I must go down to the seas again...

"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over."

Sea Fever, by John Masefield

My dear customers and friends.

A lot of you have been coming in to ask if the gossip is true, so I thought it would be best if you got the news straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak…

After 15 years and a few months (plus 3 years before that as Force 5 Marine Too) Boatman’s World will cease trading towards the end of next month.

It has not been an easy decision, and it has not been a hasty decision… In fact maybe it has even been an overdue decision…

I started this business in 1998, with but a few pennies and a lot of goodwill on behalf of suppliers and customers alike. I followed in my father’s footsteps when I started Force 5 Marine Too, which quickly morphed into Boatman’s World. 

It took a while, but eventually I stopped being known as Force 5 Pete, and became Boatman’s World Pete.

Boatman’s World grew and grew and the taxman loved me, and the bank manager loved me, and so did all the other bank managers too!

I loved my work, and really got a kick out of either having the right things or being able to source them quickly and efficiently. I acquired way too much stock, and did not learn some valuable lessons about saying no to salesmen and being tough, at least not soon enough.

Always my main concern was keeping my customers happy.

Contrary to popular belief (haha), I never became rich. I lived comfortably enough, but after 18 years, a couple of divorces, and the financial crisis, plus the continuous fleecing by the government I leave with little more than my clothes, motorbike and music keyboard… and a lot of fond memories!

Boatman’s World like many other business in Greece, except maybe for the really big and well connected ones, has suffered the effects of the crisis. I, unfortunately, relied too much on bank funding and loans, which of course dried up with the onset of the crisis.

you know the story...

I have found myself in a situation where I could see nothing better on the horizon, instead things were looking more and more grim... 

As I said before all I wanted was to keep people happy and in the process be able to earn a respectable living for me and my children. This is being denied me, by the situation in general... So it is my choice to change direction and try and make better use of my talents and knowledge in another way.

I will soon be a part of the company called Sail Your Soul, run by Klaus Mayer. I have known and respected Klaus ever since I've met him, and like the way he runs his business. I look forward to being a part of it, and of being able to offer yachtspeople my services as part of his team.

I have worked on and around boats, ever since I finished school. That was just over 30 years ago, nearly 23 of which as a chandler, but the almost 4 years I spent working on boats in the boatyard, and in the Marina, where  the most enjoyable. I look forward to going back to that...

As a young teenager, I used to listen to a lot of Neil Young, and one of my favourite songs of his was one called "Hey, Hey, My, My…" and favourite lyric, that one where it says, “it’s better to burn out, than to fade away…”

I could maybe have sold Boatman's World, but call me stupid if you like, I somehow don't think anyone could make it work as well as we did. I would rather it "burn out" than it "fade away"...

As Paul from the Agiotfest knows well, Boatman's World is, was, the "Rock n Roll Chandlery".

I hate the idea that if it were to continue and end up a badly run shadow of its former self, people would say "Ahh once it was great but now..." So best to go out with a bang and as many good memories as possible.

I shall remain incurably romantic against the flow of the times,

And I shall see you all out there, on the sea and the boats....

Your soon-to-be-an-ex-chandler friend, 

Peter

PS. As most of you know, I have a LOT of stock... I need to get rid of it ASAP. Some of my suppliers have agreed to take returns, so until the end of the month, I will be selling off stuff at good prices and hopefully in bulk. I need your help and support. Come to the shop, armed with some time and dosh, look around, ask and spend...it will be a great help. And the more obscure the item, the better deal you shall get!

PS2 just in case you are worrying, Jo has got herself a job with Sailing Holidays, and is now happily wading her way back into passenger-manifest-and-transfer-land...

PS3 There is one thing I will not miss. And that is finally not having to explain that Jo is my sister and not my wife...