Stabi Dealer

Stabi Dealers

STABIDEALER

HEAVEN IN

HAURAKI

The team at Gulfland Marine reckon they can barely keep up with the demand for Stabicraft. It helps that they’re smack bang in the middle of boating heaven.

The Hauraki Gulf is a paradise for boaties and fishos of

all persuasions. Stretching for 4000sq km (1544sq mi), it’s bounded to the east by the Coromandel Peninsula and to the north-east by Great Barrier Island. It boasts about 50 islands, and much of it is pristine marine park, but there are still plenty of good spots to dangle a line. The Hauraki Gulf is a great place to have a boat, with easy access to boat ramps and marinas. This makes business pretty good for Stabicraft dealer Gulfland Marine. The dealership is on the main road in the middle of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula — which pokes its nose into the gulf, just a half-hour drive north of Auckland.

Gulfland has been a marine shop for more than 40 years, the past 20 of those in the capable hands of Craig and Tess Lewis. Craig knows his boats. He’s an A-grade mechanic, marine engineer and outboard master technician, and has put together an impressive crew of boat techs to meet the needs of a wide range of customers. It’s a big operation. They offer full marine sales and service with one of the largest, highest-qualified and

best-equipped workshops in the country. Gulfland also has a satellite workshop at Gulf Harbour Marina.

“We’ve got 10 staff — all with a mechanical background — and two shops, which makes us the largest Mercury and Stabicraft dealership in New Zealand,” says Craig.

They’ve certainly got the runs on the board. Gulfland has won Mercury Dealer of the year NZ quite a few times over the years. “And we’re the only NZ dealer ever to receive Mercury dealer of the year for Australia and the Pacific,” says Craig with a big grin.

Craig and Tess love the gulf country and it doesn’t hurt that their watery location is also pretty good for business. “We get customers of all ages as the area is surrounded by beaches, which attract people who want to live here,” says Craig. “If they don’t already have one, they usually develop a bit of a marine interest pretty quick.”

If you’re just visiting, Craig reckons the best time is between October and March. “Hauraki Gulf is one of the most pristine boating areas in the world. It’s filled with Islands and marine reserves with Auckland at its hub.”

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The fishing’s pretty good, too. “The best species to catch are snapper, kingfish, john dory, kahawai and even the occasional game fish.” Craig reckons there’s no mystery to hooking a decent feed. “The secret to catching fish here is to keep your boat in tip-top running order by using our mechanics.”

Craig and Tess introduced Stabicraft to the region more than 20 years ago. According to Craig, it was a no-brainer. “We’ve watched Stabicraft grow since their first boat was launched,” he says. “When we purchased Gulfland Marine, we approached Paul Adams with the benefits we both could achieve if Stabi had Gulfland Marine as a representative. The partnership was struck and we’ve grown with each other.”

Gulfland has certainly sold plenty of Stabis over the years, the boats’ rugged dependability making them a good option for customers wanting safety, stability and reliability. “I’ve lost count, but we average about 40 boats per year,” says Craig. “Over 20 years, that’s 800 Stabis!”

Getting customers through the door is not a problem and Craig says Gulfland’s service keeps them coming back. He says the best thing about having a Stabi dealership is a happy customer and if he could get bossman Paul Adams to change just one thing at Stabicraft, it would it be to make the new ordering system even more focused on the customer’s wish list.

“The joy we see our customers having with their boats and the experiences they tell us about make it worthwhile.” He’s heard a few funny stories over the years, as well. “While testing a 2750CC with Mercury joystick piloting, we went to some hapuka pinnacles, at about 300m deep, and activated the JP system. All the boats around us were drifting past trying to fish. They couldn’t understand how we were staying in one place, not moving off the spot and hauling in the hapuka. The looks on their faces was priceless.”

QUESTIONS FOR CRAIG

What’s your top-seller?

01The 1550, followed by the 1850.

What’s your favourite

Stabi? The 1550 Fisher, but yesterday we got our first 2250CC, so...

How many Stabis have

03you sold? I’ve lost count, but we did 50 last year.

What’s the best thing

04about them? Safe, stable and a magic ride in the rough.

What other brands do you

05support?

Mercury, Minn Kota, Furuno, Humminbird, DMW trailers, Motorguide electric anchoring systems.