Surf City Not a Dealer?

Turbofan, the only two dealers I use are the ones you mention. I agree, the parts stock at BB is deep. I have walked the aisles there in amazement, and seen their new boats on display at boat shows. I imagine they are what Hobie wants in a dealership. When I call, the sales person generally knows his stuff.

I've talked to KH about business down there. Sounds tough, with very very few customers for new boats, especially fiberglass ones. Maybe there's untapped potential for rental sales, I don't know. When I call there, as when I call BB, I know what I know and I have no problem leading the conversation so maybe a difference in experience isn't as apparent to me. No matter who I call, I tend to know what I want and will describe it. I'll grant you, at BB I'm more likely to be able to ask, "What do you guys usually sell for XXXX?" and get a confident answer, but I have many times been happy that KH is there for me and I make sure to have an order with him every summer when I go down.

South of Whalebone Junction, the OBX is a wasteland where no one seems to want Hobies newer than about 1980. Everyone I know down there has a stash of ancient boats that they got for free and will keep mix-n-matching to stay on the water with. I wouldn't want that market.

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'00 H16 #104691
'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages

Anton, you hit the two I deal with right on the head! I am well south of Oregon inlet, and you're right- not too many new boats out here! I WANT a new one, but the bean-counter (wife) kinda frowns on that aspiration, so I keep the old ones afloat! I was kind of trying not to rat anyone out so to speak! Any Hobie dealer is better than NO dealer! At KH, usually I try to approach them with a part number, and find them helpful. A few years back, they had a younger fellow who was into cats working there-can't remember his name now- who took some initiative apparently and for a while they were AWESOME. At BB, I barely have to get the words out of my mouth and they've got what I want in hand or are leading me to it! Also, BB's customer service is second to none and through that, have earned me for a life customer! A great example- MANY years ago when we used to sail out of Sandy Point, we arrived to find that dumb me had left the mainsheet hanging on the clothesline from the previous days sailing. Went to BB's Annapolis location, and they LOANED me the system off one of their demo boats without anything more than a glance at my ID! That kind of CS is unsurpassed. Julie at Woodbridge (if she's still there- I'd think she would be!) has an encyclopedic knowledge of the boats, and in the rare instance that they don't have the exact part, can put you on to a viable substitute from their stock. They are the type of dealer any manufacturer strives for! I don't get up to the DC area much any more- maybe a good thing!
Where do you typically sail down here?

Dave

Speaking of mainsheets, I got to the OBX one year and found that I didn't have one. Had the blocks, but I had removed the line for washing or something. John outright gave me some old parasailing line and an old life jacket or two.

We rent in Rodanthe every late August, early September. I usually just put in on Corbina West or at the ferry landing, and keep the boat at the house (on the sound in Mirlo), but I have put in on the ocean a few times recently. Last summer we sailed Rodanthe-Rodanthe up the sound and back on the ocean. Huge surf coming in.

Last couple of years I've been spending some time with the surfing/sailing crowd on Dean Ave.

_________________
'00 H16 #104691
'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages

Hey, Anton! Just found out, KH is no longer the dealer out here! Was getting the spring fixes done on my boats, and had occasion to call them. NorBanks Sailing up in Duck has the dealership now. Kinda far from Buxton, but I've heard NOTHING but good things about them!

I'd been told he was considering dropping the franchise. That's a bummer; Norbanks is way farther north, like an hour rather than 25 minutes. I've heard nothing but good about them also, but we never have reason to go up that far. We'd pass KH every time we go 'to town' for big shopping at Nag's Head.

_________________
'00 H16 #104691
'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages

Nor'Banks Sailing is now a Hobie dealer. We have had an active rental fleet and Hobie Cat presence at Nor'Banks for years, but recently purchased the dealership from KH. We are "learning the ropes" right now and working on updating our website etc. We will be offering demos and/or rentals of all the Hobie Cat Sailboats from our location in Duck. Contact us anytime for more information.

Jon Britt
Nor'Banks Sailing
norbanks.com
252-202-6880

And here's another update: Nor'banks is no longer a Hobie dealer. I think there had already been some transfer of the official dealership to a different business, but as of a few months ago the OBX Hobie sailing dealership is now East Coast Sailboats which is just north of the Wright bridge on the mainland. I found my mainsheet had mouse damage and ran up there from Rodanthe to get a new one and met the owner, Hardy Peters, and had the chance to chat for 15 minutes or so. He's still busting butt to get things going but had a new 16 still in boxes and seemed perfectly knowledgeable about Hobies.

FWIW the line he had in stock was English Braids 8mm for the main. He also had Robline but it was really hard compared to the EB.

Kitty Hawk Kites, down in Rodanthe, is a Hobie Kayak and SUP dealer. They had quite a few boats on display and for rent.

_________________
'00 H16 #104691
'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages