West Marine Again

[geoleo]

bottom line= WM sucks and Defender does not

[onestepcsy37]

took a visiting yachtie around to buy filters for his fancy racor.

price at napa (auto parts store), whose filters are made by WIX (considered the best filters) - $25.

price at worst marine, unknown manufacturer, - $35.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Lewis Harry

The local West Marine in San Diego always has customers despite being over priced... People with large boats with larger yacht club membership fees can and do afford to spend lots of money there..... figure their spending $20 a foot per month at the Marina, a $60,000 buy in at the Marina/yacht club,
plus "'fees""... they can and do afford to pay the outrageous prices at West Marine... Now in San Diego, there is some competition thankfully !!!

Waterfront chandleries are a thing of the past as the Port districts in California stole all the waterfront property by fiat years ago without paying for it.... if you want to do business there,,, you lease ""their"' land plus a huge percentage of your gross AND your buildings belong to THEM !!!

Perhaps true for some owners of big stinkboats. I know of nobody with a sailboat that buys from We$t unless they need it now.

I shopped at We$t until they stopped meeting competitor's pricing. I find the paint typically 2X the best Amazon price.

Locally, we make annual pilgrimage to Wolf's in Benton Harbor. NOS, used, out of business etc. Insane low prices and the listed inventory is less than 10% of what is in the store. CALL THEM. Home Page

If you visit, take measurements of everything and a well planned list. Bring a truck.

[Badsanta]

I try to plan my projects and buy most inline. I dont do wm often but I never pass one. I am the king of WM Orange tag discounts. I buy things I forgot I needed. I had been searching for a new stove and found the one I wanted At WM brand new for $599 that were online for $1200. Also an incredibly heavy duty dingy cover for $40 that were listed at other sites for over $200. Yes they dont have everything but they are big enough to discount items others cant. But you have to check. I have been in used boat supply stores and find the prices the same as new. I was chatting with a owner and he suggested I check with another company, I said I had just left there and was disappointed with the selection. He said that guy was a friend and that he has been moving inventory towards fishing gear instead of boat stuff as he sells more. Statement was that a sailor comes in every few years to buy a part but sport fishermen come in all the time for replacement. To stay open they all have to follow the money weather shareholder or not.
Most boatyard Chandler are no more than a catalog show room.