05/06/2026
It’s troubling to see West Marine having issues. I know a lot of boating and yachting has changed and a lot of commerce has gone online but it’s always been helpful to swing in and purchase what you need off the shelves. Being able to see the quality of something like a lifejacket or having the option to have line custom cut to length are invaluable.
2 places where I think West Marine HAS missed the mark… hours of operation should be 8am-7pm. A lot of boaters and especially contractors need to be able to grab those last minute items and that extra hour in the morning is crucial, especially for contractors and professional crew. The second miss I think was in some of their knockoff products. Some were good but a lot of the products we use which were replaced by West Marine branded versions fell short. You wind up looking like a WM ad if you need to outfit a boat really quick.
I do love seeing that even in this time of uncertainty, they are still bringing in new product such as the Starke line of detailing products and a lot of new plumbing/electrical but not quite in all of the stores. Hopefully, they’ll forge a new path forward.
Like so many other places “we can order it for ya” just doesn’t work for us consumers anymore. Just my thoughts on the matter. *Picture for attention was from anchoring out last month in the ICW around Cocoa Beach, FL
