Whatever Floats Your Boat …or Travel Trailer

I don’t own a boat…never have and most likely never will. Maybe that’s why it took me a while to notice the sign for in downtown Woodinville. But owner Doug Spady has been serving area boaters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts from his location on N.E. 175^th Street for almost 25 years.

“(We) started right here,” says Spady, who opened for business in 1987. At that time the current building, previously owned by Woodinville Lumber, was an open-sided shed. Over the years, Spady built out, enclosing the shed in 1990 and adding a shop in 1994.

But what sets Doug’s Boats/RV’s facilities apart is its outdoor storage – four acres of it. Who knew there was so much open space in downtown Woodinville? “Storage is a big part of our business,” explains Spady, adding that he provides indoor storage at an off-site location, as well.

In years past Spady was a dealer for Nautique, MasterCraft and Custom Weld, but he no longer sells new boats. “The whole market went sideways in ’08,” notes Spady, who still offers boats and RVs on consignment. Doug’s Boats/RVs now focuses on storage, supplies and service. “We do tons of service work,” Spady says, describing his business as “the NAPA (Auto Parts) for boats.”

Still, he notes, “our business is very seasonal.” In order to “try to get more incremental income,” Spady has expanded into the sporting goods market. He started selling tackle and other fishing supplies two and a half years ago; shortly after that he added guns (“real guns,” he laughs) and ammunition. Spady even employs a gunsmith, sort of a “gun mechanic,” he explains.

While marine service and storage are still the biggest parts of Doug’s Boats/RV’s business, sales of sporting goods are growing. “We don’t have everything,” says Spady, “but we’ll get what you want.” Doug’s Boats/RV has also become an authorized U-Haul dealer, renting vehicles and selling packing boxes and supplies. “Any way to survive,” Spady adds.

A water-skiing enthusiast who grew up on Lake Sammamish, Spady has also expanded into the experiential market.

“Instead of selling the boat,” he says, he decided to “sell the fun.” To that end, he offers water skiing and wakeboarding lessons, camps and vacation packages on his own, privately-owned lake – Bow Lake, in Skagit County. “I’ve got the boat, the driver, all the equipment,” says Spady.

Open April-September, Bow Lake Watersports offers enthusiasts a “completely controlled environment,” explains Spady, adding that he installed lights for nighttime fun on the water. “People come from all over the world,” he says.

The business caters to beginners, explains Spady. They teach a couple hundred students a year – “kids and big kids,” he laughs. “Some of the best (water)skiers” in the world have been there, as well. It’s kind of like a country club for water sports enthusiasts, he adds. “It’s a hobby business, but it’s fun.”

Here in Woodinville, too, Spady does his best to help customers enjoy outdoor experiences. He works with several fishing guides who offer river and salt-water outings. Doug’s Boats/RV employee Dave Sorrentino leads surf fishing trips to Whidbey Island and elsewhere.

“We’re all about wanting to teach people about fishing and shooting,” says Spady. “I want the beginners,” he adds. Spady says his customers get more one-on-one attention than they might at other, larger outfitters. Doug’s Boats/RV is “your local family business,” he says. And “we’re nice.”

Spady says Doug’s Boats/RV is “putting our toe back into” the business of selling new vehicles. He is adding a line of travel trailers to his inventory this year. The trailers “fit into what we’re doing,” explains Spady, adding that they are perfect for outdoor “family fun.”

Running a small, seasonal business is tough, he admits. “It’s been a struggle every year.” Yet, Spady is hopeful. “People still want to recreate,” he says. And he still wants to help them do so.