Funny you say that - I am trying to unhook myself from corporate america and start a business where I can work 8am to 6pm in the same office 5 days a week so I can become a part time builder.

 

The problem with being in sales for so long is I guess what a drug addit may face - the thrill of the sale and the potential of making very, very, good money keeps you constantly in the game even if it means sacrificing week-end after week-end, holidays, to chase the  allmighty dollar.

 

I am taking steps to change that and if all goes well then sometime next year I will be able to be put in Miami  every day of the week to be able to  build part time one of your models - being in Miami then I can see posibilities for marketing your proa. As for actual building as a business - labor in South Florida is too expensive so manufacturing in Nicaragua is a must.

 

So there - those are the next plans in the near (24 months) future. I am an unconditional fan of your designs and I venture that a little tweak here and there to cater to the american market  is what you may need.

----- Original Message ----
From: Rob Denney <harryproa@gmail.com >
To: harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 7:14:44 AM
Subject: Re: [harryproa] "Tropic-Harry"

G'day,

 The sticking points are
1) Proas are still seen as different, not helped by there not being any out there sailing regularly.  This is one of the purposes of my solo boat.
2) People get  hung up about resale value, and ignore the fact that a boat that fulfills it's purpose probably will not need to be sold.  This perception is not helped by a large proportion of the harrys built so far being  for sale, albeit for reasons unrelated to the boats suitability.
3) Finding someone to build them is very difficult.  A chicken and egg thing. 
4) Derek wants $2,000 plus 20% of the plans fee, which is a bit steep for most people, and negates some of the cost savings of KSS.  We are working on this, but without much success.

All this apart, I totally agree with your prognosis.  Don't suppose you want to start the ball rolling and build yourself one?

regards,

Rob

On 10/23/07, Carlos Proa < carlosproacarlos@ yahoo.com> wrote:

Rob:
I was looking at your world map and it occurred to me that a Tropical
Harry Proa would be a great design for the caribbean charter business.
With the new building method maybe there is a market for inter-island
charter or even home building for those wanting to sail from the US
into the Caribbean. With the first baby boomer filing for retirement
benefits - the market for the typical 2 years Caribbean cruise market
is going to get crowded. For the most part people will buy a poject
Monohull on the 48 - 45 ft range for about $40K - $60K and they refit
it with another $20K of materials prior to their first jump to the
Bahamas.

I bet you if you can redesign your harry to have airy accomodations
and keep the cost and time of building down using the KSS method, you
can probably start the proa boom in the USA.

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