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Lake business news
Snug
Harbor offers the new Hunter Edge
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Starboard Cove Marina
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Lake Lanier Pumpout
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Captain Don Parent -
Lakehouse Antiques
Hunter introduces new fast sailing/cruiser; Lanier’s Snug Harbor
gets first in US
By Pamela A. Keene
 For
boaters who want the challenge of sailing and the convenience of a
power boat, the new Hunter Edge is just the ticket. Similar to the
MacGregor in design, it has a roller-furling headsail, almost six
feet of headroom in the cabin and a large cockpit for sailing or
cruising. It can be equipped with a 75 hp Evinrude outboard.
Snug Harbor, the official Hunter trailerable
dealership for the Southeast, recently sold hull No. 3, the first
retail boat; hull No. 1 is the prototype and hull No. 2 is the demo
boat. In mid-June, the representative from Hunter stopped by Snug
Harbor and Lanier for demo rides and to showcase the boat as part of
the national roll-out campaign.
“This is an amazing boat that’s so versatile,” said
Roger Aspinwall, who works at Snug Harbor. “It’s got a lot of
attractive features from the larger cockpit to the way the outboard
is mounted that recreational sailor/cruisers can really enjoy.”
Aspinwall has taken a special interest in the Hunter
Edge. “When Hunter was designing the boat, they came to us at Snug
Harbor for input about the design and to find out what sorts of
options people would like on this type of boat,” he said. “We
actually helped them come up with the name ‘The Edge’ because it has
an edge on the competition.”
The hybrid hull is 28 feet, 6 inches long and is
large enough to have a cabin with all the amenities of comfortable
cruising with the convenience and safety of positive flotation and
trailer-ability. The water line length is 24’2” and the draft is
only slightly over a foot.
The dimensions allow The Edge to be trailered, with a
total towing weight of less than 5,000 pounds with the standard
aluminum trailer and optional 50 hp engine. It can also handle a 75
hp motor. The boat has a kick-up center board and single-lifting
rudder that retracts when sailing and almost disappears when
motoring, eliminating drag from the centerboard and the rudder when
motoring at high speeds.
“Hunter has created a boat to cater to both motor
boaters and sailors alike,” said Hunter Marine’s Vice President of
Sales and Marketing John Peterson. “The Edge is the perfect solution
for motor boaters who want to try sailing and for families who
cannot agree on what type of boating is best for them at this stage
of their lives.”
For more information, visit
www.snugharborboats.com or call 770-831-0403. Snug Harbor is
located at 3017 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. in Buford.
Starboard Cove responding to lake levels – again; Marina, sales,
service and gas dock still open
By Pamela A. Keene
With lake levels dropping, Starboard Cove Marina is
again pulling boats for its slipholders. Its gas dock, sales and
service operations are open for business.
“Since it’s summer and the levels are still low, some
of our tenants have asked us to pull their boats to take to other
marinas,” said Michael Duling, manager of Starboard Cove Marina.
“They’re asking us to hold their slip for the return of normal water
levels and are leaving their deposits, but because of the season
they want to use their boats, so we’re doing what we can to help.”
Duling said that the marina recently submitted a
request for dredging to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “It’s
pending, but we’re hoping to be able to dredge this fall when water
levels are lower,” he said. “The lower the water, the easier – and
more affordable – it is. We want to take advantage of the lower
levels to be prepared if levels drop this low again.”
Starboard Cove Marina is home to Lake Lanier Yacht
Sales, which sells Cruiser Yachts, and Harbor Marine and Associates,
which offers service.
“It’s important that people know we’re still in
business,” Duling said. “Our tenants have assured us that they want
to come back here when the lake levels return.”
‘Stinky’
brings the pump-out to your slip
By Pamela A. Keene
 It’s
OK to call “Stinky” when your holding tank needs a pump out. That’s
the name of the Carolina skiff owned by Pat Paulk, currently serving
tenants at Holiday Marina with portable pump-out services.
“Right now we can pump out for anyone at Holiday
Marina, but we’re looking to expand,” said Paulk, who also works in
the steel construction business in the Southeast. “After looking at
what’s available on Lake Lanier, I realized there was an opportunity
to start a pump-out business, so here we are.”
Paulk has been in business since mid-May at Holiday.
He is approaching other marinas to provide the service to their
tenants. Regulations for businesses on the lake must follow certain
guidelines and be approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “We
have to stay within the confines of Holiday and the no-wake zone, so
we can’t go outside the marina at this time,” he said. “Our business
is doing very well.”
Paulk said that the typical weekend houseboater or
cruiser uses his services once or twice a month, but he also has
customers that call on him more often. His boat is equipped with two
250-gallon tanks, so he can handle several stops per trip. The
typical cost per portable pump-out is $39.95, but he said it depends
on the distance he has to travel. The business accepts MasterCard,
Visa and Discover credit cards. Service is available seven days a
week. After the initial appointment, Paulk said that boat owners do
not need to be present during the service.
“I don’t mind that people call me ‘Mr. Stinky,’ ”
Paulk said. “We take nature’s call.”
For information or to schedule an appointment, call
Paulk at 404-216-4959.
New business teaches how to get familiar with your boat
By Pamela A. Keene
Don Parent admits he has three passions in life: his
wife Charlotte, golf and boating. When he took early retirement from
a high-tech corporate job, he decided to follow his dreams.
“I tried to be a golf pro, but the lure of the water
and boating won out,” he said. “I got my US Coast Guard 100-ton
master and now I’m teaching people how to enjoy their boats.”
His company, Captain’s Delivery and Safe Boat
Instruction, is based on Lake Lanier. Parent has more than 40 years
of boating experience on fresh water, coastal and inland waterways
and the ocean. He said he believes in boaters knowing their boats
inside and out, as well as being very familiar with the rules of the
road.
“There’s not a license to drive a boat, so many
people are finding that they want the experience of someone who can
teach them about how the boat works, what to do in emergency
situations and information about making the most of their
investment,” he said.
Parent teaches on customers’ boats or gives
instruction on his own 38-foot cruiser. His sessions can include
boat handling, docking, boat systems and how they work,
troubleshooting, navigation and working with electronics, such as
GPS and VHF radios.
“So many people own boats but are somewhat
intimidated by them,” he said. “My goal is to spend time with them
so that they feel more comfortable in all kinds of situations and
they know the particulars of their own boats.”
He has trained boaters on crafts from 17-feet long to
an 86-foot yacht. His certifications include USCG 100-ton master
captain with a 200-ton towing endorsement and a near-coastal
endorsement. He studied at the Chesapeake Marine Institute in
Maryland.
Parent offers other services as well, including “You
Party and I’ll Drive,” to operate an owners’ vessel while they party
on the lake; charter services for up to eight people on his 38-foot
Meridian cruiser; plus coastal boat deliveries up and down the
Eastern Seaboard and to the Caribbean.
“Lately, I’ve been getting lots of calls from
husbands who want me to teach their wives about their boats,” Parent
said. “They know they need to be prepared in case there’s an
emergency or their husbands have a medical issue while on board.
These are smart boaters to think ahead.”
Prices vary, depending on the services, the number of
people and other factors.
For more information, contact Parent at 404-863-6214.
Lakehouse Antiques & Interiors offers accessories for lake living
By Pamela A. Keene
 Looking
for just the right accessory or furniture item for your lake house
or cabin in the mountains? Lakehouse Antiques & Interiors, located
at the intersection of Friendship Road and Buford Highway, has
4,200-square-feet of showroom/dealer spaces for the public to
browse.
“Our idea is to provide a good source for furnishings
and accessories for people who live around the lake or like the
lifestyle,” said Lynn Bowman with Lakehouse Antiques & Interiors.
“Our dealers are coming from Atlanta and around Northeast Georgia
and offer an excellent selection at reasonable pricing.”
The showroom is still seeking additional dealers for
leased spaces. However, many of the 45 dealer spaces are already
filled with furniture, antiques, fishing gear and lures,
collectibles, glass, artwork and decorative pieces.
Bowman is also executive director of the Museum of
Buford, so he knows his antiques and collectibles. Keith Jenkins is
the day-to-day person in the store.
“The store is designed to help people enhance the
interiors of their homes to reflect their lifestyles,” Bowman said.
“We have great variety, including cottage furniture that’s made in
Maine, and very unusual items.”
Lakehouse Antiques hosts periodic special events as
well, such as the recent antique car drive in and an estate sale.
Bowman said the store is also planning a dealer sidewalk sale and an
appraisal day.
“The fun events and the chance to purchase such
unique items will bring the people in,” he said. “Every day we’re
receiving more items. We also purchase items from the public to
include for sale, so we’re encouraging people to come by and see
us.”
Lakehouse Antiques & Interiors is located at 3589
Carter Road in the Village at Lake Lanier center behind the Sherwin
Williams retail paint store. the telephone number is 770-945-7316.
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