[I:http://www.uniquearticlewizard.com/extras/pics/skipperthumb0.jpg]
Never say anything when you are relaxing with a drink! Well, it was four years ago when those words slipped out of my mouth “shall we get a boat”.
It was answered with a momentary grunt. The following weekend, around about Christmas, I found myself in Southampton with a very excitable husband and two small children!
[I:http://www.uniquearticlewizard.com/extras/pics/skipperthumb1.jpg] “So, do you like the boat?” said the husband.
“Erm, I think I’d like to save up for a bigger boat” said I, thinking that was the end of that. But no the next weekend got worse. We drove to Phwelli (Wales) through the snow to view yet another boat. It was December, cold, wet, windy and well Welsh! However this time my interest was sparked, yes I could imagine myself on this boat, Champagne in hand lying on the sundeck catching the rays in some Mediterranean port. Hang on wake up, we are in Wales in what seemed like a gale and also it won’t be the Mediterranean but more like the Medway in Kent.
Okay …So this was our boating experience. We took a mooring on the Medway River as it was simple to get from our home, and then started to learn everything we might need to know. We loved it, the kids loved it, the dog appeared to loved it, and all was good for our weekend retreat and fun until . . .
“Can I say something” said my husband as he came back down the pontoon “Well, I’ve just bought the Shipwrights business” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . All these dots are my silent thoughts. The place we used to use as a ‘get away’ had just changed in my mind. Now it was going to be about staff & customers all trooping down that same pontoon to ask questions. Well, this of course actually wasn’t what happened and the Shipwrights began to grow and prosper more than I had imagined until . . . . .
“Hi again” said husband coming down the pontoon “I’ve just bought that Boat Chandlers” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *all those little star symbols are not silence but various none printable words.
So that’s how our new ventures began. The Chandlery was quickly moved to a larger building and we added a Bar and Caf which proved an instant hit with weekend boaters like ourselves, and also our very dear residents, who now constantly support us with the events we run and anything they can help out with. The bar now gives people a social area to congregate and have fun together and we now have a fantastic sense of community.
So our businesses were now expanding and I can say that Global Force started to take the Medway by Storm.
The empire did not stop there however. Although my husband stopped the “Hi, I’ve just bought the . . .” bit thank god! We expanded our marine engineers business to house the Volvo Penta Dealership in the Chandlery and also more recently we won the Yanmar Dealership. We also have a fantastic seamstress on site for canopies and upholstery. What she can’t do with material well can’t be done! We have turned the site into a thriving hub of activity offering a real one stop shop for boaters.
I am proud of the sense of community that has been created at our Globalforce Group of businesses. Yes, its been a challenge, and we are constantly striving to keep it all going forwards with new events all year round. We have a team of staff and friends who are very dedicated and always willing to go that extra mile to help out. It is greatly appreciated and I know that we are now able to pass this enthusiasm onto our customers.
But, just as I feel that we have gone that bit further, I muttered those famous words “Why don’t we get a boat”!
Do you have a motorboat, are thinking of purchasing a motorboat or what about a motorboat for hire. Well you should check out the skippers guide websiteMarine Directory, where you will find all your motorboating needs including marine engineers like GlobalforceMarine Engineers
