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For more than 30 years, Stanton Murray has been president of Murray Yacht Sales, which his father started in New Orleans in 1974. As a new-boat dealer and yacht brokerage, the company sells sailboats and powerboats, new and used, and has offices ranging from Texas to St. Petersburg, Florida. Murray has served as president of two key industry associations, the Yacht Brokers Association of America (YBAA) and Sail America. Rightboat’s content director, John Burnham, interviewed him last winter at the Miami Boat Show.
John Burnham
Hey, Stanton, we're on an Excess 14 at the Miami Boat Show. It's a beautiful day and I'd like to learn a little bit about Murray Yacht Sales. It's a long-standing family business as I understand it; I'm curious, would your father recognize it?
Stanton Murray
Yes, we're just celebrating our 50th anniversary, and my father would recognize parts of it and not others. He was always focused on the customer and the “why” and to make sure that our clients were well served by knowing why they were going to use a particular boat and that would develop into what boat was best for them. We still use that today as our philosophy. In addition, he was always forward facing on the technology to make the systems run best in our company, going back to the Radio Shack computer and going from index cards to, effectively, CRMs through basic databases. And today, we're still on the leading edge, where we use HubSpot and other technologies to make sure our customers are served well, and we can spend more time focusing on them and the why.
Burnham
So you just celebrated a 50th anniversary. When did you start in the business?
Murray
I started a long time ago, but I've been running it for over 30 years.
Burnham
So you sell both new and used boats. Has your advice about new or used boats or any other aspect of purchasing boats changed in terms of how you explain the market to your clients?
Murray
It hasn't changed, and because we offer both, we're not focused on selling something. Instead, we can help our clients buy, and some people are new car buyers and some people are used car buyers, and there's no right or wrong, it's a compromise. And so we do the same with boats. We listen and we listen to the why, and sometimes we'll help if somebody has a misconception of what a new boat will do for them, or a used boat will, we'll look back and explain to them what our other happy clients have been satisfied with, and sometimes we’ll help determine their questions and end up with the right boat.
Groupe Beneteau’s Excess catamaran line features lighter, sportier cruising cats such as the 43’9” Excess 14.
Burnham
So boats and people have changed over the years in sailing, and I'm curious, from your perspective, what's the most significant change?
Murray
The biggest change is the design of the boats, the engineering and all of the systems on the boat that have made it a lot easier to learn, to be safe, and to use a boat with less people. So traditionally, you know, 40 years ago, you really needed a lot of years of experience to handle a 50-foot boat. Today, with the systems, two people can do it easily and safely, and the boats have more form stability and smarter systems, so it's more enjoyable and less stress.
Burnham
And they're roomier too.
Murray
Oh, for a given length, the boats are much roomier. The space is used better, but also the beams are carried further forward and the cruising boats sail faster, they're more stable, and there's more space.
Burnham
So you've been a dealer for the Beneteau brand, for many, many years, and we're standing on this Excess catamaran, which is a relatively new brand. How does the group's evolution in their boats, and particularly this success fit with what you were just talking about?
Murray
Sure, it's a great question. Groupe Beneteau has evolved and created the successful brand of Lagoon years ago, and Lagoon became the number one catamaran manufacturer in the world, as Beneteau is the biggest boat manufacturer in the world. And the Lagoons got more and more charter oriented, and there was a space in the market for a sportier boat that was more owner oriented. It was more of a joy to sail and sailed more like a monohull than a catamaran. So the brand was born about five years ago, and we're happy to represent them. It's a fun boat to sail, and it's just a joy to be on them.
After taking over Murray Yacht Sales from his father, Stanton Murray has run the successful U.S. Gulf Coast dealership and yacht brokerage for more than three decades.
Burnham
Can you give me an example of a passage you did on one of these boats?
Murray
I remember taking an Excess 14 down Biscayne Bay on the way to the Miami Boat Show one year,, and I was below answering emails with some piano music on and the air conditioning running, and I remember opening up the sliding glass door and realizing we were sailing at 12 knots and it was blowing 20 and I had no idea—I might as well have all been in my office. It just reminds me that catamarans can be incredibly comfortable and still efficient and get somewhere.
Burnham
How's the market acceptance been for this in the Gulf states where you are based.
Murray
So the 11, 12, and the 14, and we just announced the 13, have been well accepted. We've got them from Texas to Florida and everywhere in between. And the brand has jumped worldwide and been a big growth every year—it's been met its targets, and it's going to be a successful brand moving forward.
Burnham
So for boat buyers today, there's new boats like this, Beneteau monohulls, other boats you represent, as well as the brokerage market where you have lots of boats listed. What are the opportunities for buyers in this era?
Murray
Well, I don't know this area is any different than others. The opportunity is to find a nice, clean boat that's been well kept by an owner who is smart about owning a boat. People often want to know what the cheapest boat is out there and will find a boat that's been neglected, but usually it costs about the same to get it back up to speed than buying one that's already nice. So my advice is, if you can afford it, buy a boat that's already well kept. If not, budget to clean one up if you're going to buy a boat that needs some attention.
Burnham
Or be prepared to do a lot of work!
Murray
Yes, and some people, you know, that's great, depending on your time of life, it can become a hobby. Some retired people want to buy a boat that needs attention so they can have the pride of bringing it back, and that's a fair compromise also. You just need to go in with your eyes open. And as they say, you get what you pay for generally.
Burnham
What are the other brands that you represent?
Murray
We represent J Boats on the northern Gulf Coast, and Beneteau and Excess across the other markets, including Texas.
Burnham
So years ago, you showed me your hometown of New Orleans, about a year after Katrina came through and devastated the waterfront on the lake. Your office is down there. It survived, fortunately. How has the waterfront changed in the years since? And you know, what's the vibe?
Murray
The vibe is very good. My previous office that you remember is now the pumping station; with the Corp of Engineers using that hopefully we won't have that problem again. But it's been 20 years, we have a brand new Marina that has the technology of new marinas. This new Marina has already withstood three hurricanes, with no damage to the marina and almost no damage to boats. Beautiful state-of-the-art floating marina. We just hosted the Super Bowl last weekend, and the city is doing really well and is excited and vibrant, but thanks for asking. You need to come back and visit more.
