OnBoard Magazine - Issue XI - Summer 2019

W ith six new builds from Viking Yachts, and a relationship with the Healey and Hall families that spans three decades, Bill Page is what you may call a boating super-enthusiast. Boating for Page began at a very young age in the D.C. area. But once he experienced the Viking brand and got to know the family behind these iconic American-made yachts, there was no turning back. VEHICLES TO VESSELS Bill Page started working with his father at the age of 14 at the family car dealership that was founded in 1950. Growing up in the car business didn’t mean everything had to be about cars. Bill’s father also had a deep affinity for boating which he passed on to his children. They’re continuing the family legacy by operating 15 car dealerships from Maryland to Florida while still enjoying the pleasure of boating in their free time. Growing up around Washington D.C., the Page family's boats launched from the docks of Annapolis. Bill recalls over a half dozen boats of different makes and models that he grew up on and eventually owned in partnership with his father. This experience garnered him the opportunity towitness firsthand the variety of strengths and limitations available in the yacht market. Both in their car business and time spent boating, Bill enjoyed the benefit of an inherent grasp of best practices. He witnessed emerging technologies and developed an appreciation for basic mechanical genius—and he liked quality machines. Withhis background, Bill could spot success and saw it in Viking Yachts. So, in 1988 he bought his first, a 48 Viking from Bluewater Yacht Sales. He named it Noel for his wife Mary Noel. Today, Bill Page has a sixth Noel and states, “If I couldn’t have a Viking, I wouldn’t have a boat.” His confident loyalty began over 30 years ago amid the bonding that occurred while constructing his first boat, and it has continued to grow with each new build since. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS The car dealership that started in 1950 flourished under their founder’s philosophy, “take care of the customers and employees and they will take care of you.” Bill Page still operates with this underlying philosophy today and has seen it at work with Viking and the Healeys. Page explains, “They are the best at what they do. They have the best engineering, ONE FAMILY'S 30+ YEAR HISTORY OF BUILDING VIKINGS WITH BLUEWATER PEOPLE BOATS Best Best Page's Viking 61EB prior to moving up "Building a boat with them is one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done." 19 SUMMER 2019