From the Bridge

Home of America's largest selection of nautical and electronic charts

From the Bridge
by

We're back in full operation now that Wilma has come and gone. We went for seven days without power, and we would like to apologize to any customers who had trouble with their mail orders during this time. Our sister store, Armchair Sailor in Newport, RI, took many of your calls while we were down, and they did a terrific job.

Despite the aftermath of Wilma, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show did "go on." It ran a week later than originally scheduled, amid much controversy over whether or not the show should still be held. The Triton, our local Captain and Crew newspaper, covered the decision making process from all angles, managing to put out a special edition even though they were without power as well.

The Wednesday after the show, we hosted our first E-Nav Night with The Triton. We invited all of our Large Yacht Captains and Crew to attend this evening event, and had representatives from various electronic chart and software companies, including Nobeltec, Furuno, Transas, C-Map, Navionics and British Admiralty, were available to answer questions. We are planning a similar event for our cruising customers, so stay posted and remember to get on our VIP event notification e-mail list by sending Melanie Neale your e-mail address.

We attended and displayed at the Annual SSCA GAM in Melbourne, FL, for the first time ever this year. Jan Cosby and Melanie Neale drove upstate with a carload of cruising guides, passage planners and charts, and spent three days with the cruising crowd. They were thrilled with the turnout, both in numbers and in the individual people: long-term cruisers who all had interesting stories to tell.

Last but not least, we are extending our in-store 10% discount to December 10. Back at the end of September, we sent a coupon to all of our South Florida customers announcing our move and offering a free gift and a 10% discount. We decided to extend this so that our customers who have been affected by the hurricane can come by and see us. The discount is only good in our store. We're also extending our store hours for the Holidays. We will be open on Sundays from November 27 through December 18. Our Sunday hours will be from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Armchair Sailor, in Newport, will be open from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Sundays through December.

Happy Holidays to you, your friends and family,
John Mann

In this issue:

The Inside Passage: Week Two. Jan and Don Cosby and Jim and Sue Masters bring you more fantastic photos of their journey up the Inside Passage. Join them for the second week, and read all about their adventures.

Bluewater and The Triton Host First Ever E-Nav Night: Right after the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Captains and Crew from the area's finest yachts gathered at Bluewater to navigate and network.

The SSCA Annual Gathering a Success: A bad hurricane season didn't stop the Seven Seas Cruising Association from holding its annual gathering in Melboune, FL, and Wilma didn't stop Bluewater from being there.

Mark Your Calendar: We have more events on the way--don't forget about Chris Parker's Weather Seminar on December 16. We've also heard rumors that Nigel Calder is going to stop by in February, before the Miami Boat Show.

Christmas Lists: It's hard to beat Christmas afloat. Here are a few good reasons why.