Every year when we start working on our aftermarket-themed issue, I get nostalgic. I’ve written numerous times in this column about how I got my start in the marine industry more than 35 years ago at Fawcett Boat Supplies, an old-fashioned supply store on the Annapolis, Md., waterfront.
The store stocked things you’d have difficulty tracking down today: tarred marline, sailmaker’s palms, elk hide, red lead paint, flax packing, sextants, an alphabet’s worth of signal flags and more. We carried parts for just about everything ever made to go on a boat, whether it was a flapper valve for a Wilcox Crittenden Skipper head, a repair kit for a Jabsco freshwater pump, a replacement lens for a Perko navigation light, or a gasket for a Bomar hatch. You name it, we had it.
On top of this, the store’s aisles were manned by a crew of experienced boaters, including several liveaboards. On any given day, there were at least eight to 10 of us on the shop floor, something virtually unseen in today’s aftermarket marine store landscape. We were all encouraged to walk up to every customer and ask: “Can I help you find anything?” We served not only retail customers, but also pros from around the local area: riggers, electrical system installers, boatbuilders, painters and so many more.
There were other shops in town: Viking Boat Supplies, BoatUS, Boater’s World. And a relative latecomer: West Marine. When the large chain rolled in, our entire staff, including ownership, shuddered. West Marine was known for its bargain-basement prices. We had the nickname of “Tiffany’s by the Sea.” Our prices were all suggested retail, and we almost never had a sale.
We felt justified because of the level of service and know-how we provided. Plus, you could pull your boat right up to our dock and pick up what you needed.
Still, we knew we had to change. Since we had a large wholesale business, we could buy certain items in bulk at lower prices. But instead of discounting everything for retail, our owner came up with the idea to offer “frequent customer accounts.” Spend $150, give us your name and address, and you’d receive sale pricing on a wide array of store items. Approximately 65% of the store’s SKUs qualified for the courtesy discount for account holders.
This idea was well before the time when grocery stores and retail outfits introduced club cards, loyalty accounts or member-perks programs. And I am pretty sure it saved us from a serious decline. It goes to show that inventiveness and adaptation in the shadow of adversity is a potent survival strategy.
West Marine is still in town, and so is Fawcett, but in a different location. Thinking back on these times made me wonder how the marine retail giant is doing these days. I was able to connect with the company’s new CEO, Paulee Day, who spoke to me in mid-March for a company update. You can read the interview starting on Page 10.
Thinking about the marine retail landscape also pushed me to find a store like Fawcett that is thriving in the face of online storefronts. Senior editor David Conway mentioned a marine supply shop near his home on Long Island, N.Y., that he could drive to. You can read his excellent profile of Freeport Marine Supply starting on Page 36. Now run by the a third-generation owner, the outfit has adapted thoughtfully with a breadth of stock, quality customer service and enhanced online offerings.
With industry insiders in that part of the country and elsewhere, we’re still hearing the word “uncertainty” about the actual state of the rboat market. Stories I filed from the Miami International Boat Show in February received a lot of feedback, with many people commenting on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages that things are great — and about the same number of people saying things are difficult. The comments section didn’t quite break out into an online brawl, but the debate made me wonder: Where are we, really, and how is the industry adapting?
So I asked contributing editor Kim Kavin to try to get an accurate assessment of what industry participants are seeing out there. Kavin spoke to magazine editors in the Firecrown Media marine group, brokers with decades of experience, and other industry folks to determine which way is up. As you might expect, signals are mixed. You can read her reporting starting on Page 38.
I’d be interested to hear from all of you about what you’re seeing in your part of the market, and about how you’re adapting in these uncertain times. Drop me a line anytime: [email protected].
This story originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of Soundings Trade Only.
