OnBoard Magazine - Issue XII - 2020 Season

throughout the recovery and continue innovating. As for closings, Lusink and the documentation team haven’t missed a beat. “We are fortunate to have already been well equipped to work remotely. Since our offices are spread so far and wide, our staff is already used to doing digital closings.” With online meetings and video conferences already part of the team’s weekly repertoire, Bluewater’s incredibly capable support team of Sales Assistants and Documentation Specialists have had no trouble keeping things running smoothly. LIFTING THE FOG At the time of this writing many questions remain. Will we be able to have indoor boat shows again by next Winter? What does a Big Rock or WhiteMarlin Open tournament weigh-in look like with a “socially distanced” crowd? Will all our favorite publishing groups make it through? The answers right now are that it’s too soon to tell. We’re at a time of transition, easing out of a huge upheaval from what we once considered “normal.” Summer tournaments have had to contemplate cancelling or rescheduling. Manufacturers who paused operations will have to regroup their supply chains and bring back their workforces. In the absence of meetings and socializing, yacht clubs and owners’ groups have pondered their future viability. This has been a time for reflection for us all; identifying the truly important aspects of our personal lives and organizations. Let us not waste this tremendous opportunity for self-examination and improvement. To be clear: the majority of events we love and value will absolutely return, and the operations of every business that perseveres will have become leaner and more agile than ever before. All our lives will become more dependent on digital and virtual tools than at any time in history. The cumulative efficiencies will mean greater values passed down to the customer. The sunshine will burn through the haze. As Bluewater partner Randy Ramsey told our friends at Marlin Magazine, “This isn’t the first major challenge we have faced. As this passes, people will be anxious to get back to the life they enjoy, which largely includes boating and fishing. The boating industry is strong, and we will weather COVID-19.” Fortunately, boating is, and always will be, an escape. A way to safely enjoy the outdoors and America’s inherent beauty. These are facts that can bring us all great hope. How we press forward as employers, vendors, customers and—most importantly—friends, to mitigate future riskswill be the key to keeping the pastimes and lifestyle we love economically viable and thriving. There is little doubt we’ll need to cut through some choppy conditions caused by this event. But quality boating brands have always proven to have the business acumen and resiliency to stay afloat and resume normal operation once the fog lifts and the danger passes. 16 BLUEWATER