Bay Bridge Marina
357 Pier 1 Road
Stevensville, MD 21666

When:

April 19-22, 2012

Visit USBoat.com »

Portland Company Complex
58 Fore St.
Portland, ME 04101

When:

March 16- 18, 2012

Visit PortlandCompany.com/BoatShow »

Read the full article » (PDF)

Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City, NJ

When:

February 1–February 5, 2012

Visit ACBoatShow.com »

Founded in 1948, the Lauderdale Marina is a full service dealership located on a 4-acre point lot along the Intracoastal Waterway just minutes from Port Everglades and has represented more than 60 different boat brands over the years.  ”We’ve always looked to partner with the highest quality boat brands in the business,” says Vice President & General Manager, Scott Clark. “With Southport Boats and their new owners, we feel confident that we’ve found the right combination of quality and performance, as well as a strong desire to develop a close working relationship between manufacturer and dealer.  We’re eager to get people to experience some of the best performing boats in their class and very excited to represent Southport Boats in South Florida and the Caribbean.”

When asked about the newest dealer of the Southport network, Southport President Ian Kopp stated, “We are pleased to work with such a high quality dealer, one who is so highly respected as one of South Florida’s oldest family owned/operated marinas.  Their reputation for impeccable service coupled with their ability to cater to clients wishing to customize their boats is exceptional.  Lauderdale Marina has over six decades of experience in outfitting customers who are looking for the exceptional fit and finish and legendary performance that Southport consumers have come to expect.”

Furthermore, Southport’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Peter Galvin added, “The response to the new Southport has been exceptional and with the great experience in sales that Lauderdale Marina offers, prospective owners will be able to customize their Southport with ease when looking at helm seating, custom rails, or various T-top configurations.   In addition, existing Southport owners in South Florida will be able to count on the superior service that Lauderdale Marina offers.”   

Discussing how Southport is differentiating itself in the offshore center console marketplace, Kopp comments on the experience the group has building semi-custom boats:  “Where the prior Southport and other boat builders tended toward a “one size fits all” production mentality, the Maine-based Southport caters to consumers looking for a semi-custom production boat, which makes us very different from our competitors in this market segment.  While the standard Southport models do not leave much to be desired, we offer additional features to meet the desires of exacting owners, including everything from wood accents, teak flooring, custom helm seating, to upgraded t-tops and much more.  Customers looking for exceptional Hunt4 design performance finished in a yacht-like manner will be thrilled with what they find on a Southport.”

Both continental US dealer inquiries and overseas inquiries should be directed to Tom Johnson (tom@southportboats.com).

BACKGROUND OF SOUTHPORT BOATS:

In 2003, a team of experienced boat builders, passionate fishermen and offshore racing enthusiasts joined forces with the legendary C. Raymond Hunt Associates to develop a unique and revolutionary new boat design focused on maximizing the power and performance available from new modern outboards. The first Southport was launched.

Southport’s exclusive Hunt4 design® hull was developed to utilize the weight of modern twin power outboards to provide a soft, dry ride, stable platform, and easy handling. The unique design of the hull allows the boat to jump up on plane without bow rise, delivers a surprisingly agile ride, and turns on a dime. Ask a Southport owner about the ride of their boat and you will hear repeated praise about its balance, responsiveness and superb handling – often summarized as “Simply Amazing”.  

C. Raymond Hunt Associates created the legendary Southport hull.  Continuously-variable deep vee hulls maximize the sharpness of the entry while retaining stability at trolling speeds and at rest.  The secret is actually designing around the new outboards, allowing Southport boats to have both more beam and deeper vees than competitive models.  This combination results in a dry, stable platform with sharp entry and ultra-smooth ride.  Best of all, a Southport has a wide range of cruising speeds instead of the more typical all-or-nothing speeds from the competition.

The Southport design is not bound by conventional outboard boat-building thinking.  In a Southport, you’ll find electrical systems designed in a yacht-like manner, scuppers that evacuate green water like a custom sport fish, structure learned from attacking six foot seas at three figure velocities, rugged offshore T-tops and subtle comfort throughout the interior, all this with lines that reflect some of the most beautiful products afloat.

Perhaps the most important element of a Southport’s design is passion.  And it is this passion that Southport has found once again as it moves to Maine where the heritage of boatbuilding craftsmanship and excellence is as long as the rugged coast line.  In 2011, Southport Boats became part of the Maritime Marine Group, LLC located in Augusta, Maine, where a team of experienced Maine boat builders ensures that the construction of every boat matches the outstanding performance of the hull design.  Not only are Southport boats constructed with the highest quality gel coats, adhesives and composite materials, but now they are being built using modern vacuum infusion technology which provides a stronger higher quality product that makes a great boat even better. 

Great boats demand great talent, great materials and a passion for excellence that creates an extraordinary ownership experience.  Come visit the new Southport (www.southportboats.com), the perfect blend of the old and the new.

BACKGROUND OF LAUDERDALE MARINA:

Celebrating its 63rd year in business, the Lauderdale Marina, located along the Intracoastal Waterway just north of Port Everglades is, according to founder Robert Cox, the oldest single-owner marina business in south Florida.

In 1948, the site of the marina was an abandoned highly secret research station for submarine torpedoes of World War II.  It was so far “out of town” that the police pistol firing range was on the same dirt road, SE 15th Street, at what is now Cordova Road.  Lauderdale Harbors and many of the other undeveloped islands were simply tree covered and sometimes swampy leftovers from the great 1926 Florida real estate crash. 

Cox, making a permanent move from New York to Fort Lauderdale, arrived in Port Everglades in 1946 on a deep draft motor sailor. He was astonished to find that there was no place where the water was deep enough to dock his 9′ draft boat, the only commercial dockage being a small obsolete marina on the causeway which is now the Las Olas bridge connection to the beach. Huss Marina was on its last legs, had a shallow depth of water, red-tagged condemned wiring, and a single metal shower stall installed, it is said, by one of the boat owners for the price of a bottle of good whiskey.

The semi-abandoned Navy torpedo research station was the only spot with enough depth to accommodate Cox’s vessel, but could not be used because the government had not relinquished its prewar lease on the property. Cox, however, seeking not only a dock but recognizing that the miles of empty Fort Lauderdale waterways would someday be lined with homes and boats, all of which would have to pass the torpedo station on their way to the ocean or up and down the Intracoastal Waterway, negotiated with the owners of the land and in 1948 opened Lauderdale Marina as a fueling station.

“How well I remember that day we opened,” says Cox, “We sold 48 gallons of gas to a customer who not only filled his small boat’s tank but also a bunch of 5 gallon cans. Asked why he filled the cans, too, the customer said he was tired of carrying fuel from a highway gas station and, from the looks of the marinas early dock, wasn’t sure how long we would be in business.”

From the marina site there was no evidence of the existence of the City of Fort Lauderdale, no buildings on the horizon, no building at all in what is now Harbor Beach and of course no 17th Street Causeway Bridge. Cruising boats often stopped to ask “how far is Fort Lauderdale”, and found it hard to believe that they could fill their water tanks with city water via a small pipe about a half mile long installed by the Navy.

Current yachtsmen find it hard to believe that the many islands and peninsulas that make up the city were not built for boats. The canals were dredged to provide enough fill to make the swampy east side of Fort Lauderdale into saleable real estate. To prove this to non-believers who question Cox’s sanity, he shows them aerial photographs showing low bridges built across the ends of the canals to provide for automobile circulation from one island to the next. The Lauderdale Marina has grown with the city. Now one of the major fuel docks on the Intracoastal Waterway, the marina provides dockage, boat sales, parts and repair services, and in its 59th year took over the operation of its well known restaurant, the 15th Street Fisheries, which had been operating for more than 20 years by one of their tenants.

Cox, an engineer by training, fascinated by the new boat building material called fiberglass, opened the first sales agency for such boats in the State of Florida in 1949.  Today they hold a rare “master dealer certification” for one of the country’s most famous brands of boats, Boston Whaler.  Nowadays, the operation of the marina complex is guided by three generations, all in the Cox Family. The President of the Lauderdale Marina is Cox’s son-in-law, Ted Drum. Grandsons Scott Clark and Will Clark oversee the dealership, fuel dock and boat slips. Their properties, which include, besides the marina, other marine oriented tenants and the 15^th Street Fisheries restaurant, are managed by Ted as well, who also happens to be a well known second generation Fort Lauderdale family owned and operated Realtor.           

The fuel dock at Lauderdale Marina continues to thrive today and provides much needed services to the South Florida boating community. Lauderdale Marina is indeed a landmark along the Intracoastal Waterway, just minutes from the inlet to the Atlantic Ocean at Port Everglades. 

Southport Boats will be in the water at the:

Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center
1635 N. Bayshore Drive
Miami, FL 33132

When:

February 16–February 20, 2012

Visit MiamiBoatShow.com »

Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
415 Summer St.
Boston, MA 02210

When:

February 11–February 19, 2012

Visit NewEnglandBoatShow.com »

Southport Boats (www.southportboats.com), a division of Maritime Marine Group, LLC, is pleased to announce delivery of the latest Southport 29CC from the Maine factory.  Rigged with Taco outriggers and twin 300hp Yamaha outboards, this hull is headed to R & B Power in Puerto Rico (www.rbpmarine.com).  R & B Power is the latest dealer to join Southport Boats since the new ownership began manufacturing operations at the Augusta, Maine facility.

Since the announcement of the first dealer commitment from Smith Yacht Sales of Hingham, MA (www.smithyacht.com), four other dealers have signed on to represent Southport Boats.  Along with its first delivery of a Southport 29CC, Northstar Yacht Sales of Portsmouth, RI (www.northstaryachtsales.com) opened it new offices in the heart of Newport, RI in the New England Boat Works facility while Madaket Marine (www.madaketmarine.com) will cater to Nantucket customers.

 Servicing fishing enthusiasts in the area, Montauk Yacht Sales (www.montaukyachtsales.com) will show off its Southport 27CC at two locations, next to Star Island Yacht Club during the summer months as well as at its main offices in Freeport, NY.  Knowing the demand for high performance fishing boats, Jersey Marine of Somers Point, NJ (www.jerseymarine.com) has taken delivery of the 29CC Tournament Edition.  Jersey Marine’s 29TE ice blue hull will be featured at the Annapolis Boat Show October 13 through 16, 2011.

Southport is also pleased to report that it is poised to announce several more East Coast dealers in the coming weeks, ranging from the Chesapeake to Florida, and is also accepting overseas inquiries.  Both continental US dealer inquiries and overseas inquiries should be directed to Tom Johnson (tom@southportboats.com).

When asked about the newly signed dealers, Southport President Ian Kopp stated, “We are pleased to partner with such high quality brokerages and dealers.  Their ability to cater to clients wishing to customize their boats is exceptional.  From assisting prospective owners with decisions related to helm seating, custom rails or various T-top configurations to supporting existing Southport owners with various seasonal services, our Southport dealers have the ability to deliver.”

Furthermore, Southport’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Peter Galvin, is very pleased with the rapid success Southport is experiencing.  Galvin reports, “The response to the new Southport at the Newport Boat Show was exceptional.  Existing owners were thrilled to see the improvements to these fantastic boats.  And the company was very pleased with the prospects admiring Southport’s exceptional fit and finish and looking forward to experiencing the legendary performance.  This kind of immediate success would not be realized without the expertise of experienced dealers like Northstar Yacht Sales and Smith Yacht Sales who were showing off the Southport 27CC and 29 CC.”

Asked how the “new” Southport is different than the old, Kopp stated, “Another important and immediate change is based on the experience our group has building semi-custom boats.  Where the “old” Southport tended toward a production boat, the “new” Southport will be a semi-custom production boat making us very different from our competitors in this market segment.  While the standard Southport models do not leave much to be desired, we will offer additional features to meet the desires of exacting owners, including everything from wood accents, teak flooring, custom helm seating, to upgraded t-tops and much more.  Customers looking for exceptional Hunt4 design performance finished in a yacht-like manner will be thrilled with what they find on a Southport.”

BACKGROUND OF SOUTHPORT BOATS:

In the fall of 2003, an experienced group of boat builders began planning a boat company designed specifically around the unique combination of leading edge technology, offshore racing experience and hours of watching baits.  With ideas garnered from experiences with the world’s leading boat brands, the results are striking.  The result was the Southport Boats.

Southport boats are designed from the keel up to take advantage of offshore outboard power, the latest in four-stroke engine technology.  The economy and quiet power of these new engines is phenomenal, but most offshore boats are still designed around those older outboards.  Beamy, with deep vees, Southport hulls are specifically designed around these latest power plants, providing a wide range of planing speeds, and soft, dry ride in rough conditions, all with a sense of style and fishing function unique to Southport.

C. Raymond Hunt Associates created the legendary Southport hull.  Continuously-variable deep vee hulls maximize the sharpness of the entry while retaining stability at trolling speeds and at rest.  The secret is actually using the heavy weight of four strokes as an advantage in order to allow Southport boats both more beam and deeper vees than comparable competitive models.  This combination results in a dry, stable platform with sharp entry and ultra-smooth ride.  Best of all, a Southport has a wide range of cruising speeds instead of the more typical all-or-nothing speeds from the competition.

The Southport design is not bound by conventional outboard boat-building thinking.  In a Southport, you’ll find electrical systems designed in a yacht-like manner, scuppers that evacuate green water like a custom sport fish, structure learned from attacking six foot seas at three figure velocities, and hull lines that reflect some of the most beautiful boats ever launched.

Perhaps the most important element of a Southport’s design is passion.  And it is this passion that Southport has found once again as it moves to Maine where the heritage of boatbuilding craftsmanship and excellence is as long as the rugged coast line.  Great boats demand great talent, great materials and a passion for excellence that creates an extraordinary ownership experience.  Come visit the new Southport, the perfect blend of the old and the new.

“Late last fall our partner, Tom Johnson of RothBiltBoats (www.rothbiltboats.com), came to us with the opportunity to purchase Southport”, recalls Kenway Vice President and Maritime President Ian Kopp. “Southport’s reputation for high-quality construction with exceptional performance captured our interest immediately. After that first ride on the legendary Hunt4 Southport hull, I was convinced we had to make this deal work.” Several months have gone by since that first meeting, but thanks to close collaboration with Southport founders, Kenway’s principals have reached an agreement that allows Southport to start anew, this time in Maine, a suitable location given the state’s heritage of world-class boatbuilding.

Asked how Southport Boats will change moving from North Carolina to Maine, Kenway President Kenneth Priest responded, “Not much. The original Southport founders know this business well and with the guidance of Hunt Yacht Design they crafted a truly exceptional product, which has a great reputation. Our focus will be to build on the established standards of excellence the Southport brand represents, by elevating the production quality and efficiency.” Priest further explains, “At Kenway we are focused on high-value-added manufacturing. So for instance, we will immediately transition the Southport hull from traditional open-molding to advanced vacuum infusion closed-molding techniques.” This change not only increases the quality of the hull construction, making it stronger than before, but also makes the manufacturing process more environmentally friendly.

Further discussion with Ian Kopp revealed a few more changes to the Southport line. He explains, “Our intent is to reintroduce the models as the Southport 27 and the Southport 29 for a variety of reasons. Primarily, we intend to draw a clear distinction between the “old” Southport and the “new” Southport. That is important.” Kopp explains that this decision is more than just about drawing a distinction. “As we reviewed the boats with Hunt designers, we acknowledged that the overall length, the class-leading beam and interior space compels this relabeling,” Kopp continues, “At the end of the day, the new Southport owners are not just buying a typical production boat, they are investing in what we believe to be a pure blend of world-class craftsmanship and ultimate performance. They deserve to have that value reflected accurately.”

While Priest and Kopp will be transitioning the manufacturing, with new boats becoming available in early May, Tom Johnson will be partnering with Southport as the face of the company in the marketplace as Director of Sales & Dealer Relations. He is clearly enthusiastic to get going. “The passion for these boats at all levels is what truly impresses me,” comments Johnson. “Talking with former Southport dealers, there was clearly a void in the marketplace while Southport was in limited production. But to source why Southport is special, you really need to talk with a Southport boat owner, to go for a ride. It is underway in a sea you will immediately appreciate the attributes of a Southport.” Johnson explains that he plans to continue reaching out to existing owners, to learn what they appreciate about their boats and to learn areas that can be improved for the future. “We’re going to move very slowly with changes,” Johnson elaborates, “But keep in mind that Kenway is experienced in semi-custom production boatbuilding having collaborated with some of the finest boat builders in Maine for decades.” This highlights one important area where the new Southport will be different from the old. Prospective owners can now customize their boats, adding their own personal touches to their boats. If an owner wants varnished rails, custom helm seating, teak decking, custom rails or systems and various T-top configurations to accommodate their specific needs, the new Southport will be able to accommodate. “With RothBiltBoats, we had great success with this philosophy, but now will be able to deliver on a much broader basis with Kenway as a partner,” says Johnson, but then adds, “Of course, the standard Southport 27 and Southport 29 are a high standard compared to any other boat of its size.”

Finally, we are pleased to announce the first dealer commitment. Smith Yacht Sales of Hingham, MA will be servicing the state of Massachusetts as their geographic territory. You can contact Smith Yacht Sales at www.smithyacht.com or call (781) 749-9989. See Smith Yacht Sales is at the New England Boat Show in booth #141, this week through 3/6/2011 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

For more information about the new Southport Boats, please contact Tom Johnson by phone at (207) 458-6309 or by email at info@spboats.com. The factory always can be reached at (207) 620-7998 and will be posting transition updates online at www.southport-boats.com, including the dealers and brokers where you can find the new Southport models.

BACKGROUND OF SOUTHPORT BOATS:

In the fall of 2003, an experienced group of boat builders began planning a boat company designed specifically around the unique combination of leading edge technology, offshore racing experience and hours of watching baits. With ideas garnered from experiences with the world’s leading boat brands, the results are striking. The result was the Southport Boats.

Southport boats are designed from the keel up to take advantage of offshore outboard power, the latest in four-stroke engine technology. The economy and quiet power of these new engines is phenomenal, but most offshore boats are still designed around those older outboards. Beamy, with deep vees, Southport hulls are specifically designed around these latest power plants, providing a wide range of planing speeds, and soft, dry ride in rough conditions, all with a sense of style and fishing function unique to Southport.

C. Raymond Hunt Associates created the legendary Southport hull. Continuously-variable deep vee hulls maximize the sharpness of the entry while retaining stability at trolling speeds and at rest. The secret is actually using the heavy weight of four strokes as an advantage in order to allow Southport boats both more beam and deeper vees than comparable competitive models. This combination results in a dry, stable platform with sharp entry and ultra-smooth ride. Best of all, a Southport has a wide range of cruising speeds instead of the more typical all-or-nothing speeds from the competition.

The Southport design is not bound by conventional outboard boat-building thinking. In a Southport, you’ll find electrical systems designed in a yacht-like manner, scuppers that evacuate green water like a custom sport fish, structure learned from attacking six foot seas at three figure velocities, and hull lines that reflect some of the most beautiful boats ever launched.

Perhaps the most important element of a Southport’s design is passion. And it is this passion that Southport has found once again as it moves to Maine where the heritage of boatbuilding craftsmanship and excellence is as long as the rugged coast line. Great boats demand great talent, great materials and a passion for excellence that creates an extraordinary ownership experience. Come visit the new Southport, the perfect blend of the old and the new.

BACKGROUND OF KENWAY CORPORATION:

Founded in 1947 by Kenneth G. Priest, Sr., Kenway Boats originally manufactured wooden boats of its own design. The next two decades of operation realized the evolution of fiberglass boats and other fiberglass recreational and domestic products. Gradually, Kenway Boats’ reputation for excellence spread to industrial customers and requests for repairs and small fabrications interrupted the production of boats. Finally, in 1966, the decision was made to focus exclusively on these industrial clients and Kenway Boats was replaced by Kenway Corporation.

Custom work and custom service are what distinguish Kenway. Specializing in high value added composite manufacturing and field service, Kenway Corporation is strategically positioned to serve its customers by offering complete engineering and design capabilities so that it may bring both standard items as well as “one-off” special molded fabrications from the design phase, through the manufacturing phase, to the final on-site installation at the customer’s facility. Diversification efforts since 2000 have brought Kenway’s to a wide range of industries and has resulted in specialty marine contracts with companies like Brooklin Boatyard, Hodgdon Yachts, Hinckley Yachts, and Derecktor Shipyards, including parts from traditional sail and motor yacht hull and superstructures to waterjet intakes for high speed ferries, along with the formation of sister-company Maritime Marine, LLC (www.maritimeboats.com), manufacturer of 14-25 LOA family fishing boats. More recently, Kenway Corporation has partnered with Brooklin Boatyard, Rockport Marine, and former Lyman Morse President JB Turner to start Front Street Shipyard in Belfast, Maine where the focus will be yacht storage, service and custom builds, with the ability to handle projects exceeding 100’ LOA.

Today, Kenway Corporation, along with Maritime Marine, LLC, is a diversified composites manufacturing company serving a variety of markets but primarily focused on marine, renewable energy, pulp and paper, and the power industry while employing over (75) composite technicians, engineers, and associated staff. What links the company’s various business lines is: technologically advanced manufacturing techniques; products manufactured for exacting service applications; and the highest quality assurance procedures and processes.

At Kenway Corporation, Southport has found a new home, where Kenway’s diversity offers the composite manufacturing and engineering expertise to continue the boat building tradition started by Southport founders but where that diversity also offers the company financial strength long into the future.