When Patrick Blake was growing up, he took a laborer job working at a Knoxville Tennessee, marina doing grunt work while watching customers enjoy their boats. During summer vacations from college, he continued to work in the marina yard, office, at the dock and wherever else he was needed. When Patrick Blake graduated from college, he went to work for a nearby boat company named Sea Ray. Today, Patrick Blake is Vice President of Sport Boat products at Sea Ray, which has become a multi-million dollar recreational boat company doing business worldwide. In a way, he is still doing what he did at that marina so many years earlier; watching people enjoy their boats.

You are going to see something that will make getting a boat on a trailer or, for that matter, docking a boat, just about idiot proof. It's been in the works for several years and we've put a lot of effort into getting it just right but it's ready. And we'll unveil this at the Miami Boat Show (February 2001).

And I'm not going to say much more about it other than that.

We've developed a flip up thigh rise seat that is going to allow the driver to be able to sit down and still see over the bow. We've also changed gauges on the dash so everything is available in one place. The stereo system is now in the glove compartment that will protect it from spray or rain. And it will have a remote control for operation. One thing that won't be seen in the 2001 models is the outboard. This is the first year we will build only I/O's because they are simple. And simple is a big benefit.

The decision to eliminate OB for 2001 is due to our overall position in the market place as a stern drive boat company.

Sea Ray models of sport boats consist of bowriders, cuddy cabins and sundecks. Do you envision adding any more models to the sport boat line?

No. We'll continue to make improvements with what we have right now. Our bowriders are more luxurious than before. The cuddy cabins, which have a small cabins and begin with our 215 Express Cruiser, will continue to do well and our sundeck, which I call the SUV of our line, will provide more legroom and comfort while delivering high performance. Those boats are designed for a variety of activities.

Fiberglass is hard to beat because of its cost and durability. I'm sure there will be composites in use but right now I'd say fiberglass is going to be used in future boats. Future Sea Rays will all have GPS and depth finders as standard equipment. You will see use of technology like GM's "Onstar" that can provide your location to the Coast Guard if you are in trouble. You will see future Sea Rays linked to a central place providing problem-solving advice for boaters in need of assistance.

The customer is demanding. You see this everywhere, not just with boats. He or she wants all the amenities and no hassles. This is what the boating industry has to do: Make boating as easy to do as possible. People don't want headaches because they took their boat out. It's got to be worry free and that's what we've achieved. I think people are using their boats as a statement now. Here's what I have and here's what it can do. We've reacted to this trend through our Master Dealer Programs where particular Sea Ray dealers offer classes for inexperienced boaters and provide first hand experience in hour to hour operation of the boat they intend to buy. The biggest problem in our industry is people don't know what they're doing out on the water. We've put together a successful program that addresses the issue and we hope to expand it throughout this year and years to come.