The Original Owners RENDEZVOUS

Words: Ken Denison

Photography: Denison Archives

The story (and photos) of the early Broward owners rendezvous are legendary

I’m always awestruck by the “circle” photograph that was shot at one of our early Broward Marine Rendezvous. It was taken by Ken and Donna Chessler, who were hired to be part of our marketing group headed by Mel and Marty Wolfe. They were not experienced yacht photographers and equally uncomfortable about the notion of riding next to the open door of a helicopter hovering over the open ocean just off Key Largo. Equally daunting was the fact that none of the captains, experienced as they were, had ever attempted a perfectly spaced shot like this.

I was in that helicopter and communicated as best I could over my handheld VHF to ask a particular boat to “back up” or “move over”. The oldest boat, Dorisam, which Mom and Dad were on, had no thruster, which made close maneuvering almost impossible. But at some point, I radioed the group and said...“That’s it!”

All 17 boats hit their horns in a triumphal blast that we could hear in the helicopter.

PICTURED: Broward Marine Rendezvous

So how did all of this start and why has the concept of yacht Rendezvous become almost a marketing necessity in the eyes of manufacturers and other marine-related businesses? This was the frst of its kind and brought about by the sheer necessity that came with my joining the company in the Fall of 1983. Charlie Barthold, the editor of Yachting Magazine summed it up pretty well when he wrote:

“The beginning of the modern Broward era can probably be traced to a Labor Day weekend in 1983. It was then that Frank Denison called on his 30-year-old son Ken to move from Michigan and take over the company’s yard in Florida... Ken had to learn a lot. As Kit’s younger brother, Ken had an enormous amount of respect for the man he was replacing. At the same time, he had an enormous opportunity: to take a moderately successful yacht building company and make it excel. That first year, Ken had what he calls ‘baptism by fire on a very steep learning curve.’”

"It must be Bob Terrell Miss Broward"

My inexperience in all of this led me to work out some new ideas in marketing. Up to this point, yacht sales were driven more by word of mouth than the level of advertising in other companies. With the help of Mel and Marty, we came up with a bold Broward logo and also initiated a campaign that poked fun at the “old guard” with double page ads in the largest marine publications.

The Rendezvous concept however was far more successful in terms of generating sales and so, along with our marketing in print, we continued to push the envelope and expand our messaging to show how fun yachting can be.

Jerry Morton showing his winning grip

Back in those days, it was customary to christen the yachts upon completion and invite the employees and their families to witness the ceremony. But then I had an idea. Why not invite the owners of these boats to a party down at the Ocean Reef Club and do the christening there?

The inaugural event was put together quickly and featured three boats Parts V, a 90’ motor yacht designed by Jon Bannenberg, Brownies III, a 110’ tri-deck for a repeat Broward owner, and Cherosa, a 90’ tri-deck. We had no idea if folks would even show up. But once the marine yachting press heard about it, their reports fueled the fire for more parties.

J-team hands-down volleyball team

Pretty soon, we were holding themed events. “Fantasy Island” was the theme for 1986. Mardi Gras was the theme for 1988, and we really peaked at the 1950s-themed “Rock Around the Reef” event in 1990. Wolfman Jack was there and the Coasters and Drifers were brought in to play, too.

So, what started out as a simple attempt to keep our customers together and keep them “in the family” turned out to be a major part of our overall marketing strategy. That’s simply because we found that letting potential customers walk onboard boats at a boat show isn’t the same as being invited onboard our latest Broward by an enthusiastic owner. At one point, one of the owners actually started a Broward Yacht Club! Our frst event in 1984 was not only fun for our owners and successful for Broward Marine, it also ushered in one of the largest charity events in the US that is still one of yachting’s biggest charitable gatherings today. But you’ll have to subscribe to the next issue of FRNK to read about that!

Susan Tomisch, Mrs. D., Bob Tomisch, and Mr. D