Sea Ray canvasses partnership in boat maintenance

SEA Ray is to sustain after-sales relationship with representatives in more than 63 countries including Nigeria.

According to the foremost boat producer, availability of spare parts coupled with regular training play crucial role in meeting customers’ expectations.

Regarded as the world’s largest manufacturer of Boat, Sea Ray Produces more than 40 models ranging from 18 to 60 feet. .

The company explained that its products are designed to draw out “those precious experiences others let slip away”, adding that “To help navigate the uncharted waters of an elevated lifestyle, Sea Ray has crafted a compass personalised to your on-water adventures”.

Represented in Nigeria by Bras Marine & Yacht Services, the company recently commenced training of its personnel as part of measures to sustain its after-sales culture.

Speaking in Lagos, chairman of the company Yomi Sonuga, explained that the initiative is designed to help Nigerians embrace Boats as a means of transportation of and leisure.

He said: “We are determined to ease the pains of transportation in Lagos and across the country. We also lease to individuals for celebration and patrol boats for security agencies.”

Explaining further, Sonuga said: “The potentials are there in water transport business. People now prefer to buy boats for their personal use and for business. Many people want to invest in water transportation and boost tourism. People should be encouraged and not scared away by different policies. Water transportation is very important in a city like Lagos because the area is becoming more congested. We have more people but fewer roads in Lagos today and this has become a huge problem not just for the government but the masses as well.

“People spend countless productive hours on the road, thus losing time and money in the process. So, I think if the right attention is given to water transport in Lagos; it will reduce the hardship faced by the residents. . If we have enough boats plying the waterways, people who live in Ikorodu and other parts of the mainland can easily access Lagos Island and go to places they love to go. We are already eyeing Oworonshoki and we are hoping that by the time the project becomes a reality, people can begin to connect their destinations from there. All we are expecting on is encouragement from the government.

Transportation.
The government should encourage investment in water transportation. The awareness is growing. People should take advantage of waterways. It saves time. A friend of mine who use to drive about two to three hours  from Lekki to Victorial Island everyday now spend about 25 minutes using boat. He can now take his breakfast and get to work on time. People should consider this option. The advantages are numerous. The most important thing is to encourage entrepreneurs who want to go into this business.

“Our aim is to drive awareness and interests in boating. It is not how many boats we can sell; it is also about the after sales service and the clusters of other job opportunities it will create for people. It is not about how many boats we can sell and make profit. That is not the idea. It is the passion to serve the people through quality services.

“Bras Marine & Yacht Services is not all about selling Boats. It is more about the service we render after selling a boat and the kind of training we give the people who learn under us. It is a principle that continues to define our business and stand us out from the pack.

“We want to encourage people to get into the boating habit and culture. If you check our prices and compare them with what you will find on the Internet, you will be wondering what we are doing because our prices are very reasonable. We just want to convince the market that this is real. We believe if we do this and also look at existing boats, it would go a long way to further boost the industry.

“When I bought my boat, I lacked service and this is one of the things that have encouraged me to go into this business. Back then; we always had to rely on this guy who was expert in fixing boats with half board engines. So, he would always tell people that the best engines were the half board but that’s not true because technology has moved beyond what he did 15 years ago.