ShipStore.com Beacon: Jim Gray, Miami Boat Show, Aquatic Ferrari
Issue 106, February 10, 2007
http://www.ShipStore.com
Floating your boat since 1982 TM


----------------------------NOTE-----------------------------
READ ONLINE: If you experience any trouble opening the links in your newsletter or if you would prefer to read online, you may access the Beacon at: http://www.shipstore.com/ss/HTML/NEWS/NEWSbeacon106.html . If you wish to SUBSCRIBE, please send a BLANK e-mail to beacon-on@list.shipstore.com . If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE, please send a BLANK e-mail to beacon-off@list.shipstore.com . WHITE LIST: Make sure you receive your ShipStore.com Beacon. Add beacon@list.shipstore.com to your address book.
-------------------------------------------------------------


=============================================================
IN THIS ISSUE:
=============================================================

~ CAPTAIN'S TIP: No Snow?!?! eBay Auctions, "Clear the Deck"
~ CAPTAIN'S TIP: Jim Gray, Miami Boat Show, Aquatic Ferrari
~ CAPTAIN'S SPECIALS: eBay Auctions for Tube Pro, Sevylor, more
~ CAPTAIN'S CONTEST: "Win a Shopping Spree" Drawing

=============================================================
~ WELCOME ABOARD: No Snow?!?! eBay Auctions, "Clear the Deck"
=============================================================

My email box has been filling up with worried notes from family and friends lately. Seems like the whole country is being bombarded with new stories and footage of the snowstorms in "upstate New York", but the good news (so far at least) is that we haven't been hit. The huge snowfalls have been far west of us, dumping moisture from the Great Lakes which seldom makes it all the way to Westport. That said, we've experienced some frigid temperatures. But there's still only a thin crust of snow on the ground and Lake Champlain remains open and almost totally ice free.

For some the bitter cold thickens the blood and slows their work pace, but ShipStore manager, Brian Olson, seems to do the opposite. He's revved up and working harder than ever! He and Captain Jim are putting the finishing touches on the twice annual "Clear the Deck" Sale, and Brian's eBay auction frenzy means tons and tons of outrageous deals all the time. Check out our current auctions here:

http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/sale/salesevauction.html

Can you believe that it's already time for another "Clear the Deck" Sale? The current "Clear the Deck" Sale may well be our biggest clearance sale ever. Are you a new subscriber? Or maybe you'd just like a little refresher on how the "Clear the Deck" Sale works? Twice each year we empty our warehouse to make room for new merchandise. That means that twice each year ShipStore.com offers unbeatable prices on some of our most popular items. We spread the items over two newsletters to help us keep up with the flood of orders, so watch your Inbox for the announcement.

What's the catch? Simple. Many of these items are literally "last in stock" products, and once they're gone, they are GONE! First come, first served, folks. So when you receive the "Clear the Deck" Sale newsletter, order immediately to guarantee that you'll get the best deals. To get you ready, here are a few important reminders:

1. All orders subject to stock on hand. These amazing deals are only valid until our stock is depleted!
2. All "Clear the Deck" items are final sales unless defective from the factory.
3. There will be no backorders. "Ship or cancel" policy in effect.
4. First come, first served. (Note: This could mean you order an item which shows in stock, but someone places an order just ahead of you and you are unfortunately out of luck. We'll email any shortage notices to customer promptly and void those items from your order.)
5. As items sell out, we'll try to keep the list as current as possible, changing it daily through the end of the sale.
6. The "Clear the Deck" Sale only lasts for two (2) weeks.

That's all you need to know. We'll update you next week.

George Davis, Beacon Editor
editor@shipstore.com

=============================================================
~ CAPTAIN'S TIP: Jim Gray, Miami Boat Show, Aquatic Ferrari
=============================================================

It's been an interesting couple of weeks in the boating news world. From the tragic to the bizarre and several points in between, here's what you might of missed but shouldn't.

On Sunday, January 28th Microsoft engineer and renowned database specialist Dr. James Gray disappeared off the coast of San Francisco after sailing his C&C 40, Tenacious, out of San Francisco Bay bound for the Farallon Islands where he intended to scatter his mother's ashes.

"The United States Coast Guard [dispatched] aircraft and boats to scour 132,000 square miles of ocean, stretching from the Channel Islands in Southern California to the Oregon border. Teams turned up nothing, not so much as a shard of aluminum hull or a swatch of sail... [Meanwhile] dozens of Dr. Gray's colleagues, friends and former students began banding together on Monday to supplement the Coast Guard's efforts with the tool they know best: computer technology... A veritable Who's Who of computer scientists from Google, Amazon, Microsoft, NASA and universities across the country spent sleepless nights writing ad hoc software, creating a blog and reconfiguring satellite images so that dozens of volunteers could pore over them, searching for a speck of red hull and white deck among a sea of gray pixels... Coast Guard officials said they had never before seen such a concerted, technically creative effort carried out by friends and family of a missing sailor. 'This is the largest strictly civilian, privately sponsored search effort I have ever seen,' said Capt. David Swatland, deputy commander of the Coast Guard sector in San Francisco, who has spent most of his 23-year career in search and rescue."

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/03/technology/03search.html

Despite these extraordinary efforts, almost two weeks after Jim Gray's disappearance there's still no good news to report. Keep an eye on developments here:

http://news.google.com/news?num=50&hl=en&rlz=1B2GGGL_enUS177&resnum=0&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&tab=wn&q=jim+gray&btnG=Search

And if you'd like to help with the search effort, visit HelpFindJim.com which recently announced that volunteers have finished examining over "560,000 images from 3 satellites, covering nearly 3,500 square miles of ocean!" You can even download MISSING posters in multiple languages to help spread the word. Here are the English and Spanish versions if you're interested:

http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/%7Edtliu/jg/jgmiss.pdf

On a more upbeat note, Miami, Florida is gearing up for its 66th annual Miami International Boat Show next week (February 15-19). Filling three venues (Miami Beach Convention Center, Sea Isle Marina and Yachting Center, and Miamarina at Bayside) and boasting 2,200 exhibitors and approximately 150,000 attendees, this world class boat show is an ideal opportunity for recreational boating enthusiasts to discover the hottest new boating trends.

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070208/story4.shtml

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) will promote safe boating and the importance of life jackets during the Miami International Boat Show by outfitting all NMMA staff, PR representatives and guest speakers as well as boat show security guards, ticket takers, greeters and support staff with life jackets. According to Cathy Johnston, NMMA vice president of Southern Shows and manager of the Miami International Boat Show, this highly visible initiative will emphasize "the fact that life jackets are part of the boating uniform. Life jacket technology has changed dramatically over the years, and today's models are no longer the bulky, orange vests of years past. The styles are now sleeker, lighter, more stylish and, most importantly, more comfortable to wear." Sounds great! Find out more here:

http://www.boating-industry.com/output.cfm?id=1206037

Sticking with Florida news (Fort Myers Beach) but shifting into the bizarre boating mishaps category, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that a bull shark sank a shrimp boat. For four days Captain Roger Schmall's shrimping vessel, Christy Nichole, endured a group of sharks that repeatedly slammed against her hull, but "then a 14-foot bull shark broke the boat's tail shaft, leaving Schmall and his crew of two adrift about 100 miles off the coast." Schmall and his crew were rescued, but his boat sank.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070207/NEWS/702070463/1039

Last, but not least, in the category of wonderful, weird and wacky news, check out this totally unique form of water transport. An aquatic Ferrari F50 made out of wood! That's right, Venetian artist Livio De Marchi crafted a full-sized wooden Ferrari F50 and adapted it to serve as an eye-catching "boat" for wandering the watery byways of Venice. You'll need to watch the video to believe it.

http://spluch.blogspot.com/2007/02/ferrari-boat-made-of-wood.html

That's it for the news. Maybe it's cabin fever, but I just felt like these articles needed to be shared.

George Davis, Beacon Editor
editor@shipstore.com

=============================================================
~ CAPTAIN'S SPECIALS: eBay Auctions for Tube Pro, Sevylor, more
=============================================================

Check out our current eBay auctions here:

http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/sale/salesevauction.html

Here's a glimpse at what's currently being auctioned off, almost always at rock bottom prices!

3 person boat - SEVK65
Hard Bottom Snow Tube
Aqua Trailer - SEVATC250
Bean Bag Chair - SEVPF125BG
Bottom Line Fish Finder - Tournament 1101 Series
SeaChoice Battery -less shake-lite LED Flashlight
42" River Tube - SEVRT42
Boat Tube - Ski Tube - ST1050
Divided Trundle Air Bed - FTB2500
Air Plane Pool Float - WHK50
Nylon Camp Mattress
Pool Island Float- US460
Race Car Pool Toy - SEVWHK40
Propedo Snow Sled Bodyboard by SportsStuff
Resort Quality Soft Bottom SNOW TUBE, Blue (TUBE40XB)
Deck Chair, (SEV CF774)
Double Air Bed Matt, (SEV AB2500)
Fish 'n Tube - Fishing Tube - SEVFF1
36" RING w/SHAPES GRAPHICS, (SEVD95)
42" RING w/SPLASH GRAPHICS, (SEVD97)
AZURE FRENCH FLOAT, (SEV AZ6)
BASKETBALL CHAIR, (SEV PF125BK)
BASKETBALL, (SEV BK16)
Canoe - Fiji Travel Pack - SEVK330
CHAIR - LOUNGER (SEVRF5000)
COOLER, (SEV CB300)
JET KID RIDE-ON, (SEV JK150)
LOBSTER SWIM RING, (SEV LR75)
LOG CABIN, (SEV BYP150)
PVC FOOTBALL, (SEV FBR16)
SNOW SLED - SEVLGS3535
SNOW TUBE (SEV LGS366)
SOAK 'N FLOAT, (SEV I97)
SPACE CAPSULE, (SEV VL200)
Towable AURORA MACH IV (SEV ST7050)
Towable AVENGER MACH V (SEV ST4050)
Towable DELTA JET (SEV ST4550)
KID'S BASKETBALL GAME SET (PT120)
LE BISCUIT TOWABLE, (SEV ST2000-12)
MULTI-FUNCTION CHAIR, (SEV CF620)
POOL BASKETBALL SLAM DUNK SET (PT110)
RUSTIC LOUNGE CHAIR (SEV CF772)
SEVYTEX RUNABOUT (SEV SVX250WT)
Sno Bobby SNOW SLED (SEVLGS4400)
SNO BULLET - Snow Sled
Sno Tube
Speed Boat Hammock (SEVWHK60)
Towable - Nylon Covered Ski Bob - SEVST3842
Towable PRO EXPRESS ELITE, (SEV ST2850)
Swiss Lugz Child Snow Sled by SportsStuff

=============================================================
~ CAPTAIN'S CONTEST: "Win a Shopping Spree!" Drawing
=============================================================

Win a $100.00 credit at ShipStore.com. To be eligible for future "Win a Shopping Spree!" drawings all you have to do is subscribe to the Beacon. All current subscribers are eligible for the random drawing. If you're not already subscribed, then visit http://www.shipstore.com and click the "Win a Shopping Spree!" link along the top of your screen.

Once you subscrive you'll be sent a confirmation email which you must respond to in order to activate your subscription and be added to our mailing list. This double opt-in procedure enables us to prevent accidental subscriptions and spam. As soon as your confirmation is confirmed, you will be entered into the "Win a Shopping Spree!" drawing for a $100.00 free merchandise from ShipStore.com. Good luck.

=============================================================
NEWSLETTER SENT BY PERMISSION ONLY
=============================================================

This email has been sent to you because you (or someone using your email address) subscribed to the ShipStore.com Beacon newsletter. We respect your privacy and do not sell your personal information or release your email address ever, for any reason. For details, please review our Privacy Policy.

If you prefer not to receive to the ShipStore.com Beacon newsletter, please send a BLANK e-mail to beacon-on@list.shipstore.com with "Subscribe" (remove the quotation marks) in the Subject Field. If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE, please send a BLANK e-mail to beacon-off@list.shipstore.com. If you have any questions or suggestions contact the editor by e-mail editor@shipstore.com. Please include a helpful subject like "Question for the Captain", "Suggestion for Article" or "Remove Duplicate Mailing" to help us sort through the e-mails more easily.

=============================================================
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
=============================================================

COPYRIGHT 2007 ShipStore.com (tm) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Permission is granted to electronically copy, print or forward this newsletter for use as a shopping, boating or travel resource as long as it is not altered in any way and sent in its entirety. Any other use of materials on this Web site--including reproduction for purposes other than those noted above, modification, distribution, or republication--without the prior written permission of Westport Marina, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

=============================================================
CONTACT INFORMATION
=============================================================

ShipStore.com
6039 Route 9N
Westport, NY 12993
Telephone: 518-962-2700
Toll Free: 877-SHIPSTORE (US and Canada)
Fax: 518-962-4582

E-Mail sales@shipstore.com with any questions.