In Brief: Curtis Stokes & Associates, Marinalife, MidAtlanticBoater.com, Portland Boat Show, Canada’s Boating Hall of Fame

Curtis Stokes and Marinalife have agreed to a joint marketing relationship that makes Marinalife the exclusive provider of boating concierge services for clients and customers of Curtis Stokes & Associates, the companies reported in a statement. The partnership provides Curtis Stokes clients and customers with the ability to use Marinalife’s travel and marina reservation services to book slip and mooring reservations online and receive discounts on dockage and fuel, among other benefits. To kick off the partnership, Marinalife is offering a complimentary two-month trial membership to all Curtis Stokes clients and customers, who also have an opportunity to upgrade to higher levels of membership at a discounted rate.

Web site design consultancy Fulginiti Partners, LLC has launched MidAtlanticBoater.com, a boat classifieds and lifestyle Web site for boating and fishing enthusiasts. The site’s listing process allows users to include up to 20 photos with each listing. In addition to boats, advertisers can sell items such as boat parts and accessories and fishing gear. MidAtlanticBoater.com offers banner advertising throughout the site, as well as a Business Marketplace. The site has been online since June 2009 and currently offers hundreds of individual and dealer listings from the East Coast, including all sizes and models of power and sail boats, from small watercraft to luxury yachts, according to the company. The site also features boating and fishing message boards and the Mid-Atlantic People and Ports Blog. According to Fulginiti Partners, LLC President, Chris Fulginiti, MidAtlanticBoater.com was developed to provide an effective, reasonable alternative to the high-priced classifieds sites in the industry. “We designed a site that is attractive, affordable, and easy to use, whether it is your first time listing a boat for sale or you are a boat dealer with multiple listings,” stated Fulginiti. “We have invested heavily in advertising and optimizing the site for the search engines, and we look forward to becoming a major force in online boating classifieds.”

The 50th annual Portland Boat Show has been cut from nine days to five days, according to published reports. The show, which is scheduled to run Jan. 13-17 at the Expo Center in Portland, took a hit last year due to economic conditions. However, entry-level fishing boats and luxury yachts priced at $100,000 and up did well, according to organizers.

Ian Bruce and Marcel Dubois will be inducted into Canada’s Boating Hall of Fame during a ceremony to take place at the 2010 Toronto International Boat Show’s industry reception in the Allstream Centre (formerly the Automotive Building) on Monday from 8:00 pm until 10:00pm. Bruce and Dubois are being recognized for their tremendous role in the boating industry through innovative design, a relentless determination to make boating more enjoyable and passion for boating, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association Canada. Bruce’s contributions to the sport of sailing in Canada and abroad include the design and development of high-performance crafts such as the PS200 Laser sailboat. Bruce’s work on the Laser began in the 1970s when he opened nine manufacturing plants worldwide using a design that remains essentially unchanged to this day. At 76, he is still an avid sailor and has founded yet another business, Montreal Classic Boatworks, makers of retro-styled 1940 Canadian launches. Since taking control of Princecraft Boats in 1984, Dubois has captained Princecraft through several ownerships and has seen the company grow from less than 60 employees to well over 300 while employing 600 workers from local suppliers based in Princeville, Quebec. It now encompasses three large buildings and includes a major investment in a machinery and fabrication plant. His unwavering pursuit of quality product, his foresight in developing strong relationships with marine dealers, and his commitment to his employees established Dubois as a real leader for the industry, according to the association.

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