Hamlin's Marine & Jeanneau Power Boats will be represented at FLIBS next week from Wednesday the 26th through Sunday the 30th.
Hamlin's became a dealer for Jeanneau in the Fall of 2019, and since then Jeanneau has become the standard for coastal cruising and adventure on the Maine coast.
Jeanneau has several series of boats to suit the modern Maine boater including the NC Weekender, NC Sport, and Leader. Check out Jeremy Everett's walkthrough of the NC695 Sport...
Ft. Lauderdale will be the debut of the new DB43 model, which is sure to shake up the boating world. DB Yachts will offer the next level of yachting for a Jeanneau owner. Hamlin's Marine has been allocated one of only a handful of DB43s for 2023. This vessel will set a new standard of luxury cruising for the Maine coast. Check out these specifications:
DB Yachts will compete with the best of the best in North America. High performance, comfort, and styling are unmatched.
Please let us know if you will be swinging by the Jeanneau booth in Ft. Lauderdale next week. Email Jeremy @ jeverett@hamlinsmarina.com. We'd love to see you!
It's been 1 1/2 years since we built the last Edendriver at Puffin Boat Company. The history of Edendriver reads like a novel rife with obsession, commitment, love, and pain. The designer and original builder was Seph Limehouse. His wife Leigh, shares the following about Seph and his legacy...
"Edendriver was designed by Seph Limehouse, a chief designer at Scout Boats in South Carolina, at his home in Johns Island. His passion was working with his hands. In addition to the Edendriver, Seph built a kayak, a flats boat, a sailboat, several tables, stools, our bed and our home. He spent a lot of time in our barn creating. I know he felt peace when he was working out there. Even with a chemo drip on his side, he would be in the barn — if not physically able to work, he would just sit or work on drawings. He was an amazing man who cancer took from me way too early. Thankfully he left me with his greatest creation ... our daughter Ellen." -- Leigh Limehouse
Hull #14 built in Maine is rolling off the line this week. One of the most striking things about Edendriver is the tumblehome hull. Tumblehome describes a hull that grows more narrow above the waterline which enhances lateral stability on the water. The molds for the build are complex and must be split to free the hull during the build. The video shows the process:
Puffin Boat Company is building five new Edendriver boats for model year 2023. Each of these boats will be well equipped with Yamaha F70 outboard, hull color, console color, stainless side rails, Yeti 35 cooler seat, advanced electronics and audio, hydraulic steering, and designer Sunbrella cushion sets. Here is a spy photo of the new helm and designer cushions of the first 2023 Edendriver rolling off the line...
Sunbrella Cushion Set and Advanced Helm
Our crews will be running the Edendriver on the Penobscot River later this week, and she is available for immediate delivery. The first one rolling off the line is available for $46,489 plus tax. Trailer, delivery, and additional options will be extra. This Edendriver highlight video will inspire you!
Once the Edendriver is fully tested, it will be on display in Belfast at our Don't Be Scared to Buy a Boat sales event running through Halloween.
In late September, the Hamlin's Marine team went looking for trouble.
Many seasons of watching Shark Week on Discovery Channel has made me understand that things can go wrong when trying to lure a predator. Just ask Poopies, of Jackass fame, how it feels to mess around with a shark. Poopies probably has a greater respect for marine life now...
Truth be told, I love going shark fishing off the coast of Maine. The anticipation of the trip is really intense. The adrenaline spikes, and I can't sleep before the big day. I mean, really...you never know what might be lurking offshore. Everyone has heard the rumors of Great Whites in our waters.
On top of that, the late September weather was pretty snotty with lots of tropical activity stirring up the waters. The trouble is that the marine weather reports vary widely across the Gulf of Maine, and running a smaller boat offshore can become a harrowing experience.
One thing going for us was that our group was running a new Weldcraft 280 Cuddy King, which is about as industrial as a recreational fishing boat can aspire to be.
Weldcraft 280 Cuddy King Dockside
Comfortable Cabin
Massive Cockpit
The ride out to the grounds was a trip. Six foot rollers and winds gusting to 20 knots had our crew floating around the cabin and rear deck! Our party departed from Belfast Harbor around 7:30 a.m. and reached the fishing grounds Southeast of Matinicus Rock around 9:15. A few hours later, and the boat was surrounded by the largest Mako and Blue Sharks I've ever seen. Jeremy Everett attempted to switch out some bait when one of the monsters hit! ZZZiiiinnngggg!
The beast pulled 250 yards of line before it gave us a chance to fight...and fight we did! Six of us passed the Penn reel around for over two hours and had to back down on the fish with 500 HP.
Check out our battle with a 9 foot Blue Shark...
In the final throes of battle, the shark felt like dead weight. We had given it too much slack and it managed to spit the hook. By some crazy twist of fate, the hook lodged in its tail.
Upside Down and Inverted with Hook in Tail
It really gives you a sense of how rugged shark skin is when you are cranking on a fish that weighs hundreds of pounds, and the hook doesn't rip out. Incredible!
If you want to come talk to the crew and check out the Weldcraft 280 Cuddy King, come to Belfast over the next couple weeks and see us at our Don't Be Scared To Buy a Boat Sale.
Hamlin's Marine Don't Be Scared To Buy a Boat Sales Event is running Tuesday October 18th through Halloween at our Belfast location on the waterfront. Dozens of discounted boat packages are available.
The best deals of the event will go fast, as these models are holdover units that pre-date several manufacturer price increases. Add another 25% off of MSRP, and these deals will make your hair stand on end!
Purple Level discounts are 20% off of MSRP. These units are also holdover 2022 models that pre-date multiple manufacturer price increases over the last year.
My wife, Katie, and I just got returned home from Yamaha Best in Class. This program recognizes the top Yamaha outboard dealers in the country, and we have been fortunate to win the trip every year since 2009. This year the trip was in Hawaii, and I learned to Hula. It was truly a terrifying experience for anyone that had to watch.
Most of the other dealers we met hail from warm climates, but a few of the dealers from colder states like Michigan, Minnesota, and Alaska understand how scary our short season is for boaters. First there is the long winter away from the water, then the manic spring rush, followed by summer bliss, and finally fall sadness when we put the boats away to hibernate.
Any real boater knows there are only two important days in a boater's life. Today, we will address the first one...the day you purchase a boat.
When should you purchase a boat in Maine? Anytime is fine, but the very best time is the last two weeks of October during the Don't Be Scared to Buy a Boat sales event at our Belfast showroom.
Hamlin's Marine has a huge display of boats, loose outboards, and boat trailers on display in Belfast until Halloween. Packages are discounted up to 25% off MSRP.
Friday Night Move In
Check out some action videos of some of the boat packages that will be available:
Weldcraft welded aluminum fishing boats...
Scout luxury fiberglass fishing boats...
Alumacraft Deep V fishing boats...
Come to Belfast and let us scare you into buying a new boat!
Please mark your calenders and plan to stop by 7 Front Street in Belfast and see our fall specials ! We will be there featuring great packages and brands at solid discounts including Jeanneau, Weldcraft, Carolina Skiff, Sea Chaser, plus many other!
Fall is a great time to lock in a new boat and avoid all the stress next spring!
Avoid the hassle and let us tuck it away and deliver it to you next year!
Look forward to seeing you at Hamlins Marine Belfast !!
In addition to the boats, we will have Yamaha and Honda gas outboards and our new line of battery-powered Torqueedo motors on display. Come for great deals on Helly Hansen nautical clothing and Maui Jim sunglasses. Pre-Register HERE to win $1000 worth of Helly Hansen gear.
Stylish Helly Hansen Gear
The best part about this event is that you can test drive the boat of your dreams! Check out the boats displayed at our last on-water event in Belfast:
This boat is the most anticipated arrival for the 2022 season. This plate aluminum, industrial grade fishing machine is powered by twin Yamaha F250s with the latest version of Helm Master for joystick navigation and autopilot. The boat is currently in the shop getting anti-fouling bottom paint and a new Garmin 8612 Chartplotter. She will be heading to Belfast via the Penobscot just in time for the show.
This super-cool weekender is built for adventure and is surprisingly affordable. Our NC695 Sport is equipped with some key options including an upgraded Garmin suite, a Fishing Kit, Roof Storage Rack for Paddleboard, Extra Cockpit Seating, and enough LED Lumens to search a shoreline in an inky black night.
This 24 ft. Center Console with twin Yamaha F150s is in-stock! At the show, Hamlin's will also have the popular 22 HFC & 20 HFC center console models on display. Sea Chaser gives the most for your dollar including one of the sickest sound systems integrated into the molded hard top. The Evening Sky hull color and powder coated black T-Top frame is strikingly beautiful!
Come see Hamlin's Marine in Belfast this Friday-Sunday!
Last fall, Hamlin's Marine purchased an aging factory that has long produced most of the world's drumsticks. Vic Firth is famous for making over 40,000 wooden drumsticks every day that end up in the hands or rock stars, school bands, and enthusiastic drummers all over the world. The business is so successful that Vic Firth recently upgraded to a modern facility and moved into the Newport industrial park.
Included in the purchase was nearly 70,000 square feet of indoor space, 400 feet of waterfront shoreline adjacent to the municipal boat ramp, and an enormous amount to tidy up. Check out some of these Before pictures:
Future Seasonal Sales Office
Cover Art for the Movie Saw III
Future Boat Display Area
The project is pretty enormous, so I am very thankful that my father-in-law & Newport resident, David Hamlin, and his grandson, Chris Duffy, have been enthusiastic to help get Hamlin's going in Newport.
Chris Duffy & Dan Higgins (Me)
Here is what Chris is planning in Newport from a recent email (some redactions):
Hello Beautiful People!!!
Dan, David & Chris Hamlin, and I spent the morning in
Newport putting together a plan to take advantage of a great situation for us
there. We are excited to officially announce that we are going to get underway
to open a seasonal sales office that can double as a great winter showroom to
take advantage of a market that is ripe for the taking. Along with sales,
we will be advertising storage for all toys, not just boats.
With our company resources, the on-water facility, and the
team we have in place Hamlin’s Marine(a) is going to establish yet another
giant footprint in the Maine boating market. WHEN this is a major success, the
opportunities will be endless for us. A marina, outdoor concert series, live
entertainment, food trucks, boat demos, boat shows, boat rentals, fishing
events, to list a few. This is a big deal for the entire company and will be a
great opportunity for the sales team to be able to show boats on the water to
give the true experience.
We have established an opening date of goal of and have a lot of work to do to achieve the goal. but it is going to open a whole new world for the business.
We have long wanted to be able to access the Moosehead market and now we will.
The tentative schedule when we do open is I will be there
Thurs-Friday 8-5 and Saturday 8-12, and by appointment only on the other days
of the week. If it takes off like we know it will we will revisit.
Get excited because we are about to accomplish some really
cool stuff.
ACT AS IF,
Chris Duffy
Sales Department
You will see our Hamlin's Marine team on the waterfront in Newport throughout the month of May. We will be patching, landscaping, grading, painting, and hopefully sweating due to warmer weather.
Hamlin's Marine will soon be displaying new boat packages on land and in water. Hewitt boat lifts and Candock floating modular docking will soon be on site as well.
Spring is finally coming around with some warmer weather! Just in time for Fishing Fever at Hamlin's Marine in Waterville this Friday and Saturday!
Make sure that you pre-register HERE for the event, so that you qualify for a chance to win a new Yamaha F2.5 outboard at the show.
Fishing Fever is a disco-themed boat show and expo with over thirty new fishing boats available for sale. Make sure to dust off your Leisure Suit, throw on some shades, and rock a handle bar mustache for a deep discount on a new fishing boat from brands including Alumacraft, Weldcraft, G3, Carolina Skiff, Scout, and Sea Chaser.
We will have the regional Garmin rep, John Anderson, demonstrating the latest GPS and sonar technology.
John will also have a display of Fusion marine audio equipment.
On Saturday, Hamlin's will host a Free BBQ...so bring your appetite!
John Travolta is a part-time Maine resident with a swanky pad on Islesboro. If John is anything like the rest of us Mainahs, I bet he's trading in his Saturday Night Fever for some Fishing Fever because the ice is breaking up on all the ponds!
What do you do when the records stop and the ice goes out? You head to Hamlin's Marine in Waterville on Friday, April 22nd & Saturday, April 23rd. Hamlin's Marine is hosting our First Annual Fishing Fever Party and Boat Sale.
Some of the models will be pre-packaged with some of the latest fish slaying technology, like the new Garmin Force Trolling Motor...
And the new Raymarine Axiom 12" Fishfinder and Chartplotter...
Not only will our Fishing Fever Party and Boat Sale have the Funkiest Deals on the finest fishing vessels, but Hamlin's will be giving away a Free Yamaha F2.5SMHA 4-Stroke Outboard.
In order to be entered into the drawing, you must pre-register on our website at this link:
Hamlin's Marine will be sponsoring a BBQ Lunch on Saturday from 11 until 1, so bring your appetite! Don't forget to bring your wallet too,...you won't want to miss out on the best deals of the season. Over 35 fishing boat packages will be on display!
Party until the sun goes down, or at least until 4 P.M. We will supply the Disco Ball, Music, and Good Times!
This Thursday through Sunday, Hamlin's Marine will be hosting a boat show in Belfast at our showroom at 7 Front Street.
Don't forget to Pre-Register if you are coming to the show to be entered into a drawing for a new Outboard Motor.
Our pontoon boat display will be a show highlight with fourteen pontoon packages from Bennington and Godfrey. From budget-friendly to luxury & performance...we will have them all available for your viewing pleasure. Here are a couple of our top picks:
Bennington 16SVL
Options: Sharkhide pontoon protectant, 4 pole rod holder, tilt steering, Monaco blue panels & canvas, silver Simtex vinyl upholstery, Zebrawood trim accents, woven vinyl silver flooring, Garmin Striker 4 fish finder, portable cup holders, tilt steering, & Yamaha High Thrust 25 HP outboard. Click Here for factory photos of the model on display in Belfast.
The Bennington 16 SVL package is value priced at $24,995, or 10% down & $238/mo with approved financing.
Sweetwater 2086C Triple Sport Toon
Options: Fusion Color Cast stereo, Extreme Steering with tilt, Wicker wrapped seat boxes, Upgraded rectangle table, Captain's chair upgrade, Hatch Carmel flooring, Ski Tow bar, Metallic Bronze rail skins, 25" Outer Tubes, 27" Center Sport Tube, Seat Covers, Keel strips, Canopy Dome Light, & Yamaha 115 Super High Performance outboard. Click Here for more photos.
The Sweetwater 2086 Triple Sport Tube package is show priced at $44,656, or 10% Down & $369/mo with approved financing.
Options: Ski Pylon, Privacy station, Stainless Steel Docking Lights, Garmin 742 Display, Power Distribution Center, Power Assist Steering, Lighted Speakers and Grill, Stainless Aft Rail, Dual Gates, Pillowtop Diamante Pressed Seats, Exterior Side Lights, Toe Kick Lighting, RGB Control Panel, Rockford PMX Stereo Upgrade, Sport Arch, Black Out Package, Silver Simtex Upholstery, EzLoader trailer, and Yamaha 250 Super High Output motor.
The Bennington 23LTSB Bowrider is show priced at $116,867, or 10% Down and $827/mo with approved financing.
