[Rhodes22-list] storm clouds

[Art Czerwonky]

Well put, Alex.  Art

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  On Wed, May 29, 2019 at 10:45 PM, S/V Lark<Colealexander at hotmail.com> wrote:   It is with sorrow I have read Da List.  I hesitate to open my
often-undiplomatic mouth.  

Stan, I have the greatest respect for you and the boat you build.  I will
continue to be a loyal customer as long as my certificate of support is
honored.  You have never let me down.    Please allow me to share some
concerns.    Not only is the webpage ancient, email intermittent, the
e-store imaginary, but even the 19th century standby, the telephone, is
unreliable.    In a next day Amazon world contacting you can take days (but
you went above and beyond to get me the loner tiller while you replaced the
failed one).  The age and unassuming atmosphere of your facility caused me
concern when first met you.    I relied heavily on the reputation you had
with your owners.  Quite frankly, I had the nagging pause when making the
deposit that I might have a devil of a time getting any money back if you
were incapacitated before delivery.
  
Your asset is the real estate and its potential for a future developer.    A
business is worth assets or production (blue sky).  No bank would loan
enough money to even move stockpiled materials and molds to a cheaper
location, let alone buy the plant at the price the property is reportedly
worth.    Any bank loan would be to haul the factory to the dump allowing
redevelopment.    Molds of several good boats sit molding around the
country, of no value to anyone.

I am at a loss on how the refit franchise would be of benefit to existing
shops.    Aside from the availability of custom components, if Stan’s phone
works, what is in it for them that they couldn’t do anyway?  How many
referrals could an interested shop expect per month?  How would Stan
maintain quality control?  I could see a future successor, with or without
Stan’s blessing, offering lessons, sales and refit services for a handful of
designs, hopefully including the R-22 as a crown jewel in its midsize
tailorable range.    On demand builds would be a dream come true, like
WIndrider does in the dinghy market.  Stan’s choice of location, protected
water near a ramp and marina but where hurricanes are rare, was brilliant. 
Perhaps the gentrified US market has evolved beyond industrial use of
property near water, except in the rustbelt. 

We all know the saying that the easiest way to make a small fortune in the
sailboat business is to start with a large fortune.  The middle class
leisure sailing market has sailed.  Gunboat failed to find profit in the
high end market.    I see no likely way for this business to long survive
Stan in its present form.    I understand the risks a business owner
undertakes, the hours and burden of responsibility it entails.  I have no
doubt that Stan was the last to get paid in bad times.  He put his heart and
engineering brain into every custom detail that makes this design so
special.    I am not an engineer and have no expertise in the sailing
industry.  In my own field I have accepted the staggering debt, liability
and responsibility for others’ paychecks, with the uncertainty of eventual
resale in a corporate dominated world should I live to retire.
    
This 1960’s design has aged well.    To my knowledge there isn’t a similar
couples pocket cruiser / convenience oriented day sailor on the market.  
That isn’t to say that new European designs don’t offer vastly increased
performance or that far more luxury isn’t available if you don’t desire a
trailer launchable.    Aside from the experimental Catalina 25 conversion
project (done I suspect without the blessing of Catalina Yachts), the recent
energy of GB has been largely concentrated on its more trendy organic
agriculture division.    I fear the buggy whip division has folded entirely.

I may not be aware of exactly what Chris has done, but based on prior
conversation I believe his vision is to keep as many boats on the water as
possible in coming decades.  He  didn’t choose R-22 parts out of greed.  I
don’t have a dog in this fight.  I would applaud any way for this great
design to still be sailing when the Lark finally sees an estate sale.  

Alex Cole DVM




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Alex Cole
S/V Lark
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