PWC – PWC Digest

IMBC 2006, Jan. 29-Feb. 1
The 2006 International Marina & Boatyard Conference takes place January 29 – February 1, 2006 in Orlando, Fla. IMBC kicks off the evening of January 29 with a reception to be held on the exhibit floor. Two days of professional development seminars will be hosted adjacent to the show floor allowing participants to return to the exhibit area during breaks. Luncheons will also be held in the exhibit area each day as well. The program wraps on Wednesday morning, February 1 with an all-marine industry breakfast followed by an optional field trip.
The International Marina and Boatyard Conference is produced by the Association of Marina Industries (AMI – formerly MOAA and IMI) and the American Boat Builders & Repairers Association (ABBRA).
The conference returns to Florida in 2006 after a hiatus in 2005 when the IMBC joined forces with the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) for IMC ’05 in San Diego, Calif.
The host hotel for the conference is the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld. The special room rate for those attending the conference is $219 for single/double occupancy. The deadline to receive the special rate is December 30, 2005. Call 1-800-266-9432 and ask for the “Marina & Boatyard Conference” room block.
More information on attending the conference, as well as exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, can be found online at www.MarinaAssociation.org.

PowerSki Continues Toward Production
PowerSki International Corp. says parts and components are being accumulated to prepare for mass production of the PowerSki Jetboard at the company’s assembly facility in San Clemente, Calif.
PowerSki officials say the production line currently is undergoing time trials. They anticipate mass assembly of at least 15 units per day.
To date Powerski has shipped approximately 130 Powerski Jetboard units worldwide. Due to low-rate production tooling, and the high price of small quantity piece parts, these early units cost Powerski approximately $12,000 to $15,000 each.
PowerSki officals say they have lowered the cost of goods for the entire unit’s components using three factors: high-rate production tooling, large quantity purchasing, and lowered labor costs.

PWC Riding Restricted in Florida
PWC riders on the Halifax and Tomoka rivers in Florida face new federal speed restrictions. The changes include a seasonal slow-speed zone in parts of the Tomoka River, year-round slow-speed zones near the Seabreeze and Dunlawton bridges and a 25-mph limit in the channel of the Intracoastal Waterway. Some of the changes eliminated areas often used by personal watercraft, according to published reports.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service created the restrictions as part of a settlement between the agency and a coalition of environmental groups, including the Save the Manatee Club, that sued the federal government for stricter manatee protections.
Under the changes, the top speed on the Intracoastal Waterway channel has been dropped from 35 mph to 25 mph. The fine for the infractions is $63.

Kawi’s Jet Ski Loan Program Takes Off
Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA, says approximately 200 Jet Ski brand watercraft have been loaned to local, state and federal agencies this year, the 16th year the company’s personal watercraft public safety loan program has been in operation.
Approximately 125 loans have been made by more than 100 dealers in 38 states during the first eight months of the year. The PWC have a retail value exceeding $1.6 million.
The nationwide program operates through Kawasaki dealers loaning Jet Ski watercraft to public agencies responsible for marine law enforcement, recreational boating education and safety, and search and rescue.
The loan program began in 1989, started with a suggestion from long-time Kawasaki dealer Bill Goetz, owner of Jacksonville Power Sports in Jacksonville, Fla. Goetz was participating in the Kawasaki motorcycle rider education loan program and wondered if a similar program could be developed to help put more law enforcement officers on the recreational waterways.
From the program’s inception through 2003, approximately 1,428 individual agencies in all 50 states borrowed in excess of 5,000 Jet Ski watercraft, valued at more than $30 million.
In 2004, the program loaned about 120 units worth a retail value of over $1 million.

Yamaha U. Courses Filling Fast
More than 300 Yamaha Marine dealership representatives from 214 dealerships have registered for the fall and winter sessions of Yamaha Marine’s Strategic Dealer Management Symposium, part of the company’s Yamaha University. The sessions will be held November 1-3 in Las Vegas; November 29-December 1 in New Orleans; and December 13-15 in Orlando.
Yamaha said 101 dealership representatives have already signed up for the Las Vegas symposium, 85 have registered for New Orleans and 130 for Orlando. Of the 214 dealerships signed up, 154 are attending for the first time and 60 have sent staff previously.
Yamaha University officials said they don’t want to turn anyone away and will try to accommodate all who want to attend. However, enrollment will close at 130 students for each location.
”I think most attendees agree that the content and topics covered in each course are not difficult to understand, or revolutionary in nature,” said Dale Barnes, Yamaha Marketing Division Manager, and a Y.U. presenter. “They will tell you that the tools and materials presented to them by Y.U. instructors helped them take a step back from their daily routine and discover significant opportunities they have to enhance satisfaction and make more profit.”
“It’s not about selling Yamaha, there’s no hard sell or even soft sell,” said John Rigsby, Yamaha’s national sales manager. “The focus is 100 percent on making our dealerships better managed businesses and to help the dealers discover new ways of increasing customer satisfaction and their bottom lines.”