Edson Marine Blog

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-15T16:22:00.002-05:00

To all of our loyal customers, from all of us here at Edson, we would like to extend our sincerest Holiday Wishes to you.

We have many things to be thankful for here in the United States. We still have the freedom to buy products made in America, and by supporting companies that still manufacture in America we help support this great country of ours.

In New England we are looking forward to the arrival of the first day of spring and the upcoming 2012 Boating Season. For those lucky enough to live in pleasant winter climates please enjoy your winter on the water. We may be a bit jealous, but we are no less eager to help you with any parts or products you may want or need in order to enjoy our mutual passion of being on the water.

Happy Holidays,

The Edson Crew

Decisions to Buy

2011-10-14T14:55:00.005-04:00

Let's speculate that you're one of the folks looking to buy a boat this fall. We can all fantasize, right? But seriously, we've talked to a few prospective buyers at the recent boat shows that tell us that they're "in the market". Good for them! But when it comes down to actually making that big decison as to what, when, and where, the crew at Edson would love to know "Why?" as well. What is it about a particular boat that causes us to swoon and fall in love. If you talk to any number of analysts, they'll tell you right off that buying a boat is a totally irrational decision. Rather like spending millions on a precious stone or on a luxury sports car from the 1950's. Something has to drive us over the edge, be it the perception that we're getting a good buy, or it was the boat that always caught your eye when you sailed out of the harbor, or maybe it was a notion of realizing the dream to cast off lines from your everyday life and set off for the South Pacific.

Buying boats is usually not an "impulse buy". There may have been times when one could look at a new boat deal and rationalize the price in terms of a monthly payment, or as an alternative to renting a summer property at the beach. Brokers tell you that contracts rarely get written at the boat show anymore. With more internet information available, the careful shopper has usually narrowed down the new boat purchase to a few models or even one specific model well before the boat is seen or test sailed. One of our builder/customer friends said that at the Annapolis Show, he was mostly talking to customers that were two or three years away from finally making the move to buy. That's quite a lot of thinking!

So back to the root question, "What turns a boat shopper into a boat buyer?"
Answer that and you'll have friends in the boat brokerage business for life! When the decision time comes, I believe that ultimately the word "comfort" becomes the prime component with making the move to buy. You have to be comfortable with the amount of money you're about to spend and buying a product that is recognizable for quality, longevity, durability, and performance reduces the risk perception of such a purchase. For some, viewing the boat in terms of the components used to assemble to boat makes the value judgements a bit easier. For others, the patriotic jesture of buying a vessel that is built in the US from American made components can add to the comfort zone of the purchase. We've all seen the ads on TV where the customer service operator "Peggy" befuddles a troubled customer with incomprehensible jibberish and endless phone transfers. So while Made in America may not be the cheapest, it often constitutes a sizeable value for the potential buyer.

We're hearing that more and more at boat shows. "I like your stuff because it's made in the US and you're always there to stand behind it", they say. Not that we can be at every boat show in this economy, far from it. But we do want customers to know that we're there for them, either with technical advice or with the oddball replacement piece for their 30 year old pedestal. It gives a nice cushion of comfort to a purchase knowing that the company that sold it will be around for a while. We hope that those "shoppers" at the shows become "buyers" soon, partly because the industry needs more buyers than shoppers. But also because it gives Edson the opportunity to connect with a few more people, to learn about how the boating world is changing, and to figure out what new products we should build. And when our boat builder clients choose to use our products on their boats, Edson wants to make sure we positively influence the customer making that tough decision to buy.
For all of you that stopped by to see us at Newport and Annapolis, thanks for taking time to talk to us and we hope to see you on the water!
Maybe even on your new boat!
Cheers,
Chuck

The Best of Times

2011-07-22T16:32:00.003-04:00

Mr. Dickens got it right with the first sentence. The middle weeks of the New England summer often are the type of days we can remember for years to come. The "Best of Times". Sure we can complain about the temperatures creeping up beyond a certain comfort level, but clear days with a strong sea breeze is what sailors live for, right? What better way to spend the day, out on the water, spray hitting your warm tanned skin (you put on sun screen, of course), maybe trolling a few lines waiting for the mother of all stripers to take your jig. The picture can be painted one hundred different ways, but each rendition has a big smile on your face as you realize that all the hard work and preparation is for this very moment. And it was all worth it. Right now, you're not worrying about scraping barnacles, sanding varnish, feeding wiring, or removing siezed fasteners. You're totally in tune with the water, brimming with pride in the boat you've worked so hard to restore or maintain. And if really lucky, you can share the moment with friends, family, your fishing buddy, or your racing crew. Be forewarned. They'll want to do it again.
Because it's hard to imagine a more enjoyable time than being in a boat, moving effortlessly across the water, watching the glint of the summer sunshine reflecting off the ever changing surface of the seas. Catch a fish while you're out there and it gets even better!
At Edson, we are indeed a business, a company, and a manufacturer. But the people that make Edson what it is are boaters, deeply rooted in enjoying our favorite pasttime, "messing around in boats".
Enjoy the summer, be safe, and take a friend, a co-worker, or a child out boating with you today, this week, or this weekend. And let us know if you had a good time!

See you on the water,
Chuck

Buy Now, Avoid the Rush

2011-04-07T16:47:00.004-04:00

The Northeastern US and upper Midwest have endured another wretched weather winter. We're ready, make that MORE than ready for spring and summer boating season to show up. But like anything worth waiting for, you have to pay your dues and for most boaters, that means springtime fix ups and commissioning of the boat.

Lucky for you, most marine retail outlets have special spring sales to help you along and remove some of the sting of purchasing the must have items. Whether it's bottom paint, steering cables, electronics, or boat soap, you can usually get it cheaper by shopping smart and looking for deals at your local boat dealer or marine store. Online outlets are also good places to shop for bargains, but often lack that tactile satisfaction of seeing and holding the part or supply you need.

We're working hard to support the retailers that sell Edson at this busy time of the season. We just spent last weekend helping out Defender Industries with their annual warehouse sale, helped promote the Jamestown Distributors online sale through our Facebook page, and had sales reps at the Springtime kickoff sale at Hamilton Marine in Maine. This week, we're going to help Voyager Marine's Open House, and later this month we'll be at the grand opening of a new West Marine Store in Woburn, Massachusetts. Bargains galore!

It's a great time to hunt for deals and a great time to get your boat cover off and get busy on your springtime projects. Because summer is just around the bend. Or so we hope!

Smooth sailing,

Chuck Gilchrest

Who are you Rooting For? Miami!

2011-02-03T14:35:00.003-05:00

Its the weekend of the big game. The showdown in Dallas. We want to know who are you rooting for. Because we have already made our selection and Edson is rooting for Miami. That's right, Miami! Um...well..not in the same sense that you would think. Of course if you look at the playoff results, Miami didn't even make it to the dance. But Miami is our February favorite. New England too for that matter.

Let me explain: while the rest of the country has eyes fixed upon the big football contest between Green Bay and Pittsburg on Sunday, Edson has its sights set on the upcoming Miami and New England Boat Shows. For the industry as a whole, there's a lot riding on those events. The Miami International Boat Show is the largest boating event in the country, covering three venues, two marinas and features thousands of new boats and marine products. Edson will be there with our biggest presence ever featuring two booths at the Miami Beach Convention Center; one on the main floor and one in the Electronics Room. The attendance and sales numbers for the Miami Show are often a bellwether index for the success of the marine industry for the upcoming year. People attend from around the globe and if there's a healthy show, there's likely going to be a healthy industry. After the last few years, the marine industry could use a positive boost!

Shortly after the Miami Show, the NMMA holds a big 10 day show at the Massachusetts Convention Center, known as the New England Boat Show. Smaller in size than the Miami event and held entirely indoors, the New England Show is less about the big boat manufacturer and more about the local boat dealer and marina owners. If they're able to sell boats and put those new and used boats into slips for the season, everyone will sleep a bit easier as the summer season approaches. Edson usually supports a few selected authorized dealers at this show and will offer the chance for those dealers to highlight a few new Edson products on the show floor. So we'll be cheering for New England this month as well. And you should too.

Everywhere in the country seems to be covered with snow and ice. So why not come down to Florida to the Miami Show and cheer with Edson? Get warm, get excited about some new boats and root for Miami. We will be there. And we think we are cheering for a winner!

What Kind is It? It's a Custom

2010-09-24T14:31:00.003-04:00

Take a look at your local harbor. Surely it is filled with boats of all shapes and sizes with some regions having a particular bias towards power or sail due to prevailing conditions. Perhaps your area is home to a large production boat builder and many of the boats at the local marina reflect the work of the home grown boating industry. We've seen that quite a few boats never stray very far from their roots.

But what about those boats that look "different"? There's bound to be a few in at any anchorage or mooring field. You know, the boats that leave you scratching your head wondering, "Gee I've never seen one of those before. Who built that, anyway?"

Part of the beauty of the boating industry is that it is filled with dreamers and innovators, a few of whom have decided that production boats don't quite meet their needs. So they take out pencil and paper, draw up their own design and after many years of molding,laminating, sawing, and swearing, they lauch their very own pride and joy in the harbor. Some take a less time intensive approach and commission a design with a naval architect and a custom builder builds it to order. But it is equally a labor of love to create such a product.

So how does this all relate to Edson? Well, we get calls from the dreamers and designers for sure. Because even though there are plenty of new ideas about boat design, most builders and designers find it prudent to go to a proven source of components for steering systems. And with the help of our engineers and on site Naval Architect, we can help in the design phase of most sailboat steering project.

And what about the person who is the second, or maybe even the third or fourth owner of a custom built boat? Edson can help them too. Because we keep records, very good records, of most every boat that we've outfitted with Edson steering. And in a pinch, Edson puts their name and a "figure" or part number on virtually every part we sell. That makes it much easier to identify and get replacement parts for an otherwise custom built boat's steering system. Finally, every Edson steering pedestal has a serial number and from that information, we can usually track down when and to whom the steering gear was sold.

And now that the one off builder has vanished into the past, what happens when a specialty casting or deck fitting is needed? Edson can help there, too, because the Edson Anbar Foundry and Edson Quality Welding Division are uniquely suited to build hard to find custom replacement castings and weldments for custom projects.

Whether you own a production built boat or have built or acquired a custom boat project, Edson is here for you with technical support and a helping hand. If we don't know what it is, send us a picture or "as built" drawing and tell us what what you need. Whether it is one of a thousand, or just one of a kind, we love boats and we know you do, too.

Continuing Education

2010-07-29T14:55:00.018-04:00

As a small-boat racer and occasional coastal cruiser, its been a long-time dream of mine to charter a sailboat in the Virgin Islands with my wife and daughters - but I didn't think my dinghy racing and limited cruising experience were adequate to charter a large sailboat in unknown waters. So this summer, while our kids were off at summer camp, my wife and I spent our vacation taking an ASA Bareboat Chartering Course through Blue Water Sailing School.

The class was a 7-day live aboard course onboard a Beneteau 44 out of St. Thomas, USVI. We spent the week with our instructor Capt. Bill, and fellow classmates Jeff &Linda from Cincinnati - who we didn't meet until we boarded the boat. They were charter boat newbies as well, and the five of us hit it right off and got along very well - which was actually our biggest concern going into the week - spending 7 days with strangers in a fairly close space.

The class was actually broken into 3 parts - Basic Keelboat, Coastal Cruising and Bareboat Chartering. Each section had its own text book, sailing skills test and 100 question written test. Fortunately Blue Water sent us the ASA textbooks in advance so we were able to study beforehand, which made the written tests much easier. In fact I highly recommend studying the materials before the trip, because even for a past sailing instructor, there was a lot that I had forgotten.

Although the week was a bit more structured than a typical sailing vacation, what a great way to spend a week going to school! Each morning after we shared breakfast duties, we went over a day plan, sailing skills we would practice for the day, navigation, boat systems and basic nomenclature, then spent a few hours sailing through the Virgin Islands, each taking turns practicing boat handling under the considerate instruction of Capt. Bill. Since handling a 44' boat was new to most of us, we each made plenty of tacks, jibes, MOB drills and other maneuvers while the other crew handled the sails. We also spent quite a bit of time practicing mooring and anchoring, since that is really your goal in the Islands - finding the perfect spot to each lunch, snorkel or spend the night - often in crowded harbors.

In the evenings we again shared cooking and cleanup duties, and even went ashore 3 of the nights to sample the local food and drink. My wife was very interested in learning about provisioning and preparing food for the trip, and the hands-on, do as you learn approach of the course taught us both how fun and easy meal planning and prep could be onboard.

After dinner we retired to the cockpit, deck, salon or cabins to read and study for the following day's test. Having the instructor right on board with us was an ideal situation since we could ask questions and he could demonstrate with a line, open up the engine compartment to point out a filter, or pull out the chart and explain a navigational aid.

As far as the sailing and the islands - it was absolutely perfect. Line of sight navigation, ideal winds and temps in the 80s everyday made for perfect conditions to learn to handle the boat without being overwhelmed with high winds and seas. There are literally hundreds of anchorages throughout the islands to stop for the night and anchor or pick up a mooring - and after dong so several times a day for 7 days, we all felt comfortable steering the boat through an anchorage, finding a nice spot and securely anchoring for the night.

And that is where the fun begins - especially after a day of school work! Whether it be the Willy T in Norman Island, Pusser's Landing in Soper's Hole, Sydney's on Jost or Sandy Key, each spot was more incredible than the last. And the satisfaction of sailing a boat by yourself into unfamiliar waters and settling in for the night was tremendous. Add a delicious local dinner ashore and your've just had the perfect day.

By weeks end, we had all passed our tests, learned and demonstrated a full range of boat handling skills, and all felt fairly comfortable that we could handle a charter boat by ourselves - or at least as a husband-wife team. I think the teamwork aspect was probably the most important thing actually - by taking the course together my wife and I now both feel that we can handle all the duties on board a boat - and compliment each other if we have any particular areas that we don't feel comfortable.

Overall, it was one of the best weeks of our lives. We now plan on chartering in the BVI next winter with our children and another family - and hopefully make it an annual trip that will inspire our kids to try new things, seek adventure and push their comfort levels as well.

So if you've ever wanted to expand your cruising grounds, increase your sailing skills, or gain confidence to bareboat charter, find an ASA Sailing School and take a course - you won't regret it!

Todd Little

Edson Marketing Dept.

Be Safe Out There

2010-06-30T10:19:00.004-04:00

July Fourth weekend is upon us and for most seasonal recreational boaters, the boat has been prepped, launched, and likely has had a few shakedown cruises to sort out any issues. We've been blessed with warm dry conditions over most of the Eastern seaboard and for two of the previous major holiday weekends, Memorial Day and Father's Day, sailing, boating, and fishing has been superb. Now it's time to go out for the weekend, watch some fireworks over the harbor, and be thankful we live in a country where we can indulge in such a wonderful activity as recreational boating.
We urge all our customers to enjoy the holiday safely and to take precautions to avoid collisions and injuries. Check your safety gear, PFDs, navigation and anchor lighting, and emergency pumps before you head out to see the fireworks with friends.
And don't forget to take plenty of photos AND VIDEOS to send in for the Edson Photo Contest!
Happy Birthday America!

Boy's Weekend

2010-06-07T14:23:00.001-04:00

The summer officially started this weekend for me. For the past 23 years I have been meeting on Cuttyhunk with the same group of guys for a weekend of fishing. After all these years the weekend has morphed into starting on Wednesday instead of Friday. We were all a lot younger 20+ years ago and the elders in our group have sadly passed over the bar.

Through all the years we have stuck to our guns and no matter what our “boy’s weekend” officially starts on the weekend after Memorial Day. We caught and released dozens of stripers, and kept a few to eat. We laughed, we cried, we ate well, we solved all of the complex problems of the world, we navigated through pea soup fog, we showed the wisdom of our years and we stayed on shore for a passing thunderstorm. In short, we had a ball! We enjoyed ourselves as thoroughly as we ever have. It was a weekend on the water with a special group of men, who throughout the years have needed a “time out” with some special friends. Next summer I suspect we may be starting on a Tuesday.

Establish your tradition” this year – it’s never too late to start one! Include water, salt or fresh – it’s your option.

William Keene/President
Edson International

Enjoy a Cup of Sailing

2010-04-29T14:00:00.007-04:00

At the Pacific Strictly Sail Show, we were treated to a wonderful opportunity to see the America's Cup in person at Jack London Square in Oakland, CA as part of a superb presentation by the USA BMW Oracle racing team, winners of the 33rd America's Cup Regatta. I've seen the trophy once before, at Ft. Adams State Park in Newport RI during the UBS Cup Regatta between the Cup Defender Alinghi syndicate and BMW/Oracle. At both venues, the excitement I felt standing an arm's length away from the oldest trophy in sports spoke volumes of the importance of what the trophy means to Sailing as a sport and as a lifestyle.

During the century and a half that the America's Cup has been coveted by the richest and skilled yachtspeople in the world, few championships have been so enduring. The 33rd Challenge for the "Cup", saw a return to the "Deed of Gift" format of racing, allowing the yacht designers of the challenging and defending syndicates to ignore the "box rule" of the IACC class of yachts and build yachts that could measure 90'x90', essentially creating an Unlimited Open class of racer, with a budget to match. Despite the economic struggles of recent years, the current Cup winner pushed every technical envelope and spent huge sums on innovation just like the J-Boat class did during the Great Depression of the 1930's. How ironic.

But the net result was a return of the Cup to America's shores, this time in the hands of the Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco. My hope is that there will be young sailors that will be able to share the excitement of the next Cup races as I did in my youth. With no internet or televised racing during the 1960's we relied on newspaper accounts of the races. I remember looking at pictures of Olin Stephen's Intrepid, the 1967 Cup Defender while sitting in class in middle school and thinking that one would never see a sailboat so innovative or radical in my lifetime. Now, USA, the trimaran raced by the BMW/Oracle syndicate creates such a huge leap in technology, we can only dream of what the Cup boats of 50 years hence will look like. Certainly function and form have come again to a crossroads and the final product may not appeal to everyone.

But hopefully, the designs of this decade's Cup competitors will light the fires of young sailors and aspiring naval architects, thus pushing the sport forward. The future of sailing and sailboat design can be significantly molded by the direction that the America's Cup Regatta will take and as a domestic industry, we would love to see a return to a Defender Series format that existed prior to the Cup races in Auckland. In doing so, there would be multiple US based syndicates vying for the rights to defend the Cup and in turn, multiple domestic boat builders would have the opportunity to build extremely high technology boats for that purpose. And the more builders that have the opportunity to build, the better the chances are that we'll see new innovations to gain that competitive edge.

The Edson Corporation would like to extend a hearty Congratulations to the BMW/Oracle team for their victory and hope they will consider a multiple defender series leading up to the next Cup defense. And a rousing thank you for making the Cup available and accessible to the boat show attendees. Let's just hope that the next Olin Stephens, Dave Pedrick, Britton Chance, or L. Francis Herreshoff were there to see it.

Spring Has Sprung!

2010-04-01T10:17:00.002-04:00

Spring is finally here! I’ve said my prayers, “Dear Lord, please give us rain during the weekdays and sun on the weekends.” The first part of my prayers were answered in a record setting way on Monday and Tuesday here in Massachusetts, so here is hoping for a very sunny weekend.

For all of you boaters out there looking for Easter eggs, here is a hint! They’re under your boat covers. So get on your boats and take a look this weekend. Spring is here and summer is getting closer, it’s time to get the boat ready.

Will Keene
President

Words of Encouragement

2010-03-24T11:41:00.002-04:00

Slowly but surely, inch by inch, step by step. This is what we hear from our customers about how they're feeling regarding improvement of the marine marketplace. And that's music to our ears because we're optimistic, too.

We've been working hard to keep products flowing through Edson's factory. We've hired new employees and kept our core group of administration, sales, and production people busy over the last year. And we've bought new machinery. We're working on new innovations and designs.

So Edson is ready. The shelves are stocked for spring. We believe that American-Made still means something positive. It means you can talk to the guy that builds the product. It means that we melt metal, shave wood, cut and bend parts to give your boat it's unique character. It means that the same guy that made your new pedestal or dinghy davit is going to see you out on the water using his own boat.

Sure, there's always room for improvement. And we want to hear ways that we can serve you better. Because we believe that the best way to make boating better is to make it easier for you to enjoy boating. Everyone's got more than enough hassles in life. Why make your boating experience one of them?

There's always going to be someone that dwells on negative news or makes "these tough economic times" an excuse for doing a mediocre job. Edson's just not on that bandwagon. And neither are our customers. Drop us a line or come visit us sometime in New Bedford. We'd love to see or hear from you. Because there's plenty of good news to share!

Thanks for listening,
Chuck Gilchrest
Sales Manager Edson Marine

Spring Time Check List

2010-03-10T14:28:00.005-05:00

I'm not quite sure why, but most people tend to put boats away for the winter with the bare minumum of preparation for the following season. Perhaps we secretly hope that small industrious mechanics will magically crawl underneath the shrink wrap and work dilligently on the leaky fresh water hose below the sink, or that the spongy spot on the foredeck was a figment of our imagination last October. Truth be told, usually the problem that gets ignored in the fall is likely going to still be there this spring when it's time to launch. In some cases, the problem has even gotten worse.

So what do we suggest? Make a list! If you're like me, most of the lists I make rarely get completed before I have to make another list. But as my mother used to tell me, to begin is to be halfway done. So get out your notepad and try to list as many items as you can remember that needed attention on the boat before you put it away for the winter. Now take a deep breath...and try not to scream. If your boat is over 10 years old, that list will look pretty intimidating. It's clearly time to prioritize.

We have a saying at Edson that "Steering is the difference between a vehicle and a shelter". It's not my saying but I have my own.."Steering is arguably the second most important system on the boat, the first being floatation". This puts a certain perspective on your "to do list" when looking to tackle the most important tasks first. And often, working on a squeeky wheel shaft, or replacing a fraying steering cable is far less intimidating than rewiring electronics or rebuilding a marine head. And less stinky, too.

We can help with your list if you'd like. Over the years, we've created something called a steering inspection checklist. At our service seminars, we suggest performing this inspection annually, but we know that only the most dedicated maintenance junkie will do that. But if you haven't done it, do it. Or at least put it on your list of things to do.

We Hear You

2009-10-11T17:57:00.003-04:00

You would think that the primary reason that Edson takes out space at a boat show would be to present and sell the products we make. That is true to a certain extent. But there is another very good reason to go to the boat shows. It is where we get a chance to look our customers straight in the eye and listen to what they have to say to us. It gives us a chance to connect with old friends in the boating industry and discuss where our customers have taken their boats during the year and the adventures they've had.

But more than anything, it gives us a chance to listen. To you, the boat owner. To you, the retail dealer. To you, the wholesale distributor. And to you, the boat builder. We hear what you want from us, what you like to see changed. What you would like us to do better. And on occasions we hear complaints. And we also get a lot of compliments. We never get tired of the compliments. But we also don't get tired of complaints or suggestions either. Edson customers are very bright people with enormous experience. Interacting with all of you is a bright spot of any boat show.

So keep going to the shows. Keep reading the blog. Keep making suggestions. And keep giving us new ideas. We're listening and what we hear is very good.

Watch Your Language! Sailing Jargon...

2009-08-17T16:55:00.005-04:00

Sailing Jargon developed so that orders and instructions could be clear and the required actions could be properly taken for safe and proper maneuvering…..But sometimes what is said and what somebody heard are two different things.

One night I was sitting around with some non-sailors listening to one of them tell of his first experience sailing. It was hard of him to remember all of the correct nomenclature so I jumped in to help, but I preferred some of his terms better as being more descriptive. He had gotten a ride on a 35 footer for a Wednesday night beer can series. Lou described the experience fondly and looked forward to another opportunity to sail again.

“Everybody on the boat had a job. Mine was to sit on the high side except when I was cranking.” He began his tale.

“Grinding”, I said.

“Yeah, grinding that winch thing that pulls in the rope,” he continued.

“Sheet”, I interrupted.

“Yeah, for that sail out front. The one that sounds like a, um, a salami.”

“Genoa”, I said.

“Yeah, that one. The boats were all getting close together near the starting line. It was pretty scary and lots of people were yelling as the boats got closer and closer. I looked up front and it looked like we were about to crash into another boat. I was sure we were going to crash and crash hard. I was afraid someone would be hurt. Just then a guy on the front of our boat stared yelling “FALL OFF! FALL OFF!”….. So I did.”

At that point I had tears in my eyes from laughing but the other guys were silent and confused. I did some explaining and the other guys finally laughed but it was still funnier to a sailor then a non sailor.

Lou was picked up by a nearby boat and watched the balance of the racing from the yacht club. That was enough for the first ride. Although he was wet it did not dampen his experience and he is ready to sail again, but this time he may ask a couple of questions before he jumps!

Happy Sailing!

Ed Stiess

V.P. - Marine Division

Water, Water, Everywhere

2009-07-28T14:48:00.004-04:00

You don’t need TV’s “The Weather Channel” to tell you that this year’s New England summer has been one of the rainiest in recent memories. Seems like every glance at a weather radar screen shows a myriad of rainbow colors, all indicating a downpour of biblical proportions centered over one or more of our favorite boating destinations. So you’d think that the wet weather combined with the recent economic downturn would make for empty anchorages and abandoned harbors? Not on your life!

We’re thrilled to report that our local islands are still filled with abundant numbers of sailboats and recreational fishing boats. Taking a sailboat to a recent regatta on Martha’s Vineyard, both Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound were alive with boats old and new, from decadent Mega-Yachts to elegant and simple Wianno Seniors. Maddie, the launch driver of 10years at the Edgartown Yacht Club said it was an incredibly busy weekend for her as she shuttled both racers and cruisers back and forth to their boats in Edgartown Harbor. I couldn’t help noticing the Edson Powerwheel and Pro Series Knob on the launch which made her job maneuvering in close quarters much easier.

Checking the fishing report in the local papers revealed that on the same weekend, a local fisherman pulled in a 59lb Striped Bass just south and west of Martha’s Vineyard. Other fishermen are reporting great fluke off Lucas Shoals in Vineyard Sound. And in just a week or so, the Bluefish will be running in Buzzards Bay making for a superb fishing season, rain notwithstanding.

Finally, Edson will once again be on board to support the Buzzards Bay Regatta, which typically sees over 1500 avid sailors participating in one of the largest multi-class regattas on the East Coast. From Lasers to the big IRC yachts, the fleet will be headed to South Dartmouth starting on August 7-9th. Rain or shine, there will be great racing and a great party afterwards. Why not join in the fun? And don’t forget your rain gear!

2009-07-20T16:17:00.001-04:00

Recently I spent a wonderful day with Edson’s Foundry Manager, Bruce Perry, at the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic, CT.

Mystic Seaport is the perfect venue for this collection of classy vessels of all shapes, makes and sizes. We saw Brian Rieff Boat Builders and his prize Newport 29 – “Iolanthe”, Concordia Boatyard – “SAVU”, Rockport Marine- “Bernice”, Beetle Inc., Pease Boatworks – “First Light”, Amistad, a size 2 worm steerer, with past captain Bill Pickney just to name a few. The tents and grounds were full. Many must-touch type items.

The one item that I saw the most of were Edson Power Knobs. There were probably 10 – 12 sprinkled around the show and at use on seaport vessels. Power Knobs continue to be one of Edson’s most popular products.

If you have never been to Mystic Seaport and the Wooden Boat Show I highly recommend it.

Our best,

Hank Keene, General Manager

Bruce Perry, Foundry Manager

133' Dubois INMOCEAN Steering Inspection

2009-07-14T09:42:00.004-04:00

It is always delightful to meet with a happy customer. This was the case a couple of weeks ago when I met Richard Hollis captain of Inmocean a 133’ Dubois designed sloop that was built at Fitzroy Yachts in New Zealand.

The boat had just arrived in Newport for some maintenance. They had sailed the boat 17,000 miles since it was launched eight months ago. Every mile hand steered! The first voyage was from New Zealand to San Francisco from there back to the South Pacific and then on to Panama and up to Newport. Richard liked the feedback and sensitivity provided by the mechanical steering and also liked the two speed aspect of the geared steerers. It allows them to have ultimate feel on a nice sailing day but you can shift to a lower gear for power when the weather gets rough. He also uses the high gear in the harbor for quicker maneuvering.

We built the system with torque transfer shafts which allow for no intrusion onto the living areas and smoothly transfer the mechanical advantage aft to the quadrant.

It was good to see the equipment was in excellent condition and needed little adjustment after such a vigorous cruise. It is also an honor to be on such a well appointed and well looked after yacht.

Ed Stiess

V.P. Marine Division

Shopping Made Easy

2009-07-06T14:47:00.001-04:00

How do you like to shop? Are you a keyboard commando, hunting down the best internet bargains? Do you beat a path to the mailbox to get the next new mail order catalog? Or are you the type to drive to a mall or specialty shop to wander the aisles and browse through store displays?

This past July 4th weekend, I was able to get out for a while with family on our boat, but spent probably more time doing what many others were doing during a holiday weekend: shopping. My wife will tell you that shopping is a sport, even to the extent that she wears her light weight athletic shoes and puts her valuables in a small fanny pack so she can keep her hands free to shop for bargains. I suspect that having free hands in the mall keeps other shoppers at bay while searching for these mall treasures. I’ve often wondered why she doesn’t buy more online, since she hates to waste time and nothing seems to cut into recreational time more than a trip to the hardware store or to the mall to pick up a needed sink gasket or birthday gift.

But I’m starting to “get” the idea of a shopping experience. Sometimes if I have some gadget that I need (or simply want), I like to see, touch, and fondle the contraption before I plunk my dollars on the counter. Maybe I’ll find an alternative gadget that will either do the job better or looks nicer that I would have never seen if I shopped online. And I’ve also picked out a product at a retail store and then went back home to do a price comparison at home online, even though I hated it when someone did that to me when I was a store salesperson. Often the price differential between the online and in store purchase doesn’t outweigh the immediacy and instant gratification of taking the product home with you. In this economy, the store owner that has the product in stock, bought and paid for, will often be more inclined to price match or even beat a mail order or internet price, just to keep cash flow going. This is all good news to the consumer with cash to spend.

Last weekend, I visited three different stores that warranted making an immediate purchase, solely on the merits of the level of customer service they provided. In two cases, they were specialty single brand stores that carried items that my children wanted. Both of the brands spent considerable money in making the retail experience something special and the store clerks had all the answers to the questions we asked making sure we were satisfied with the purchases. The last purchase was from a technology company that has made a reputation for design innovation, packaging, and superlative customer service. I left the store with confidence that their products were the best for my application and despite the fact that other companies built similar or “knock off” products, I really couldn’t accept any substitute. And once again, the store with a focus on a certain line of products offered a level of expertise that would be difficult to duplicate in a variety store or retail superstore.

So, as I look back, there are going to be times where I’ll shop online and rely on research, product evaluations, and price comparisons to make my purchase. But other times, I’m going to try to buy direct from the company that made the product since I know that I’ll get a level of quality and the ease of purchase comes from knowing my money is spent on the proper product. I’m just glad that Edson offers an assortment of ways for our customers to shop, from the Edson online store which celebrated a second birthday last month, to phone sales using our print and online catalogs, and to the hundreds of marine retailers that sell and install Edson products to our worldwide customer base. Let us know how you like to shop and we’ll keep trying to make the buying experience rewarding to you.

"I'm not letting go of my Edson Wheel"

2009-06-10T15:39:00.005-04:00

Summertime has arrived in New England, the boats are in the water and the Striped Bass are here, all the things that make me happy.

However, what really puts a smile on my face was the fishing guide from Florida who called to order a wheel nut for his new boat. He told me he needed a new wheel nut so he could put his “old” Edson Wheel on his “new” boat. He said, “I was damned if I was going to let my Edson Wheel go with my old boat, so I told the buyer you can have everything on the boat but the Edson Wheel, I’m not letting go of it.”

It made me proud to know that all of us at Edson are producing cool products that our customers don’t want to part with. They may sell boats, but they hold onto all their Edson products that are not screwed to the boat.

In this day and age of disposable and throw-away products, it’s nice to be swimming against the stream. For the past 150 years Edson has been making products we believe will stand the test of time. We’ve created quite a loyal following in the process. I can’t see any reason to change what we offer now. In the words of Ruskin – “There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man’s lawful prey”. We live by these words at Edson and we work at producing the “best” everyday. We don’t think of our customers as “prey”, we think of you as friends.

The Striped Bass are running through Buzzards Bay so if you don’t find me at my desk I am probably “on the water – product testing”.

Fair Winds and Tides,

William Keene/President

Every Picture Tells a Story

2009-05-27T15:40:00.005-04:00

Edson is proud to announce the Summer Photo Contest, giving our valued Edson Customers the opportunity to share photos of your boats and your families having fun on the water. And, of course, we're taking particular notice of photos that just happen to show Edson product being used to enhance those good times. So give us your best shot. Take your camera on board this summer and show the world what a great time out on the water looks like. We'll be awarding prizes for the top photos in both Sail and Power categories. The winners will be announced on Saturday September 12, 2009 at the Newport International Boat Show. We can't wait for the photos to start rolling in!

Click here to upload your photos.

Spring Time Optimists

2009-05-18T18:49:00.007-04:00

Would you believe that there are optimists out there? No, I'm not talking about those adorable quirky prams in which we send our youngsters for their first experience at the helm. There are actually folks out there that when talking about boats and boating, they have a smile on their faces. Some folks in the boating industry would lead you to believe that its all gloom and doom. I personally attended 2 events this last weekend that lead me to believe that there's truly a light at the end of the dark tunnel we've been living in since the fall. And no, I'm not talking about our cursed economy that professes that if you dig a hole deep enough, everyone will want to jump into it (my apologies to Firesign Theater). I'm referring to the Winter Boatless Blues. Seems like when the boat comes out of the water in the fall, or sits in the slip to weather out the winter, there is a serious malaise that comes over a boat owner. There are some that relish the opportunity to add a new gadget to their boat and to add a fresh coat of varnish to the brightwork, but for the most part, when you talk to a boat owner during the winter months in the Northeast, the prospect of actually going out on the water seems pretty remote. Well when are they ever going to break out of this funk?

This weekend, there was so much great boating stuff going on, even the grumpiest of boat owners would have been hard pressed not to have a grin. Brewer's Pilot's Point Marina had their annual customer appreciation day in Westbrook, CT. If you've never been to a Brewer Boat Yard in New England, you owe it to yourself to stop in and check one out. They've got the facilities, knowledgeable staff, and attitude towards boating to keep their customers coming in year after year. Rives Potts and Chick Michaud held a great picnic for a few hundred customers in addition to bringing in nearly 30 marine industry manufacturers and suppliers for a mini spring boat show in one of the marina's huge storage buildings. Very impressive. In fact, their wooden pirate ship in the kids' playground at the marina was bigger than my personal sailboat!

The folks at the Newport Exhibition Group put on their annual Spring Boat Show down at the Newport Yachting Center on the Newport RI waterfront. While not as large as the fall International Show, the Spring show had some superb deals on a wide variety of boats and accessories. Fitting out for the summer has never been easier and prices haven't been this low in years. Lots of reasons for customers to start smiling.
In Boston, huge crowds gathered at Fan Pier to watch the start of the 7th leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Spectator boats and shoreside grandstand offered superb viewing of the races start. Edson's Hank Keene was at the event and I'll let him comment on the mood and excitement, but there was a real festival going on down at the Boston Waterfront and it all centered around boats and boating.

On a local level, the New Bedford Community Boating Center held their annual "Opening of the Bay" celebration at historic Fort Taber on Saturday night. This is a grass roots organization that works tirelessly to promote the sport of sailing and making waterfront access available to people of every background and economic strata. They look at every sailing season as an opportunity to open the door to our activity to both young and old, able bodied and physically challenged, with the common thread of "on the water fun". Peter Durant and his entire staff should be commended for putting on a great gala with the love of sailing bringing folks together to start the season right. Once again, lots of smiling boaters sharing a love of sailing with friends.

Best of all, some good friends, two families in fact, became new boat owners this past week. Both bought lightly used and well loved used sailboats. It's so encouraging to talk with them about the adventures that lay ahead this summer and beyond. And of course, it's my duty to make sure that they have the steering system checked out before and after they take delivery of the boat.

So let's wash away the wintertime blues, get out the chartbooks, tide books, racing rulebooks, and cruising guides to start planning our summer getaways on our boats. When you look at how much fun you can have and how inexpensive it will be to get to where you want to go on your boat this year, I'm sure it will put you in a much better mood.

A Day in Boston at the Volvo Ocean Race Stopover

2009-04-28T16:27:00.004-04:00

I had a great opportunity to be “on the water” in Boston Harbor on Sunday to watch Ericson 4 come into Boston. What a boat, and what a day on the water.

Scot West of Ronstan USA organized a boat, and Alistair Murray and I joined him at 6 am in search of a launching ramp. We took in the sights at the Volvo Village on Fan Pier and went all through Puma’s extraordinary store built of containers that are stacked on top of each other to form a wonderful viewing platform, store, and complete kitchen and bar facility. It is quite a program that Puma has put together.

We loaded up on some new Schaefer “Z” block sunscreen and headed back to the water to catch Ericson 4 on her wan in. We packed for the cold and ended up with record high temps. It was a fantastic day on the water.

By all means check out the Volvo Village in Boston if you can. It is very impressive and the Volvo boats are, in a word, “awesome”.

Will Keene - President, The Edson Corp.

Survey the Steering

2009-04-07T10:33:00.007-04:00

I recently spent time with some friends that were in the market for a first sailboat. They have a young family with 3 daughters and after taking a charter in the BVI this last winter, they're going to take the plunge and buy their first cruising sailboat. These are two smart people and they started asking all the questions that usually come up when researching a purchase of this magnatude: What size do we need? What brands are best? Are older boats built better than new ones? What equipment will the boat need?

These questions begat more questions which then brought up more things to consider. In a way, I envied them being in the position to aquire a new boat, but at the same time, I wondered how I would approach the decision making process and shuddered to think of what would be the most important aspects of the purchase. My friends agreed that if they were in the market for a new car, they would simply rely on common knowledge and a myriad of buyers guides to help them with the process of selection. I don't think I've ever seen a Consumer's Report Guide to Used Boats, but it would certainly be helpful in this regards. In fact the closest I've seen to this sort of offering is in Practical Sailor or Sailing Magazine in their used boat reviews. Other magazines have reviews for "Classic Plastic" but you may wait for years to find a used boat evaluation for a specific model of boat.

So what do most folks do to get a boat thoroughly checked out before making a prudent purchase? In most cases, the evaluation of the boat is done buy an independent licensed surveyor. The survey identifies potential problem areas as well as calling out the specific equipment included with the boat. Of course, being in the sailboat steering business, I'm always curious as to what criteria a surveyor would use to check out the steering system on a used boat. Edson makes a Steering Inspection Checklist available on it's website, but how many surveyors actually go through the complete process of a step by step inspection. Not many, I would think. Anyway, I will propose to my friends that before they sign on the bottom line for any new boat, they should take a close look at the steering system and have it inspected thoroughly to check for wear, lubrication, and adjustment. Of course, I would be lying if told you that I didn't recommend choosing a boat with Edson steering on it. I figure, if a boat builder cares enough to put Edson steering on the boat, chances are good that they didn't scrimp on other aspects of the boat's components. In the long run, my friends will either enjoy sailing a well maintained boat , or will pick a "bargain" that turns into an enormous money pit. The choice is up to them.

Let us know what you look for when you shop for a new or used sailboat and whether a surveyor's report has uncloaked hidden defects that would save you from making a bad purchase.

Edson's Latest Social Group

2009-04-02T14:18:00.008-04:00

Edson is typically known as an "old school" company. Why? Well, to start with, we have 150 years worth of history in the marine industry. But, we're slowly adapting to the times. We all now keep in touch in a variety of ways and at Edson, even a few of us in the "over 50" age bracket have found a way of keeping connected with friends, family, and aquaintences on social networks.

With so many people using this medium, Edson has launched a new Facebook "Group" and we welcome all of you to join us in cyberspace at "Edson Marine". Simply log in to Facebook, type in Edson Marine and you will be able to view the group pages including photos of products, events, new boat launches, as well as the opportunity to post discussion topics and your own photos regarding our product if you join as a fan.
We hope you like the new group and even if you don't use it to find out information on Edson and its products, you may actually find other folks with similar boats as yourself or interesting info on new cruising and fishing grounds. Let us know what you think and if we don't see you on the water, we'll see you on Facebook!

Getting back on the water….. or at least thinking about

2009-03-23T14:01:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I spent the day at “Yachtapalooza” at Crowley’s Lakeside Boatyard in Chicago. It was their annual “opening day” a great kick off to the boating season. Similar events are happening all over the northern states as we sense that Spring is inching closer and our thoughts move to being out on the water again.

Crowley’s ordered up some fine spring weather, had some good food, live music and good seminars on maintenance, safety, sails and sailing, and new gear and electronics.

It was fun to watch people returning to their boats peeking under or removing the winter cover and beginning to warm up to the idea that they would soon be on the water again. I saw boating friends reuniting after a long cold winter and making plans for the upcoming season.

There were people inspecting some of the new models that the yacht sales companies had on display as well as some brokerage boats.

Crowley’s had a full staff on hand to help set up the vendor area and direct their customers to the seminars and events. Tracy has done a wonderful job with the store. It is inviting and well organized. It was a welcome spot in the cool morning to gather and find out about the day’s events, not to mention the donuts. Sean was helpful setting up the projector for my talk on steering maintenance. The talk went well. There were lots of good questions and I didn’t see anyone napping. It reminded me of some of my own tasks that I need to do to get the boat ready for the season. Peter Neilson and I took a look at a customer’s boat that had a steering project coming up so that I could have a first hand look. I did a tour of the impressive facility with Grant Crowley which turns out to be quite a hike. Grant not only showed us the yard and buildings and work shops but also we got a brief history of the rivers, canals, and the working waterfront of the area. The perch were running in the basin and the shore was dotted with fishermen. There was model yacht racing. A splendid day to for messing around in boats of all types. A great day and all smiles that I saw said “I can’t wait to be back on the water”.

Thanks to Grant Crowley, Phil Pollard, Tracey Rodgers, Sean Lucy, and Peter Nielsen and the whole crowd at Crowley’s for a great day! We all enjoyed it.

2009-03-13T16:38:00.002-04:00

Why Use a Special Mount when Installing Radar?

At Edson we are constantly asked why we advocate mounting radar scanners on a purpose built mount rather than directly to the coach roof or radar arch on a power boat. In fact there are multiple reasons to do so. On a planing hull vessel, the most important reason is to allow the radar to achieve the proper down angle as recommended by the radar manufacturers. This down angle allows the radar to “see” more images at lower hull speeds where otherwise the radar would be pointed up into the heavens before the boat gets up on plane. When navigating a busy harbor in the fog it is very important to be able to pick up images close in.
The next reason to use a radar mount is to achieve a higher platform for the scanner, thus allowing for a longer range for the radar. Several studies have found that placing the radar somewhere around 8 ft above the deck level gives an optimum radar image for coastal cruising while keeping the scanner safely above the heads of the boat’s operators.
In the case of Dome Scanners or Open Arrays that have external antenna cables, using a mount also allows a watertight seal in the form of a gland around the cable and allow excess cable to feed into the mount rather than cluttering the electronics connecting box in the coach roof.
Finally, when mounting both Radar and TV or Satellite Phone Scanners, having the TV or Sat Phone scanner above and out of sight picture of the Radar means fewer blind spots on the radar and also protects the Satellite Scanner from potentially harmful radiation from the Radar. Edson Dual Towers are designed for optimum performance for all of your electronic scanners while also allowing for mounting GPS and Anchor lights off the accessory light bar.

Talking Boats in the Winter Time

2009-02-24T13:31:00.004-05:00

Greetings from still chilly New England.
Thank heavens for the large number of people who took time out from their winter malaise to go to a boat show recently. Nothing helps stir the soul and gets one thinking of time out on the water more than discussing boats, boat hardware, boat paint, and boat improvements. While it appears by early tabulations that overall boat show attendance this year is slightly down from past years, it speaks volumes that there are still attendees looking to either buy a new boat, or at the very least, make progress on the many projects they had in mind to upgrade or refit their existing boats. The definitive answer received to the oft asked question of "Are you going to use your boat this year?" was a resounding "YES". I hope they weren't giving me lip service, but it really seems that boaters will continue to be boaters, despite financial setbacks and sour looking portfolios. It's what they do. Yes, there will be fewer crew spots available at big regattas and your favorite fishing reef may seem a little more empty this year while the big ones are running, but overall, there won't be too many empty slips and moorings in the harbors.

If you're one of the few folks out there that's contemplating putting off your annual launch date or thinking that this year might be the year to just leave the boat in the back yard, I ask you to think twice about it. Memories will rarely ever be made in a boat sitting under a tarp. Family and friends and sharing time on the water is what boating is all about. There's just something about sitting at the helm of your boat, taking in the wind and the scenery that lets day to day stress flow from your body. Last summer, Todd Little of Mainsail Marketing and I went out for a late afternoon sail on a picture perfect day, experiencing a lovely sunset, gentle breezes and the peace and serenity of a Buzzards Bay twilight.

As I look at my boat on its stands right now, I can barely wait to get the cover off to begin my next season on the water. For all of you that stopped by the Edson booth at this Winter's shows, thanks for keeping our spirits high and we really hope to see you out on the water this season!

Getting Your Steering Ready to Go Racing

2009-01-08T16:42:00.008-05:00

January, in the minds of most North American sailboat racers means the start of a new racing season and the Acura Key West Race Week is already upon us. Most likely, racers have spent the last few weeks polishing hulls, tuning rigs and taking endless trips to the sail loft in preparation for the upcoming regatta. But few take the time to take a thorough look at the steering gear and that's one oversight that could cost precious seconds at the finish OR cause a DNF that puts you out of contention for the big win.

Most top racing helmsmen will tell you that the feel at the tiller or wheel is their best judge of how the boat is performing and is critical indicator of proper sail trim. If your boat has excess friction through the mechanical steering, it will rob you of the precise feel you need at the helm. Regardless of whether your boat is steered with a wheel or tiller, the rudder shaft or pintles and gudgeons need to turn smoothly without an excessive amount of side to side play. Worn rudder bearings will make the rudder load up on the upwind leg making it hard to feel the helm pressure caused by lift on the foils while making downwind steering imprecise and sloppy. Check deflection at the rudder tip when the boat is on the hard and if you have more than 1/2" of side to side or fore and aft motion, it may be time to install new bearings, sleeves, or pintles to remove slop.

The next part of the equation is the proper inspection, tension, and lubrication of any steering cables and turning sheaves below deck. Worn cables generally show up with "meathooks" or chafe at critical turning points in the steering system. Get a handfull of tissue paper, place some 30 weight oil on the tissue, and run it along the length of the cables. If any of the tissue remains on the wire rope, its time to replace the cable. Also check the sheaves for wear and proper alignment. A missaligned cable adds friction to the system and may send the wrong information to the helmsman, especially if the helm tends to load up more on one tack than the other. If the sheaves show signs of wear and chafe from the steering cables, replace them before a steering failure occurs.

Check cable tension to allow a maximum deflection of 1" for every 3' of unsupported cable run. Don't overtighten the cables, though since this will add to friction in the system. You want your steering tight with no "slop" or freeplay, but not so tight that it binds or prevents the sheaves from turning smoothly. Usually acheiving the proper tension is a two person job. Start by setting the wheel brake if you have one and make sure that the quadrant or rudder won't move from side to side with the wheel locked down. If it does, loosen the adjusting and lock nuts on the take up eyes of the quadrant and tighten down each side equally to remove freeplay. Once the cables are taut, loosen the brake and have one person move the wheel back and forth while another person inspects the movement of the cables and sheaves below deck. Sheaves should received lubrication at the axles with a light application of 30 weight oil.

Finally, make sure that the steering wheel is securely attached to the pedestal. Check all fasteners, bolts, circlips that secure pedestals and steering components thoroughly as racing and long distance trailering always seems to loosen bolts at the least opportune time. Make sure your wheel shaft inside the pedestal has sufficient lubrication at critical bearings. If you need more information on servicing your steering system, check out the tech support section of Edsonmarine.com and click on the Planning Installation and Maintenance Guide for Chain and Wire steering systems. You can also view a short video on Steering Chain and Bearing Lubrication on our Tech Video page.

Good luck in this year's racing and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to give us a call at Edson for technical support

Holiday Gift Ideas from Edson

2008-12-16T09:47:00.006-05:00

Will, Hank and all of the employees at Edson would like to extend our warmest Holiday greetings to all of our valued customers, vendors and friends. Best Wishes for a very Happy New Year!

Please bear with us - this is our first attempt at a "Video Blog" - with practice we hope to improve!

Repair or Replace?

2008-10-17T16:13:00.009-04:00

Last week at the Annapolis Boat Show I was struck by the significant number of our customers with older boats, some 20-30 yrs old.

In talking to these folks I was amazed by one gentleman who spent $3,600 installing a pod and a taller guard on a 25 year old pedestal to facilitate a radar chart plotter. Almost $3,000 of the final bill was INSTALLATION TIME!

Having restored a number of boats myself, it is critical to ask yourself the question – Repair or Replace? I showed this particular customer Edson’s New #476 Vision II Pedestal, which is designed to replace our older pedestals; it has the same bolt spacing among other things.

In going through the process with this customer I showed him how our new pedestal was designed for radars and chart plotters, etc. Together, we figured that for less money he could have installed a new pedestal, with a whole new steering system, thru-shaft wheel brake and single lever engine control.

Repair or Replace? Calculate the cost of installation. Most times you will see that the cost to fix up, paint, or modernize an older piece of equipment can meet or exceed the price of simply pulling it out and replacing it with new equipment.

By upgrading to new equipment that you can touch, see and feel, it adds value to your boat and to your enjoyment in using it.

“Repair or Replace” is one of the first questions to ask when starting a job. Do it once and do it right is typically the best answer.

I'd love to hear your comments...

Fair Winds,
EDSON INTERNATIONAL
William Keene/President

To All Our Edson Customers – Thank You!

2008-09-22T15:10:00.004-04:00

This is my first time “blogging”. Why? Well, because I just never felt that you, our customers, would ever be interested in what I was thinking. But recently, at the Newport Boat Show, I observed some things that I thought you would be interested in reading about.

Seeing 500+ Boat builders, Industry Reps & friends at Edson’s 150th Anniversary Celebration was amazing to me. I am not sure there is a person in the group that I wouldn’t invite over for dinner. I also looked at all the retail customers coming through our booth all weekend long and said to myself “How lucky we are to have such nice, honest, loyal and smart customers. What more could one ask for.” How many businessmen can look at their customers and say that? Only the lucky ones!

Aside from the boat show, another observation is how difficult it is today to buy anything of real quality. Things we use to buy many years ago were worth repairing. Today everything gets thrown into a landfill because it’s just not worth repairing since they weren’t made well to begin with. I count my lucky stars that Hank and I own our company. We can make things the way we believe they should be made, with enduring quality. Edson products don’t fill up landfills; they end up in second hand shops and antique stores. We are also lucky that we can control our quality and only sell things we are proud to put the Edson name on, and we are proud that Edson is a name and a brand that is both trusted and respected around the globe.

Plain and simple, we are lucky to work with great people, and for the wonderful people who are our customers.

All my best,

William Keene
President/Edson International

Edson Kicks Off 150th Anniversary Celebration with Industry "Thank You" Party at Newport Boatshow.

2008-09-19T11:50:00.009-04:00

Each year at the Newport International Boatshow in Newport Rhode Island the marine industry gathers at the exhibitors party to renew old friendships, catch up with business associates and toast in the fall boatshow season. This year was even more special for Edson, as we hosted the event to kick off our 150th Anniversary Celebration.

The Newport Boatshow exhibitors party is held in conjuction with the International Yacht Restoration Schools annual fundraising party benefiting the I.Y.R.S.'s Joyce Selig Memorial Scholarship Fund. Joyce was the late wife of marine industry veteran Bob Selig, President of Davis Instruments and is one of the most wonderful people to grace our industry. We at Edson

feel it is a very worthwhile cause, as it helps provide those individuals looking to join our industry get a strong I.R.Y.S education. If you'd like to learn more about IYRS or how you can donate to Joyce's scholarship fund, please visit www.iyrs.org.

If you were able to attend our party in Newport, we want to thank you for coming and all the nice words you had to say about Edson and our employees. Hearing the whole industry sing "Happy Birthday" was something very special. We can't thank you enough for the support you've shown over the years.

If you weren't able to attend, we've posted some photos of the event that we'd like to share with you. Most likely you'll recognize many of the faces.

C lick Here to visit our photo page .

Again, Thank You for being a part of the Edson family - we owe all of our success to the strong support of our customers, vendors, employees and "Friends of Edson".

If you'd like to learn more about Edson's 150 year Heritage, visit www.edsonhistory.com

Reflections on the last 150 Years...

2008-07-30T15:11:00.012-04:00

Dear Friends of Edson,

In 2008 Edson officially enters its 150th year of operation. This milestone is one that begs us to look at Edson’s past, our present and our future. Edson’s core values back “then”, when Jacob Edson founded this company in 1859, and what we stand for “now”, remains remarkably similar and still totally entwined.

Through Edson’s history these words ring as true today as they did 150 years ago, “Honesty”, “Integrity”, “Innovation” and “Passion”.

We invite you to take a step back and look at Edson’s history at www.edsonhistory.com. We believe you will see a fascinating story of an American business that has prospered for an amazing 150 years. We thank you for your business, your ideas, and passion towards your pursuits, and hope you know how passionate we are about our customers and our associates at Edson.

If you have any memories, stories or reflections on Edson, please share them with us here by clicking on the COMMENTS link below. We look foward to hearing from you as we celebrate this milestone together.

Our Warmest Regards,
Will & Hank Keene

The Nautical Star Story

2007-08-03T11:55:00.007-04:00

The Nautical Star is steeped in nautical history and lore. It is found on sailors in tattoo form, on boom ends and tops of bollards. It is the nautical symbol of protection, guidance, affection and love. “A star to steer her by” is one of the more famous phrases attached to the “star”. The military has found many uses for stars in uniforms, awards and commendations.

A few years ago I found an antique pattern of a traditional 5-point star. I was struck by its simple elegance and the way it captured and reflected light. In a word it was “striking”.Last year, after a stellar year in school, I thought about how to reward my sons for their success, so we dusted off the old patterns and cast some stars in our foundry. When polished and chrome plated they hit the mark. We mounted them on our boy’s bedroom doors so that at the beginning and end of each day they are reminded of both their efforts and their parent’s affections.

Later in the year, a childhood friend and his wife made a gesture to our family that reminded me of what “stars” they have been in my life. Their gesture was a 5-star event in our family history. I thought about our star patterns yet again, only this time I focused on giving others a chance to give a “star” to someone who has been a star in their life.

Edson decided to design and tool 3 sizes of polished stainless steel stars to offer our customers. They are elegantly faceted 5-point stars designed to match the antique nautical star I uncovered years ago.

If you have a “star” in your life, give him or her one of our Nautical Stars and you will definitely make an impression. If you have a 5-star establishment, buy 5 and tell the world you’re a 5-star business.
Many would think that “stars” are a bit outside of Edson’s core product line, however in catalogs of years past Edson has made many different products for both marine and non-marine, as well as decorative. So now you know the story of Edson’s Stars.

You can learn more about Edson's Nautical Stars at www.edsonstars.com

Will Keene
President, Edson