PORT TOWNSEND — Two longtime boat service companies are joining forces to form a new company in hopes that serving as a one-stop shop for boat maintenance and repairs will bring in more revenue in tough economic times.
Haven Boatworks — which performs a variety of maritime crafts, including woodwork, mechanical work and structural repair — has purchased Shoreline Marine Diesel, which specializes in engine construction and repair.
The purchase price is confidential, said former Shoreline owner Mark Jochems, who is now the manager of the engine department for the new company.
“I didn’t get my 20 zeros, but I have a job,” he said.
Haven has a large shop at the south end of the boat yard with room for several boats as heavy as 300 tons, while Shoreline is at the opposite end of the boat yard and has a much smaller shop.
The two will remain separate for the time being but may consolidate into Haven’s space later in the year, said Stephen Gale, who has been co-owner of Haven Boatworks with Julia Maynard since 2004.
The new combined company will offer a wide range of services, Gale and Jochems said.
Customers will see increased convenience, Jochems added.
“A customer might need a new engine and some bottom painting. Previously, they had to go to two different places,” he said.
“After this sale, they can come into the shop and get everything done at what it would cost them to do both jobs, or even a little less.”
Haven Boatworks did much of the work on the recent centennial restoration of the schooner Adventuress and has worked on many other vintage crafts, including the Carlisle II, an original Mosquito Fleet boat that operates as a passenger ferry between Port Orchard and Bremerton.
Shoreline has been operating since 1994 and is the authorized dealer for seven major engine lines.
“There are a lot of people around here who have tools and say they can fix engines,” Gale said.
“But Mark is the only one who has all these manufacturer contacts.”
The combined resources will allow both companies to tap markets in which they currently have little presence, Gale and Jochems said.
Jochems primarily has worked on pleasure boats but wants to branch out into the service of commercial craft.
Haven Boatworks, which fluctuates between 12 and 17 employees, has a majority of commercial customers but hasn’t been able to provide engine service and had to send customers somewhere else.
Shoreline was often the beneficiary of Haven’s referrals, but the customer had to then fit into Jochems’ schedule.
The consolidation means both arms of the company will have access to each other’s scheduling, so it will be easier to book a boat for top-to-bottom service.
The purchase was economically driven; both businesses feel that access to additional markets will bring in new revenue.
At its peak, Shoreline had five employees, including two mechanics.
“We make money on parts, but we make most of our money on labor,” Jochems said.
“I can make twice as much with two mechanics, but right now, I only have enough work for one.”
Jochems thought of selling the company outright or retiring but at 58 feels he is too young.
Said Gale: “The economy has been bad for a while, but if you have been in business for 20 years and a bad economy comes along, you don’t throw up your hands and give up.
“You try to weather it out.”
Jochems said the consolidation will allow him to focus his energies more effectively.
“When I have two mechanics, I’ll spend a lot of time in the office returning calls and doing all the things that need to be done,” he said.
“It is only later in the day that I can tear myself away and spend four hours on a boat giving it my undivided attention, having one engine to fix and fixing it well. I like that.”
A large market will be engine replacement.
Gale said he has a lot of customers who have big, beautiful old boats but who have postponed mechanical work.
The new partnership will provide a greater incentive to steer customers toward that needed repair.
“No matter how many times you replace an older engine, it won’t be as efficient as what you can get today,” Gale said.
“One of the incentives for getting a new engine is that you probably get a 50 percent fuel savings.”
For information about Haven Boatworks, visit www.havenboatworks.com or phone 360-385-5727.
Shoreline Marine Diesel information can be found at www.shorelinemarinediesel.com and 360-379-8344.
________
Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.