Mike Joyce

Don’t Get Summer Time Blues,

buy a Hargrave Custom Yacht

Summer time is yachting time, don’t let another year pass without getting out on the water.

best,

Mike
mikejoyce@hargrave.org

HARGRAVE PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE

From the desk of Mike Joyce

LURSSEN LAUNCHES WORLD’S LARGEST YACHT AT 590′

I find it mind boggling to read that Lurssen just launched the largest yacht in the world, and did not go broke in the process.  I know how difficult it is to manage the little 100′-130′ projects we build and to see this yard continue to launch one record breaking yacht after another with complex and complicated interiors that are beyond description is truly amazing. With designers, engineers, project managers, attorneys, and owners all demanding nothing less than perfection I am simply amazed to see what they accomplish. I can see why the most successful people in the world wait in line to build a Lurssen.

Here are a couple of articles from the internet on AZZAM’s launch:

Project Azzam Reappears at Lürssen

by Diane Byrne April 5, 2013

My yacht’s going to be bigger than yours!

by Daily Mail Reporter June 12, 2012

Thanks to Lürssen for sharing the photos of Azzam, taken by Klaus Jordan.

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Mike Joyce

 Most men don’t, you know.

In a few more days the Palm Beach Boat Show (March 21-24) will open and mark the final boat show of the 2012-2013 season for Hargrave. This is our last show this season to meet new friends and new owners and tell them the Hargrave story while guiding them through our custom built yachts that are on the resale market, showing them the finer points of each one, and explaining why we are so proud of the yachts we created for our owners.

I can tell you the reason I personally love boat shows is they are always filled with high energy encouraging the handful of enthusiastic “buyers,” running around the show every year, visiting lots of broker displays trying to decide whether to make an offer on boat A or should they buy boat B?

Visitors to the Hargrave display often ask me if I get tired of shows and my answer is, “I wish boat shows went on forever.” You see, I know from forty years of experience, boat shows are an exciting and supportive environment for anyone trying to make the decision to move up to the yachting lifestyle. I understand better than most people it’s a huge decision for every first time yacht owner and they need all the help they can get!

Most buyers don’t realize how big the decision is until the final moment, when it is time to sign the contract and stroke the check for the deposit; then they suddenly become overwhelmed with fear and doubt. They suddenly realize they are about to buy a yacht costing more than their home; more than the business they started forty years ago. In fact, for most people, it is the biggest personal decision they have ever made and, unfortunately, they forgot to even get permission before they started.

A few years ago I had the chance to ask Alexis Castorri, best selling author and one of the top sport psychologists in the world, why is it powerful men with a lot of money suddenly become confused and embarrassed; making up a whole host of excuses as to why they are not signing the offer? Why in many cases, they are rejecting a boat on survey after the seller agreed to fix all mechanical items on the survey?

I remember my surprise when Alexis listened carefully to the questions, thought for a minute, and said, “They didn’t have permission.” It went right over my head and my first thought was she was referring to the wife or someone else in his world. She then said slowly, “No …….. he didn’t give himself permission to buy the boat.”

Alexis proceeded to explain super high achievers in life, regardless of their careers, all paid a huge price to get to the top. They made a lifetime habit of denying themselves the pleasures and enjoyments most of us take for granted in order to reach the lofty goal they set for themselves. The only reason these men are able to accumulate the large amount money required to buy any yacht is they have said no to their dreams and impulses at least a hundred thousand times over the years. For emphasis, she described how many of these star performers in life had this discipline of denial drilled into them from early childhood.

“What you have to do Mike,” she said, “is get them to write out on a piece of paper that they give themselves permission to own and enjoy a yacht; then get them to sign it.” When I said I was afraid my clients would just laugh at me Alexis said “No, super achievers won’t laugh at all, in fact, most of them have signed similar pledges to themselves over the years.”

So, my advice to all potential buyers who hope to start living their dream is to write out this permission statement in your own handwriting on a 3×5 card, fill in your name, sign it, and carry it in your shirt pocket. Read it for 30 days before you come to any boat show and get ready for the greatest experience in your life.

The summer of 2013 is right around the corner and I am rooting for some of the “buyers” I have met this season to actually cross the finish line and begin their adventure of a lifetime on the water with their family and friends. For all the rest of you, who forgot to get permission, remember the boat show season starts again next fall. Make sure you get your permission slip written out this summer while you are watching the others having fun on their new boats!

“I, _______________, hereby give myself permission to invest in a new yacht, and to allow myself, my family, and friends, to enjoy the ultimate experience on the water. I not only give myself permission to use the money from my savings at this time and for this purpose, but I further give myself permission to make any changes necessary to my schedule during the summer months to enjoy this God given opportunity to the fullest.”
Signed _____________.

Best,

Michael Joyce / CEO
954-683-9800
mikejoyce@hargrave.org

P.S. Could this be the year for you to move ahead with your dreams and find that perfect boat or the next boat for you and your family?

Stop by Hargrave and say hello at the Palm International Boat Show. You won’t believe what we’ve been up to the past few years!

Click here for Hargrave’s Display Line Up at the 2013 Palm beach International Boat Show

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Mike Joyce

HERE’S WHY MARCH MATTERS TO YOU TOO

Do you know what happened eleven days ago? The Miami Yacht Show ended on Monday February 18th, and during that five day show I saw more people who were seriously interested in moving up into the next level of yachting than I have seen in years, which is why I wanted this reminder message to go out today.

Miami 2013 – Joe DelVecchio, long time Hargrave yacht owner Chuck McGuirk, and Mike Di Condina aboard the exciting new 125′ Hargrave Raised Pilothouse GIGI II

You see, today is the first day of March, and March is a very important month for all of us here at Hargrave because we know after fifty years of hands on experience in the yachting business that if an owner is planning to enjoy the coming summer on a new yacht they need to be moving ahead in the next 60 days if they are going to have a dream experience and not wind up with just more aggravation in their life.

You and I both know that you can buy a yacht on the internet or over the phone in 60 minutes or less including signing contracts and wiring deposits. However, finding the perfect yacht that matches your dreams and your vision for the future takes more time and is not something that can be rushed. Hopefully you understand that buying the wrong boat can be very expensive, and perhaps more important, can ruin your experience on the water and possibly drive you out of boating.

All the important steps involved in producing a world class experience for you as the owner – properly identifying what makes and models will serve you best, negotiating, surveying, purchasing the yacht, equipping, staffing, servicing, and even trip planning – it all takes time if you do it right. That’s why I tell clients they need sixty days minimum to do it right, and up to ninety days if they are making any significant changes or improvements.

Timely Advice from your goal should be to have your boat ready to head out on your next adventure no later than the end of May, and that means we should be sitting down together in the next few weeks.

WANT THE FACTS? – SCHEDULE A VIP VISIT
It’s worth your time to fly into Fort Lauderdale for an overnight and we promise to not only educate you on what your options are for a potential purchase, but also walk you through the entire ownership experience from the day you buy a boat until the day you sell it and even go through the budget options for your size range so you can begin to connect all the dots.

Every Hargrave owner will tell you that finding the best crew is the secret to happiness in yachting

Did you ever wonder why so many people charter their boat? We’ll cover that too during your VIP visit. We will show you the ins and outs of the charter business, tell you about the obvious benefits like income, write offs, and yachting longevity, and we’ll even explain the problems associated with chartering so that you can make the best decision for your particular case.

WHAT IS YOUR “QTR SCORE”?
During the boat show Dudley Dawson, former head of design and engineering for Hatteras and long time contributing editor for Yachting Magazine, asked me if I knew what my QTR Score was? He proceeded to explain that if you are anywhere near our age, your personal physician will tell you, if asked, what your Quality Time Remaining is. For some of us that number is way more important that worrying about all the things we see on the TV news programs every night.

Ask yourself this question – are you ready for a world class adventure this summer? Would you be prepared to invest a little time with us in order to decide if this is your year to step up to the very best in yachting? If so call us or send an email and we will arrange a time to sit down together ASAP and show you what Hargrave can do to help make your dream to reality.

Best,
Mike

Stop by Hargrave and say hello at the Palm International Boat Show. You won’t believe what we’ve been up to the past few years!
Click here for Hargrave’s Display Line Up at the 2013 Palm beach International Boat Show

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Joyce Phillips

HARGRAVE LOVES CLASSIC BOATS

“Like a good neighbor” Hargrave Yachts pitched to help clean the beautiful Hacker Craft in front of our display at the Miami Yacht Show this month when some exhaust soot from one of our yachts became a problem during the recent Miami Yacht Show. Hargrave CEO Mike Joyce has owned lots of antique and classic boats over the years and he was excited to see the latest offering from Hacker Craft in front of our display at the Miami Yacht Show. Turns out there was a problem with the shore power cutting in and out on our biggest yacht so the generator was running to supply electricity causing an annoying problem with soot drifting over to the Hacker. Follow me now on this one – Mike Bresnahan who runs our display is co-owner of the Admiral’s Inn Restaurant in the 1000 Islands. He gets pressed into helping the woman running the Hacker display and finds out she has been to his restaurant and introduces her to Mike’s wife Jan Joyce. Jan is the president of the 1000 Islands Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society and she learns the woman, Marsha Smith, at Hacker Craft is the president of the Lake George ACBS Chapter. Small world!!

Jan Joyce and Marsha Smith, Chapter Presidents for The Antique and Classic Boat Society Inc.

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Mike Joyce

THREE TIPS TO GET THE BEST DEAL AT A BOAT SHOW

Here are three tips to taking advantage of the boat show setting and get the best possible deal on the right boat for you. Getting a low price on the wrong boat is not a deal at all.

TIP 3. BRING YOUR CHECKBOOK
When a seller decides to put his boat in a boat show he recognizes that it is a short window of time, and he knows from past experience that buyers will be at the show, and he has to be ready to respond to offers or the buyer will wander down the dock to the next boat. The pressure is on the sellers and their brokers with both of them scrambling to try to put your offer together in any way possible.

Buyers sometimes mistakenly assume that all sellers will be even more motivated later, but often times when the boat doesn’t sell at the show the owner shifts gears in his own mind and begins planning his cruising schedule for next summer. If you’re looking for a deal on a boat don’t miss the opportunity to use the pressure of a boat show to your advantage. Bring your checkbook and don’t be afraid to make the offer on the spot.

TIP 2. DO YOUR BOAT SHOW GAME PLAN AHEAD OF TIME

Don’t just walk into the show and wander around. You’ll get overwhelmed and miss a lot of great boats. Instead, go on line to the boat show web site a few weeks ahead of time where they will have posted a list of all the boats that will be on display. Look down the list and check off which boats might fit your requirements. We are fortunate that Show Management runs the three major shows we attend – Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Palm Beach and they have a ton of content on line to help visitors. Here is their link for boats in the upcoming Miami Show: http://bit.ly/BoatsAtMiamiShow2013

Once you get to the show pick up a program showing all the dock locations and start planning your day. Save any tents or indoor displays for later when it could be raining or too hot, and hit the boats first when the weather is right. Get the list of boats at the show and circle the ones that fit your requirements for price, features, and brands. Unusually 70% of the boats you want to see are in the same area of the show so do those first before you start walking to the extreme edges of the show.

If you get on a boat you like, bring your camera and take a few snapshots to help you remember later. After you have seen a coupe dozen boats it is hard to sort them out from memory later.

TIP 1. WRITE OUT WHAT YOU WANT
This is really the most important step because if you’re like most of us, you’ve probably been thinking about getting a new boat for a while, looking in magazines and wandering around boat shows, but never stopped to really analyze exactly what you want to do with you next boat and which boats fit your requirements.

If you spend just one hour with a pad and pen to start writing down what you want to do with your next boat you will be amazed at how quickly it clarifies your thinking and helps you to narrow down your search. Suddenly instead of there being “thousands” of boats out there to consider you will find there are really only a few.

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS — EVALUATION MATRIX
I have a matrix form that I use with clients where we list the top five requirements going down the left column, what I call the “must have” features, and then add another five or so that would be nice to have but not mandatory. Then across the top of the page you list the manufacturers in that niche that might be a fit. I tell my clients to follow “The Law of Three” and start with the top three selling brands (this will help with liquidity when you want to get out later) in that niche that have most of the features you want and then if you have to, add another 4-5 other brands to get the big picture. Once you have that diagrammed out and set you parameters for price range, speed, draft, number of cabins, etc. you’ll find that instead of being overwhelmed by the hundreds of boats at the show you’ll suddenly see that there are probably a dozen or less boats that could possibly fill your requirements.

AUTO INDUSTRY TIP
In the auto business they always tell you to go negotiate your deal on the last day of the month because dealers have huge incentives to meet their volume commitment to the manufacturers. Dealers are on high alert looking for the people who show up on the last day of the month because they know most of them brought their checkbook with them. The deal go get on the last day of the month will always be better than the deal you get the next week; it’s just how it works.

Boat shows present similar opportunities for knowledgeable buyers. When you watch this process over several decades you can clearly see that the odds are really stacked in the buyers favor and it is a great time to make an offer.

MEET PETER COLAGIOVANNI, MIKE DICONDINA, AND MIKE JOYCE AT MIAMI THIS YEAR

“Carpe Diem” is the name of one of my boats and it is good advice for you – SEIZE THE DAY!!

Best,

Mike Joyce

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Peter Colagiovanni

 FYI: Key Biscayne Show on Channel 77 is featuring Hargrave Yachts

Channel 77 on Key Biscayne is featuring Hargrave Yachts for the upcoming Miami Boat Show on the FYI: Key Biscayne Show.

The show will air at various times over a one week time period.  www.keybiscayne.fl.gov/ on the internet to receive the live stream of Channel 77 Live.

(click “Channel 77 Live” in the green section for the live stream)

All the best,

Peter

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Mike Joyce

MIKE JOYCE GOES BACK TO THE FUTURE!!

A lifetime ago I was in the music business in New York and now through a quirk of fate I am going back in time to produce an album one of the most talented artists I knew back then and someone who should have been a star. I will be in Muscle Shoals, Alabama on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week to help edit and mix the final recordings for my friend Ed Wool, whose band I used to produce back in 1966-1968 for RCA, Cameo Parkway, and Diamond Records. Ed has maintained his passion for music and has experienced a resurgence in popularity , recently winning one of the top regional blue competitions in the country as well as having his ABC Paramount album WOOL re-released. Ed is playing and singing as well as he did back then, which is amazing to me and his new material is really impressive.

The session will be completed at one of the most historic recording studios in the country, Muscle Shoals Sound Studios where artists like the Rolling Stones, Traffic, Elton John, Bob Dylan, and Dr. John came looking for that blues sound that can only be found in the deep south. This is where Bob Seger came to record Old Time Rick & Roll, Paul Simon recorded Love Me Like a Rock, and the Stones recorded Brown Sugar and Wild Horses. Needless to say we are hoping some of the magic is still in the room!

The basic recordings were done with Ed’s band earlier this month at Sub Cat Studios in Syracuse when Muscle Shoals Sound Studio owner/engineer Noel Webster flew up to handle getting the tracks laid in the way he wanted so we can then run the recordings through the magic console they have in Muscle Shoals. Much of what we call “the sound” has to do with the equipment used to mix down the tracks and then master it into the final recording. there is quite a story just related to the historic “board” at MSS.

Instead of an airplane, I will be picked up by Michael J. Fox in the BACK TO THE FUTURE automobile for my trip back in time. The music days were a fun time for me, and I am looking forward to the experience.

I’ll bring back copies of the final recordings and some photos. I’m sure these records will be collector’s items!

This will be fun!!

Mike

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Mike Joyce

Is this a new Guinness World Record??

I recently went on a cruise through the canals of Fort Lauderdale on the 80′ Hargrave NEVER QUIT with owner Steve Thompson and a group of top producers for Ambit Energy which is based out of Dallas, Texas.  (Ambit is one of the fastest growing companies on the INC. 500 list, and the gold standard in the energy reselling industry.)  Steve was running live webinars for his team members around the country on Friday and Saturday and took “everyone” for a cruise through “The Venice of America” at 2 p.m.  Hargrave sales executive Herman Pundt who was also aboard for the cruise pointed to the video camera set up on the bridge deck and said there were over 500 live connections and I thought to myself “Hey, if there are only two people on each hookup there are probably 1,000 people on this cruise.” Now that has to be some kind of a record!  I wondered if we were responsible for providing virtual life jackets??

Click on thumbnail to enlarge

Best,

Mike

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Mike Joyce

The best Veterans Day story we received….

I think if you are old enough you probably have some family members or close friends who served in one of the many wars that our country has been involved in over the years. I went to Bordentown Military in New Jersey when I was a kid and grew up with young men who turned into real heroes, many of whom are still with us and others who names appear on “The Wall” in Washington, D.C..

It seems like the only time you read much about our heroes is on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. It is a time to reflect and a time to share those stories, and the one that really stood out this year is the one I received from Pat Rybovich about her dad Tommy Rybovich who was Jack Hargrave’s boss when he worked for that iconic builder. Those WW II veterans really were the greatest generation to people my age and hopefully my generation will be for younger Americans.

My grandparents sent all three of their sons off to fight WWII. My dad, Tommy, and his brothers put aside their dream of creating the world’s first luxury sportfishing boat to respond to the call of duty. A small town kid who didn’t know how to drive a car, my dad found himself in the role of B-17 bomber pilot. Like many of those of this greatest generation, he didn’t discuss his experience and refused to be called a hero. His response was a simple, “Just doing my job.”

Tommy Rybovich’s “Sweet Pea” called the most damaged B-17 to ever make it back home.
It was hit over Debreczen Hungary, on September 31, 1944. This photo was taken on its return to the Air Base in Foggia, Italy

I’ve just discovered a remarkable book written by B-17 bombardier Jack R. Myers who tells his first-hand account of the harrowing journey of Sweet Pea. Here’s a brief synopsis taken from Shot At And Missed:

“While we were gathered around our plane counting the holes someone called out, “Here comes Sweet Pea.” We couldn’t believe it. Everyone had given up on Sweet Pea over the target. With the damage we had seen, we were sure it would be impossible for her to hold together for 600 miles back from Debreczen. But here she came, straight on in. The landing gear was down but the tail wheel was up. They made a perfect landing on the ground to the side of the runway. The midsection was almost blown in two, with only a small strip of metal at the top and the bottom holding it together. As they landed she slowly twisted and the rear half almost separated.

2nd Lt. Guy Miller and 2nd Lt. Tommy Rybovich did an unbelievable job in flying Sweet Pea back. The pilots could not see the damage from their positions in the cockpit, and they were as surprised as we were when they saw the damage they had sustained Ordinarily they would have all bailed out. It was extremely dangerous flying the plane the way it was. However with wounded aboard Lt. Miller and Lt. Tommy Rybovich decided to go as far as they could before ordering the crew to hit the silk. Any moment the plane could have come apart, which would have sent the front section spinning to the ground with little chance of escape for the crew.

Most of the controls were shot out, so the rudder, ailerons, and elevators were of little use. Flying the plane was similar to driving an automobile with no steering wheel and no brakes. By a stroke of luck all four engines were working, so they steered with the engines. To turn left they cut power on the left engines and gave power to right engines. To lose altitude they cut power on all engines.

During the flight down the Italian coast, Sgt. McGuire said he was in the waist throwing out loose debris when a P-38 flew alongside of them and observed the damage. The P-38 pilot obviously couldn’t believe his own eyes as he kept shaking his head in disbelief that they were still airborne.

The pilots were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Sweet Pea was called the most damaged B-17 to ever fly back from a target and make it back to its base.” From Shot At And Missed

On Veterans Day we thank the men and women Veterans of both war and peacetime for devoting their lives to a cause greater than themselves. It’s been said that in war there are no unwounded soldiers. With heartfelt thanks to our Veterans for this ultimate gift,

PS: Please excuse my silence but these days I’m consumed with the job of writing the screenplay. You won’t be surprised to learn that my dad’s Sweet Pea plays a part of the soul-stirring Rybovich story.

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Mike Joyce

 The “Smiles” were out at Hargrave!

It was raining cats and dogs on Thursday but there were lots of smiles on display at Hargrave.

We had so many attractive girls at Hargrave guys were stopping just to have their pictures taken.

Great opening day. Our owners turned out in forces, and some came from as far away as Australia to attend the show!!

All the best,

Mike

PS: Stop by Hargrave and say hello at the Lauderdale Boat Show. You won’t believe what we’ve been up to the past few years!

Click here for Hargrave’s Display Line Up at the 2012 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Mike Joyce

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN BACK STAGE
BEFORE A ROLLING STONES CONCERT?

I spent my early career in the rock music business back in the 1960′s, and the energy level in Lauderdale right now is at a fever pitch and reminds me of the electricity in the air 20 minutes before superstars like The Stones take the stage. You can feel it, and when I look at the boat yards all over town stuffed with boats getting ready for the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show I can feel the energy that will literally be transferred with those boats to the clients visiting the displays.

The largest boat show in the world opens in a matter of days here in Ft. Lauderdale and while I was out at the Roscioli Yachting Center, I was amazed as I watched the workers performing their annual miracle of somehow getting all the yachts into show condition at the same exact time. E&E Carpet Service was trying to install carpeting throughout our new Hargrave 125′ and new Hargrave 114′ while carpenters, electronic techs, marble gurus, etc. were crawling all over the yachts. When asked if it will get done in time Ed replied, “Don’t worry Mike, we always get it done. You’ll be happy.”

The reason Ft. Lauderdale dominates the marine industry is the astounding amount of talented craftsmen in this town who magically appear when needed and then somehow meet impossible deadlines consistently. I’ve delivered new yachts all over the world and I can get more done in a day in this town than I can in a week elsewhere. Sometimes I just get totally exasperated and phone back to Lauderdale and tell them to put a swat team on the plane to fly out and break through the log jams. These guys are the secret weapon that always make us look good and make our Hargrave owner so happy.

See you at the show next week!!

Best,

Michael Joyce / CEO
954-683-9800
mikejoyce@hargrave.org

P.S. Could this be the year for you to move ahead with your dreams and find that perfect boat or the next boat for you and your family?

Stop by Hargrave and say hello at the Lauderdale Boat Show. You won’t believe what we’ve been up to the past few years!

Click here for Hargrave’s Display Line Up at the 2012 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Mike Joyce

A SALUTE TO OUR CREWS

Every year as our Hargrave fleet prepares to sail in all directions for the summer season, I have to stop and recognize how fortunate we are as a builder to have such great crew running our yachts. The summer season in yachting is like the Super Bowl or the World Series for our Hargrave crews – it’s all on the line, it’s flat out, it’s winners and losers, and there are no makeovers.

Whether it is bringing you’re A game to handle back-to-back charters out of Newport with six hours for the turn around, or driving one family group to the airport in Maine to fly out and waiting for the next group to arrive with a genuine smile on your face, the owner’s fragile dream that hold this entire industry together is safe in your hands.

When those demanding charters go down without a hitch, the dream stays alive. When you show that extra patience and deal good-naturedly with children diving off the fly bridge unannounced, or deal lovingly with a favorite grandchild who was creating a surprise drawing for Grandma on the walls of her master suite, your actions and reactions every summer somehow justifies the staggering amount of money the owners and their wives spend to own and operate these yachts.

Sometimes for the newer crew members I’m sure it must feel like you’ve been kidnapped by Ringling Brothers and that this “circus” will be on the road for eternity. When you find your stress level getting high, when you find yourself thinking that you almost lost it a few minutes ago with a guest onboard, or you begin to suspect that one of your “teammates” is not playing with a full deck of cards, then force yourself go outside, walk up to the bow deck, and then lean over the rail and inhale deeply and smell the seaweed!

It may not seem like it now, but one day you’ll be stranded on shore with the rest of us. You’ll be trapped by the quicksand of everyday life and begin to finally understand how lucky you were back then, for you really were that one in a thousand in our industry who actually went to sea and lived the dream.  What you will eventually come to realize is that only two people ever get the chance to experience the incredible adventure of sailing around the world aboard a yacht – you and the owner. The places you’ve seen, the things you’ve experienced, and the people you’ve met along the way really are priceless.

So while you are out on deck getting some fresh air and trying to gather your wits about you, start thinking of a great opening line you can use years from now when you are sitting there with your grandchildren and you pull out your dusty photo album and start telling them about your adventures at sea in what will begin to seem like another lifetime to you. Come up with some killer line, you know, something memorable like, “I once had a farm in Africa”.

—-Michael Joyce, CEO | mikejoyce@hargrave.org

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE WITH THE HELP OF OUR CREWS!”

IN THE NEWS

Former Hargrave owner Matt Sawyer just featured in Showboats Magazine profile. We have always been proud of the people we work for. “When you have great owners like Matt it makes it easy to get up and go to work each morning” said Hargrave president Mike DiCondina.

Matt is the former owner of the 94′ Hargrave Sky Lounge GOLDEN BOY. Matt and GOLDEN BOY were featured in the May 2006 issue of POWER & MOTORYACHT.

Click for full article

HARGRAVE CUSTOM YACHTS – “PROVIDING A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE”

From the desk of Mike Joyce

The best part of my job, hanging out with boaters!

My wife, Jan, and I spent the night with Hargrave owner, Steve Thompson, aboard the NEVER QUIT when he stopped at the Albany, NY Yacht Club.

Walking up to NEVER QUIT I thought, “You forget how big these yachts look once they get out of Fort Lauderdale!”

The Albany Yacht Club is one of the oldest yacht clubs in the country. It is within sight of the New York Capitol Building.

Best,

Michael Joyce / CEO

mikejoyce@hargrave.org

PS: Need a Hargrave to hang out on? Let’s talk!

HARGRAVE PROVIDES A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE

From the desk of Mike Joyce

One of my more embarrassing moments…

There I was, stuck in the fumes of a high performance Cigarette boat, just behind his stern and not only couldn’t I do anything about it; it was my idea… well sort of.

You see I’d fired up our 1964 25-foot wood lap-strake Lyman for a morning spin on the St. Lawrence River and it did its usual thing. It started up just fine but then 10 minutes later after hitting a small wave, the engine sputtered and finally just died, leaving me floating in my Lyman looking for help.

Now, I’ll admit this Lyman is not at the top of the antique boat pedigree list but it’s one of my true loves and just like you I spend money on the things I love. I’ve spent buckets of money on this beauty over the years, restoring it from a pile of parts sitting in a friend’s front yard.

Mike & Jan with their 25′ 1964 Lyman at the Clayton, NY village dock

My nephew Mike DiCondina has often pointed out that I could have had a brand new fully functional replica built for less. His other suggestion, which in hind sight was actually a good one, was to just truck the boat down to Rybovich in Palm Beach and have them restore it.

So there I was adrift when, Frank, a neighbor came by in his less than classy, but fully operational, Cigarette boat, and offered me a tow. And I accepted.

Then, as I was hooking up the tow rope, I had an idea, a way to at least get some benefit from my embarrassment at having to be towed.

I told Frank, to tow us by John’s dock on the face of Round Island, even though it wasn’t the most direct course to my dock. Frank, of course asked why. To which I replied, “That’s the guy who used to own CARPE DIEM and he sold it because it kept breaking down on him and I just want to let him know he did the right thing when he got rid of it.”

Sometimes when you own a boat you need a sense of humor, and most of the time I manage to keep mine.

The truth is, whether you’re out in your Hargrave, or running around in an antique Lyman skiff, boats aren’t a necessity for most of us. That is unless you’re talking about your sanity.

And while it’s true my wife and I need a boat to get back and forth to our island home in the Thousand Islands where I spend my summers, I love it there because it gives me a chance to just mess around in boats and to be on the water every day. I have a small navy: wood, fiberglass, aluminum, inboard, outboard, you name it. And I love every one of them – problems and all!

Which is what boating is all about, having fun on the water.

Want to have more fun this year out on the water?

Let’s talk.
Best,

Michael Joyce / CEO
954-683-9800
mikejoyce@hargrave.org

P.S. It turns out that before I bought the boat a rag had fallen into the fuel tank when all the hardware had been removed so someone could strip, stain, and varnish the decks. Depending on the slosh of the gas in tank, the rag would eventually hit the fuel pickup tube and shut off the gas. Then when the pressure on the fuel line would drop the boat would restart and run until the next event. Once I took out the fuel tank and removed the rag, problem solved. (This summer I flew up Fritz Cramer, the top varnish guru in Fort Lauderdale, and CARPE DIEM is looking like a new boat again!)

HARGRAVE PROVIDES A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE

From the desk of Mike Joyce

BILL COSBY GOES 0-100 WITH MIKE & JAN

Watertown, NY Concert is a sell out

Bill Cosby flew into Watertown International Airport for a special benefit performance Saturday night and performed for 100 minutes straight with only one sip of water. Cosby took the packed house on a hysterical trip down memory lane, and built to a crescendo finish that left the audience in tears with laughter.

Hargrave CEO, Mike Joyce and his wife, Jan, attended the Cosby concert in Watertown, NY on Saturday night as part of their support for the Disabled Persons Action Organization (D.P.A.O.) Concert Series started by Mike’s long time friend, Joe Rich. Mike said, “Cosby never missed a beat and gave an inspired performance.”

HARGRAVE PROVIDES A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE 

From the desk of Mike Joyce

COULD THIS BE THE PERFECT “LEMONADE” FOR YOU TO ENJOY DURING THIS HOT SUMMER

There is a wise old adage that says “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” In today’s world it almost seems as if big government and big banks are conspiring against the conservative people in our society who worked hard all their lives and saved their money. Some expert are now predicting it is only a matter of time before banks stop paying interest and begin charging a fee to hold onto your money! Maybe it is time for you to invest in a fun asset like a yacht and start enjoying your money on the water instead of watching some banker or investment guru’s shredding your hard earned savings!

Best,

Michael Joyce / CEO

mikejoyce@hargrave.org

P.S. Lemons are sour it’s true. Add a little sugar and you’ve got a delicious drink. You could say the same about water. It’s all wet, but add a Hargrave and it can be all fun.

P.P.S. Call me for my favorite lemonade recipe or to find out how to sweeten up your life with the right boat.

HARGRAVE PROVIDES A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE

Mike Joyce

“The Housing Bubble Has Fully Corrected”

 And what does that mean in the world of yachting?

When I read that statement from a trusted news source, Trend Magazine, it really snapped me to attention because I know how closely the boating industry is connected to the housing industry.

You see, the boating industry, myself included, was shocked to find out just how closely the boating industry mirrored the housing industry during this “Great Recession” that began back in 2007.

I bring this up because there have been some very positive changes in the housing industry that are now showing up in the boating industry. My wife, Jan, is a broker with Intercoastal Realty, the waterfront specialists here in Ft. Lauderdale, and their numbers have been surging up every month for the past six months.

Have you been postponing your decision to buy a boat, hoping to avoid getting in just when the market takes another drop? I don’t blame you. Making a timing mistake like that could be expensive when you are talking about buying a yacht because you are talking about a serious investment and who wants to find they made the wrong decision and lost thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars?

The Trends Magazine article on real estate, which snapped me to attention, makes the surprising prediction that housing is now once again a good investment:

“Since the peak of the housing bubble in June 2006, prices have been steadily falling. From June 2007 to December 2008, the national average home price declined by a 13.8 percent average annual rate. Since then, the average price has been slipping by an average of 4.4 percent per year. As a result, housing prices are now at levels not seen since October 2002.

 For any type of investment, prices are determined by a complex mix of factors. In the case of the housing market, the primary factors are underlying fundamentals, investors’ access to capital, and investor psychology.

 When the house of cards collapsed, just as the Trends editors forecast it would, housing prices, access to capital, and investor confidence all plummeted. However, we are now at the precise point when housing is becoming a sound investment again, for three reasons:

1.       The underlying fundamentals show that prices are finally returning to the level at which homes can be bought at a good value.

 2.       Investor psychology has not yet caught up to this new reality. Put simply, most people still haven’t overcome the trauma of seeing their property values collapse as though their homes were built on quicksand.

3.       Even though credit remains tight, there’s a benefit to the scarcity of this resource: The competition for choice properties is virtually non-existent.

The combination of these three factors means that there are plenty of bargains for people who are both ready and able to buy, and yet relatively few people are willing to take advantage of the opportunity. Supply is up, demand is low, and it’s a perfect buyer’s market.”

What I am telling you, and all my friends and Hargrave owners, is that we are seeing similar positive changes in the underlying conditions in the yachting industry.

Banks are back in the game big time with financing readily available at 20% down and the lowest low rates in decades. In fact, banks are now able to turn around jumbo loans in a week or less if you have all your paperwork in order.

Yacht prices have declined across the board during this recession (no more selling a boat for 100% of what you paid after using it for it five years, remember those good old days??) and whether you are talking about a 13′ Whaler or 130′ motoryacht, sellers are now onboard with the new reality and ready to reach out once again to help put deals together.

The supply of vessels on the used market is relatively high at the moment because so many buyers are hesitant to take that last step so you can still find the boat of your dreams at a price you will be happy to pay. And if you prefer the idea of a new boat with full warranty and all the latest technology onboard, then prices are really attractive right now for the same reason.

Why not call Mike DiCondina or Pete Colagiovanni today? Give them fifteen minutes to walk you through what’s happening in the market and explain why this summer may be the right time to finally start living your dream.

There is an old adage along the waterfront that, “There’s a time to fish and a time to mend nets”, and you were certainly right to wait out this downturn, but I think when you get done talking with Mike or Pete you’ll agree that the time to start fishing again for your dream boat is now.

A fifteen minute phone call could wind up saving you $250,000 or more.

Michael Joyce / CEO

mikejoyce@hargrave.org

HARGRAVE PROVIDES A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE

Mike Joyce

“Why on earth would I buy a new boat?”

“I don’t even have time to use the boat I have now!”

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that remark from a prospect at a boat show I could retire right now! I always make a point to ask what they mean by that statement and they proceed to describe their career, and all the pressures and responsibilities that are part of their world, and then say with a sad face “I’d really love a new boat Mike but I would never be able to use it.”

If you’re in boating you know just the guy I am talking about. You see some boats that are going out week after week loaded with family and friends having fun on the water while other boats just rock gently in their slips as neighbors’ remark, “Gee I hope everything is ok with Fred, he hasn’t been here in more than a month.”

Why is it that some people see to be able to enjoy fully all that they have accomplished in life while others seem to be trapped by their success, circling the globe, piling up money, but somehow, never smiling, never stopping long enough to catch their breath? I used to be one of those busy people, turning down offers to cruise Europe, South America, and Asia, because I could not leave my business for a second. And then it happened, someone stopped long enough to tell me “The Secret” and my life has never been the same since. Maybe this story will help you.

The Secret by Mike Joyce

I used to own a boatyard in the 1,000 Islands in the 60’s and 70’s and had some of the best times in my life back then. I was sad when I finally sold the business after ten years and went to work for Jack Hargrave in Palm Beach. For the next five years I worked really hard to establish myself and never even made it back for a visit, and then in later years I would go for a long weekend over the 4th of July and Labor Day weekends.

That was my pattern until one day in August of 1992 when I ran into Bob Cox who was our mayor here in Ft. Lauderdale and also owned the Lauderdale Marina. But I really knew Bob the best as one of those “rich summer people” who came to the 1000 Islands in early summer and stayed until fall. I have to be honest, when I lived up there I was really jealous of those “rich summer people”, they all just seemed so happy and gay, I felt like I was watching a scene out of the Great Gatsby movie with Robert Redford.

All of that changed that fateful day in August when I was standing outside the Antique Boat Museum dressed in a sport coat and tie getting ready to go to the Syracuse airport and Bob Cox came out of the Museum and asked what I was doing. I said I was flying back to work in Ft. Lauderdale and he asked in all seriousness “Why?”

I said because I didn’t know his “secret”, how he could own a business in Florida and yet spend his summers in the 1000 Islands. Bob looked at me with that big smile of his and asked, “Mike would really you like to know my secret?” I assured him I would and he took me over to a bench where we sat down and he looked me right in the eyes and then asked, “If I tell you the secret will you listen?” I assured him I would!

At that moment Bob leaned in close, lowered his voice, and then almost whispered, “Here’s the secret – there’s never a good time to leave your business Mike – ever!” In that flash of a second I understood exactly what he meant.

Bob told me that back in the 1950’s he made up his mind that he would spend each summer on the St. Lawrence River with his wife and children, and whatever the price of that decision was, he was prepared to pay it. For sixty years now he has done that. He told me in great detail about the early years when every time he went to pack up the car there was always some crisis, some emergency that tried to hold him back, but every summer he went.

As he got up to walk away Bob looked back and said, “Mike, there’s never a good time to leave for the River, one day you just make up your mind you’re going to go, and you go.” For 19 years now Jan and I have spent every summer on the River with family and friends, and just as Bob promised, many summers were filled with emergencies, crises, and problems that tried to hold me back but failed because I now had the magic secret. Success is a journey not a destination and our happiness only comes in those moments when we stop long enough to enjoy the blessings we have. Thank you Bob Cox!!

Michael Joyce, CEO
mikejoyce@hargrave.org

For additional information and photos of the Thousand Islands check out my friend, Ian Coristine’s, One in a Thousand Interactive eBook

HARGRAVE PROVIDES A BETTER BOATING EXPERIENCE