October 20, 2024 • 46 mins
What happens when alligators roam the boatyards and hurricanes threaten the future of a business? Join us as we uncover the remarkable journey of Frank and Jimmy's Propeller with Jimmy Harrison, diving into tales of early challenges and triumphs that shaped this staple of the marine industry for nearly 78 years. Learn how they've mastered the art of propeller repair and manufacturing for everything from small boats to mega yachts, and hear about their plans for expansion and streamlined operations.
Fort Lauderdale's marine scene isn't just a backdrop; it's the beating heart of the city's economy and identity. We spotlight the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, with insights from Phil Purcell, and discuss how the Gulf Stream powers not just boats, but also job creation and community vibrancy. The local marine industry is compared to Switzerland's charming cows, and we emphasize the importance of sustaining this unique allure to maintain Fort Lauderdale's status as the yachting capital of the world.
As we navigate the waters of Fort Lauderdale, we tackle the pressing issue of the aging train bridge, weighing the pros and cons of building a bridge or a tunnel. Our discussion covers the economic ripple effects on local boatyards and the role of city planners in shaping the skyline with infrastructure decisions. Closing with insights from my involvement with the Marine Advisory Board, we address congestion on the New River and the delicate balance of maintaining navigability for both residents and large vessels. This episode offers a comprehensive look at the multifaceted challenges and opportunities within Fort Lauderdale's thriving marine industry.
Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/
Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kristina Hebert (00:31):
Welcome to the Wardsway Podcast.
Today we are talking withbusiness and industry leaders
and the lessons that we'velearned, and today I am lucky to
have with me Jimmy Harrison,with Frank and Jimmy's Propeller
, aka FJ Propeller, and we'regoing to talk today about things
in the industry and lots ofthings going on with the
business and also as a familybusiness.
(00:53):
And you just celebrated 77years.
Jimmy Harrison (00:56):
We're into 77 years.
Wow, wow Coming up on 78 yearsand I feel like we've been
neighbors almost since 1965.
Kristina Hebert (01:03):
Okay, since 1965.
Jimmy Harrison (01:04):
And you've been up on 78 years, and I feel like
we've been neighbors almostSince 65.
Kristina Hebert (01:05):
Okay, since 1965.
And you've been in this sameblock area as well.
We have been, I believe, since19.
I was talking to my dad.
We have been since 1951.
We've been in this same fourblock area, so you've been the
same way.
Jimmy Harrison (01:21):
Yeah, well, actually in the very beginning,
it was at the fork of the NewRiver which is no houses so
there was Delavig's Boatyard,which was there where they had
like a railway to pull out on,and that's where my dad and
Frank originally got started andtheir first job was, like
chasing alligators out of theboatyard so that they could, you
know, do the work.
And they were fixing, you know,painting bottoms and doing
whatever it took, and then theyjust had a little corner of the
(01:45):
shed to do propellers, you know,and then they moved down to
what Rodee Chris Craft was atthe end of the street where
Allied was.
Yes, and they had a little tinshed right across from there and
my first job, first memory, wasI think I was like five years
old or something and it was atin roof with wood floors and I
(02:08):
got the job with one of thosedrills that you crank, you know,
drilling holes in the floor tolet the water out from the leaks
in the roof.
Kristina Hebert (02:11):
So I'm sure they would be calling child
protective services now, ifanybody knew that.
Jimmy Harrison (02:15):
But yeah, believe me, I had jobs too, yeah
, and then in 65, the buildingat the other end of this block
you know, is built, andinteresting on that was it was
when Hurricane Cleo came through.
Kristina Hebert (02:26):
Okay.
Jimmy Harrison (02:27):
The tie beams hadn't been poured yet, so the
walls all collapsed, so thewhole thing fell in, and then
they had to start over again.
Kristina Hebert (02:34):
My goodness Wow .
Jimmy Harrison (02:36):
And then Wards was in the back and Frank
Jimmy's in the front for untillike 1970, I think you know,
right in there.
Kristina Hebert (02:48):
And then you came down here, built this
building and the rest is history.
So we bought this building, webuilt the one that's adjacent.
That looks as if it's all onebuilding we bought in the 80s
from Gold Coast next door, andthen, yeah, you guys, we were on
the same block, weren't we?
And then you built your newbuilding right over there and
then we built across the street.
So we've been kind of followingeach other for many many years,
(03:10):
small steps, yes, yes, and Iwould say that I probably, we
probably don't visit eachother's companies as often as we
should.
Jimmy Harrison (03:18):
That's true.
Kristina Hebert (03:19):
Considering we're neighbors.
I think the first time I wentback to your place was at a
recent marine industry event andI was like, well, it's right
there, I'm going to go, and Ienjoyed it.
And I enjoyed watching some ofthe tour elements that you had,
because I don't think a lot ofpeople understand what you do.
Why don't you tell everybodywhat you do?
What does Frank and Jimmy'spropeller do?
Jimmy Harrison (03:40):
So we fix propellers and so the main thing
, we sell propellers and we fixpropellers, you know, and so the
main thing you know we sellpropellers and we fix propellers
and drive train stuff.
So shafting and couplings,anything really from the
transmission back, you know thatpropels a boat.
So the couplings, the shafts,the struts, the rudders, the
(04:08):
steering, you know not steering,the hydraulics part, but the
rudders themselves, the hardware, you know that goes underwater
hardware.
But the real heart of thebusiness is propeller repair.
So we're fixing propellers,from little tiny propellers and
outboards up to mega yachtpropellers and really going into
that direction even more.
Wow.
And then eight years ago or sowe split the company into the
machine side and the propellerside.
Okay, and why Space?
It was the big thing.
(04:30):
So, we have a shop in Miamiwhich does all the machining now
.
So all of our lathes and CNCequipment is there.
So we're manufacturing,shafting and fabricating struts
and rudders with stainless steeldown there and in Fort
Lauderdale.
Here we're just doingpropellers, so just propellers
only.
So we stock and sell newpropellers here and we repair
(04:54):
propellers and we repairshafting in Miami and the two
companies we just unfortunatelyhave to drive back and forth a
couple times every day and carrystuff back and forth.
Kristina Hebert (05:04):
So we should put in a plug right now for City
of Fort Lauderdale to look foran inexpensive development for
loyal decades-long propertyowners for you to be able to
relocate that to.
Jimmy Harrison (05:15):
City of Fort.
Kristina Hebert (05:16):
Lauderdale plug .
Jimmy Harrison (05:17):
Yeah, yeah, yeah , yeah, and the—anyway yeah,
because we need more space now.
Kristina Hebert (05:24):
Yeah, right, and the anyway.
Jimmy Harrison (05:25):
Yeah, because we need more space now.
Yeah, right, oh, even yeah, soit's in the building next door.
I carved out a little bit ofwarehouse space, but now I wish
I hadn't even at least out thewhole building so we could use
that space too.
Kristina Hebert (05:38):
Yeah, Wow, so now also tell me about your
speedboat side and where that,where that comes from.
Jimmy Harrison (05:45):
Also tell me about your speedboat side and
where that comes from.
So, speedboat side, so I had afriend, gary Ballew, and he came
in and said, hey, you know,let's stick your sticker on the
boat.
It's a long time ago and youknow, to kind of hook me into it
.
So then it was just kind offollowing and like doing work
for him on the race boat andeverything.
And then one day it was likeyou know, what would you like to
(06:05):
drive one time, you know, inthe race?
I'm like, yeah, okay, thatsounds fun, you know.
And so I did that and he justkind of like kept, the hook was
getting sunk, you know deep andkept pulling on it and then
started sponsoring the boat sothat I could be in the boat, so
that I could race the boat, and,uh, so that was 10 years ago,
(06:26):
something like that, and I wasjust so grateful and lucky, you
know, to have cause.
In offshore racing there's two,two people, you know.
So one guy's steering and oneguy's throttle.
Kristina Hebert (06:35):
I was going to say were you the, were you the
steer or the throttle?
I was the steering guy, whichis the easy part, you know.
Jimmy Harrison (06:40):
It's just like like a car you know to just
drive.
It was Gary that kept us alive,you know, like not flipping
over, going the right speed andthe trim and all that.
And so really I was the tourist, I was just the passenger.
You know, even though I'mdriving the boat, it was more
the easy thing.
You know, I just got lucky tohave a guy who'd been the world
champion for you know, many,many times over and raced
(07:01):
overseas.
What an opportunity.
Champion for you know, many,many times over and race
overseas.
Kristina Hebert (07:03):
What an opportunity and it's good that
you seized it, that you wereable to do that.
Do you still do it?
Jimmy Harrison (07:08):
No, I stopped.
Last time I did, I flipped theboat over and I'm like you know
this?
I don't know it was the mostmild crash you could have, you
know, but we flipped over.
It was expensive, you know tofix, and I was like who really
is you know to fix?
Kristina Hebert (07:24):
And I was like who really is you know?
Jimmy Harrison (07:25):
I really like this, but I don't want it.
Kristina Hebert (07:26):
How did you just walk away from that?
Did it shake you at all?
Jimmy Harrison (07:31):
I mean, I can't imagine being in one of those
high-speed boats and it it wasmuch less than, like I said, it
was like the least violent itcould possibly be.
But I realized because in thefollowing year we sold that boat
and and or gary sold the boat,and then, uh, in key west, if
you remember the two boats thatflipped over at the same time,
one of those was our boat andbut we weren't in it.
(07:52):
I'm looking at it because I wasa, I was a an observer then and
I'm like, uh, I didn't knowthey could do that and so like,
yeah, good thing that uh didn'thappen when we, when I was
somehow you were able to do itfor 10 years.
Kristina Hebert (08:05):
You never got injured.
You didn't really wreckanything.
I don't blame you.
Jimmy Harrison (08:09):
I'd be like did my tenure, it was good.
But also, you know, and I didit thinking that, okay, well,
this is a way to kind of getaway with like an expense for a
business expense you know I canhide this, as you know like
it'll cover as a tax deductiblething.
And then one day I was actuallyin a West Marine and I go up
(08:31):
and the guy behind I was goingfor a part, you know some kind
of part at the parts counter inthe back and he's like, oh yeah,
you know, I'm following youguys racing, you know, all the
time.
And then the kid behind me waslike, oh yeah, no, how you, you
know, I saw how you guys did upin michigan city or something.
I'm like people are watchingthis boat racing stuff and I was
like I guess it really is atruly a marketing thing, so it
(08:51):
actually it actually was working.
And so now I've still got aspeed boat, you know a fast
nortec, and um got the fj on itand get lots of comments
everywhere we go in the bahamas.
You know we're talking aboutboats and propellers and so it's
cool.
Kristina Hebert (09:07):
I think it's great, and it gave you an excuse
to be out on the water and be apart of the very industry that
you've been serving.
Jimmy Harrison (09:13):
Yeah, because I love it.
I love boats, I love being onthe water.
You know I love the whole thing, so I couldn't have found a—got
lucked out more than you know,being in the industry that I'm
in, and and in the business thatI'm in because all the boats
have propellers.
Kristina Hebert (09:26):
So it's absolutely Do they need
electrical work, I mean I knowmost of them need electrical
work.
Jimmy Harrison (09:30):
Okay, good All right?
Kristina Hebert (09:32):
Well, we'll talk so in your spare time.
So, in addition to running abusiness, multiple businesses,
and in addition to that, you'realso the president of the Marine
Industries Association of SouthFlorida, which is the nation's
largest local trade association,and owners of the Fort
Lauderdale International BoatShow, and this year is the 65th
(09:53):
annual of the Fort Lauderdaleshow, I believe.
Jimmy Harrison (09:55):
That is correct, yeah.
Kristina Hebert (09:56):
So talk to me about that.
How has that been?
I know from a personal levelwhat it means to be the
president of the association,but it takes a lot of time.
But talk to me about whatyou're seeing.
What's been going on on yourwatch?
Jimmy Harrison (10:09):
Yeah.
So you know, the probably thebiggest thing is, you know, very
thankful to be under thetutorage and mentoring of Phil
Purcell.
You know Phil is a greatexecutive director.
That we have His businessacumen and his political acumen,
you know, is really reallygreat, you know, to actually be
(10:30):
able to be part of and to watchyou know and to learn from his
ability.
You know what he does.
Kristina Hebert (10:37):
And Phil was part of the marine industry as a
partner in.
Jimmy Harrison (10:41):
Westport Yachts.
Kristina Hebert (10:42):
Okay, just for the listeners, in case people
didn't know where he came from.
Jimmy Harrison (10:46):
And same thing.
You know, phil just reallyloves the whole thing, you know,
loves the whole thing, and youknow, for me, I've always
thought of you know what's mytask, you know of doing this,
and it's kind of the simple wayis you know, when I'm sitting in
a drawbridge, or to make itwhere, when people are sitting
in a drawbridge, they're notgoing?
Ah, look at these boats goingby.
Kristina Hebert (11:03):
I'm going to be late.
Jimmy Harrison (11:04):
You know they look at it as like, wow, there
goes about 100 or 200 jobs thatare related to what that boat is
.
You know that's here and so youknow connecting the industry.
You know the jobs that thisindustry creates and which is
why, like this morning, I was onthe economic advisory board for
the city Okay, advisory boardfor the city and the purpose is
(11:29):
really to kind of duke it outwith tourism, because they're
like we're the biggest and, yeah, we're equals, and everybody
knows that Fort Lauderdale is atourist magnet.
What everybody doesn't know iswhy the yachts are here.
And most of the yachts that arehere aren't even owned by people
who live here, you know, or arehere.
(11:49):
You know they come here becausethis is the the hub for for
employment, where you can findthe most electricians, qualified
or propeller people or paintersor anything to do with it.
You know you go somewhere else,they don't exist.
You know it's hard to get thelabor or the trained skilled
labor for boats and this iswhere it's at and it puts a lot
(12:10):
of people to work here and therelated industries.
They really go off into a lotof tentacles into the community
for it.
Kristina Hebert (12:19):
I agree and I think the association's done a
good job with the economicimpact studies and really trying
to draw that to people.
So even when people look at theboat show I was actually on the
website downloading myexhibitor packet, but it was
talking about I think it had1,300 boats in the water and it
had about 1,200 land exhibitorsand I always try to say you know
(12:41):
, you look at that, that's 2,500businesses that, even though
those are recreational boats,they represent the jobs and then
each, each company that has abooth there, they're a small
business, they're employingpeople there.
They, you know we pay more asan industry than than other
industries that are verycompeting for the same workforce
(13:01):
.
Competing for the sameworkforce.
And I do think it's importantthe association to really have
anybody know that whether or notyou're in the marine industry,
you're benefiting from theeconomic impacts of that
industry.
So I think that you've done agood job with that.
Jimmy Harrison (13:17):
Yeah, Also what I love about Fort Lauderdale,
because I love Fort Lauderdale.
I was born here and it's whatmakes Fort Lauderdale special.
Why are we just not anotherbeach town?
Kristina Hebert (13:25):
Sure.
Jimmy Harrison (13:25):
And it's yachts Absolutely Coming just to gawk
at them, to look at them and go,wow, you know, look at these
yachts, you know that are hereand the whole boating center of
it, and so it's something that Ifeel is really important for
the attractiveness of where welive.
Just like, if you go toSwitzerland, you know the
government is actually payingfor people to have cows up on
(13:46):
the thing with the bells on andstuff.
They're not really therebecause of the that they're
useful as cows, you know beingthere.
It's more of decorations fortourists, you know, sure, but
here it's more of the yachts andthe whole boating industry, you
know, is what makes the draw,you know, to Fort Lauderdale
important, but you knowunfortunately we have people
(14:11):
coming in.
That don't care.
You know about boats, you knowand thinking well, whatever you
know, it's just they're a painin my butt you know to have
these boats, you know, going onit's like yeah, but you get rid
of the boat, you really get ridof the attraction of the whole
lifestyle you know that we havehere.
So I try to work hard onkeeping yachting and boating.
You know yachting capital ofthe world.
Kristina Hebert (14:29):
Absolutely.
Jimmy Harrison (14:31):
And keeping it that way because it's easily a
transportable business Sure.
It can move somewhere else, andlots of other places that are,
you know, seaside would love tohave what we have here as an
industry you know in FortLauderdale what we have here as
an industry, you know in FortLauderdale.
So, while a lot of people workto attract new industries coming
in, we need to nurture the onethat we already have.
That's easiest to keep, Justlike it's easier to keep an
(14:53):
existing customer than to gofind a new customer.
A lot more expensive to do that.
Already have this industry here.
Let's keep it, you know.
Keep it getting stronger.
Kristina Hebert (15:02):
And what do you think some of the challenges
are facing?
Jimmy Harrison (15:05):
the industry.
What are?
Kristina Hebert (15:06):
some that the association's working on.
Jimmy Harrison (15:09):
The you know a couple, which is access to the
boat yards.
Sure, you know is the biggestthing.
So the you know the access canbe blocked real bad, you know by
the bridge, you know we have arailroad bridge right down the
street here that is closed.
a lot for the train.
So it's the train versus theboats, and so the Coast Guard is
(15:33):
for commercial traffic on thewaterways and that's what we
have going up the river and sowe have them on our side.
As far as for helping, thankGod for the coast guard, because
otherwise it's just the trainand like the train wants to just
close the bridge.
You know it'd be better to justblock off the water.
You know it makes it easier fora train to go back and forth
(15:54):
and for listeners to understand.
Kristina Hebert (15:56):
so this train bridge, which is about in its
70s as well, if my understandingand please correct me if I'm if
I'm wrong on any of mystatistics, but that's my
understanding and and and theway that the bridge works, is
that it's about a six minutecycle to go down and about a six
minute cycle to come up, or isit a six minute cycle up and
down?
Jimmy Harrison (16:15):
I'm not sure of that?
No, it's like six up, six down.
Okay, yeah.
Kristina Hebert (16:18):
So that was sort of right.
And then when it's down, theclearance is three feet, so even
a kayaker leaning to the sideis going to struggle to get
under that.
And 80 percent 75 to 80 percentof our boat yards which is
where the economic impact andthe drivers are and why these
boats are coming to specificallyfor Lauderdale to get those
repair are up river, on theother side of that train bridge.
(16:40):
So, it's not just well, it's abridge.
And because we have multiplebridges all around, it's such
that it's old, there aren'tparts to take care of it.
And yes, the train.
You know how many trains?
There's 32 passings forBrightline, plus the commercial
train.
Jimmy Harrison (16:57):
Yeah, so there's both the freight trains and the
Brightline train, and then,soon to be, the commuter train.
Kristina Hebert (17:05):
The tri-rail is moving to the east.
The tri, then, soon to be thecommuter train, the tri-rail is
moving to the east.
The tri-rail will be comingover, so there's lots of trains
and lots of trains in the future, and more trains than it can
actually even handle.
As far as for having a bridge,you know having anything that
would slow it down.
Storm impact windows arepreventing us from hearing the
current train that's going by,but there is one going by.
Jimmy Harrison (17:25):
We hear them a little more in the shops.
Kristina Hebert (17:26):
Yes, yeah, absolutely, we do too.
Out there in the warehouse,you'll hear it.
Jimmy Harrison (17:30):
So you know the marine industry stands.
So there's, you know.
The thing that we're working onnow, you know, or that the city
is working on, is whether it'sgoing to be a bridge or to be a
tunnel.
So, obviously a tunnel would begreat, having a tunnel that no
one can see, that goesunderground and doesn't really
impact much of anything.
For that the cost of the tunnelis huge.
(17:51):
The alternative is a bridge,and then there's really a
discussion of what height is thebridge to be.
Obviously, the higher, the moreboats could fit under it
without having to raise up,which would be higher the better
.
And the marine industry'sposition is either we don't
really care, you know what it?
(18:12):
is, but the big thing is just,we need it, you know it needs to
happen now, because it's notgoing to happen.
Make a decision in a coupleweeks.
It's going to be done.
You know I'm waiting on apermit for my seawall you know
now at my house.
I live the water here for ayear A year.
I'm dealing with A permit, youknow, of doing it Goodness.
And the city has the same thingto, you know, go through with
(18:34):
themselves, and so this is waybeyond just a permit.
There's all kinds of stuff thatgoes on with building a tunnel
or a bridge.
So it's five years.
You know whatever in the future, All these tri-rail and all the
other trains and the addedcapacity that they need is going
to be sooner than that capacitythat they need is going to be
(18:57):
sooner than that.
So the delays, that we've hadyou know are upsetting.
Um, in how long until we canbreak ground and coming up with
a?
We're doing it one way.
Kristina Hebert (19:03):
Is there a call to action?
Can we?
We're?
We're going to have thousandsand thousands of millions of
viewers on this podcast.
So, what's the call to actionto do um you?
Know the members to industry do.
Do we need to reach out tostate legislators?
I know it's a FloridaDepartment of Transportation.
Jimmy Harrison (19:21):
It's coming.
It's been the actions coming,and so the Pay attention,
m-i-a-s-f dot org.
Kristina Hebert (19:28):
And yeah, they'll tell you what to do.
Jimmy Harrison (19:30):
Well, yeah, so there's really not a whole lot
that we can do.
I mean, it's it's inpoliticians' hands, you know,
right now.
But the county really is kindof coming up, you know, is going
with leaning towards the bridge.
Okay, you know idea where thecity has been going towards a
(19:56):
tunnel and a lot of thedevelopers, you know, would like
there to be a tunnel as well.
It would make the downtown moreattractive, you know, from it I
personally don't think that thebridge will make it
unattractive and it won't reallydivide the city or anything by
having that.
I think that the bridge optioncould be a aesthetic and
pleasing look, you know, for it.
Kristina Hebert (20:08):
You know, I agree with you and one of your
colleagues who's a board memberas well and was a board member
when I was there, and the formermayor, jim Noggle he's going to
be a guest on the show tomorrow, but I remember him telling me
I'm going to ask him about itwhen he's a guest him telling me
that when he was mayor, youknow, at one point they were
(20:29):
going to do a tunnel for 17thStreet.
Jimmy Harrison (20:31):
Bridge.
Kristina Hebert (20:37):
And can you imagine, if that had been a
tunnel, what you miss when youget to go over that bridge and
you can see the boats cominginto the inlet and you can look
down south and you can see thecruise ships there and you can
see the yachts coming in.
I think it would be a hugemistake to have made that a
tunnel.
You would miss all of that.
You would simply go through.
You would go under and, yes,you'd be on your way.
But tell me, when you're at thetop of that bridge, you don't
(20:58):
look out and say look at theinlet look at the boats coming
in.
Oh my God, I mean it's hardbecause people start going 20
miles an hour and then you'relike come on, you know you start
, but I every time, I never takeit for granted that we get to
see that and that's anopportunity.
Had it been a tunnel, we wouldbe missing all of that.
So I think it could be used asan example.
So I'll see what Jim's thoughtsare on that.
Jimmy Harrison (21:24):
But yeah, and I think that the 17th street, I
think that the community cameout against the tunnel and
wanted there to be the bridge.
You know as well, sointeresting.
Yeah, I mean it is.
Kristina Hebert (21:30):
You know, they always say history repeats
itself if you don't payattention.
Well, here we are, and Iremember it was named the E Clay
Shaw Bridge and he wasimpressed that it was named
after him.
And he said well, I'm stillalive and I didn't think you got
a bridge named after you untilyou passed away.
And unfortunately he did passaway, but not right after that.
But I do remember that.
But it's another example um, Ican't even imagine that being a
(21:54):
tunnel, and and, and I have afeeling it would be the same way
.
So while people can say theywould want a tunnel, I think a
bridge going over and being ableto look down, nobody questions
it at andrews avenue or at umthird avenue or at davy.
So let's, just let's just get itmoving but, like you said,
whatever it is, if somebodywants to do a tunnel, we we just
(22:14):
need something to solve thesituation.
Jimmy Harrison (22:17):
In either which way.
The freight train still goes asa bridge like what it has now,
so it's going to be at grade.
It's not going to go up in theair or go under the water as
well, so there's still thatWe'll always be there like that.
Kristina Hebert (22:35):
Well, my understanding was there was a
discussion about maybe movingfreight west.
Jimmy Harrison (22:43):
Is that not the case?
Moving that west to the CSX?
That is a discussion and that'swhat I think will eventually
happen, but there's a whole lotmore that goes into that and
getting involved civically, youstart realizing how slow
government works.
It's so slow Right and in somecases.
Kristina Hebert (22:55):
I think that that's important.
You know you wouldn't wantpeople to make hasty decisions,
but on the other hand, I dothink there has to be a strike
of balance of we can't hold upan industry which is the largest
industry in the city of FortLauderdale, despite what they
say about tourism.
We're just going to say that onthis podcast and the economic
impacts and the fact that wehave a Super Bowl type event
every year and yet you're goingto want to choke it off because
(23:19):
we're going to take too long, Ithink would be remiss.
I have a feeling the city andthe county, and especially
working with the association,understand the importance, but
it's still funding and who'sgoing to do it and studies and
all sorts of things.
Yeah, but I'm sure we'll see it.
But hopefully, like you said,we'll see something and it's
going to run right out here, Imean right outside this window,
(23:40):
in between this building andyour, your building.
We're going to be right alongit, so we'll see it when they're
done, but hey, you know that'sprogress we need to have it.
Jimmy Harrison (23:49):
Yeah, it's not a Superbowl type.
It's greater than the SuperbowBowl.
The boat show.
That's right, it's a greatereconomic impact than the Super
Bowl, and it happens every year.
Kristina Hebert (23:58):
So at no cost to the city.
Jimmy Harrison (24:00):
Yep To to.
Kristina Hebert (24:01):
To add to that yeah, so now also, you are on
the city's Marine Advisory Boardas well.
Okay, so talk to me about that.
Jimmy Harrison (24:08):
So so the Marine Advisory Board, it's a uh, uh
uh.
It's nonjudicial.
You know, we uh.
All we're doing is makingsuggestions to the commissioners
of how they should do things,and it's how they should do
things regarding the water.
So it would have to do with theMarine Patrol, the docks and
safety of navigation on theriver, and probably the biggest
(24:30):
impact is the navigability ofNew River, getting to the boat
yards as well.
So, we have, you know, somethinggoing on now which is the
congestion or the boats that areencroaching into the waterway,
you know, or into the channel,and so that's become an issue
(24:52):
that we tried to solve throughMarine Advisory Board and there
was a lot of the communicationwas very poor, you know people
thought are you taking ourrights away?
You know, we're going to stopall docks from being built, and
all this Wasn't true, wasn'thappening.
You know, like that, all thatit is is about ensuring access
of large boats going up theriver to be able to get there.
(25:15):
You know, whereas now, like thelittle Florida, you know area,
if you look at videos of boatsgoing around that you know it's
just crazy.
You know how close they come toeverything.
You know.
So it's a very tight squeezeand it's just, if it gets too
tight, people want to gosomewhere else.
If it gets too tight, peoplewant to go somewhere else.
Kristina Hebert (25:34):
So, for listeners, when you go up the
New River, there are these.
So not only do you have to waitfor the bridges, which there
are currently one, two, three,four.
Jimmy Harrison (25:45):
Four, even five.
Kristina Hebert (25:49):
Even five if you get all the way down.
And so obviously you want totime it.
If you're a big boat going upor down river, you want to time
it for the bridges, you have totime it.
If you're a big boat going upor down river, you want to time
it for the bridges, you have totime it on tide.
Then you add in the traffic.
But like you're saying now,imagine everybody knows it
driving through theirneighborhood when people start
parallel parking along the road,and then all of a sudden you're
(26:10):
going to drive down the roadand here comes a neighbor.
There is not room for both ofyou to pass.
Who gets the right of way?
Well, in boating, you know it'stonnage, but still when you're
underway you cannot stop a boat,the same way you stop a car,
and I don't think peopleunderstand that.
And you have a tide issue andyou have current issues, and so
it can be really scary.
And I'm even seeing, and youhear, in some of the captain
(26:32):
circles it used to be likeconsidered, if you were one of
the captains that required a towup river, down river, in and
out of the yard, like, oh youknow, you were scoffed at like
rookie, you don't know.
And now I think so many of thecaptains say it's not worth the
risk.
You guys can mock me all youwant.
I've.
I've been to the Azores, I'vecrossed the Med five times, but
(27:00):
I'm not going upriver and takingon any kind of risk to the boat
, which makes sense.
And so there's tow companiesthat if you ever drive,
sometimes the bridges takelonger because a boat's undertow
and it has a tow boat in thefront and the back.
Just to explain it to listenersso they know.
And then just imagine all of asudden a train, a bridge goes
down, and now you not only havethat boat but you have a boat in
front of it and behind it thathave to stop, and there's all
these calls for bridges.
(27:20):
And you know, people drivingdown the road probably have no
idea all of that is going onunderneath this bridge that
they're waiting on, and thisboat going into a boat yard to
have all the work done.
So it really is an industryhappening up and down this river
.
I encourage people to to stopand look at it.
Jimmy Harrison (27:39):
Yeah, so so it's something you know that the the
navigability is something,though, that the um the marine
industry actually has a littlesubcommittee, you know, working
with people from the communityas well, from realtors to
everybody homeowners, um tryingto come up with an acceptable
solution to how to make surethat you're able to get the
(27:59):
boats up and down the river.
So that's where that's going.
Other things with the MarineAdvisory Board would be coming
up with.
So we have a lot of illegalcharters going on, which are
unsafe charters.
Kristina Hebert (28:13):
Did you say legal or illegal?
Jimmy Harrison (28:14):
Illegal Illegal charters that are going, did you
?
Say legal or illegal, illegal-Okay, Illegal charters, you know
that are going on.
What makes them illegal?
That they're taking.
So the whole idea of captain'slicenses, you know, or licensing
boats to be a commercial boat,is for safety.
The whole idea of the CoastGuard, you know, is all about
safety.
You know, and so we've hadseveral.
(28:37):
You know deaths in theintercoastal and river.
You know, and so we've hadseveral.
You know deaths in the in theintercoastal and river.
You know, here in FortLauderdale, from people drowning
and they, some of them, havebeen direct results of illegal
charters.
You know of someone who eitheris taking too many people or no
insurance.
You know, with people, orbasically it's someone just
renting out their boat.
You know hiring just a captainto you know give the guy down
the street.
You know with people, orbasically it's someone just
renting out their boat.
You know hiring just a captainto.
You know, give the guy down thestreet, you know some money to
(29:01):
take my boat out so I can makesome money on my boat.
Kristina Hebert (29:03):
So how is that policed or how do you combat
that?
Jimmy Harrison (29:06):
So the Coast Guard now is doing?
They are stopping, you know,boats that have a whole bunch of
people on them Too manyCounting life jackets.
Yeah, you know counting them.
There is a.
They're not doing it with thecity.
There is a code enforcementboat now that the city owns and
they have an officer.
That is that's what he's doing.
It's very limited as far as onhow often that they're doing
(29:27):
that.
There are.
It's just kind of the wild westand so one of the one of the
things is to come up with, andeven where, where people get on
and off the boats sure so it'shappening like at launching
ramps, which then takes up thespace, you know, in a launching
(29:49):
ramp takes up the parking spaces.
If people are doing chartersfrom a launching ramp, other
people are wanting to launchtheir boat.
Can't launch your boat, sothere's got.
It's just getting crowded, youknow, and the whole thing.
So it's one thing that we don'thave is an actual legal place
where people can pick up anddrop off charters, you know, or
(30:09):
people that they're going totake on their boat, or the
pontoon boats, or you knowwhatever, the boats are and
there's no way to right now ofcoming up with insurance.
So people are chartering orgoing out on a boat and they
don't realize that there's noinsurance, you know, on the boat
and they don't realize what abare boat charter is when
(30:30):
they're hiring their own captain.
You know doing that.
Kristina Hebert (30:33):
But somebody's guiding them, I feel like are
they getting misinformation?
So I fly down to FortLauderdale, I'm staying at BMR,
I'm looking at these boats outthere and I say boy, where are
they going to find these illegalcharters?
Jimmy Harrison (30:47):
So that could be getting them through the
concierge at the hotel saying,hey, this is you know, whatever,
this little pontoon boat.
Here's a place to go and theydon't realize.
You know what the impact is andso we also have, as you're
familiar with the, you knowinsurance requirements when
you're working on the water.
Kristina Hebert (31:02):
Oh, absolutely.
Jimmy Harrison (31:03):
So that it's a.
Anyway, if you're the owner ofthe boat and you get sued for
someone getting hurt on yourboat, it's catastrophe, you know
, for you getting hurt on yourboat.
It's catastrophe, you know, foryou.
Um the longshoreman's act, youknow it's, uh, uh, it makes it
double jeopardy, you know foryou when it, when it get hurt on
the water, um, but the um, uh,the, the fact of the uh not
(31:30):
having, when you do, a bare boatcharter, which is what they're
doing you're doing for the boatsto make it semi-legal to do.
you're chartering this boat.
You're basically signing thatyou became the owner of the boat
for that period of time.
People don't realize that thatare doing this and by that owner
you need to have your owninsurance on that boat.
(31:51):
Otherwise, as someone who isthe charterer, I'm going to go
charter this boat.
Someone has a sea ray thatthey're going to let me charter,
but I have to hire the captainon my own.
They can't provide the captain.
Kristina Hebert (32:02):
But I believe that would be also Jones Act
coverage correct Jones Act.
Jimmy Harrison (32:05):
Yeah, longshore is for workers.
I got it backwards.
Nope, that's okay.
Yeah, jones Act, and so theydon't realize.
Kristina Hebert (32:12):
But where are they signing this?
Have you guys?
Has the marine industry I don'tsay you guys?
Has MIASF worked with EBA onthis, the International Yacht
Brokers Association?
So who's writing these bareboat charter contracts?
I'm really interested in thistopic.
Jimmy Harrison (32:27):
I don't know.
Okay, you know, I don't know,and no, we haven't you know, we
just know it exists and knowthat there's a thing, and so I'm
trying to bring that throughthe Marine Advisory Board.
You know as well, to getsomething.
The bad part is it's it comesacross as just buzzkill.
You know why are you trying to.
You know this is fun.
We need this.
This is a good tourist draw.
(32:49):
We're just saying do it legally.
And part of it is not just legal.
It's like you don't realizewhat trouble, what issues you
potentially are getting yourselfinto when you're doing this
Right, that if there's anaccident, accidents happen,
happen on the water and they canbe deadly of what it is, and
(33:09):
the liability that someone setsthemselves up for is tremendous
of doing it.
So the chartering you knowthing.
Also, the licensing you know ofit.
So, whereas you have, forexample, water taxi you know is
licensed, insured, coast Guard,inspected, all of that and then
someone to compete with them,just because like well, I got my
boat and I'm going to try anddo the same thing, and it's not
(33:33):
fair.
You know.
You need a level playing groundfor a level playing field for
everybody, you know.
And to be running a business,to have a business, means you
need insurance, you need to bepaying taxes, you need to be,
you know, upfront, just like youcouldn't be doing something out
of this building without havinga whole lot of expenses just to
(33:53):
open the doors and say we'reselling stuff.
Well and.
Kristina Hebert (33:56):
I think one of the biggest misnomers is that is
a recreational vesselrecreational if it's being
chartered.
And so there are many out therethat would say for example, you
mentioned the Longshore, andthe Longshore and Harbor Workers
Act defines a boat asrecreational, as one that was
principally designed forpleasure.
And so clearly the Jungle Queenis a commercial boat.
(34:22):
That's like a party boat forlisteners, that that goes up and
down and serves dinner and is acommercial dinner cruise type
boat versus versus a Hatterassport fish.
You know, that's that's youSportfish, that's owned
personally.
But then does that recreationalboat become commercial once
it's chartered?
And the answer to that is yes.
(34:44):
If you're going to make it abusiness, then it does become
commercial, and I think that'swhere all the insurances fall
into place.
But people will say, well,that's just my boat.
But it's like if you work outof your house and you make your
house your brick and mortarbusiness, well then you have to
have different paperwork anddifferent insurance to be able
to make your house your, yourbusiness versus and that people
(35:06):
will come to, versus justworking out of your house.
Same thing.
Jimmy Harrison (35:08):
Yeah, and so you know we're looking to try and
identify a location wheresomeone you know you can be
having a controlled access tousing a dock you know, like a,
like a city dock.
You know where people could becoming to and doing charters out
of?
That'd be great.
You know, haven't found thatplace and want to try and find
that.
You know, as well as a finding alocation for a commercial
(35:29):
loading and unloading for for aconstruction.
So we have, you know, themandate to have all seawalls by
a certain date, that they allhave to be elevated because of
rising seas and anytime a houseis sold or any type of work is
done, then they can be forced tobring everything up to code.
In the city of Fort Lauderdalewe have nowhere where it's legal
(35:52):
to load a barge.
Fort Lauderdale, we havenowhere where it's legal to load
a barge, you know.
So.
There is nowhere, you know that, to put the pilings on, to put
the concrete on, to take offdirt if it's taken off you know,
whatever I was going to say,the spoilage is also an issue,
the dirt that you take out ofthe ground, then where does it
go?
So it's forcing it to be doneeither in Hollywood somewhere or
in Pompano, and even then it'skind of gray area as far as
(36:14):
where it's legal to to load andunload a barge.
So the the uh you know theproblem just becomes.
It gets more and more expensive.
You know, to do it.
Sure, someone can load up andyou know, and steward and drive
their barge down here and itjust adds, you know, tens of
thousands of dollars, you know,to the cost of raising your
seawall, which shouldn't be thatexpensive to do, and everybody
(36:36):
needs to do it.
Kristina Hebert (36:38):
So it's something that Is the city open
to it?
Jimmy Harrison (36:41):
They just are trying to figure out they're
open, but it's just trying tofigure it out you know so it's a
lot of nimby.
You know that no one reallywants to see it.
You know so.
For example, if there's avacant lot, it's not legal to do
it out of a vacant lot.
You know, because of theneighbors.
Kristina Hebert (36:55):
You know on that it's not legal to do it off
the park.
Well, somebody owns the lot,you know, so then it becomes
somebody's liability.
Jimmy Harrison (37:00):
Yeah, not allowed to do that, you know, so
there are some city-owned areas, but there probably could be
something that the city couldbuy, you know, to make that be a
reality, because there'llalways be the need for
commercial access for marineconstruction.
That's going on.
Kristina Hebert (37:21):
Can they work with the county, maybe somewhere
at?
Jimmy Harrison (37:22):
the port, maybe, right, you know, maybe they're
their own thing.
Kristina Hebert (37:26):
Well, I think we could solve all the world's
problems here.
Jimmy Harrison (37:28):
Yeah, okay, well , we could keep moving down the
road.
Kristina Hebert (37:30):
What about the boat show coming up?
Anything new and exciting.
Jimmy Harrison (37:35):
So far it looks real good yeah.
As far as for attendance fromexhibitors you know is strong
Good.
Ticket sales are on track forhow it's been, so that's a good
thing it's going to be soexciting when the convention
center gets back engaged.
Kristina Hebert (37:49):
The convention center is going to be a part of
the show, but the constructionwon't be complete until 2025, my
understanding.
Jimmy Harrison (37:55):
Yes, okay, that's basically it, pier 66,
the same.
Same thing.
So there's workarounds to eachof the locations, but it'll be
better when they're done, ofcourse.
Kristina Hebert (38:05):
Oh, absolutely.
Jimmy Harrison (38:05):
Of course.
Yeah, the boat shows reallycome up.
In the past few years, you knowcome up a long way.
They've really done goodinvestment and good planning
with the way that they've laidout the show.
It keeps improving, you know.
So, yeah, it's the best boatshow.
It's the largest in-water boatshow in the world and it's the
(38:26):
best boat show.
Kristina Hebert (38:27):
Well, what I always say, it's the complete
life cycle of a boat show.
So there are some boat showsyou go to that are super yacht
focus, some that are a sailboatfocus, some that are sport fish
focus, some that are, um youknow, like you mentioned earlier
, like a pontoon, um kayakfocused.
You can start from a kayak anda fishing pole and go all the
(38:49):
way around to in the life cycle,to a super yacht at the Fort
Lauderdale Boat Show.
Wherever you want to enter, youknow that you'll have an
opportunity to get involved inboating and be a part of it.
Can I ask the million dollarquestion of what's going on with
Bahia Mar as far as thedevelopment?
Obviously there probably won'tbe any impacts to this year's
show.
Jimmy Harrison (39:10):
So it's a go Everything is a go.
As far as when they'll breakground, I don't know.
Kristina Hebert (39:16):
We don't know yet.
Jimmy Harrison (39:16):
I don't know that.
I don't know as far as withinterest rates and funding and
the money part.
I don't know.
But we're happy with the newplans for the boat show.
Kristina Hebert (39:30):
So for everybody again, the listeners.
So Bahia Mar, so the boat show.
While it's only five days, it'sa 30-day cycle to set it up,
have the show and break it down.
It's a lot, and I think theyused to have it online where you
could watch these videos.
They kind of do.
I think Forrest did one itonline where you could watch
these videos.
Jimmy Harrison (39:50):
I think Forrest did one.
Kristina Hebert (39:50):
I remember seeing one, yeah, where they
show the setup of the boat showfor the two weeks before, and it
really is fascinating.
I encourage anybody to go outthere because when you do get to
go to their show and recognize,all you know, the 1,200 boats
in the water, there's not normaldockage for that amount of
boats.
Um, and we do work with thecoast guard to um edge into the
(40:13):
water channel, um, and obviously, as the boats have gotten
bigger, we've had to be careful.
I say we, the industry, has hadto be careful with that too,
the encroachment on the waterway, making sure they're safe,
navigable.
But um, so beh, bahia Mar, it'skind of the heart and center of
the boat show and probablywhere most exhibitors are
located.
But that property is up fordevelopment.
(40:34):
But the developers and the cityand the association have been
working together to try to comeup with, during that development
, how do you keep having a show.
And there's been cooperation onall that.
Jimmy Harrison (40:46):
Yeah, so there may be some issue with the
upland.
You know where the tents arenow you know, during
construction.
But that is thought through.
And so there is mitigation forthat you know, where the, in
other words there should be thetent space should be the same
amount of size, just indifferent locations, different
locations.
Sure, you know how it's goingthrough.
Kristina Hebert (41:06):
So the in-water part part is going to stay the
same.
It'll stay the same.
Yeah, good.
Jimmy Harrison (41:12):
So um no, Bocho is is healthy Um.
Kristina Hebert (41:16):
Bocho is healthy.
Jimmy Harrison (41:17):
Bocho is, Bocho is good.
Kristina Hebert (41:19):
Good yeah, and it's coming up.
I uh, it's uh October 30ththrough November 4th.
Jimmy Harrison (41:24):
So that's, coming up.
Kristina Hebert (41:26):
So, um, I know that there's a marine industry
event coming up today.
Actually, I didn't know if youwanted to talk about that.
It's a networking wherecompanies get to showcase.
Jimmy Harrison (41:40):
It's a company showcase event.
Kristina Hebert (41:43):
That's a neat idea.
That's recent right.
Jimmy Harrison (41:46):
Yeah, we had one last year, you know as well.
Um, same sort of uh format, youknow, for doing that.
Yeah, so we're trying to domore different things, you know,
and um, uh, the net andnetworking is an important part
you know of it.
Um, you know one that, uh, myfavorite cause we do it, you
know, but is having the openhouses.
(42:06):
You, know, different businessesthat are within the association
, you know.
Kristina Hebert (42:11):
I agree, we've been neighbors for decades and
if it wasn't because you havingthat event, I wouldn't have gone
over there to see what you'vedone and the coral reef that
you're creating and all thedifferent things that you have
and your facility, had you nothad that.
And again, we've known eachother for years and our
companies have been located nextto, but you don't always get
(42:32):
out, you don't always have thattime.
Jimmy Harrison (42:34):
Yeah, and what I think a real value of doing the
, you know events at members'facilities you know, whatever it
is, it's just like that.
I remember a long time agofinding out that you did the
etching you know for the thing?
Kristina Hebert (42:49):
Oh, the engraving, yes, the engraving
thing.
Jimmy Harrison (42:50):
It's like oh, I didn't know they did that.
I thought they did electricalwork, you know.
I know so it's the same thingin every company like that.
Kristina Hebert (42:56):
Everyone, yes.
Jimmy Harrison (42:58):
You know, you assume that everybody knows
everything.
You do, you know and they don't.
And so you know, you get peopleto come in and like oh, you
know.
Kristina Hebert (43:04):
Right After all these years.
I never knew you did that.
Jimmy Harrison (43:06):
You guys are doing 3D scanning.
Oh, cool, right, exactly,exactly.
Hey, let's work together.
We've got a project coming out.
Kristina Hebert (43:13):
That's Networking 101.
Yeah, so that's great.
Jimmy Harrison (43:16):
Yeah.
So that's one of my pet thingsthat I really like to push that
yeah.
So we're, uh, uh, I mean we're,we're growing, we're, we're
going more into uh, larger, um,larger boats now.
So we're, you know, abs, uh, uh, certification for welding, for
(43:39):
machining, for doing overlays,um, and uh doing, uh,
non-destructive testing, um, allthat kind of stuff, you know,
so that we can work, so thatwe're working on class boats and
we're working on larger andlarger propellers, because boats
just keep getting bigger, youknow, for it too, we have, you
(44:01):
know, we're already in manylocations, you know.
Now we're more just kind offocusing on here you know, for
now, um, south Florida and uh,cause we can have the most
effect here.
Um, we are doing more and moresales, you know of uh larger
propellers and kind of pushingthat going into Central and
(44:21):
South America.
You know uh as well with that.
That's great, um, so it's justkind of growing.
You know, um, and I want to,you know I'm coming up on my
65th you know uh birthday, youknow, and I just love the
business, you know, and I I loveit.
Um, not so much the worryingabout the one little job, you
(44:43):
know and how it is and you knowand what is this thing going on,
but I like having people comein the shop and talking to them
and just kind of you know it's,it's my life.
Kristina Hebert (44:52):
you know doing it I know Now your daughter
works for you as well too, soyou have another
multi-generational.
Jimmy Harrison (44:57):
Yep my, my daughter and my son-in-law.
Okay, so he's a prop tech, youknow in the back, and yeah, so
it's multi-generational, youknow as well.
Kristina Hebert (45:07):
So as is yeah, as is ours, and, um, as was jay.
I was talking to jay familybusiness.
Jimmy Harrison (45:13):
There's a lot of family businesses, so yeah, so
which feels good and it's part,you know.
Again, I'm just just so blessedto be living in fort lauderdale
, being in the industry that I'min and having a family business
.
You know like it is.
Kristina Hebert (45:28):
Well, we are blessed to have you here today
and to have you at theleadership both of the marine
industries and the marineadvisory and the economic
development and all that you do,and thank you for all that you
do for the industry and thankyou for being here today.
Jimmy Harrison (45:40):
Thank you, but I followed in your footsteps.
You were you were doing.
You know it was like I watchedyou.
You know, in the marineindustry, you know and watched
you and you were more activethan I am now.
I'm not sure about that.
Kristina Hebert (45:53):
I think everybody has their time.
Maybe I was a little bit morevocal and look, I still have to
talk.
I had to come up with a podcastso I could just talk.
Jimmy Harrison (46:01):
But I appreciate that All you've done, same here
, same here so thank you forbeing here today.
Glad you asked me.
Kristina Hebert (46:10):
Thank you Absolutely.
Welcome to the Wardsway Podcast.
Today we are talking withbusiness and industry leaders
and the lessons that we'velearned, and today I am lucky to
have with me Jimmy Harrison,with Frank and Jimmy's Propeller
, aka FJ Propeller, and we'regoing to talk today about things
in the industry and lots ofthings going on with the
business and also as a familybusiness.
(00:53):
And you just celebrated 77years.
Jimmy Harrison (00:56):
We're into 77 years.
Wow, wow Coming up on 78 yearsand I feel like we've been
neighbors almost since 1965.
Kristina Hebert (01:03):
Okay, since 1965.
Jimmy Harrison (01:04):
And you've been up on 78 years, and I feel like
we've been neighbors almostSince 65.
Kristina Hebert (01:05):
Okay, since 1965.
And you've been in this sameblock area as well.
We have been, I believe, since19.
I was talking to my dad.
We have been since 1951.
We've been in this same fourblock area, so you've been the
same way.
Jimmy Harrison (01:21):
Yeah, well, actually in the very beginning,
it was at the fork of the NewRiver which is no houses so
there was Delavig's Boatyard,which was there where they had
like a railway to pull out on,and that's where my dad and
Frank originally got started andtheir first job was, like
chasing alligators out of theboatyard so that they could, you
know, do the work.
And they were fixing, you know,painting bottoms and doing
whatever it took, and then theyjust had a little corner of the
(01:45):
shed to do propellers, you know,and then they moved down to
what Rodee Chris Craft was atthe end of the street where
Allied was.
Yes, and they had a little tinshed right across from there and
my first job, first memory, wasI think I was like five years
old or something and it was atin roof with wood floors and I
(02:08):
got the job with one of thosedrills that you crank, you know,
drilling holes in the floor tolet the water out from the leaks
in the roof.
Kristina Hebert (02:11):
So I'm sure they would be calling child
protective services now, ifanybody knew that.
Jimmy Harrison (02:15):
But yeah, believe me, I had jobs too, yeah
, and then in 65, the buildingat the other end of this block
you know, is built, andinteresting on that was it was
when Hurricane Cleo came through.
Kristina Hebert (02:26):
Okay.
Jimmy Harrison (02:27):
The tie beams hadn't been poured yet, so the
walls all collapsed, so thewhole thing fell in, and then
they had to start over again.
Kristina Hebert (02:34):
My goodness Wow .
Jimmy Harrison (02:36):
And then Wards was in the back and Frank
Jimmy's in the front for untillike 1970, I think you know,
right in there.
Kristina Hebert (02:48):
And then you came down here, built this
building and the rest is history.
So we bought this building, webuilt the one that's adjacent.
That looks as if it's all onebuilding we bought in the 80s
from Gold Coast next door, andthen, yeah, you guys, we were on
the same block, weren't we?
And then you built your newbuilding right over there and
then we built across the street.
So we've been kind of followingeach other for many many years,
(03:10):
small steps, yes, yes, and Iwould say that I probably, we
probably don't visit eachother's companies as often as we
should.
Jimmy Harrison (03:18):
That's true.
Kristina Hebert (03:19):
Considering we're neighbors.
I think the first time I wentback to your place was at a
recent marine industry event andI was like, well, it's right
there, I'm going to go, and Ienjoyed it.
And I enjoyed watching some ofthe tour elements that you had,
because I don't think a lot ofpeople understand what you do.
Why don't you tell everybodywhat you do?
What does Frank and Jimmy'spropeller do?
Jimmy Harrison (03:40):
So we fix propellers and so the main thing
, we sell propellers and we fixpropellers, you know, and so the
main thing you know we sellpropellers and we fix propellers
and drive train stuff.
So shafting and couplings,anything really from the
transmission back, you know thatpropels a boat.
So the couplings, the shafts,the struts, the rudders, the
(04:08):
steering, you know not steering,the hydraulics part, but the
rudders themselves, the hardware, you know that goes underwater
hardware.
But the real heart of thebusiness is propeller repair.
So we're fixing propellers,from little tiny propellers and
outboards up to mega yachtpropellers and really going into
that direction even more.
Wow.
And then eight years ago or sowe split the company into the
machine side and the propellerside.
Okay, and why Space?
It was the big thing.
(04:30):
So, we have a shop in Miamiwhich does all the machining now
.
So all of our lathes and CNCequipment is there.
So we're manufacturing,shafting and fabricating struts
and rudders with stainless steeldown there and in Fort
Lauderdale.
Here we're just doingpropellers, so just propellers
only.
So we stock and sell newpropellers here and we repair
(04:54):
propellers and we repairshafting in Miami and the two
companies we just unfortunatelyhave to drive back and forth a
couple times every day and carrystuff back and forth.
Kristina Hebert (05:04):
So we should put in a plug right now for City
of Fort Lauderdale to look foran inexpensive development for
loyal decades-long propertyowners for you to be able to
relocate that to.
Jimmy Harrison (05:15):
City of Fort.
Kristina Hebert (05:16):
Lauderdale plug .
Jimmy Harrison (05:17):
Yeah, yeah, yeah , yeah, and the—anyway yeah,
because we need more space now.
Kristina Hebert (05:24):
Yeah, right, and the anyway.
Jimmy Harrison (05:25):
Yeah, because we need more space now.
Yeah, right, oh, even yeah, soit's in the building next door.
I carved out a little bit ofwarehouse space, but now I wish
I hadn't even at least out thewhole building so we could use
that space too.
Kristina Hebert (05:38):
Yeah, Wow, so now also tell me about your
speedboat side and where that,where that comes from.
Jimmy Harrison (05:45):
Also tell me about your speedboat side and
where that comes from.
So, speedboat side, so I had afriend, gary Ballew, and he came
in and said, hey, you know,let's stick your sticker on the
boat.
It's a long time ago and youknow, to kind of hook me into it
.
So then it was just kind offollowing and like doing work
for him on the race boat andeverything.
And then one day it was likeyou know, what would you like to
(06:05):
drive one time, you know, inthe race?
I'm like, yeah, okay, thatsounds fun, you know.
And so I did that and he justkind of like kept, the hook was
getting sunk, you know deep andkept pulling on it and then
started sponsoring the boat sothat I could be in the boat, so
that I could race the boat, and,uh, so that was 10 years ago,
(06:26):
something like that, and I wasjust so grateful and lucky, you
know, to have cause.
In offshore racing there's two,two people, you know.
So one guy's steering and oneguy's throttle.
Kristina Hebert (06:35):
I was going to say were you the, were you the
steer or the throttle?
I was the steering guy, whichis the easy part, you know.
Jimmy Harrison (06:40):
It's just like like a car you know to just
drive.
It was Gary that kept us alive,you know, like not flipping
over, going the right speed andthe trim and all that.
And so really I was the tourist, I was just the passenger.
You know, even though I'mdriving the boat, it was more
the easy thing.
You know, I just got lucky tohave a guy who'd been the world
champion for you know, many,many times over and raced
(07:01):
overseas.
What an opportunity.
Champion for you know, many,many times over and race
overseas.
Kristina Hebert (07:03):
What an opportunity and it's good that
you seized it, that you wereable to do that.
Do you still do it?
Jimmy Harrison (07:08):
No, I stopped.
Last time I did, I flipped theboat over and I'm like you know
this?
I don't know it was the mostmild crash you could have, you
know, but we flipped over.
It was expensive, you know tofix, and I was like who really
is you know to fix?
Kristina Hebert (07:24):
And I was like who really is you know?
Jimmy Harrison (07:25):
I really like this, but I don't want it.
Kristina Hebert (07:26):
How did you just walk away from that?
Did it shake you at all?
Jimmy Harrison (07:31):
I mean, I can't imagine being in one of those
high-speed boats and it it wasmuch less than, like I said, it
was like the least violent itcould possibly be.
But I realized because in thefollowing year we sold that boat
and and or gary sold the boat,and then, uh, in key west, if
you remember the two boats thatflipped over at the same time,
one of those was our boat andbut we weren't in it.
(07:52):
I'm looking at it because I wasa, I was a an observer then and
I'm like, uh, I didn't knowthey could do that and so like,
yeah, good thing that uh didn'thappen when we, when I was
somehow you were able to do itfor 10 years.
Kristina Hebert (08:05):
You never got injured.
You didn't really wreckanything.
I don't blame you.
Jimmy Harrison (08:09):
I'd be like did my tenure, it was good.
But also, you know, and I didit thinking that, okay, well,
this is a way to kind of getaway with like an expense for a
business expense you know I canhide this, as you know like
it'll cover as a tax deductiblething.
And then one day I was actuallyin a West Marine and I go up
(08:31):
and the guy behind I was goingfor a part, you know some kind
of part at the parts counter inthe back and he's like, oh yeah,
you know, I'm following youguys racing, you know, all the
time.
And then the kid behind me waslike, oh yeah, no, how you, you
know, I saw how you guys did upin michigan city or something.
I'm like people are watchingthis boat racing stuff and I was
like I guess it really is atruly a marketing thing, so it
(08:51):
actually it actually was working.
And so now I've still got aspeed boat, you know a fast
nortec, and um got the fj on itand get lots of comments
everywhere we go in the bahamas.
You know we're talking aboutboats and propellers and so it's
cool.
Kristina Hebert (09:07):
I think it's great, and it gave you an excuse
to be out on the water and be apart of the very industry that
you've been serving.
Jimmy Harrison (09:13):
Yeah, because I love it.
I love boats, I love being onthe water.
You know I love the whole thing, so I couldn't have found a—got
lucked out more than you know,being in the industry that I'm
in, and and in the business thatI'm in because all the boats
have propellers.
Kristina Hebert (09:26):
So it's absolutely Do they need
electrical work, I mean I knowmost of them need electrical
work.
Jimmy Harrison (09:30):
Okay, good All right?
Kristina Hebert (09:32):
Well, we'll talk so in your spare time.
So, in addition to running abusiness, multiple businesses,
and in addition to that, you'realso the president of the Marine
Industries Association of SouthFlorida, which is the nation's
largest local trade association,and owners of the Fort
Lauderdale International BoatShow, and this year is the 65th
(09:53):
annual of the Fort Lauderdaleshow, I believe.
Jimmy Harrison (09:55):
That is correct, yeah.
Kristina Hebert (09:56):
So talk to me about that.
How has that been?
I know from a personal levelwhat it means to be the
president of the association,but it takes a lot of time.
But talk to me about whatyou're seeing.
What's been going on on yourwatch?
Jimmy Harrison (10:09):
Yeah.
So you know, the probably thebiggest thing is, you know, very
thankful to be under thetutorage and mentoring of Phil
Purcell.
You know Phil is a greatexecutive director.
That we have His businessacumen and his political acumen,
you know, is really reallygreat, you know, to actually be
(10:30):
able to be part of and to watchyou know and to learn from his
ability.
You know what he does.
Kristina Hebert (10:37):
And Phil was part of the marine industry as a
partner in.
Jimmy Harrison (10:41):
Westport Yachts.
Kristina Hebert (10:42):
Okay, just for the listeners, in case people
didn't know where he came from.
Jimmy Harrison (10:46):
And same thing.
You know, phil just reallyloves the whole thing, you know,
loves the whole thing, and youknow, for me, I've always
thought of you know what's mytask, you know of doing this,
and it's kind of the simple wayis you know, when I'm sitting in
a drawbridge, or to make itwhere, when people are sitting
in a drawbridge, they're notgoing?
Ah, look at these boats goingby.
Kristina Hebert (11:03):
I'm going to be late.
Jimmy Harrison (11:04):
You know they look at it as like, wow, there
goes about 100 or 200 jobs thatare related to what that boat is
.
You know that's here and so youknow connecting the industry.
You know the jobs that thisindustry creates and which is
why, like this morning, I was onthe economic advisory board for
the city Okay, advisory boardfor the city and the purpose is
(11:29):
really to kind of duke it outwith tourism, because they're
like we're the biggest and, yeah, we're equals, and everybody
knows that Fort Lauderdale is atourist magnet.
What everybody doesn't know iswhy the yachts are here.
And most of the yachts that arehere aren't even owned by people
who live here, you know, or arehere.
(11:49):
You know they come here becausethis is the the hub for for
employment, where you can findthe most electricians, qualified
or propeller people or paintersor anything to do with it.
You know you go somewhere else,they don't exist.
You know it's hard to get thelabor or the trained skilled
labor for boats and this iswhere it's at and it puts a lot
(12:10):
of people to work here and therelated industries.
They really go off into a lotof tentacles into the community
for it.
Kristina Hebert (12:19):
I agree and I think the association's done a
good job with the economicimpact studies and really trying
to draw that to people.
So even when people look at theboat show I was actually on the
website downloading myexhibitor packet, but it was
talking about I think it had1,300 boats in the water and it
had about 1,200 land exhibitorsand I always try to say you know
(12:41):
, you look at that, that's 2,500businesses that, even though
those are recreational boats,they represent the jobs and then
each, each company that has abooth there, they're a small
business, they're employingpeople there.
They, you know we pay more asan industry than than other
industries that are verycompeting for the same workforce
(13:01):
.
Competing for the sameworkforce.
And I do think it's importantthe association to really have
anybody know that whether or notyou're in the marine industry,
you're benefiting from theeconomic impacts of that
industry.
So I think that you've done agood job with that.
Jimmy Harrison (13:17):
Yeah, Also what I love about Fort Lauderdale,
because I love Fort Lauderdale.
I was born here and it's whatmakes Fort Lauderdale special.
Why are we just not anotherbeach town?
Kristina Hebert (13:25):
Sure.
Jimmy Harrison (13:25):
And it's yachts Absolutely Coming just to gawk
at them, to look at them and go,wow, you know, look at these
yachts, you know that are hereand the whole boating center of
it, and so it's something that Ifeel is really important for
the attractiveness of where welive.
Just like, if you go toSwitzerland, you know the
government is actually payingfor people to have cows up on
(13:46):
the thing with the bells on andstuff.
They're not really therebecause of the that they're
useful as cows, you know beingthere.
It's more of decorations fortourists, you know, sure, but
here it's more of the yachts andthe whole boating industry, you
know, is what makes the draw,you know, to Fort Lauderdale
important, but you knowunfortunately we have people
(14:11):
coming in.
That don't care.
You know about boats, you knowand thinking well, whatever you
know, it's just they're a painin my butt you know to have
these boats, you know, going onit's like yeah, but you get rid
of the boat, you really get ridof the attraction of the whole
lifestyle you know that we havehere.
So I try to work hard onkeeping yachting and boating.
You know yachting capital ofthe world.
Kristina Hebert (14:29):
Absolutely.
Jimmy Harrison (14:31):
And keeping it that way because it's easily a
transportable business Sure.
It can move somewhere else, andlots of other places that are,
you know, seaside would love tohave what we have here as an
industry you know in FortLauderdale what we have here as
an industry, you know in FortLauderdale.
So, while a lot of people workto attract new industries coming
in, we need to nurture the onethat we already have.
That's easiest to keep, Justlike it's easier to keep an
(14:53):
existing customer than to gofind a new customer.
A lot more expensive to do that.
Already have this industry here.
Let's keep it, you know.
Keep it getting stronger.
Kristina Hebert (15:02):
And what do you think some of the challenges
are facing?
Jimmy Harrison (15:05):
the industry.
What are?
Kristina Hebert (15:06):
some that the association's working on.
Jimmy Harrison (15:09):
The you know a couple, which is access to the
boat yards.
Sure, you know is the biggestthing.
So the you know the access canbe blocked real bad, you know by
the bridge, you know we have arailroad bridge right down the
street here that is closed.
a lot for the train.
So it's the train versus theboats, and so the Coast Guard is
(15:33):
for commercial traffic on thewaterways and that's what we
have going up the river and sowe have them on our side.
As far as for helping, thankGod for the coast guard, because
otherwise it's just the trainand like the train wants to just
close the bridge.
You know it'd be better to justblock off the water.
You know it makes it easier fora train to go back and forth
(15:54):
and for listeners to understand.
Kristina Hebert (15:56):
so this train bridge, which is about in its
70s as well, if my understandingand please correct me if I'm if
I'm wrong on any of mystatistics, but that's my
understanding and and and theway that the bridge works, is
that it's about a six minutecycle to go down and about a six
minute cycle to come up, or isit a six minute cycle up and
down?
Jimmy Harrison (16:15):
I'm not sure of that?
No, it's like six up, six down.
Okay, yeah.
Kristina Hebert (16:18):
So that was sort of right.
And then when it's down, theclearance is three feet, so even
a kayaker leaning to the sideis going to struggle to get
under that.
And 80 percent 75 to 80 percentof our boat yards which is
where the economic impact andthe drivers are and why these
boats are coming to specificallyfor Lauderdale to get those
repair are up river, on theother side of that train bridge.
(16:40):
So, it's not just well, it's abridge.
And because we have multiplebridges all around, it's such
that it's old, there aren'tparts to take care of it.
And yes, the train.
You know how many trains?
There's 32 passings forBrightline, plus the commercial
train.
Jimmy Harrison (16:57):
Yeah, so there's both the freight trains and the
Brightline train, and then,soon to be, the commuter train.
Kristina Hebert (17:05):
The tri-rail is moving to the east.
The tri, then, soon to be thecommuter train, the tri-rail is
moving to the east.
The tri-rail will be comingover, so there's lots of trains
and lots of trains in the future, and more trains than it can
actually even handle.
As far as for having a bridge,you know having anything that
would slow it down.
Storm impact windows arepreventing us from hearing the
current train that's going by,but there is one going by.
Jimmy Harrison (17:25):
We hear them a little more in the shops.
Kristina Hebert (17:26):
Yes, yeah, absolutely, we do too.
Out there in the warehouse,you'll hear it.
Jimmy Harrison (17:30):
So you know the marine industry stands.
So there's, you know.
The thing that we're working onnow, you know, or that the city
is working on, is whether it'sgoing to be a bridge or to be a
tunnel.
So, obviously a tunnel would begreat, having a tunnel that no
one can see, that goesunderground and doesn't really
impact much of anything.
For that the cost of the tunnelis huge.
(17:51):
The alternative is a bridge,and then there's really a
discussion of what height is thebridge to be.
Obviously, the higher, the moreboats could fit under it
without having to raise up,which would be higher the better
.
And the marine industry'sposition is either we don't
really care, you know what it?
(18:12):
is, but the big thing is just,we need it, you know it needs to
happen now, because it's notgoing to happen.
Make a decision in a coupleweeks.
It's going to be done.
You know I'm waiting on apermit for my seawall you know
now at my house.
I live the water here for ayear A year.
I'm dealing with A permit, youknow, of doing it Goodness.
And the city has the same thingto, you know, go through with
(18:34):
themselves, and so this is waybeyond just a permit.
There's all kinds of stuff thatgoes on with building a tunnel
or a bridge.
So it's five years.
You know whatever in the future, All these tri-rail and all the
other trains and the addedcapacity that they need is going
to be sooner than that capacitythat they need is going to be
(18:57):
sooner than that.
So the delays, that we've hadyou know are upsetting.
Um, in how long until we canbreak ground and coming up with
a?
We're doing it one way.
Kristina Hebert (19:03):
Is there a call to action?
Can we?
We're?
We're going to have thousandsand thousands of millions of
viewers on this podcast.
So, what's the call to actionto do um you?
Know the members to industry do.
Do we need to reach out tostate legislators?
I know it's a FloridaDepartment of Transportation.
Jimmy Harrison (19:21):
It's coming.
It's been the actions coming,and so the Pay attention,
m-i-a-s-f dot org.
Kristina Hebert (19:28):
And yeah, they'll tell you what to do.
Jimmy Harrison (19:30):
Well, yeah, so there's really not a whole lot
that we can do.
I mean, it's it's inpoliticians' hands, you know,
right now.
But the county really is kindof coming up, you know, is going
with leaning towards the bridge.
Okay, you know idea where thecity has been going towards a
(19:56):
tunnel and a lot of thedevelopers, you know, would like
there to be a tunnel as well.
It would make the downtown moreattractive, you know, from it I
personally don't think that thebridge will make it
unattractive and it won't reallydivide the city or anything by
having that.
I think that the bridge optioncould be a aesthetic and
pleasing look, you know, for it.
Kristina Hebert (20:08):
You know, I agree with you and one of your
colleagues who's a board memberas well and was a board member
when I was there, and the formermayor, jim Noggle he's going to
be a guest on the show tomorrow, but I remember him telling me
I'm going to ask him about itwhen he's a guest him telling me
that when he was mayor, youknow, at one point they were
(20:29):
going to do a tunnel for 17thStreet.
Jimmy Harrison (20:31):
Bridge.
Kristina Hebert (20:37):
And can you imagine, if that had been a
tunnel, what you miss when youget to go over that bridge and
you can see the boats cominginto the inlet and you can look
down south and you can see thecruise ships there and you can
see the yachts coming in.
I think it would be a hugemistake to have made that a
tunnel.
You would miss all of that.
You would simply go through.
You would go under and, yes,you'd be on your way.
But tell me, when you're at thetop of that bridge, you don't
(20:58):
look out and say look at theinlet look at the boats coming
in.
Oh my God, I mean it's hardbecause people start going 20
miles an hour and then you'relike come on, you know you start
, but I every time, I never takeit for granted that we get to
see that and that's anopportunity.
Had it been a tunnel, we wouldbe missing all of that.
So I think it could be used asan example.
So I'll see what Jim's thoughtsare on that.
Jimmy Harrison (21:24):
But yeah, and I think that the 17th street, I
think that the community cameout against the tunnel and
wanted there to be the bridge.
You know as well, sointeresting.
Yeah, I mean it is.
Kristina Hebert (21:30):
You know, they always say history repeats
itself if you don't payattention.
Well, here we are, and Iremember it was named the E Clay
Shaw Bridge and he wasimpressed that it was named
after him.
And he said well, I'm stillalive and I didn't think you got
a bridge named after you untilyou passed away.
And unfortunately he did passaway, but not right after that.
But I do remember that.
But it's another example um, Ican't even imagine that being a
(21:54):
tunnel, and and, and I have afeeling it would be the same way
.
So while people can say theywould want a tunnel, I think a
bridge going over and being ableto look down, nobody questions
it at andrews avenue or at umthird avenue or at davy.
So let's, just let's just get itmoving but, like you said,
whatever it is, if somebodywants to do a tunnel, we we just
(22:14):
need something to solve thesituation.
Jimmy Harrison (22:17):
In either which way.
The freight train still goes asa bridge like what it has now,
so it's going to be at grade.
It's not going to go up in theair or go under the water as
well, so there's still thatWe'll always be there like that.
Kristina Hebert (22:35):
Well, my understanding was there was a
discussion about maybe movingfreight west.
Jimmy Harrison (22:43):
Is that not the case?
Moving that west to the CSX?
That is a discussion and that'swhat I think will eventually
happen, but there's a whole lotmore that goes into that and
getting involved civically, youstart realizing how slow
government works.
It's so slow Right and in somecases.
Kristina Hebert (22:55):
I think that that's important.
You know you wouldn't wantpeople to make hasty decisions,
but on the other hand, I dothink there has to be a strike
of balance of we can't hold upan industry which is the largest
industry in the city of FortLauderdale, despite what they
say about tourism.
We're just going to say that onthis podcast and the economic
impacts and the fact that wehave a Super Bowl type event
every year and yet you're goingto want to choke it off because
(23:19):
we're going to take too long, Ithink would be remiss.
I have a feeling the city andthe county, and especially
working with the association,understand the importance, but
it's still funding and who'sgoing to do it and studies and
all sorts of things.
Yeah, but I'm sure we'll see it.
But hopefully, like you said,we'll see something and it's
going to run right out here, Imean right outside this window,
(23:40):
in between this building andyour, your building.
We're going to be right alongit, so we'll see it when they're
done, but hey, you know that'sprogress we need to have it.
Jimmy Harrison (23:49):
Yeah, it's not a Superbowl type.
It's greater than the SuperbowBowl.
The boat show.
That's right, it's a greatereconomic impact than the Super
Bowl, and it happens every year.
Kristina Hebert (23:58):
So at no cost to the city.
Jimmy Harrison (24:00):
Yep To to.
Kristina Hebert (24:01):
To add to that yeah, so now also, you are on
the city's Marine Advisory Boardas well.
Okay, so talk to me about that.
Jimmy Harrison (24:08):
So so the Marine Advisory Board, it's a uh, uh
uh.
It's nonjudicial.
You know, we uh.
All we're doing is makingsuggestions to the commissioners
of how they should do things,and it's how they should do
things regarding the water.
So it would have to do with theMarine Patrol, the docks and
safety of navigation on theriver, and probably the biggest
(24:30):
impact is the navigability ofNew River, getting to the boat
yards as well.
So, we have, you know, somethinggoing on now which is the
congestion or the boats that areencroaching into the waterway,
you know, or into the channel,and so that's become an issue
(24:52):
that we tried to solve throughMarine Advisory Board and there
was a lot of the communicationwas very poor, you know people
thought are you taking ourrights away?
You know, we're going to stopall docks from being built, and
all this Wasn't true, wasn'thappening.
You know, like that, all thatit is is about ensuring access
of large boats going up theriver to be able to get there.
(25:15):
You know, whereas now, like thelittle Florida, you know area,
if you look at videos of boatsgoing around that you know it's
just crazy.
You know how close they come toeverything.
You know.
So it's a very tight squeezeand it's just, if it gets too
tight, people want to gosomewhere else.
If it gets too tight, peoplewant to go somewhere else.
Kristina Hebert (25:34):
So, for listeners, when you go up the
New River, there are these.
So not only do you have to waitfor the bridges, which there
are currently one, two, three,four.
Jimmy Harrison (25:45):
Four, even five.
Kristina Hebert (25:49):
Even five if you get all the way down.
And so obviously you want totime it.
If you're a big boat going upor down river, you want to time
it for the bridges, you have totime it.
If you're a big boat going upor down river, you want to time
it for the bridges, you have totime it on tide.
Then you add in the traffic.
But like you're saying now,imagine everybody knows it
driving through theirneighborhood when people start
parallel parking along the road,and then all of a sudden you're
(26:10):
going to drive down the roadand here comes a neighbor.
There is not room for both ofyou to pass.
Who gets the right of way?
Well, in boating, you know it'stonnage, but still when you're
underway you cannot stop a boat,the same way you stop a car,
and I don't think peopleunderstand that.
And you have a tide issue andyou have current issues, and so
it can be really scary.
And I'm even seeing, and youhear, in some of the captain
(26:32):
circles it used to be likeconsidered, if you were one of
the captains that required a towup river, down river, in and
out of the yard, like, oh youknow, you were scoffed at like
rookie, you don't know.
And now I think so many of thecaptains say it's not worth the
risk.
You guys can mock me all youwant.
I've.
I've been to the Azores, I'vecrossed the Med five times, but
(27:00):
I'm not going upriver and takingon any kind of risk to the boat
, which makes sense.
And so there's tow companiesthat if you ever drive,
sometimes the bridges takelonger because a boat's undertow
and it has a tow boat in thefront and the back.
Just to explain it to listenersso they know.
And then just imagine all of asudden a train, a bridge goes
down, and now you not only havethat boat but you have a boat in
front of it and behind it thathave to stop, and there's all
these calls for bridges.
(27:20):
And you know, people drivingdown the road probably have no
idea all of that is going onunderneath this bridge that
they're waiting on, and thisboat going into a boat yard to
have all the work done.
So it really is an industryhappening up and down this river
.
I encourage people to to stopand look at it.
Jimmy Harrison (27:39):
Yeah, so so it's something you know that the the
navigability is something,though, that the um the marine
industry actually has a littlesubcommittee, you know, working
with people from the communityas well, from realtors to
everybody homeowners, um tryingto come up with an acceptable
solution to how to make surethat you're able to get the
(27:59):
boats up and down the river.
So that's where that's going.
Other things with the MarineAdvisory Board would be coming
up with.
So we have a lot of illegalcharters going on, which are
unsafe charters.
Kristina Hebert (28:13):
Did you say legal or illegal?
Jimmy Harrison (28:14):
Illegal Illegal charters that are going, did you
?
Say legal or illegal, illegal-Okay, Illegal charters, you know
that are going on.
What makes them illegal?
That they're taking.
So the whole idea of captain'slicenses, you know, or licensing
boats to be a commercial boat,is for safety.
The whole idea of the CoastGuard, you know, is all about
safety.
You know, and so we've hadseveral.
(28:37):
You know deaths in theintercoastal and river.
You know, and so we've hadseveral.
You know deaths in the in theintercoastal and river.
You know, here in FortLauderdale, from people drowning
and they, some of them, havebeen direct results of illegal
charters.
You know of someone who eitheris taking too many people or no
insurance.
You know, with people, orbasically it's someone just
renting out their boat.
You know hiring just a captainto you know give the guy down
the street.
You know with people, orbasically it's someone just
renting out their boat.
You know hiring just a captainto.
You know, give the guy down thestreet, you know some money to
(29:01):
take my boat out so I can makesome money on my boat.
Kristina Hebert (29:03):
So how is that policed or how do you combat
that?
Jimmy Harrison (29:06):
So the Coast Guard now is doing?
They are stopping, you know,boats that have a whole bunch of
people on them Too manyCounting life jackets.
Yeah, you know counting them.
There is a.
They're not doing it with thecity.
There is a code enforcementboat now that the city owns and
they have an officer.
That is that's what he's doing.
It's very limited as far as onhow often that they're doing
(29:27):
that.
There are.
It's just kind of the wild westand so one of the one of the
things is to come up with, andeven where, where people get on
and off the boats sure so it'shappening like at launching
ramps, which then takes up thespace, you know, in a launching
(29:49):
ramp takes up the parking spaces.
If people are doing chartersfrom a launching ramp, other
people are wanting to launchtheir boat.
Can't launch your boat, sothere's got.
It's just getting crowded, youknow, and the whole thing.
So it's one thing that we don'thave is an actual legal place
where people can pick up anddrop off charters, you know, or
(30:09):
people that they're going totake on their boat, or the
pontoon boats, or you knowwhatever, the boats are and
there's no way to right now ofcoming up with insurance.
So people are chartering orgoing out on a boat and they
don't realize that there's noinsurance, you know, on the boat
and they don't realize what abare boat charter is when
(30:30):
they're hiring their own captain.
You know doing that.
Kristina Hebert (30:33):
But somebody's guiding them, I feel like are
they getting misinformation?
So I fly down to FortLauderdale, I'm staying at BMR,
I'm looking at these boats outthere and I say boy, where are
they going to find these illegalcharters?
Jimmy Harrison (30:47):
So that could be getting them through the
concierge at the hotel saying,hey, this is you know, whatever,
this little pontoon boat.
Here's a place to go and theydon't realize.
You know what the impact is andso we also have, as you're
familiar with the, you knowinsurance requirements when
you're working on the water.
Kristina Hebert (31:02):
Oh, absolutely.
Jimmy Harrison (31:03):
So that it's a.
Anyway, if you're the owner ofthe boat and you get sued for
someone getting hurt on yourboat, it's catastrophe, you know
, for you getting hurt on yourboat.
It's catastrophe, you know, foryou.
Um the longshoreman's act, youknow it's, uh, uh, it makes it
double jeopardy, you know foryou when it, when it get hurt on
the water, um, but the um, uh,the, the fact of the uh not
(31:30):
having, when you do, a bare boatcharter, which is what they're
doing you're doing for the boatsto make it semi-legal to do.
you're chartering this boat.
You're basically signing thatyou became the owner of the boat
for that period of time.
People don't realize that thatare doing this and by that owner
you need to have your owninsurance on that boat.
(31:51):
Otherwise, as someone who isthe charterer, I'm going to go
charter this boat.
Someone has a sea ray thatthey're going to let me charter,
but I have to hire the captainon my own.
They can't provide the captain.
Kristina Hebert (32:02):
But I believe that would be also Jones Act
coverage correct Jones Act.
Jimmy Harrison (32:05):
Yeah, longshore is for workers.
I got it backwards.
Nope, that's okay.
Yeah, jones Act, and so theydon't realize.
Kristina Hebert (32:12):
But where are they signing this?
Have you guys?
Has the marine industry I don'tsay you guys?
Has MIASF worked with EBA onthis, the International Yacht
Brokers Association?
So who's writing these bareboat charter contracts?
I'm really interested in thistopic.
Jimmy Harrison (32:27):
I don't know.
Okay, you know, I don't know,and no, we haven't you know, we
just know it exists and knowthat there's a thing, and so I'm
trying to bring that throughthe Marine Advisory Board.
You know as well, to getsomething.
The bad part is it's it comesacross as just buzzkill.
You know why are you trying to.
You know this is fun.
We need this.
This is a good tourist draw.
(32:49):
We're just saying do it legally.
And part of it is not just legal.
It's like you don't realizewhat trouble, what issues you
potentially are getting yourselfinto when you're doing this
Right, that if there's anaccident, accidents happen,
happen on the water and they canbe deadly of what it is, and
(33:09):
the liability that someone setsthemselves up for is tremendous
of doing it.
So the chartering you knowthing.
Also, the licensing you know ofit.
So, whereas you have, forexample, water taxi you know is
licensed, insured, coast Guard,inspected, all of that and then
someone to compete with them,just because like well, I got my
boat and I'm going to try anddo the same thing, and it's not
(33:33):
fair.
You know.
You need a level playing groundfor a level playing field for
everybody, you know.
And to be running a business,to have a business, means you
need insurance, you need to bepaying taxes, you need to be,
you know, upfront, just like youcouldn't be doing something out
of this building without havinga whole lot of expenses just to
(33:53):
open the doors and say we'reselling stuff.
Well and.
Kristina Hebert (33:56):
I think one of the biggest misnomers is that is
a recreational vesselrecreational if it's being
chartered.
And so there are many out therethat would say for example, you
mentioned the Longshore, andthe Longshore and Harbor Workers
Act defines a boat asrecreational, as one that was
principally designed forpleasure.
And so clearly the Jungle Queenis a commercial boat.
(34:22):
That's like a party boat forlisteners, that that goes up and
down and serves dinner and is acommercial dinner cruise type
boat versus versus a Hatterassport fish.
You know, that's that's youSportfish, that's owned
personally.
But then does that recreationalboat become commercial once
it's chartered?
And the answer to that is yes.
(34:44):
If you're going to make it abusiness, then it does become
commercial, and I think that'swhere all the insurances fall
into place.
But people will say, well,that's just my boat.
But it's like if you work outof your house and you make your
house your brick and mortarbusiness, well then you have to
have different paperwork anddifferent insurance to be able
to make your house your, yourbusiness versus and that people
(35:06):
will come to, versus justworking out of your house.
Same thing.
Jimmy Harrison (35:08):
Yeah, and so you know we're looking to try and
identify a location wheresomeone you know you can be
having a controlled access tousing a dock you know, like a,
like a city dock.
You know where people could becoming to and doing charters out
of?
That'd be great.
You know, haven't found thatplace and want to try and find
that.
You know, as well as a finding alocation for a commercial
(35:29):
loading and unloading for for aconstruction.
So we have, you know, themandate to have all seawalls by
a certain date, that they allhave to be elevated because of
rising seas and anytime a houseis sold or any type of work is
done, then they can be forced tobring everything up to code.
In the city of Fort Lauderdalewe have nowhere where it's legal
(35:52):
to load a barge.
Fort Lauderdale, we havenowhere where it's legal to load
a barge, you know.
So.
There is nowhere, you know that, to put the pilings on, to put
the concrete on, to take offdirt if it's taken off you know,
whatever I was going to say,the spoilage is also an issue,
the dirt that you take out ofthe ground, then where does it
go?
So it's forcing it to be doneeither in Hollywood somewhere or
in Pompano, and even then it'skind of gray area as far as
(36:14):
where it's legal to to load andunload a barge.
So the the uh you know theproblem just becomes.
It gets more and more expensive.
You know, to do it.
Sure, someone can load up andyou know, and steward and drive
their barge down here and itjust adds, you know, tens of
thousands of dollars, you know,to the cost of raising your
seawall, which shouldn't be thatexpensive to do, and everybody
(36:36):
needs to do it.
Kristina Hebert (36:38):
So it's something that Is the city open
to it?
Jimmy Harrison (36:41):
They just are trying to figure out they're
open, but it's just trying tofigure it out you know so it's a
lot of nimby.
You know that no one reallywants to see it.
You know so.
For example, if there's avacant lot, it's not legal to do
it out of a vacant lot.
You know, because of theneighbors.
Kristina Hebert (36:55):
You know on that it's not legal to do it off
the park.
Well, somebody owns the lot,you know, so then it becomes
somebody's liability.
Jimmy Harrison (37:00):
Yeah, not allowed to do that, you know, so
there are some city-owned areas, but there probably could be
something that the city couldbuy, you know, to make that be a
reality, because there'llalways be the need for
commercial access for marineconstruction.
That's going on.
Kristina Hebert (37:21):
Can they work with the county, maybe somewhere
at?
Jimmy Harrison (37:22):
the port, maybe, right, you know, maybe they're
their own thing.
Kristina Hebert (37:26):
Well, I think we could solve all the world's
problems here.
Jimmy Harrison (37:28):
Yeah, okay, well , we could keep moving down the
road.
Kristina Hebert (37:30):
What about the boat show coming up?
Anything new and exciting.
Jimmy Harrison (37:35):
So far it looks real good yeah.
As far as for attendance fromexhibitors you know is strong
Good.
Ticket sales are on track forhow it's been, so that's a good
thing it's going to be soexciting when the convention
center gets back engaged.
Kristina Hebert (37:49):
The convention center is going to be a part of
the show, but the constructionwon't be complete until 2025, my
understanding.
Jimmy Harrison (37:55):
Yes, okay, that's basically it, pier 66,
the same.
Same thing.
So there's workarounds to eachof the locations, but it'll be
better when they're done, ofcourse.
Kristina Hebert (38:05):
Oh, absolutely.
Jimmy Harrison (38:05):
Of course.
Yeah, the boat shows reallycome up.
In the past few years, you knowcome up a long way.
They've really done goodinvestment and good planning
with the way that they've laidout the show.
It keeps improving, you know.
So, yeah, it's the best boatshow.
It's the largest in-water boatshow in the world and it's the
(38:26):
best boat show.
Kristina Hebert (38:27):
Well, what I always say, it's the complete
life cycle of a boat show.
So there are some boat showsyou go to that are super yacht
focus, some that are a sailboatfocus, some that are sport fish
focus, some that are, um youknow, like you mentioned earlier
, like a pontoon, um kayakfocused.
You can start from a kayak anda fishing pole and go all the
(38:49):
way around to in the life cycle,to a super yacht at the Fort
Lauderdale Boat Show.
Wherever you want to enter, youknow that you'll have an
opportunity to get involved inboating and be a part of it.
Can I ask the million dollarquestion of what's going on with
Bahia Mar as far as thedevelopment?
Obviously there probably won'tbe any impacts to this year's
show.
Jimmy Harrison (39:10):
So it's a go Everything is a go.
As far as when they'll breakground, I don't know.
Kristina Hebert (39:16):
We don't know yet.
Jimmy Harrison (39:16):
I don't know that.
I don't know as far as withinterest rates and funding and
the money part.
I don't know.
But we're happy with the newplans for the boat show.
Kristina Hebert (39:30):
So for everybody again, the listeners.
So Bahia Mar, so the boat show.
While it's only five days, it'sa 30-day cycle to set it up,
have the show and break it down.
It's a lot, and I think theyused to have it online where you
could watch these videos.
They kind of do.
I think Forrest did one itonline where you could watch
these videos.
Jimmy Harrison (39:50):
I think Forrest did one.
Kristina Hebert (39:50):
I remember seeing one, yeah, where they
show the setup of the boat showfor the two weeks before, and it
really is fascinating.
I encourage anybody to go outthere because when you do get to
go to their show and recognize,all you know, the 1,200 boats
in the water, there's not normaldockage for that amount of
boats.
Um, and we do work with thecoast guard to um edge into the
(40:13):
water channel, um, and obviously, as the boats have gotten
bigger, we've had to be careful.
I say we, the industry, has hadto be careful with that too,
the encroachment on the waterway, making sure they're safe,
navigable.
But um, so beh, bahia Mar, it'skind of the heart and center of
the boat show and probablywhere most exhibitors are
located.
But that property is up fordevelopment.
(40:34):
But the developers and the cityand the association have been
working together to try to comeup with, during that development
, how do you keep having a show.
And there's been cooperation onall that.
Jimmy Harrison (40:46):
Yeah, so there may be some issue with the
upland.
You know where the tents arenow you know, during
construction.
But that is thought through.
And so there is mitigation forthat you know, where the, in
other words there should be thetent space should be the same
amount of size, just indifferent locations, different
locations.
Sure, you know how it's goingthrough.
Kristina Hebert (41:06):
So the in-water part part is going to stay the
same.
It'll stay the same.
Yeah, good.
Jimmy Harrison (41:12):
So um no, Bocho is is healthy Um.
Kristina Hebert (41:16):
Bocho is healthy.
Jimmy Harrison (41:17):
Bocho is, Bocho is good.
Kristina Hebert (41:19):
Good yeah, and it's coming up.
I uh, it's uh October 30ththrough November 4th.
Jimmy Harrison (41:24):
So that's, coming up.
Kristina Hebert (41:26):
So, um, I know that there's a marine industry
event coming up today.
Actually, I didn't know if youwanted to talk about that.
It's a networking wherecompanies get to showcase.
Jimmy Harrison (41:40):
It's a company showcase event.
Kristina Hebert (41:43):
That's a neat idea.
That's recent right.
Jimmy Harrison (41:46):
Yeah, we had one last year, you know as well.
Um, same sort of uh format, youknow, for doing that.
Yeah, so we're trying to domore different things, you know,
and um, uh, the net andnetworking is an important part
you know of it.
Um, you know one that, uh, myfavorite cause we do it, you
know, but is having the openhouses.
(42:06):
You, know, different businessesthat are within the association
, you know.
Kristina Hebert (42:11):
I agree, we've been neighbors for decades and
if it wasn't because you havingthat event, I wouldn't have gone
over there to see what you'vedone and the coral reef that
you're creating and all thedifferent things that you have
and your facility, had you nothad that.
And again, we've known eachother for years and our
companies have been located nextto, but you don't always get
(42:32):
out, you don't always have thattime.
Jimmy Harrison (42:34):
Yeah, and what I think a real value of doing the
, you know events at members'facilities you know, whatever it
is, it's just like that.
I remember a long time agofinding out that you did the
etching you know for the thing?
Kristina Hebert (42:49):
Oh, the engraving, yes, the engraving
thing.
Jimmy Harrison (42:50):
It's like oh, I didn't know they did that.
I thought they did electricalwork, you know.
I know so it's the same thingin every company like that.
Kristina Hebert (42:56):
Everyone, yes.
Jimmy Harrison (42:58):
You know, you assume that everybody knows
everything.
You do, you know and they don't.
And so you know, you get peopleto come in and like oh, you
know.
Kristina Hebert (43:04):
Right After all these years.
I never knew you did that.
Jimmy Harrison (43:06):
You guys are doing 3D scanning.
Oh, cool, right, exactly,exactly.
Hey, let's work together.
We've got a project coming out.
Kristina Hebert (43:13):
That's Networking 101.
Yeah, so that's great.
Jimmy Harrison (43:16):
Yeah.
So that's one of my pet thingsthat I really like to push that
yeah.
So we're, uh, uh, I mean we're,we're growing, we're, we're
going more into uh, larger, um,larger boats now.
So we're, you know, abs, uh, uh, certification for welding, for
(43:39):
machining, for doing overlays,um, and uh doing, uh,
non-destructive testing, um, allthat kind of stuff, you know,
so that we can work, so thatwe're working on class boats and
we're working on larger andlarger propellers, because boats
just keep getting bigger, youknow, for it too, we have, you
(44:01):
know, we're already in manylocations, you know.
Now we're more just kind offocusing on here you know, for
now, um, south Florida and uh,cause we can have the most
effect here.
Um, we are doing more and moresales, you know of uh larger
propellers and kind of pushingthat going into Central and
(44:21):
South America.
You know uh as well with that.
That's great, um, so it's justkind of growing.
You know, um, and I want to,you know I'm coming up on my
65th you know uh birthday, youknow, and I just love the
business, you know, and I I loveit.
Um, not so much the worryingabout the one little job, you
(44:43):
know and how it is and you knowand what is this thing going on,
but I like having people comein the shop and talking to them
and just kind of you know it's,it's my life.
Kristina Hebert (44:52):
you know doing it I know Now your daughter
works for you as well too, soyou have another
multi-generational.
Jimmy Harrison (44:57):
Yep my, my daughter and my son-in-law.
Okay, so he's a prop tech, youknow in the back, and yeah, so
it's multi-generational, youknow as well.
Kristina Hebert (45:07):
So as is yeah, as is ours, and, um, as was jay.
I was talking to jay familybusiness.
Jimmy Harrison (45:13):
There's a lot of family businesses, so yeah, so
which feels good and it's part,you know.
Again, I'm just just so blessedto be living in fort lauderdale
, being in the industry that I'min and having a family business
.
You know like it is.
Kristina Hebert (45:28):
Well, we are blessed to have you here today
and to have you at theleadership both of the marine
industries and the marineadvisory and the economic
development and all that you do,and thank you for all that you
do for the industry and thankyou for being here today.
Jimmy Harrison (45:40):
Thank you, but I followed in your footsteps.
You were you were doing.
You know it was like I watchedyou.
You know, in the marineindustry, you know and watched
you and you were more activethan I am now.
I'm not sure about that.
Kristina Hebert (45:53):
I think everybody has their time.
Maybe I was a little bit morevocal and look, I still have to
talk.
I had to come up with a podcastso I could just talk.
Jimmy Harrison (46:01):
But I appreciate that All you've done, same here
, same here so thank you forbeing here today.
Glad you asked me.
Kristina Hebert (46:10):
Thank you Absolutely.
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.