Powering Miami’s Boating Life; Reliable Marine’s Rise

Step onto the docks of the Miami International Boat Show and into the story of how Miami’s shimmering lifestyle is powered by the people who keep its engines turning. We sit down with Reuben Rhodes, president and owner of Reliable Marine, to trace his journey from a family freight business to leading the nation in Suzuki outboard sales—proof that a sharp eye for customer pain points and an obsession with service can change a market.

Reuben shares how he spotted a simple gap: Miami boaters were driving north for repowers because they couldn’t get timely local service. He fought for a shot with Suzuki and then delivered, ranking first in his district the first year and later climbing to number one in the U.S. We unpack the wild pandemic era when demand skyrocketed while supply ran dry, six-month waitlists tested patience, and the team protected its promise to never let schedules creep beyond three weeks. That discipline, plus a tight-knit crew treated like family, powered consistent growth.

We also dig into what makes modern boating better. Four-stroke outboards now start like cars, and most failures trace back to fuel, not engines. Ruben lays out the essentials: buy ethanol-free Rec 90, monitor a clear-bowl Racor water separator, and drain early to save your day on the water. He clears up maintenance myths, too—dealer service is smart for records and support, but owners can handle basic care without voiding coverage. With Suzuki’s standard five-year warranty and a current seven-year factory promotion on 150 horsepower and up, buyers get long-term confidence that follows the boat.

Not every flashy feature earns a spot on board. Reuben favors fewer failure points, especially offshore, and stays wary of joysticks and remote starts when reliability matters most. Reliable Marine’s model reflects that ethos: no boxed engines, no exports—every motor installed, commissioned, and supported locally for accountability and trust. And beyond the tech and sales charts sits the real throttle on Miami’s boating economy: access. Weekend ramp closures push families away; more ramps would unlock more time on the water and amplify local jobs, repowers, parts, and service across the city.

If you love Miami, the Keys, and the hum of a dependable outboard, this conversation connects the dots between lifestyle and industry. Subscribe, share with a boater who needs straighter talk about engines and access, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

Transcript

Miami’s Lifestyle Powered By Industry

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Miami. Global playground celebrated for its beautiful oceans and famous lifestyle. Behind all of the sunshine and success are people, products, and companies powering this magic city. This season, the Wards Way podcast brings you face to face with those who energize Miami's iconic way of life and bring us closer to the water.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Welcome to the Miami International Boat Show. This is Wards Way 2026.

Ruben’s Start And Early Years

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Welcome to the Wards Way podcast. I'm here today with my friend Ruben Rhodes, who's president and owner of Reliable Marine. Welcome, welcome to the podcast. So I wanted to introduce you. We are um talking about the theme of this podcast is Miami's a lifestyle powered by industry. And I can't think of anybody more appropriate than to talk about power with than you, being the largest Suzuki dealer in the entire country. So welcome, welcome to the Wardsway.

SPEAKER_01 1:01

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Yes, so so what brought you to the Miami? Should talk to me about Miami and Miami show. What does this show mean to you?

SPEAKER_01 1:07

This is an important part of the industry. Um it's one of our biggest shows in the industry. Um I've been working this show for the last twenty-five years with Suzuki since 2018.

SPEAKER_02 1:19

Wow, and now is that when you got into the industry? So you started 25 years ago? Yeah, I started around. You were like nine? No. Oh, yeah. Little old.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

So I started in 2001. Okay, it's my 30th anniversary.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

So I started in 96. So okay, 2001.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

Starting in 2001. Um my family owned an export business.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

And a guy across the street opened a boat shop. All right. And I would cross the street every day and go hang out with him, and until one day I said, Hey, let me work with you. Oh, yeah. And that's how I got into the merge.

SPEAKER_02 1:46

So that's how you started learning by working on the engines? Working on the engine.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

At that time, he was an everoud Johnson dealer.

SPEAKER_02 1:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

So it was it was totally by accident. I was in my family's again, freight forwarding business, and the guy opened a boat shop across the street, and I thank God he moved in.

SPEAKER_02 2:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

Started crossing the street.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

And and but still, how did you grow that into a company? So you started learning maybe how the engines worked and so I worked with him for

Launching Reliable Marine

SPEAKER_02 2:10

for probably twelve or thirteen years.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

Okay. Then I walked away from the business for a little bit, and then in 2014 I launched Reliable Marine.

SPEAKER_02 2:18

Wow. Wow. And so how has that been? So you're coming up, you're in twenty uh eleven years.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Eleven years. Wow. It goes by fast like that. It goes by fast. So I started off um um as a Honda dealer. Oh, okay. Because my uncle and aunt are a distributor for Honda in the Caribbean in Aruba. Okay. So they sell cars, motorcycles. So it was very easy for me to get in with Honda because I already had all the characters.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

So and my friend owned an upholstery shop, so we kind of partner up.

SPEAKER_02 2:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

So me and my friend, he he did the upholstery side, I did the the Honda side and the mechanical, but and I also pretty much rigged boats and things like that. And then in 2018 of May, I started with Suzuki.

SPEAKER_02 2:58

And what and what maybe made brought

Winning Suzuki And Scaling Up

SPEAKER_02 3:00

that change?

SPEAKER_01 3:00

What was so I realized a lot of my customers that I had built were all going north to repower. So I'm like, why am I and north where?

SPEAKER_02 3:09

Where were they going?

SPEAKER_01 3:10

Um anywhere, you know, Pompano, West Palm Beans, and I think. Because they were leaving Miami. They were leaving Miami because there was no big Miami dealers.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

I got you.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

Or Suzuki dealers, big Suzuki dealers in Miami. So everybody was just headed north to repower. Okay. You know, and at that time there there was one dealer that was holding people's boats for three or four months. Um today they're no longer a dealer, but at that time, so I was like, why am I not doing these jobs?

SPEAKER_02 3:34

That's right, that's right. Let's follow it.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

So I reached out to Suzuki, it was a little bit of a challenge because I was a very small shop, and I guess they were just focused on looking for something more established and bigger. But I I remember the guy's conversation with me when he finally signed me. He said, You are the last warehouse guy that I'm signing because you guys promised that you're gonna buy all these engines and you never do. But I'm gonna sign you.

SPEAKER_02 3:57

And he took a chance on you.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

He took a chance on me because at that at that moment it was between me or uh another gentleman that had a little bit of a it was a parts and service for Yamaha. He wasn't a full-line Yamaha, it was between me or that guy. And that guy shortly after that closed shop, so he actually made a good decision going on me. Good, good. The first year we ranked number one in the district, and we went on the first Suzuki TPC trip. Um after that, we've been in

COVID Supply Crunch And Demand Surge

SPEAKER_01 4:25

the nationals every year. 2024 and 25, we ranked number one in the country.

SPEAKER_02 4:30

Now, how do what do you think is the contributing to that? And I and I know that on on boats of a certain size during COVID, did you did you see a big boom during COVID?

SPEAKER_01 4:39

We had a big boom. So during COVID, we had a hard time getting inventory, but whatever we would get would sell.

SPEAKER_02 4:44

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:45

So I was actually held back during COVID because I was only able to sell what they would send me.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

I got you.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

So in the in the COVID, um we struggled the same way, you know.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

Sometimes we we were limited.

SPEAKER_01 4:57

In COVID, we probably did 350 motors each for the two years of COVID. Then after that, we started going up into the six and seven hundred range. Okay. Um once we had inventory.

SPEAKER_02 5:11

I was gonna ask you that because the reason I ask is that in speaking with some of the builders that are here, they talk about that that was a time when they are their building and their order book went way up, and I assumed that it would be paralleled with the engines, but I can understand the supply chain

Lead Times, Staffing, And Service Philosophy

SPEAKER_02 5:25

was a was a challenge. So that makes that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 5:27

We would we would have people on a six-month waiting list for engines.

SPEAKER_02 5:30

Wow. What's the wait list now?

SPEAKER_01 5:32

No, there right now, I mean, we have a a pretty big operation. We specialize in repower. We usually today about a week to two weeks. Oh, that's perfect. Max amazing. I never let my schedule go past three weeks. Okay. So like during the summer when when things get really busy, you know, the guys work extra hours, they'll work at night, weekends. I I don't ever I don't ever want my schedule to go into the the four week, five week because people might look elsewhere because they want their boat to be underwater fast.

SPEAKER_02 6:00

Now I can imagine that um you probably have the same struggle that we do as far as like can keeping manpower and hiring manpower. Has that been a challenge for you and training?

SPEAKER_01 6:10

It was a challenge in the beginning. Yeah, today I have a really good crew. Everybody that's worked with me has worked with me for a very long time. We've added one or two members in these last couple months, right? But everybody else has been there for a long time and plan to stay with me for a very long time.

SPEAKER_02 6:24

Well, that's good. That's good.

SPEAKER_01 6:25

You gotta pay your employees good, treat them like family. Exactly. And they're not gonna want to go anywhere. Exactly. All my employees are like family to me.

SPEAKER_02 6:31

You know, we we have that in common. We feel the same way. Okay, so now you have to tell me the story. How did you meet Eddie, who is our salesperson that interacts with your company?

Relationships, Vendors, And Family Culture

SPEAKER_01 6:40

So when I was doing uh rewires and things like that, as being a uh a Honda dealer, um, I believe it was a gentleman named Eddie from Sunshine Marine that recommended Eddie to me.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

Okay, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:53

Because I I think I used to buy from a company called Pacer or something like that online. So um I needed something more local, more sure, more more family oriented, yeah. More of a relationship. I like doing business and relationship. Agree. You know, I never even ask a price because if I do business with somebody, I know that we have a relationship and that person's not gonna do me wrong. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:13

No, but I I I get that same sense, and especially being family businesses, and um you'll deal with it soon. Do you have do you have another generation that's gonna come in?

SPEAKER_01 7:21

Do you you think I have another generation? I I started a little late. My son's only six years old. That's okay. I'm gonna be 42, so I'm thinking about it. By the time he's 20 something, I'm gonna be an old man. Do I really want to work this hard till then?

SPEAKER_02 7:33

But um, you know, the time goes by really fast, I have to say.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

But I do have some young guys in the shop that are very talented that they can possibly take a lot of weight off my shoulders.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

Well, and I have to say, I was never gonna work for my family company. Um, you know, I uh my brother and I we would we would come visit in the in the summers or when we were out of school, but you know, my my parents never pressured us to say like you must, and then we both obviously worked with the company and it's my 30th anniversary, and I can't imagine being anywhere else. So it'll happen.

SPEAKER_01 8:02

Your kids will automatically want to be a part of uh

Kids, Keys, And Community On The Water

SPEAKER_01 8:05

I'm gonna let them take their own course, but I I've always told my son, he's always when we ask him what you want to eat, I want to be a Suzuki dealer.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

Oh, good, good for that.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

He's good, he's he's into it, they like the boats. Um, we spend a lot of time on the water during the summer.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

Oh, do you? Okay, so you do a lot of family boating.

SPEAKER_01 8:20

A lot of family boating during the summer. And now the the kids are old enough where it's getting easier. It was a little harder when they were smaller.

SPEAKER_02 8:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

So my fit I've I've laid back on the fishing a little bit because I gotta spend time with the families, it's more go to the sandbar. Sure. But now my son's six, my nephews are seven, eight, and nine. They're at the perfect age now that they're self-sufficient. We fished the Spanish mackerel tournament with them in marathon.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

I was just gonna say, you're getting up there in tournament age, you know. You can start, you know, training that.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

About three or four weeks ago, we did a Spanish mackerel tournament marathon. It was me and my brother with all the boys on the boat.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

Oh fun. Oh, that was.

SPEAKER_01 8:54

We sponsored the tournaments we weren't allowed to participate, but we fished for fun. Oh, good, good. And we were part of the tournament, uh, the meetings and the parties and the the hangouts.

SPEAKER_02 9:03

You know, now talk to me about how engines have evolved.

Engine Evolution And Fuel Quality

SPEAKER_02 9:07

I will say, like, my memories, um, unfortunately, when I was when I was a kid, my dad we would be sitting at the boat ramp, and you go to start, you've put the boat in the water, and you know you ran the boat engines at the house before you left, and everything was fine. But you get to the ramp and now you're there, and now here comes he's got a pop off the top. Now, this is going back a few years. A few years. But I remember that it was always the thing at the ramp that people would be working on. But talk to me about how engines have evolved. I mean, now they're they're beautiful, just seeing them on display, they're massive. And talk to me.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

So now it's a four-stroke engine. Okay. So it's just like the engine in your car, it's gonna start every time you turn the key. Um for a new motor to fail is very uncommon. Okay. Um, 99% of the time, if a motor fails, it's because of the bad fuel. Okay. If your fuel is clean, you should never have any issues with your motors.

SPEAKER_02 9:54

And and how do people prevent that? Is there is there any kind of fuel additives and just buying Rec 90, okay?

SPEAKER_01 9:59

Um, keeping an eye on your fuel filter. We install water separators for clear bowls. Okay, so we educate the customer to always pay attention to the fuel. Since a boat has a a tank that breathes, it can absorb moisture. So we always educate our customers, listen, we put this Raycore filter on there for you. You always have to be watching your fuel. Because if you catch it, you can drain the filter, reprime, and you're good to go.

SPEAKER_02 10:20

Do you think that people are following along with that? Do you guys uh for the most part?

SPEAKER_01 10:23

I mean, every once in a while we get we get somebody come into the shop. Sure.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

Well, I have to say, in my experience at boat ramps recently, I have not seen people, and maybe that's why because the designs of of the engines have changed, and so you don't I mean I was always the one on the priming the ball choking it, and having to do it like really hard, accelerating the throttle forward.

SPEAKER_01 10:40

Are we still customers? If you have to accelerate the motor to start it, there's a problem. Right with a new engine. You should turn the key, wait two seconds, crank it, and it should fire every time. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 10:50

Yeah, they definitely have come a long way.

SPEAKER_01 10:51

They've evolved a long way.

SPEAKER_02 10:52

Now, now, where how far is your is your selling reach? So when we talk about Miami, a lot of people talk about the economic impacts. Do you see

Local-Only Installs And Warranty Rules

SPEAKER_02 11:00

a lot of your customers coming from outside international? Are they coming in? Are they are they U.S. buyers? Are they international buyers? Little both?

SPEAKER_01 11:07

No, all our customers are local. We are not allowed to sell box motors. Everything, everything we sell is installed by us.

SPEAKER_02 11:13

Okay, excellent.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

Correct. Unless we we sell it to another dealer, then we can transfer it to their inventory. But we are not allowed to sell any box engines, no export, everything is is local.

SPEAKER_02 11:22

And I think that's actually better. So when somebody buys it from you, they know that it will be installed, commissioned, warranty. Correct. Everything is from you and back to that relationship.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Correct. Because if they take it overseas and they have a problem with it, then it it becomes a warranty problem.

SPEAKER_02 11:35

What do you what are your thoughts? And and we we uh you don't have to answer this, or you can. Um we don't practice and rehearse. What are your thoughts on some of these um uh remote engine controls or remote docking and things like that? What do you think about those?

SPEAKER_01 11:51

Um I'm I'm I'm I'm a I'm an old-fashioned boater. I'm not into the joystick into the bow thrusters. I I I control my boat, yeah.

Tech Caution: Joysticks And Remotes

SPEAKER_02 12:00

So you still use your mirrors, you don't use your cameras in the car, I'm the same way. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

I'm the same way. And and as far as like as w when you refer to remote, like remote start, sure. I I call all those things like booby traps, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

Like we have like a keyless remote start that prevents theft and stuff like that. But my my thing is that you're you're over in the Bahamas for the weekend and nothing fails. Now you can't start your engine.

SPEAKER_02 12:24

So I I removal failure points. So anything that's extra.

SPEAKER_01 12:28

I try to remove all my failure points, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

You know, we kind of say the same thing, just because it can be remotely controlled or monitored doesn't mean it should be. Correct. You know, just because you know you can do it doesn't mean doesn't mean you have to. Are there any other safety issues that you think uh my one of the people that um we were speaking with uh was the ABYC, the American Boat and Yacht Council, and they were talking about product certifications. Is there anything safety that you see kind of in the forefront of of engines and and you know, maintenance, for example, you know, you have you have your um your owner operator, you know, are these easy to maintain? Is this something that you you do that training as well?

SPEAKER_01 13:03

Or yeah, so they're very the motors

Maintenance, DIY, And Seven-Year Warranty

SPEAKER_01 13:05

are very easy to maintain as far as safety. I mean, it every everything's wrapped around safety. Um as far as maintenance, uh um they're very easy to maintain. And we we educate the customers. A lot of customers think that they have to service it at the dealer to obtain the warranty, which is not true. Uh it's better if you service it at a dealer because something does happen. We have all the records and it was done by a certified dealer. Gotcha. But we tell because customers, some of them want to change their own oil. You can do it as long as you don't create the harm to the motor. I gotcha.

SPEAKER_02 13:33

And what if they sell the boat? Does that it does it? The warranty is transferable. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:37

Warranty is transferable. Um right now, Suzuki um standard warranty is five years. Okay. Currently, they're running a promotion, seven years on everything 150 and up in horsepower.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

So that that's an extraordinary.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

And it's a seven-year factory warranty, not an extended. Okay, so directly with the manufacturer.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

So that's obviously transferable to wherever you go and wherever you take that boat.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

In the US.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Excellent, excellent. So now tell me, your is this how many years have you been exhibiting in the Miami show?

Life At The Miami Boat Show

SPEAKER_01 14:05

I've been coming to the show probably since 2001. I think.

SPEAKER_02 14:08

Wow, okay. Do you have a favorite Miami show, favorite event?

SPEAKER_01 14:12

Um, no, I mean the I'm so focused in my booth that I don't even I I barely get around to walking and even see the show.

SPEAKER_02 14:19

You know, I find that the same way, especially when you have a booth, you're so well, you're focused on your consumer and you're in pleasing your customers.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

So I I ordered a a new boat. Oh, and yesterday I said I have to find some time to go see the dealer and just to look at the boat in live. Because one thing is I ordered it based on seeing it, but they have it here displayed on the show. So I finally at six o'clock, I had a little break where I went and spoke to the dealer down there. To be able to go see your own boat. Your own. The one that I ordered, yeah, just to go over the details because it's a lot easier here at the show looking at it than on the show. Oh, absolutely. 100%.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

You get to touch it and feel it.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Touch it, look at it, open the hatches, look at the water.

SPEAKER_02 14:53

Okay, so when are you going on the water? When are you first getting out? After obviously after the show.

SPEAKER_01 14:57

We we won't have time this week, but yeah, so um I'll probably be in the water with my son next week.

SPEAKER_02 15:02

Okay, good, good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:03

So I also bought him a little boat that

Boating The Keys vs Miami Ramps

SPEAKER_01 15:05

we're gonna start traveling the canal Miami canals with. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

Oh, good. That's important. That's important. Always keeping the kids out on the water.

SPEAKER_01 15:11

We do all our boating in the Keys.

SPEAKER_02 15:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 15:13

So we don't always have time to go every weekend to the Keys. Okay, so we're down in the Keys. Um I'm currently down in Tavanier.

SPEAKER_02 15:19

Okay, so my family used to have a home down in uh Ramrod, so mile marker 27. So yeah, that's way down. It's pretty far down. No, I agree, but I understand what you mean. Um you don't always get to go down there or always get to go every weekend.

SPEAKER_01 15:30

But Keelargo Tavanier is still close enough that you could drive down for the day and drive back, yeah. But I do all my boating in the Keys. It's it's funny because I was out on a boat for New Year's Eve, and I told the captain that from the boat that we chartered, I said, I haven't boated in this downtown Miami area in 10 years. So you're like a tourist. I was like a tourist. Did you enjoy it? Was it fun? Oh, good. We went out at night to watch the fireworks on the 31st, and I was like, I haven't been out in 10 years in this area. Because I we do all our sea trials out of uh Black Point or Matheson. So it's just going out the channel and doing a quick run with the boat. We don't really go to the downtown area.

SPEAKER_02 16:06

So what makes you do all your boating down in the keys? I know my dad, it was the boat ramps.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

Oh, because I I have a house down there and it's it's easier because you can't really get in these these Miami boat ramps have turned into a a nightmare on the on the weekends. It can be it's you have to make the line at six

Access Problem: More Ramps, More Boaters

SPEAKER_01 16:20

o'clock in the morning.

SPEAKER_02 16:20

Right, yeah, no.

SPEAKER_01 16:21

That's what actually made me buy down in the keys.

SPEAKER_02 16:24

Because but at least you get at least you get the opportunity to do your boating down there and you have that option.

SPEAKER_01 16:28

Yeah, and get the disconnect for the weekend, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:31

That's right, that's right. But always connecting with the water, always connecting with the water.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

And I've I've always had a passion for the keys since since I was a kid, as my aunt and uncle had a a travel trailer. We used to put it fiesta key.

SPEAKER_02 16:43

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_01 16:43

So as a kid, we would go to fiesta key every weekend.

SPEAKER_02 16:46

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

So I've always grew up with that love for the So did you grow up down here?

SPEAKER_02 16:49

Did you grow up in Miami?

SPEAKER_01 16:50

I was born and raised in Miami.

SPEAKER_02 16:52

Wow, okay. I was born and raised in South Florida too.

SPEAKER_01 16:54

Yeah, so we would only go to uh the keys on the weekends during the summers. Sure. So I always grew up with that passion and loved going to the keys on the weekends.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

I know my family, we used to um we used to just try to go in the summer too and rent houses back then, long before Airbnbs. And and again, in addition to being at the boat ram saying, one day I'm gonna have a new boat, my dad also said, one day I'm gonna have a house where I can have my boat behind it, and that's exactly it was down in the keys.

SPEAKER_01 17:19

So And the Keys is much more affordable than Miami on the water.

SPEAKER_02 17:23

Well, but you know what, it and it's a shame that it is that, but it is good that we have that here, yeah. That there is a ton of boating access that you can always get on the water.

SPEAKER_01 17:31

Yeah. And I and even even when I didn't have a place in the keys, with the boat ran situation here in in Miami, I would just drive down to Killargo and launch my boat.

SPEAKER_02 17:39

Oh, there you go, and still enjoy it. Still enjoy that and still be able to be on it.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

Yeah, because it we don't have enough boat ramps in Miami, and during the summer, unfortunately, people have to make a lot of lines to launch them.

SPEAKER_02 17:48

So do you think that that would be helpful? Are there places to have more boat ramps? Do you think that there is a few more?

SPEAKER_01 17:53

I feel if we had more boat ramps, our business would actually do better. Because a lot of people get discouraged of going out on a boat on the weekend because they have to be at the ramp at five o'clock in the morning, five thirty in the morning to be able to get in, because by seven o'clock, seven thirty, boat ramps are being shut down. Which is a big thing. I've seen groups of guys that are trying to to get things done, but there's only so much real estate, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:18

Right, that's true, and there's so many access points.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

And all the marinas are full, so right. And I feel that it's been a b a big, a big problem for us in the in these.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

Well, we are the number one state as far as um boat registrations, so that

Closing And Subscribe

SPEAKER_02 18:30

is, but it's interesting to hear that perspective that without the boat ramps, that's that is what's starting your business.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

For the guys that can go out during the week, it's it's beautiful. Yeah. But for the guys that work a Monday through Friday like I do, it's it's hard on the weekend.

SPEAKER_02 18:42

So maybe there needs to be a a boat concierge um uh like a a um a VIP boat concierge where you they go put it in the ramp and then bring it to you. Yeah, there's a business for a startup company there.

SPEAKER_01 18:55

Well, the issue is that once they close down the once the parking lot spots are closed, they shut it down with the police and nobody's allowed to come in or out. Yeah, out, yes, but not in, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Right, right. Well, maybe we can work with some commissioners or the beacon council. It's funny. I mean, I I that those are some of the challenges that work on it.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

I've seen a group of guys that are they're working hard on it.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

Okay, well, we'll spread the word too that we need more boat ramps, we need more boater access, more boat rams. And we can sell more, sell more engines, and then you'll need to buy more electrical parts, and it helps put it back to the city.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

It stimulates the economy.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

It stimulates the economy.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

More engines, more electrical, more than the service, more everything.

SPEAKER_02 19:29

There we go. We need more boaters, so we need more boat rams. Well, thank you, Ruben, for meeting with me today, and thank you for being a part of the Wards Way. And welcome to Miami Boat Show. Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 19:39

Thanks for joining us. Make sure you subscribe to the Wards Way podcast. We're just getting started.