Central Texas Sailor - Marine Supply Vendors


MARINE SUPPLY GUIDE	Your guide to regional and national marine supply vendors
West Marine 9070 Research Blvd. Austin, TX 78758 (512) 302-1406 www.westmarine.com Store Manager: Unknown	Craig Wilusz, the Austin WM store manager, emailed (May 2001) to say that he is transferring from Austin to the Corpus Christi location. While I don't know who has replaced Craig, I'm sure his friendly staff will continue to welcome you into their "sail-friendly" store. They offer a wide variety of marine products at reasonable prices. And, like BoatUS (which does NOT have an Austin retail outlet), they have a national catalog from which you can order. If an item is not in stock, they'll order it for you; it generally takes about a week to receive your merchandise. Best of all, you don't pay the shipping & handling charge if you place your catalog order in the local retail store. West Marine is located at the southwest corner of Burnet Road and Research Blvd. between Chili's & Lone Star Cafe.
Boater's World Arboretum Crossing 9333 Research Blvd. Austin, TX 78759 (512) 231-1559 www.boatersworld.com	Boater's World is still the new-comer to Austin; they arrived in August 1998. Like West Marine and BoatUS, they offer a multitude of items in their national catalog. You can find them on the north side of Hwy. 183 (aka Research Blvd.) next to the new Orvis store. They stock a small number of sailboat-related hardware items in their store (including spreader boots, rigging tape, carbiners, etc.). And, they carry other items of interest to sailors: fenders, dock lines, marine electronics, outboard supplies, fiberglass supplies, cleaners & polishes, etc.
Sailboat Shop 604 Highland Mall Blvd. Austin, TX 78752 Phone: (512) 454-7171 Fax: (512) 454-0509 www.sailboatshopaustin.com Owners: Ken & Kari Michalek	If you are looking for that special OEM item for your Catalina, Laser, Sunfish, Hobie, Nacra, Prindle or Escape, give these folks a call. I bought sail slugs for my boat that were just not available anywhere else. They also carry new parts from manufacturers such as Harken, Lewmar, Ronstan, and Sea Dog. You'll also find a good selection of hard to find used parts.
Boat/US www.boatus.com (800) 937-9307	They offer a large catalog similar to West Marine. Many items are the same . . . many items are different. No retail store in Austin; catalog only. Check out their daily on-line auction. This is a great idea and you can often purchase catalog items for 25%-50% OFF the catalog price. Best of all, they don't auction off just old, obsolete inventory. They auction the latest and greatest . . . such as GPS units, VHF radios and much more. Contact them to include your own items in their auction for a small price.
Blue Water Ships Store 2030 Marina Bay Drive Kemah, TX 77565 Phone: (800) 856-7583 Fax: (281) 334-3147 www.bluewatershipsstore.com	A great marine supply store if you find yourself in the Kemah/Clear Lake area. A large selection of name brand items . . . some not found at West Marine and BoatUS. Plan to spend a little time looking around. Also, they are happy to ship items to you. So, give them a call before your next large purchase.
Defender Industries, Inc. 42 Great Neck Road Waterford, CT 06385 Phone: (860) 701-3400 Fax: (860) 701-3432 www.DefenderUs.com	This marine outfitter has been in business since 1938. They have a black & white catalog just as big as those of West Marine or BoatUS. Their prices no longer reflect the generous discounts of old. Some people have complained on the internet about their return policies, refunds and such. If this might be an issue with your purchase, ask them about their policies before you place the order.
Corpus Christi Sailing Center, Inc. P.O. Box 995 Corpus Christi, TX 78403 Phone: (512) 881-8503 Fax: (512) 881-8504 www.constant.com/sailing	This company is one of the regional ASA (American Sailing Association) certified sailing schools. They offer courses "101 - ASA Basic Keelboat", "103 - ASA Basic Coastal Cruising", "104 - ASA Bareboat Chartering Certification", "105 - ASA Coastal Navigation" and "109 - ASA Offshore Passage Making". Their rates for 2001 are very reasonable: $240 for the two day "101" class and $590 for either the three-day "103" or three-day "104" class. Check their site for other rates and a calendar of scheduled classes. Boats range in size from a Catalina 30 up to a Morgan 46. [UPDATE: For those who want to take the "101 - ASA Basic Keelboat" in Austin, you are in luck! CCSC now offers this class on Lake Travis.] CCSC is located on Shoreline Blvd. on Pier R, just south of Landry's and the Lighthouse Restaurant. I highly recommend the Omni Hotel (Bayside) which is just down the street. Don't be confused when you call for reservations . . . there is another Omni Hotel (Marina) one block south. Jim Schwobel, owner of the Corpus Christi Sailing Center, tells me that he offers lodging as a courtesy to his students on the boats for $50/night per couple or $35/night per person (subject to availability). Of course, for the three-day courses (103 & 104), you stay on-board and the cost is included in the price. And, if you want to charter one of of the company's boats (either bareboat or captained), you can do this as well . . . from as little as two hours to as much as a week. Sunset "dinner" cruises are also available. [UPDATE: I spent three-days on a Morgan 46 and Catalina 36 during their November 2000 "103 - ASA Basic Coastal Cruising" course. There were four students on each boat . . . we overnighted in a hole off the ICW the first night; at the municipal docks in Port Aransas on the second. I challenged the prerequisite "101 - ASA Basic Keelboat" class because I felt I had sufficient knowledge sailing my own boat. I enjoyed my time with my classmates and cap'n John. I plan to take my "104 - ASA Bareboat Chartering Certification" class with them soon.]
Bartlett-Banks Sails 4415 Hudson Bend Road Austin, TX 78734 Phone: (512) 266-1895 Fax: (512) 2667506 www.bartlettsails.com	This business was recommended for sail covers and the like. They sell new & used sails and repair your damaged sails.
Catalina Direct 10210 Systems Parkway Suite 390 Sacramento, CA 95827 Phone: (916) 843-1970 www.catalinadirect.com	If you own a Catalina 22, this is a resource for you. Catalina Direct is the nation's largest supplier of stock parts and custom up-grades for the Catalina 22. They began in 1974, by serving Sacramento's local Catalina 22 owners. They specialize in selling trailerable Catalinas through 30 feet, but they also have parts available for all Catalina models. Their mail order business is large and it continues to grow. I recently bought a very high-quality jib sock (Sunbrella material) for my Catalina 250's roller-furled jib. Better yet, I spent 33% less than the best price I could find locally.
Sail2000 www.sail2000.com (800) 877-4797	They carry the "Peek-a-boo" brand of port shutter and a few other innovative products for your sailboat.
C Cushions 206 Hwy. 35 S. Rockport, TX 78382 Phone: (512) 729-1244 Fax: (512) 729-1260 www.ccushions.com	High-quality, custom-made closed-cell foam cushions for your sailboat.
Tropical Marine 2218 Hwy. 281 N. Marble Falls, TX 78654 Phone: (830) 693-4193 Fax: (830) 693-2761 www.honda-outboard.com email: marine@tstar.net	If you want to buy Honda outboards at reasonable prices in central Texas, visit these folks in Marble Falls. When I called Woods Honda here in Austin for a minor part for my Honda 9.9hp, they directed me to Tropical Marine. Jean Newton in the parts department says they get quite a few customers from Austin. She also tells me they are a one of the highest volume Honda dealers in the country.
Esquire Honda 494 Great Northern Rd., Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, Canada P6B 4Z9 Phone: (705) 949-7222 Fax: (705) 949-7234 Toll Free: (877) 949-7222 www.esquirehonda.com	Great prices on Honda 4-cycle outboards. They may not be local, but they sure deliver at a great price. Save up to $1000 (includes shipping) by taking advantage of the exchange rate on the Honda 9.9hp (28" shaft / electric start) over local dealers.
The Canvas Store 265 Broadway Huntington Station, NY 11746 Phone: (516) 549-0970 Fax: (516) 549-0977 www.thecanvasstore.com email: richcanvas@aol.com	Rich manufactures high-quality dodgers & biminis. Stainless steel fittings and all the Glen Raven Sunbrella� colors. Since all frames are made from one piece stainless steel, special air-freight handling is required. These are not the cheapest, but they are among the best.
American Trim & Upholstery 1355 N. Marion P.O. Box 582140 Tulsa, OK 74158-2140 Phone: (800) 331-3913 Fax: (918) 835-4451 www.atrim.com email: dld@atrim.com	Great prices on 60" Sunbrella fabric ($11.95 per linear yard of 60"). They also carry many other items such as marine carpet, fittings (zippers, snaps, etc.), and auto/marine upholstery.

� 1999-2001 by Mark T. Melchior -- All Rights Reserved Revised: 20 Dec 2007 16:28:42 -0500 "In a powerboat, you get there in a hurry . . . in a sailboat, you are already there."