Fall Happy Hour @ Thunder Marine

Want to get away?

With all the negative news in the media, woudn't you like to have a day or two where you didn't have to hear about the market or political campaigns? Well, picture this - a beautiful sunset, temperatures in the low to mid 70's, the gentle sound of waves crashing and the crisp smell of the salty autumn air. Where is this you ask? Anywhere Tampa Bay. You can find it in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota, Bradenton - you name it.

We are so blessed with the area we live in because there are so many places to go to get away on a boat. Sure, you can take long trips to places you haven't been but the joy of boating is just getting away. Many times that can just mean an overnight stay at the marina where you keep your boat or anchoring up for the weekend at a favorite local island. Shoot, even the Intercoastal Waterway has plenty of spots outside the channel that you can anchor at and feel secluded. It's just like when you were a kid and you pitched a tent in your backyard. You weren't that far from home, but at least you were away!

These short vacations or "staycations" as they are sometimes called can be rather inexpensive no matter the company.
-If it's just you and the better half, it can be a romantic way to spend some "alone time". Pack a lite dinner, some wine and your favorite music. A Gulf sunset and a quiet night away can do wonders for a relationship.
-If you've been spending to much time at work and you are starting to forget what your spouse and kids look like, a weekend away with the family on the boat can make you a hero. Pull out a couple of those dusty board games you have, make some sandwiches and you've got a start to your weekend. Find an island that you're familiar with and the kids will be able to run off some energy. Bring a small grill and you'll not only be able to cook up some hamburgers & hot dogs, but you'll be able to make smores later on!
-If the day to day grind is starting to get to you and you are ready to blow off some steam, invite some of your friends to join you for a docktail party or raft-up. Grab your favorite livation, some good Jimmy Buffet tunes and start changing your latitude and attitude.

So if any of these fits your current state of mind, let your boat be the escape you intended it to be. And if you don't currently have a boat or are in the market for another one, Four Winns should be on your list. The Four Winns Vista cruisers are the perfect boats for these "staycations". From 25 feet to 50 feet, Four Winns has models to fit everyones needs. Enjoy all the comforts of home in the serenity of your tropical cove. If you'd like to look at the beautiful Four Winns line-up, just click on the link below:

http://www.thundermarine.com/brochure_search.asp?bsCID=1027&bsYear=2008&bsProdCat=807978&indid=1&

And if for some reason you still have to have contact with civilization, most cell phones and wireless cards work in the surrounding waterways - just don't let anyone else know because you might spoil their fun & relaxation!

Thunder Fishing Team

With fall season upon us, the inshore fishing is starting to gear up. Water temperatures are starting to fall and the fish are starting to feed. Our in-house fishing team has spent some time jumping tarpon out at our 90 foot hole and with a moving tide, crabs have been the ticket. They have also been pretty successful on the flats with redfish, trout and snook. The snook & redfish are schooling up in the mangroves so you have to be quiet and sneak up on them. The snook are turning their nose up at the greenbacks but seem to be loving the big shrimp.

Fortunately for our team, they are on the perfect boat for getting in front of all of these species. The Hydra-Sports Bay Bolt is that boat. Whether it's the 19 or 23 Bay Bolt, they can get into the skinny backwaters for the redfish and snook or head off the beach to hit the tarpon. And on a good day, head out into the gulf for grouper. With a 14 degree deadrise and a draft of 10 inches, these bay boats take them where they want to go. When they get to their favorite spot, they love the wide open layout, the stability of the boat and the accessibilty of all the features these boats have to offer. Just ask local radio host and fishing guide Captain Todd Wood. "In a Hydra-Sports, my only limits are the number of fish I can keep."

For a look at either of these great fishing boats, just click on one of the links below:

http://www.hydra-sports.com/vids/19baybolt.html

http://www.hydra-sports.com/vids/23baybolt.html

For a live look at one of these or to pick yours out, come down and see us at our store in St. Petersburg. We recently made a special purchase and curently have a few of each model in stock with sale pricing. Check them out - http://www.thundermarine.com/specials_new.asp?indid=1&disid=178682&

IPS Demonstration

Boating is such a relaxing lifestyle. Anyone can get on a boat, no matter what kind it is, and their worries will drift away. Whether it's fishing, skiing or cruising, it takes your mind off the daily grind and the normal hustle & bustle everyone deals with. What a stress reliever - that is until you have to dock in front of a bunch of people.

Docking might be the one time their is a little anxiety when boating. Fortunately, Volvo has designed the IPS drive with Joystick control. This feature makes for worry free docking. They have made it so simple that your children or grandchildren that play video games might be able to dock the boat better than you!

Below is a link to a demonstration we did on a Four Winns 378 Vista Express Cruiser in our harbor in St. Petersburg. This boat is almost 42 feet in length and is being easily manuevered in an area a little over 50 feet. Check it out for yourself.

http://www.thundermarine.com/content.asp?nav=117713&cpid=10271&

Docktail Party Extended

Thank you to everyone that came out last weekend. The weather was great and everyone had a good time.

We had such a good time, we asked our manufacturers to extend their specials so we could do it one more weekend.

So, if you weren't able to make it out, come join us for the festivities and pick out your next boat at a great price.

Just click on the link below for more information.
http://www.thundermarine.com/calendar.asp?ce2id=51018&siteid=&top_siteid=&bvdid=16341&top_bvdid=16341

Docktail Party Event

Well, the Tampa Boat Show was great. The weather turned out to be perfect for the weekend and plenty of boaters were out strolling the docks looking for their next dream boat. Many of them took advantage of the great incentives and will be enjoying their new Hydra-Sports & Four Winns this weekend.

We are also happy to say that the manufacturers & lenders have extended their incentives through this coming weekend. In light of that, we thought we would throw a docktail party. Starting today through Saturday 9Am - 6PM.

We will have our large inventory of boats (fishing boats, runabouts, deckboats, cruisers and yachts) on display. There will be music, food, drinks & lots of fun - along with all the great incentives and pricing.

So whether you came to the Tampa Boat show or not, we hope you can join us at our waterfront location on Bay Pines Blvd.

To prepare for it, we kindly ask that you click on the link below to RSVP.
http://www.thundermarine.com/event_registration_form.asp?nav=98404&


We hope to see you here.

Tampa Boat Show

Next weekend is the Tampa Boat Show and we will be there in full force. The show is at the Tampa Convention Center and runs from Friday to Sunday. We will have all of our brands (Four Winns, Hydra-Sports, Riviera & Silverton) on display. So whether you like runabouts, deckboats, fishing boats, express cruisers, sport yachts, convertibles, motor yachts or sport bridges, we will have them there. The 52 Ovation will also be premiering for the first time on the West Coast and there will be great discounts on all the boats. If you watch the show "Deadliest Catch", the captains from the Time Bandit will be there signing autographs. It will be a great way to spend the day, so come join us - you might find the boat of your dreams. For more information, go to http://www.tampaboatshow.com/ or http://www.thundermarine.com/events.asp?cal2id=&topsiteid=&content=&siteid=&bvdid=&bvdid_filter=&this_start_date=9%2F1%2F2008