It was great to see many local marine industry representatives joining in the celebration. Soon after the studio was set up, guests began arriving to be part of the show and to wish Stuart Yacht another 40 years of continued success.
Owner Gregg Burdick spoke about many marine related items including: how the business started, his founding roles in the Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast and the Maritime and Classic Boat Museum, his experience working for the Bahamas Telecommunications Company, and more. Gregg was initially a little taken aback by the preshow blog title ("There's a Party at the End of the World") but when he stopped for a second and thought about it, he realized it was fitting since mariners and yachtsmen from all over the world have come to take advantage of his company's personal service and quality craftsmanship.
Shifting gears from the past and into the present, our listeners were introduced to the new general manager, Dave Astras, who is no stranger to the boating industry. Dave has some very specific plans on growing the business beyond the local scene and developing a presence in the global marine economy. All this from the shores of the South Fork of the St. Lucie River.
We had the pleasure of having a few words with Jay Coyle, editor at large for Yachting Magazine, who has been a longtime customer of Stuart Yacht. Also, stepping in was Bill Astras, David’s father who has just retired from his 'day job.' Bill was a captain for Jim Smith Boats (which are built in Stuart) and fished many tournaments in the Bahamas (and beyond).
Besides a Bahamas updates and a mention of local weekend events of interest, this week the grand finale was a recap of the Top 10 Snorkeling Destinations in the Caribbean (according to Frommer’s).
Gregg and Nancy, the muffins and coffee were great, as was the Italian spread for lunch! Thanks a million for inviting Talkin' Tourism to be part of the celebration!
For those of you who missed last Friday's show, you can listen now by downloading the audio file here.
See you on Friday for another hour full of tourism facts, news, and more!
