Where do you buy your boat supplies?

[BNG]

Does anyone have a special place to buy their boat gear? I wish there was a "Best Buys" for boat supplies that was on every corner. West Marine is convenient but expensive. Maybe you go to Walmart or a internet site. Who said owning a sailboat is expensive?

[Rick Westlake]

Being near Annapolis - "a drinking town with a sailing problem," as they say in Eastport - I have a couple of extra choices. But West Marine still gets a lot of my business.

Sailrite is a catalog/Internet store that has a small brick-and-mortar presence here. The manager can be abrasive but he's also very helpful. My most recent purchase there was an ATN genoa sleeve - the best one made, though also the costliest.

www.Defender.com has sold me a few high-ticket items, such as my autopilot and the two Lewmar #4 opening portlights I installed in place of the forward pair of cabin-side windows. They have surprised me with their quick shipping - often the order I place one morning arrives on my doorstep the next afternoon!

Annapolis Performance Sailing (www.apsltd.com) is a good source for rigging hardware, and they usually have better prices on cordage than West Marine. I'm not sure if those prices would be "shipping costs" better than Big Blue, though.

I've also bought and sold sails and other items through Bacon Sails, which is in the business district west of Annapolis' old town. I enjoy going down there, on occasion, and just browsing through their used gear. I have picked up some nice bargains, too - like my Fortress anchor, which I got used for about half the price of a new one.

But - jeez, what do you expect? This is Annapolis, the Sailing Capital of the USA!

[Kelly Hanson East]

Defender for planned stuff. I do try to feed my local WM too, though, because sometimes you do want to see the stuff in the flesh.

[David Mellon]

I have found a few items at WalMart, the number/letter set for my dink and it's painter were the last. Be careful of the "stainless steel" items they carry, I have found them to be junk. Defender has been great but I agree, when you need to touch it, or if shipping is too much, then it's Waste Marine for me.

[Kelly Hanson East]

Ive found some decent SS accesssories at Home Depot/Lowes, but I use them mostly in fresh water.

Cheap SS in salt isnt a good combo.

As noted elsewhere, We$t Marine will price match when pushed.....

[K9Kampers]

My favorite, tho not exclusively, is Hamilton Marine in Maine.

[hmhigh]

C-ME Marine ( http://www.c-mesales.com/ ) almost always has the best prices. And they have free shipping with orders over $100. It's supposed to be only for internet orders but when I ordered stuff from the catalog over the phone they still gave me free shipping. And stuff arrives within 2 days.

The other thing to do is just Google search the item you want and it will show you a lot of choices so you can compare prices.

Woody

[traderdave]

I ordered from Blue Water Yachts for a new Forestay, and upper shrouds - I don't think you can beat their prices and they had them mailed to me from stock in couple of days. Gail is also very helpful on any general questions about Mac stuff. West marine usually has what I need on the marine side either in the Vancouver or Bellingham store and Home Depot locally for general stuff for other mods.

[NiceAft]

BNG,

Great question I don't recall it ever being asked before, or maybe I'm just getting old. Either way, if anyone needs to demonstrate that I'm wrong about the prior, I don't need to know

Most of what I purchase comes either from West Marine, or in the case of Mac parts, Blue Water Yachts. On very rare occasions I go to Walmart.

Ray

[bubba]

We buy from Fisheries Supply in Seattle, West Marine and BWY, also the ACE heardwear store just down the street.

[jaguar496]

We are fortunate in that not only do we have Walmart, WM, etc., but we also have a great consignment store in Oriental. If an item is new or almost new, the price is normlly 50% of retail. For obviously used parts, tremendous savings, and one can make an offer, also. i.e., we bought a WM $1000.00 portable airconditioner with deflector for $300.00, and the conditoner was one year old. An $89.00 radar reflector for $10.00, a woman's $220.00 foul weather suit for $22.00(the owner was desparate for cash), a $30.00 block for $5.00, etc. All items can be returned within 30 days if they do not work. We also buy from WM and WalMart. stew

[Highlander]

Try looking for some used marine stores or marine flea markets

J

[bobmonroe]

From el cheapo Bob, order a Defender catolog, carry it in
to West Marine, they will price match, at least they
used to. Best to ask first.

[Love MACs]

Try looking for some used marine stores or marine flea markets

J

I'd never thought of that Did some research on both topics on the internet and was surprised how many I found, especially in the "used market" but also many flea markets in Fl and along the east coast Most of the "used" stores had little used stuff to offer but some of their other items seemed at bargain priced.


Allan

[Highlander]

Theirs a big used marina store not to far from W/M in Sidney on Vanc. Isle BC I p/u some SS hardware used $80. @ W/M for $20. at the used store

J