[Rhodes22-list] the war of the rhodeses

Fri Jul 17 10:46:25 EDT 2009

General boats has my full support!

Mary Lou Troy-2 wrote:
> 
> We hadn't intended to comment on this exchange but when you step in a 
> hornets nest sometimes you are compelled to do things you wouldn't 
> ordinarily do.
> 
> If and when we decide to get a new pop-top enclosure (or a new to us, 
> used pop-top enclosure like our current one - purchased from GB that 
> has given us a number of years of service and which I have customized 
> to our needs) we plan to look at the available options from General 
> Boats and other vendors. We will purchase the item that best fits our 
> needs based on features and price point. If we purchase a pop-top 
> enclosure from another vendor particularly a vendor that has worked 
> with GB in the past, we would make sure that GB gets their commission 
> whether it is included in the vendor's price for the product or 
> whether we send it directly to General Boats. We would encourage 
> other Rhodes 22 owners to do the same.
> 
> Mary Lou and Fred
> the very pleased owners since 1998
> of Fretless, a 1991 Rhodes 22
> recycled by General Boats in 1998
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 12:25 PM 7/16/2009, you wrote:
>>Dear Rhodies:
>>
>>Art says we are boring you all with this issue, that it is a private,
>>personal matter and not appropriate to discuss in this forum.  He is
>>incorrect.  It is a fundamental issue to GB's well being and therefore to
>>you, to the extent of your interest in your Rhodes.   We suggest you hear
it
>>out until resolved one way or another.
>>
>>Should you need a new IMF mast or centerboard or rudder blade or endless
>>other unique parts that Art or others do not choose to invest in producing
-
>>and GB is not here, no one is going to be able to make your boat whole
>>again.   There is good reason why most of us would not buy a car that is
out
>>of production - there is certainly good reason why the Rhodes is not only
>>easy to sell but also demands a premium price over boats no longer being
>>built.  The former editor of Practical Sailor, in his book recommending
>>trailer sailboats, ends his list by pointing out that the Rhodes is the
only
>>suggested choice still in production.
>>
>>If not for the many private sellers and purchasers going along with the
>>voluntary GB loyalty/royalty program (which incidentally, Art, who has
>>purchased and sold several Rhodes privately, would not agree to) and not
for
>>parts sales such as Pop Top enclosures (which, incidentally, we have
$10,000
>>worth of sitting here in inventory), in an economy such as this, where not
a
>>single new boat is being sold, GB would have no choice but to abandon this
>>ship.
>>
>>
>>OK, you can stop reading here. But for anyone wanting to understand why we
>>are so troubled by this particular Parts issue, a little background on an
>>agreement that, we now learn from Art's e-mail to the List,  has
>>unilaterally "mutually" agreed to have ended:
>>Art worked on this project inside the GB plant, used the GB
"not-the-Hilton"
>>facilities, displayed the product in hard to get and costly water space
that
>>GB worked out during the Annapolis Boat Show and that GB ended up paying
>>for, including even an additional day that Art unilaterally elected to
take.
>>At the St. Petersburg Show, where after several years of trying, we
managed
>>a valuable water space, after hearing Art had his boat in FL, we asked if
he
>>would like to promote the boom room at this show.  We returned Dr.
Fullers'
>>beautiful new boat that we had planned to use for demos from this space in
>>favor of Art using it with the understanding that we could use his boat
for
>>an occasional demo for a qualified pending prospect.  When Elton did take
a
>>prospect to Art's boat he found Art was not honoring the Show hours and
the
>>boat was chain-locked to the dock.  Art's position, "No one sails my
boat".
>>When we did mange Art to give a demo sail we explained to him that part of
>>the demonstration is that we go in and out of the large harbor under sail
as
>>the competition does and that demos are only an hour in case another hot
>>prospect comes along.   Art refused to sail and each time went to and from
>>the bay under power.  I suppose once sailing he was in his element since
he
>>stayed away for hours and few demos were done during the show.  Art's
>>remarkable position:  He was a volunteer and could therefore make his own
>>rules - just like volunteers for the army or the Red Cross.  Elton finally
>>blew his top when, after arranging for our hottest prospect to make a long
>>trip back to St. Petersburg on Sunday for a demo sail, Art announced that
he
>>was leaving the show a day early - after all he was a volunteer and could
>>make his own rules from moment to moment.   I certainly felt like an idiot
>>not having put Dr. Fuller's boat in that precious dock space.   I do not
>>know if Art ever did show the boom room.
>>
>>
>>The deal with Art pertained only to the boom room, with shared income from
>>its sales.  It was not for competing with other parts like the Pop Top
>>enclosures which we have an inventory investment in.   Of course it is a
>>free country and a free market and, of course, we all have seen what
>>unregulated "freedom" can do to our economy.   To believe GB has the
freedom
>>to keep investing in new ideas and keep investing in promoting the boat
and
>>taking care of current Rhodies' needs, for the non-rewarding benefit of
>>private re-sales and parts sales for others to profit from, is a fantasy.
>>It is important for us to have your feedback on these kind of issues.   We
>>need the support of our owners if we are to keep worrying and working to
>>keep our owners sailing and keep the value of their boats growing.  Or do
we
>>just stop being so damn conscientious and say the hell with it and go
>>sailing ourselves?  (No need for us to hear Rummy's answer to that last
>>question.)
>>
>>stan/gbi
>>
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "cowie" <ccowie at cowieassociates.com>
>>To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 6:36 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] the war of the rhodeses
>>
>>
>> >
>> > I had the pleasure of deploying my Bimini and pop top enclosure on my
>> > recent
>> > trip to st Michaels.  Both worked great.  I understand Stan has
>> recently
>> > improved the fit of the pop top enclosure and his guys did a great job
>> on
>> > the custom installation.  While I could have ordered certain items
>> direct
>> > I
>> > have made a point to go thru general boats.  I think it's neat that I
>> own
>> > a
>> > boat that was concieved the same I was and hope to help it keep going
>> for
>> > another fifty.
>> >
>> > stanleyl wrote:
>> >>
>> >> OK gang, it looks like Art and I are going to take up the slack left
>> by
>> >> the withdrawal of the political junkies.   At first I thought we
>> should
>> >> label these upcoming e-mail missives so you can delete before reading.
>> >> But on reflection, what is going to be covered gets to the business
>> >> basics
>> >> of General Boats and its future.
>> >>
>> >> Art will be a formable opponent in this case, having graduated from
>> the
>> >> Academy vs. my not being able to get beyond the "Petty" ranking due to
>> a
>> >> Navy designated overbite.  My protestation that I did not plan to bite
>> >> the
>> >> enemy fell on deaf ears.  I think being able to hear was not one of
>> the
>> >> requirements, as the unraveling facts in this case will bring out.
>> >>
>> >> In Art's opening remarks he says that the business terms with General
>> >> Boats had been voided.  As proof he waves a blank paper that he has in
>> >> his
>> >> hand about a sale GB nixed but he salvaged.   GB will show a timeline
>> and
>> >> investments that will paint another picture.  The importance of this
>> >> small
>> >> claims case is seen in Art's 7/12/09 e-mail to Mary Lou - the tip of a
>> >> collectively growing ice burg that can sink the Rhodes  You may want
>> to
>> >> stay tuned to be informed by GB, Art, and fellow Rhodies, to draw your
>> >> own
>> >> conclusions.
>> >>
>> >> stan/general boats
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> __________________________________________________
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>> >> __________________________________________________
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
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>>
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