OnBoard Magazine - Summer 2015

myself how and why we did ever hook up with these guys? But we quickly found a Viking dealer with a new 41 Convertible and the desired layout and were able to swap boats and please the customer and make Bluewater’s first sale. From that first hiccup, it has been a marriage made in heaven with the Healeys and the Halls.” It was in 1988 that Jud Black joined the Bluewater family and not long after became the overall sales manager as the Halls discovered he had an eye for detail, remembered even the most obscure product info and had a gift for always hitting the heart of a matter. His rapport with the Viking line-up helped make him a partner shortly thereafter. By the time things were really rolling, he was considered one of the best Viking sales experts nationwide—and that gave Bluewater an edge. THROUGH GOOD TIMES AND BAD Over the years there have been as many “adventures” as there were challenges and triumphs. New models, bigger buildings, new dealers, the “luxury tax”—and its defeat—through the boom times and the near busts, Bluewater sold Vikings, serviced Vikings and fished them, too. The underlying story here is that both family run companies have grown and evolved together over the last 30 years. What sets Viking apart—the “Viking Difference” is that they live it. “Build a better boat, every day.” They really do. They use their boats extensively every year and bring that experience back into the plant and into the conference room. They have a fine balance in their ranks between the energy of the younger, partnered with the experience of the elder. Viking has always welcomed the experience of their dealers, the corresponding relationship In January 1987, Earle and I were staying at a condo in the old Buccaneer Yacht Club on Singer Island. I was on vacation after a 10 day stint at the New York Boat Show where we introduced the first Viking 45 Convertible. This was when our local Florida dealer was Rybovich. The Viking 45 had been trucked down to Daytona Beach, where my father, Bill Healey and Bruce Wilson, and a few others from the design group were planning on delivering it to the Rybovich location in West Palm Beach. Earle and I ran into them at a restaurant on Singer Island and my father suggested we meet in the Rybovich yard at 8 am the next morning to go through the boat. Earle and I were up at 7 am, even though as I said earlier I was on vacation, and we headed down to the Hall’s Mako center console that they docked at the Buc for the five minute boat ride to the Rybovich yard to meet my father. We get aboard the Mako, Earle turns the key and nothing; dead batteries. Brother Chris Hall had neglected to turn off the boat’s electronics from the night before and we were going nowhere. With no charger, no jumper cable and no car at our disposal, our day to see the new Viking 45 got old real quick. We scrambled and finally found a guy to give us a ride down to 45th Street where my father was waiting for us on the boat. It was a cold January morning but the old Marine had steam coming out of his ears. When he saw us walking toward the new Viking he no doubt was convinced Earle and I stayed out all night, because again I was on vacation. We don’t even get aboard the boat before my father starts yelling that I’m fired. Before I can even explain, he takes one look at Earle and tells him that he’s fired too. Earle being the gentleman he is says, “But Mr. Healey, I don’t work for you.” To which my father yells, “I don’t care you’re fired anyway, both you guys are no good $#%*#%$^*!!!” Meanwhile, there was no sign of Brother Chris who caused the situation in the first place. PATRICK HEALEY of family involvement and strong boating proficiency. This has been especially true amongst the Hall and Healey families. GROWING TOGETHER The story of the Bluewater and Viking families is a parallel tale with countless intersections. “Having worked so closely together over this kind of time period means that we know their inner workings “...We are able to pull together as a team, seamlessly.” 21 SUMMER 2015