EG Company Launches Kickstarter to Bring Relaxed Boating to the Masses

Picture it: cruising along Greenwich Cove, your trusty dog, a cooler, a portable radio with a Red Sox game and a good friend close at hand. 

A small outboard motor keeps you puttering along at a steady rate — no need for speed on this craft, which is steady like a catamaran and can be towed behind a motorcycle. And best of all, you and your partner — whether it's a spouse, friend, child or just the Red Sox game, get to sit side by side. 

Finally! An affordable vessel for folks who want to enjoy boating and aren't interested in paddling a canoe or riding the white water rapids in a kayak. Or for those who can't fathom a boat payment, a trailer and all the other costs associated with boat ownership.

This vision of low-cost, high-relaxation boating isn't a dream. The folks at BeachRay Boats have been building these unique vessels for some time, by hand, right here off Duke Street in East Greenwich.

The dream here lies in the hearts of entrepreneurs Andy Deutsch and Peter Meyer of Beach Ray Boats, who have launched a kickstarter campaign to raise money to pay for molds to start cranking out BeachRays at a much more rapid clip right here in East Greenwich.

They're looking to raise about $65,000 to pay for the molds, which will allow them to rapidly produce the vessels much more cost efficiently. Folks who pledge $4,000 will get a Beach Ray as part of their contribution.

"The dream is to get as many people on the water as possible. This is a passion project for us and we really want to get it off the ground," Deutsch said in an interview. "What's really great is East Greenwich has a rich maritime history and we've gotten away from it."

Deutsch was born and raised here, went to East Greenwich High School, lives on Main Street now and said even if they suddenly had a $1 million bankroll, they'd stay here. 

That aside, their vision isn't some cocktail napkin scheme. They've done their homework, with consultation with engineers, naval architects, designers. They're close to taking the design to market and need a final boost to get those molds, Deutsch said, which will make them able offer something in the range of $5,000 to $6,000 out the door.

"We've done our due diligence on this," Deutsch said. 

The foam-filled, unsinkable platform of the Beach Ray offers an opportunity for modular-based configurations. What that actually means is customers could order a Beach Ray with two chairs, or one chair, or maybe two coolers, four chairs, and a bimini top. The possibilities are endless, but there needs to be a uniform standard upon which to build. And that's why the mold is so important.

Deutsch said he takes his Beach Ray to Chello's and around the harbor. Its stable design means you can go out a bit, though rough waters aren't recommended. He has ventured all the way to Prudence Island from Greenwich Bay, but the point of the Beach Ray really is to float, fish, relax. 

"It's your own floating private beach," Deutsch said. "The cooler is on it for a reason."

You can find Beach Ray Boats on Facebook by clicking HERE or visiting their Web site.

You can check out a Beach Ray in person this weekend during the Main Street Stroll. They'll have a booth with information. 

Mark Schieldrop can be reached at mark.schieldrop@patch.com. Twitter: @MarkSchieldrop

Stay tuned for updates on the kickstarter campaign.