Legendary charter boat business on the market

by Bob Wonders on 31 Mar 2011 Anyone who has ever boated in one of the most delightful areas along Australia’s east coast, the Gippsland region in Victoria, will either have experienced or at least be aware of Bull’s Cruisers.

An almost iconic business in the region, Bull’s Cruisers, located at Paynesville, in the heart of the fabulous Gippsland Lakes, has been listed for sale.

The 53-year-old business has been operating successfully since 1958 and operates the largest self-drive cruiser fleet in Victoria.

In addition to its popular cruiser fleet, the company offers sailboats, day boats, skippered vessels and kayak hire.

Paynesville is framed by more than 400 square miles of navigable open waterways, claimed to be the largest expanse of open water of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

It is truly a magnificent region, pristine, tranquil and delightful in every respect.

Bulls Cruisers is more than simply a charter boat operator; it forms an integral cog in the region’s commercial and tourism operations.

It dispenses more than 370,000-litres of diesel and gasoline annually, to both commercial and recreational boaters and not only presents as an appealing and lucrative business, but a desirable lifestyle to boot.

Current vendor of the business, Tamara Cook, said no prior experience in the charter boat industry was necessary and cited her own involvement as an example.

'My background is in human resources, administration and marketing,' she explained.

'Apart from loving life on the water, my experience was zero; I did not even know what a gunwale was or what the term anti-fouling meant when I first acquired the business in 2006.

'The key has been in a team of exceptional staff with high level mechanical skills and we’ve re-furbished the fleet and raised the profile of the company through an aggressive marketing campaign.

'This has resulted in a spike in new and repeat customers, solid financial growth over the past four-years and a considerable return on investment,' she added.

Bull’s Cruisers can certainly lay claim to being one of the best-known and most respected boating names in Victoria.

Its fleet of self-drive craft numbers 15 and includes such prominent marques as Clipper, Fairway and Dominator, with Catalina sailboats and several custom-built vessels, monohull and catamaran.

'Repeat business is a prominent factor for us and many regular customers have been coming here for their winter fishing trips for 30-years and more,' Tamara added.

'Our business is not really as seasonal as one might think,' she added.

For further information, contact Bull’s Cruisers, telephone (03) 5156 1200 or e-mail to bullscruisersforsale(at)gmail.com

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