We've Got You Winterized!

Marine Sales of Pickwick is proud to announce that all boats submitted to our Service Department for winterizations as of 12/5 have been completed and are ready for winter. Our service team worked hard to assure all our customer's boats are safe from the winter freeze.

Our Service Department is now ready for Winter Services. The winter months for boat owners can seem very long, however the winter months actually provide the perfect opportunity to complete those much needed items such as routine engine/outdrive services, gelcoat repair, buffing, canvas/upholstery repair, wakeboard tower installation and stereo upgrades. Schedule all your boating needs now with our service department and we will have your boat ready in time for the 2014 Boating Season! Call our service department at 731-689-3700.

Pickwick & Kentuckiana Unites Brokerage Services

Marine Sales of Pickwick and Kentuckiana Yacht Sales is proud to now offer Marine Sales Yacht Brokerage services from their two office locations. Combining the brokerage services opens up a lot of opportunities for customers looking to buy or sell their boats.

Matt Spitzer, new head of Marine Sales Yacht Brokerage says. "Two office locations in two different states creates more leads for our customers. Not to mention the fact that customers will now have a unified representation on three lakes including Barkley, Kentucky and Pickwick; on both the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers; and on the Tombigbee Waterway."

When you list your boat with Marine Sales Yacht Brokerage, millions of potential buyers are able to shop at home or work and view pictures, equipment and specification of your boat. Marine Sales Yacht Brokerage maintains internet advertising subscriptions with Yacht World, BoatTraderOnline, Boats.com. In addition to other internet advertising, we attend boat shows, use direct mail and advertise in print publications that produce potential purchasers for the boats we offer.

Matt Spitzer will closely monitor market trends and conditions to provide buyers and sellers with comprehensive and accurate information. We will also help provide competitive bank financing, marine insurance, vessel documentation service, facilitate storage, repairs, maintenance, overland transportation and water delivery at both locations.

If you are interesting in scheduling an appointment or hearing more about your opportunities contact Matt Spitzer today at mspitzer@martinesalesofpickwick.com or at 731-307-5641.

Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley Now Have a New Cobalt Boat Dealer!

Boaters on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley will no longer have to drive hours to look, service, or test drive their boat now that Cobalt Boats has authorized Kentuckiana Yacht Sales as its newest Cobalt Boat Dealer.

Clark Boone, Central Region Sales Manager at Cobalt Boats, was very pleased making the announcement this week to Kentuckiana Yacht Sales. Clark stated, "When you combine the history and tradition of Kentuckiana Yacht Sales with a successful long term dealer partner like Marine Sales of Pickwick, it's very exciting to be a part of this team entering into a mature boating market like Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley."

The six Cobalt Boats heading to Kentuckiana Yacht Sales are the Cobalt 220, 232, 24SD, 242WSS, R5, and 262.

Marine Sales Welcomes Kentuckiana Yacht Sales To Its Family

Marine Sales is proud to announce that it has acquired a new 10,000 square-foot showroom dealership in western Kentucky.

The dealership, Kentuckiana Yacht Sales, is located at 5888 Hwy 641 North in Gilbertsville, Kentucky, 3 miles south of Kentucky Lake Dam.

"We are excited to be expanding our sales operations into the Kentucky Lake area," says Ron Martin, Marine Sales of Pickwick General Manager. "With this new location, we have the opportunity to utilize our skills to create a premier boat sales facility servicing the Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley Communities."

Pictured below: Ken Toby

Marine Sales projects huge improvements once its two locations combine its inventory, management, marine technicians, marketing, and infrastructure.  Marine Sales management team will also be strengthened with the addition Ken Toby who will run the operations in Kentucky.

“The Western Kentucky Lake Region for years has been a target area of expansion for our company." stated Mike Tutor, Dealer Principal of Marine Sales, LLC. "The Land Between the Lakes community represents an area that has a deep appreciation for lake recreation and boating. We believe this acquisition, along with its great team and loyal customer following, combined with the integration of our other product offerings, will help us expand and improve upon our ability to deliver the highest caliber of service Marine Sales is known for in this great boating community.”

An official grand opening for Marine Sales Kentucky location will be held in the spring 2014, after the dealership completes its full training and certification processes.

"Like at the Pickwick location, we want the Kentucky location to be dedicated to creating lasting family memories that start with an honest enjoyable sales experience." says Ken Toby, newly assigned General Manager of Kentucky. "As we transition into the new ownership, our main focus will be to learn and live by best practices and standards set by Marine Sales of Pickwick. We will hold ourselves accountable to promote extra-ordinary customer service and integrity, as well as work hard to match customers with the best products to suit their boating lifestyle."

Customers are Designing Their Own Dreams

In their recent eLine Newsletter, Cobalt expressed their pride in the amount of custom made boats leaving their facility. They were proud to say that each boat leaving their facility, is quite different from the next.

Cobalt’s Design Your Dream has allowed thousands of customer's to custom design their very own Cobalts. With over 14,000 unique color combinations, the trend of producing a group boats in the same color has become a thing of the past. Instead, customers are creating one-of-a-kind Cobalts. Marine Sales of Pickwick is proud to announce the increase of custom made Cobalts on Pickwick Lake as well. Customers are making bold and exciting choices that are unique to our lake.

Contact rmartin@marinesalesofpickwick.com or call our sales team at 731-689-3700 if you are interested in Designing Your Own Dream. We are currently ordering our 2014 Models and we would love to add your dream to the inventory list.

Are you ready to design the Cobalt of your dreams?

Living Aboard A Boat During The Summer Months

Lights twinkle on soaring masts against the twilight sky, as boats rock gently in their moorings and buoys chime soothingly in Pickwick's sweet breeze. It’s a beautiful scene. Dockside life can be enchanting compared to the terrace of a waterfront home.

According to The New York Times, Great Homes and Designations article, "If you think about the price of waterfront property, and then think about boat prices and marina fees, a boat can make a lot of sense for people." Click here to read more.

Marina living appeals to a variety of people for many reasons and this prestigious lifestyle is becoming a popular choice for families who want more than just a second home at Pickwick Lake. It is for families who are looking for new adventures every time they escape to Pickwick.

Homes along Pickwick Lake provide beautiful lake scenery with easy access to water. But fishing, cruising, or just watching the sunset are just mere moments away if you live aboard your own cruiser or yacht during the summer months. Living on a boat, you're able to have not only a summer home but a portable hotel that you can travel with as well.

Certainly “picture perfect” marina living will transform the lifestyles of both water enthusiasts and leisure lovers alike. Both marinas at Pickwick Lake, Aqua Yacht Harbor, and Grand Harbor, offer electrical hookups and supply stores within walking distance of your boat. In addition, when you are not out enjoying the water, marina dwellers can enjoy the many amenities of their attractive and well-planned communities, including tennis courts, pools, health clubs, nearby spas, restaurants and shops.

Let Marine Sales of Pickwick help you better understand marina life on Pickwick Lake. Call today and set up an appointment to meet with our Yacht Specialist. We will show you and your family all the available boats you can live aboard during the summer months, as well as walk you through Pickwick's finest marinas. This is your time to start a new journey into the most relaxing and exciting marina lifestyle.

Are you ready to start a new journey?

River Run to Florence Harbor Marina

Are you ready to have some river fun? We sure hope so. Join Pickwick Boaters for the Marine Sales River Run to Florence Harbor Marina on Saturday, June 22nd. The fun starts at Aqua C-Dock at 10am. We'll head down the River to Florence, Alabama for a day's worth of fun and camaraderie.

Don't worry, this is NOT a race. It's just a chance for you to enjoy a leisurely trip with other boaters to Florence. All River Run participants will have special boat decals so they can be easily identified during the trip. We'll even provide you with a map, plus several suggestions for stops and food options along the way and during your stay in Florence. The last caravan leaving Florence will be at 4pm with an ETA in Pickwick Lake at 6pm.

Are you ready to go to Florence? Sign up here or call Ron Martin at 731-689-3700 for additional information.

The Luxurious Carver C34

What do you think of when you hear the word "yacht?" Do you think of a large boat? Luxury? Peace and quiet? Well, we are here to tell you that the new Carver C34 brings all of that to the table - and more. This new yacht has been the star at all the large boat shows including Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, and we just had to share the innovations that Carver has brought to the yachting world. So let's explore the Carver C34 a little more!

Carver calls the C34 a "high-style, low-profile command bridge yacht" - and one that has tons of features, at that. The C34 features twin inboard engines, a huge command bridge, extra wide deck walkways, two private staterooms and an enclosed stall shower. (Okay, admittedly the shower isn't the most important feature on a boat. But we love this one! Brings a bit more of that home comfort, which is especially nice for people not used to spending nights on the boat.) The open floor plan blends all components of the boat from the swim platform to the cockpit to the galley.

Up top, the command bridge is HUGE. There's enough wraparound seating up there for six people at least - and that doesn't include the sun lounge. The area gives a lovely unobstructed 360 view of your surroundings. Hats off to the captains that are fine with piloting down below, but we love the sense of safety and control this wide angle view provides. There is storage under the seats, and an optional bimini for a bit of protective shade.

As far as mechanics go, the C34 implements a state-of-the-art propulsion system on those twin Mercury engines that drastically reduces noise and vibration. It's exactly how a yacht is supposed to be. Twin fuel tanks hold 125 gallons each, so you'll have plenty of cruising range. The freshwater storage tank is 90 gallons, which is also a great capacity for a boat this size.

The helm features a digital LCD display showing tachometer, hour meter, oil pressure, coolant temperature, battery voltage, fuel tank level and rudder angle indicator. What more could you want?! Up on the command bridge, there are outlets and wiring so you can add additional electronics if you desire.

Want to learn more about this glorious boat? Just call Matt Spitzer, our yachting sales expert, at 662-423-3933. Marine Sales can have one custom built for you and have it shipped complete by July (3 months). So you will still have a lot of summer left to enjoy it.

Welcoming Nautique Boats

Have you heard the exciting news? We now sell Nautique Boats.



What's so great about this? Well, lots of things! Nautiques are very different than any other of the boats we sell (even the Regals). They are built for water sports - specifically, wake boarding. Where Regal boats are supposed to be a bit more flexible in the activities they support, Nautique boats are wake boarding boats through and through. That's not to say you can't use them for anything else, but once you take a look at them, water sports are all you'll want to do on these guys. Learn more about the history of the company here.



We will have two Nautique boats at our Nautique launch party, which is Sunday, April 14, and is taking place as part of our annual in-water boat show. Come by to check them out and to learn more about this brand! Stay tuned to our Facebook page and this blog, too, because we'll be writing about a variety of Nautique features in the coming months!

The All-New Cobalt R5

It's the mid-sized runabout we've all been waiting for. We're getting one this spring, and we can't wait to show you.



The Cobalt R5. According to Boating Magazine, "it has the spring of a racehorse and the agility of a barrel turner. If you’ve ever ridden a well-behaved thoroughbred, it knows what to do — all it needs from you is to understand your intent." It pretty much turns equally well to port and starboard. It's an industry-leading 25 ft boat. The cockpit is about a foot wider than your usual boat, and you can feel it. There's also yacht-style wraparound seating, which you won't find on another boat this size. Overall, the boat looks - and feels - like luxury.

We love that signature Cobalt transom, which flips over into a step a foot below water level so you can dip your toes in and not worry about kicking the drive. Add that to the hydraulic swim platform and the walk through transom, and you've got yourself a lake swimmer's dream.

Boating Magazine breaks it down here:

We're 5 Star Certified! So What?

In January, we announced that we had become a Marine 5 Star Certified Dealership. In doing so, we've become the first five star certified dealer on Pickwick Lake! 

Since we've put away the champagne and party hats, we realized that maybe not everyone knows what it means to have this certification. It's not just another great award to display on our shelves or a feather to put into our caps - it is actually meaningful to you as our customers and to other, potential and future customers.

The five star certification is an industry standards program developed in a cooperative effort by boat manufacturers, dealers and engine builders as part of an effort to develop programs focused on delivering an excellent boating experience. The program provides dealers with a set of criteria designed to create continuous improvement across all departments and, in turn, develop processes for meeting and exceeding customer expectations. The criteria and business best practices address the quality of dealer sales, service, parts, follow-up, facilities, as well as employee and customer satisfaction. 

We will be re-evaluated every year to make sure we continue to meet the Certification requirements - so no slacking on our part!

Certification also includes a commitment to adhere to a Consumer Bill of Rights. This document, posted in the dealership, lets our customers know what to expect and outlines how they will be treated. It is our commitment to you. When you see the Five-Star Marine Industry Certified Dealership logo in our window, you should know it means we care about your boating experience from purchase to service and beyond.

In order to obtain the Five-Star Marine Industry Certification and become re-certified annually, our employees must demonstrate that they meet the Certification criteria and best practice standards in the following areas:

• Customer Satisfaction Measurement
• Posting of the Consumer Bill of Rights
• Employee Satisfaction and Development
• Technical Training
• Maintaining a facility that is competitive for the marketplace
• Maintaining and improving consistent processes in all departments (Sales, Service, Parts, Follow-up)

So, all in all, this certification means you can expect the best from us. It's a physical reminder of the pride we have in making each and every customer's experience noteworthy and satisfying. It's a commitment we have to making Marine Sales a great place to work and a great place to visit. To learn more, you can watch this video from Discover Boating. 

Preparing for Boat Show Season

Later this week, we'll be at the Nashville Boat & Sport Show for the first time as a representative of Carver and Marquis Yachts. We are so excited! But it's reminded us that anyone who comes to a boat show should prepare ahead of time so they can make the most of their experience. We'll be at several different shows this year, and each one is different. So here are our tips on preparing for boat shows generally, and the inside scoop on four we're attending.

For any boat show
1. Take notes. Obvious? Maybe. But realize you probably won't be able to remember all of the boat and pricing information you get at a show after you leave. So write down everything you think you might need to know later as soon as you learn it. If you take notes on your phone, great, but if not, make sure you bring that pen and paper!

2. Plan a strategy. If you just plan to meander around the show, go for it. We like a relaxed boat show goer! But if there are particular dealers or vendors you want to see, we recommend you do a little research before you go. You don't want to get to the show and not be able to find your favorite dealer! (Hint hint.) So check out maps and/or booth layouts ahead of time. In addition, if there are specific features or demos you want to see, look at the show schedule ahead of time to plan accordingly.

3. Bring supplies. Bring a camera to take pictures, because boat brochures may only show "flattering" pictures. They also might leave out features you feel are important. We also recommend you bring return address labels so you don't have to spend a lot of time writing your contact information down for a variety of vendors.

Now for specific boat showsNashville Boat & Sport ShowJanuary 10-13
Tickets: you can purchase tickets online ahead of time. There is no cost benefit to doing this, but your online ticket purchase does include a 1-year subscription to Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Yachting, Parenting or Popular Science magazine ($7 value). Also, you won't have to stand in line.
Map: A layout of the show is available online, and a mobile guidebook is available too. A list of seminars is also available to help you plan.
What We'll Have: Carver and Marquis Yachts
Bonus: On the website homepage, you can sign up for show news and updates. This could be a great way to get insider hints and discounts before the show!

The Boat Show - HuntsvilleJanuary 18-20
Tickets: $9 at the door - sorry, online purchasing not available.
What We'll Have: Regal boats and Crest Pontoons
Map: Also not available online. Their website is pretty bare, but keep checking for potential updates.

West Kentucky Boat & Outdoor Show
January 25-27
Tickets: Admission is free!
Map: The show layout is provided. Check back on the website for listings of which exhibitor will be in which area.
What We'll Have: Cobalt boats
Bonus: The kid's fishing pond will be available again this year! This is a great show for the whole family.

Mid-South Sports, Boat and RV Show
February 15-17
Tickets: $7 for adults, $3 for youth ages 7-14 and free for kids 6 and under. No ticket purchasing available online.
Map: You can see a list of exhibitors, but no map is provided online. A list of seminars is also available.
What We'll Have: all of our brands!
Bonus: The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is offering a boating safety class at the show on Saturday, Feb. 18 in the Banquet Room. Pre-registration is required. The class will begin at 8 a.m. and is expected to conclude by 1 p.m. The class is free; however, participants born after January 1, 1989 must have a Type 600 Exam Permit which costs $10 and can be purchased wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold. Those who successfully complete the course will earn their boating education certification and be able to attend the show free of charge.To register, call 615-781-6682 or email Debbie.powell@tn.gov.