Reciprocal Sales, Service & Friendships for over 25 Years Doug Gardiner first engaged with Bluewater and its founding partners back in 1996 during a hosted event: an owners’ rendezvous in Abacos, Bahamas. He accompanied his parents aboard their Hatteras, who were invited by Bluewater’s Chris and Judy Hall and Jud Black. Since then, Doug’s dealings and respect for Bluewater have only grown. REWIND In 1969, after leaving behind a fishing charter business and their home in Fort Lauderdale, Gardiner’s parents started building Dennis Point Marina and Campground along the St. Marys River in Drayden, Maryland. By 1989, Gardiner was running the boatyard and service facility for the family business. Dennis Point is now a successful service yard, marina and campground offering service work and haulouts up to 75 tons. A relationship developed between Bluewater’s Hampton yacht yard and Dennis Point. “A lot of our boatyard customers were buying bigger boats and wanted Vikings,” Gardiner explains. “So, we were sending them to Bluewater Yacht Sales to deal with Chris, Jud, and later, Carl Beale.” The relationships continued far beyond the sale as those new Viking owners would return to Dennis Point for routine maintenance and warranty work. “I would call Bluewater when we needed parts assistance because they had the authority to get stuff from Viking quickly and easier,” Gardiner says. “The relationship with Bluewater made it so much easier to do work with newer boats under warranty and continue taking care of our customers.” WORK & PLAY During boating season, the Gardiner family was busy serving customers and running the marina and campground, but in the off season from November through March, their schedules afforded more flexibility. “My parents traveled to South Florida with a whole group of Viking and Bluewater customers in January and met at the Miami boat show in February.” Gardiner continues, “Chris would take a demo boat from Miami to The Bahamas and stay into March hopping the islands.” Gardiner’s parents would tag along in a fleet of 5 to 8 boats for these trips, year after year. In 2003, a great customer, John Kaufmann, purchased a new 56’ Viking Convertible from Bluewater Yacht Sales and Gardiner became the captain. “I ran John’s boat for him back and forth to the Bahamas and played captain for a couple other Viking customers traveling back and forth to The Bahamas and South Florida,” Gardiner explains. Bluewater Yacht Sales made the sale and Dennis Point would perform most or all the work on the boats at their yard in Drayden. Running customer boats to South Florida and The Bahamas is a time sensitive operation, with schedules to keep and weather windows that can be unpredictable. However, once in the islands, Gardiner’s wife and children would occasionally fly in to enjoy time together. “When you run a boat for someone else, you’re on a schedule,” Gardiner explains. “You go no matter what, and my wife did not like the arduously long trips. However, she loved flying to The Bahamas and boating and spending time there.” Gardiner concludes, “These trips were great, but our most memorable family trips were boating in the Chesapeake Bay near home.” Doug Gardiner’s first trip to Bimini in 1996 Helping run John Kaufmann’s 56’ Viking A Lifetime of Loyalty 38 BLUEWATER
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