especially when in his 90s.  His success is probably due to his stubbornness and exceptional work ethic.  I think that he can handle himself in the face of competition.

The discussion has, for the most part, been very interesting.  I am not alarmed by the thought that Chris will compete for the recycled market.  Clashes with Stan's goals are not unknown to da list.  We all have the right to support any supplier.  Some will undoubtedly chose GB while others will go directly to manufacturers (Dwyer, Doyle, etc.) or elect to purchase from Defender, West Marine or Voilier Yachts.  Hopefully, each will provide important choices that will enhance the used Rhodes 22 market.

Free enterprise, competition, adventures, free exchange of ideas, Rhodes 22 repairs and sailing instruction is what makes this list valuable to me.  After all these years I think that it still serves a worthwhile purpose and I wouldn't want to change a thing.  My hat's off to the founding members and those who have made contributions over the years.

Mike
s/v Wind Lass ('91)
Nissequogue River, NY



-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> On Behalf Of Dennis
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2019 4:10 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Cowie/GB storm clouds

I've been off list for some time, and just lurking at other times - so throw that into the mix when reading below.

I'm an entrepreneur, and can appreciate the effort Stan has put into building General Boats, the risks he took to make it happen, the failures he had to 'engineer' around, and the stresses he had to put on his family while all the above was going on. For all that and much more, Stan and his family deserve huge congratulations.

Being an entrepreneur involves more that just the massive efforts indicated above however. There are also the "minor" issues of marketing and customer service. Stan has attended innumerable boat shows to expose the gem the Rhodes 22 has become, and by hook or by crook, Stan has pulled together a web site(s). Driving traffic to a web site is another matter though. It's handy to have a list of interested owners you can address when you're launching a new product or selling off old inventory
- and Stan has used this list for both.

Which brings us to this list - or DaList, as Rummy liked to call it. 
First off - thanks to the folks who pulled it together and have grown it to its present size. The present owner or administrator is truly the person who can dictate whether DaList can be used for commercial purposes, and to what extent. If Stan is running the list, he has the power to ban members who offer parts (or boats) for sale. If someone else is running the show, it's their call to make - despite the fact that their call may rub Stan the wrong way. I'm sure Rhodes 22 owners everywhere appreciate being aware of parts or boats that become available - that's part of what makes this community thrive.

I really appreciate owning one of Stan's fleet, and don't want to take the shine off the effort he's made to build General Boats - but if he doesn't own the list, he really shouldn't be laying claim to it or objecting to any posts that don't break DaRules.

I think Stan has made a great move by involving others in fulfilling parts orders. Getting those orders turned around sooner rather than later will certainly add to General Boat's shine, as will improving communications with customers trying to buy parts (or those who simply have questions). It's nice when someone picks up the phone when you call, or responds the next day if you leave a voicemail or send an email. Those two improvements alone are huge in the eyes of DaList. Did I mention the importance of customer service? <chuckle>

That's it - off my soap box. Enjoy the season!

Dennis McNeely
Magic Moments

PS It's good to see you and Dynamic Equilibrium here again Roger!
       ... and thanks for sending links letting me crew with you on Enosis 1 Chris - if only in my imagination :)


On 5/25/2019 5:24 PM, stan wrote:
>
> For 50 years Rhodes owners have been our sales force and our board of 
> directors.  So before we submit a book size White Paper response to 
> Chris Cowie's "new" business, made clear by the following two emails, 
> we feel we should give voice to the cooler collective heads of the 
> List, before a declaration of war:
>
> "/Hi Chris, /
>
> /Rumor (Ted) has it that you may know of used Rhodes 22s for sale 
> especially in the Mid Atlantic region. My wife Emily and I are 
> seriously hot to trot! Jeff: Contact me//**//via email - we//**//have 
> several refurbished Rhodes 22 ready to sail."/
>
> If you own, or are thinking of buying a Rhodes, what is happening here 
> truly affect your interests.  Any and all input from the List will be 
> thoughtfully responded to.
>
> thanks for hearing,
> stan
>
>