Well we’ve now celebrated two years with our boat a few weeks ago and we have enjoyed it so much- it has exceeded over and over all our expectations. There is rarely a time out on the lake where people don’t drive up to comment on it- it’s weird- almost like a rock star being asked for photos and autographs. We’ve probably given over two dozen mini ‘tours’ of it to people who flat out come up to ask about it this summer alone. We noted Bay Marine next door to the Lake LBJ Marina has put on display some pontoons that ‘sorta’ look like our Avalon Ambassador but don’t even come close. They even asked the make and model.
Please forward our note to Avalon’s management- we can’t thank you and them enough for listening so actively to the things we requested and allowed us to collaborate on the hard top design when we emailed our first sketch. Avalon not only interpreted it perfectly with your help, but made it better than we could’ve ever imagined. We noted Avalon started doing that as an option and we are so glad. (NO- we’ll never expect any sort of credit for that- we are thankful they cared enough to even do it and we want Avalon to keep on doing great things and keeping a clearly great engineering and fabricating team well employed!).
We also wanted to report that the full fore and aft teak decking has been FLAWLESS and blows people away. It’s so easy to clean- no mildew or stink carpet. When you have to wash off the deck, no staining or oiling- just soap and water- incredible!!! It has NEVER puckered, either! PLEASE pass that on- they deserve to know the great job they did and to this day we appreciate them taking the time to do the decking the way we wanted- it was worth every penny.
We have a litany of things we want to praise- not a single flaw on the construction and Romney- you nailed it on getting us that 225 Honda. We have had eight adults on board and people LOVE to ski and wakeboard behind it- we can hit a nice 20-21MPH and keep it there. That big 21” pitch prop pops them out of the water like no ski boat can- we’ve heard that over and over and over. I don’t ski but Pam does and they all say it’s the best ski boat they’ve been behind! The love the hardtop too and great sound system for skiing/wake boarding. Nothing beats people to death, especially non-skiing passengers than baking in the sun. It was a perfect blend and people are amazed that the boat often can pass up a lot of other boats out there. Amazing amazing amazing. Strangers have taken photos of the boat and put them on Facebook and some pontoon sites we didn’t even know they had snapped. Some awesome night shots with the blue LED’s on the back and the small mood lights that run along the teak deck at night- THAT is awesome.
Pam and I after two years of flat-out complete and utter joy of the boat have come up with other design ideas to share freely with Avalon and some cool after-market suggestions that Carey & Sons could gain some fame from.
Many thanks plus you all have always been there for that one-off questions or warranty item. Friends with all sorts of other makes and models just are in awe of you and Avalon.
You all are the best.
Just a quick note to say “thanks” to the Avalon team, especially Brian, for aiding in the future sale of the 2012 Ambassador. It is so refreshing to work with a manufacturer who sees the big picture, even at the grass roots level. I always feel like Brian is working to get the job done which is a contrast to my dealing with other manufacturers.
Here is a quick story for you – I had a customer who bought a very expensive ski boat from our dealership. He got the boat home and discovered a flaw in a feature of the boat. Admittedly, he skirted around the normal warranty channels and called the factory himself sharing his frustration. The customer described that he was treated poorly by the manufacturer and actually felt belittled by customer service. I heard the story from the customer and was disappointed. What’s my point? Well, I’ve never felt that we, the dealer, or a retail customer has ever been treated poorly by Avalon. That means a lot. It’s a testament to the quality of the Avalon team and that makes our business with your company easy.
Brian, arranging delivery of the engine and the boat has relieved a lot of stress. Great job, for sure.
And so, our teamed is excited to receive that Ambassador and get it delivered to a customer intending to use it over the 4th. Awesome.
Job well done so far. Brian, I’ll touch base with you on Monday with a courtesy email.
Kindly,
Mark
My wife Diane and I recently purchased a 2011 Avalon Paradise model 2285 RE through your dealer, Pier 36 in Howard, Ohio.
We worked closely with the owners of Pier 36 and decided to upgrade the model to include the triple pontoon, full aluminum under decking and the I/O engine configuration with swim platform. We also eliminated the starboard side gate, replacing the gated area with additional seating.
We’ve had the boat on the water on several occasions since mid-July, 2011.
Our lake is deep fresh water but can get fairly choppy when considerable boat traffic occurs on weekends. The “tri-toon” configuration is a dream compared to what we preciously experienced in our 25 foot pontoon boat that Pier 36 took on trade. The Avalon tri-toon cuts through the wake and chop effortlessly. Further, the engine delivers more power than I thought possible. If people like power on a pontoon, this is the boat to buy!
The engineering and craftsmanship on the boat is superb. You should be very proud of your product and the associates in your company who manufacture and assemble the finished product, It has exceeded all expectations by a wide margin, and I simply wanted to drop you a short note complimenting you on the boat and for having such a customer-focused and extremely knowledgeable dealership in Pier 36. They are a delight to work with, including post-sale service and follow up.
There is nothing I would suggest in terms of improvement to the boat except perhaps a mesh cover in the rear storage compartment above the I/O area, Otherwise, the Avalon Paradise seems perfect for our needs.
I wish you and your company continued success!
Sincerely,
Daniel DeLawder
I have recently purchased the 24’ Windjammer Elite from Scott Wilson, the owner of Chesdin Boat Sales. I would like to begin by saying how pleased we are with this purchase and the quality of your boats. Secondly, how well Scott complements your product. As you well know, both have to complement each other in order for both to be successful. Scott has gone well beyond our expectations. Our first visit was on the 26th of December, where he met with us for about 3 hours, where he gave us a complete tour of the Avalon family, options, and finished the day with a ride on the lake. I can without a doubt say that most boat companies in the Richmond area closed a week prior to Christmas and did not reopen until the first boat show in the New Year. Our second meeting, Scott assisted us in our selection where we signed our contract. This past Saturday, unbeknownst to me, Scott delivered our Windjammer on his Birthday.
My Son and I took the Windjammer out on Sunday for a couple of hours. At the boat ramp, every boater that was there came over to look at the Windjammer with its red and yellow graphics on the black background. There was even a fire department there, practicing getting water from a lake, they too stopped training to come over and take a glance. As we rode up the lake breaking the new Yamaha 150 in we were flagged down by two other boaters that were equally inquisitive. Upon returning to the boat ramp, there were folks in the restaurant there that came out to look as well. Once we loaded the boat on the trailer, Scott came over and spent some time with us making sure everything was exactly like we wanted it.
After Scott departed, an interested family stopped by to complement us on our boat which turned into a conversation on the quality of Avalon and the customer service Scott has provided. I am a very honest person. I can provide anyone with positive feedback on the quality of Avalon and the customer service provided by Scott.
I could keep writing about both the product and customer service. We are extremely satisfied and extremely confident that we made the right purchase and from the right person. If all of your dealers are like Scott, well I can say that 2012 will be a very prosperous year for Avalon.
Thank you for your time and we are certainly proud to be in the Avalon family.
Michael and Trish Atkins
My husband and I would like to take this opportunity to comment on our recent purchase of an Avalon Eagle, 16 foot family edition pontoon boat. We live on a 90-acre, no-wake lake in Northern Michigan and love pontooning on our pristine lake. We had an old 1970′s pontoon that finally “bit the dust”; so we ventured off to the Traverse City Boat Show last April hoping to find a quality pontoon at a reasonable price. We found our dream boat in our Avalon Eagle!
Our boat arrived yesterday, delivered by Tim Wellnitz; owner of Luhr’s Landing in Rapid City. Tim is our local dealer. We wanted you to know what a pleasure it was dealing with Tim and his staff.
The Avalon Eagle is an affordable pontoon that looks like a Cadillac (as my husband says) on the water, From the luxurious vinyl seats, to the quality of the console, as well as the material of the bimini and mooring cover; everything is top-notch and beautiful!
As we cruised around the lake yesterday afternoon, all of our friends smiled and waved, commenting “What a beautiful boat!” We are the talk of Little Twin Lake and we love it!
When anyone asks us to recommend a pontoon boat for purchase, we will definitely let them know that the Avalon is the best! Please feel free to use our letter as a reference.
Thank you for heading up a team that appreciates fine craftsmanship – purchasing our boat – Made in Michigan – was indeed the right choice!
Sincerely,
Dave and Ellen Whitehead