Annapolis Performance Sailing - OFFICIALLY DEAD

[er111a]

Matter of fact Blatant is that APS wasn't filling order properly and then not at all.  I tried ordering rigging done by them and it was a kluster-fck last time.  People stopped using them when they stopped being reliable supplier.  That simple.  Do I admire Jeff Bezos and Amazon?  Not necessarily, but if they can get me the good cheaply and reliably and Brand X homeboy store can't, I'll choose Big Box any day.  That's a fact.

I would be curious how much custom rigging you are able to do on Amazon? As for not getting orders properly filled that sounds like a isolated event tbh. Custom rigging is anything but easy to get correct and can very easily get messed up. I do not know the specifics with your order but I would bet any "kluster-fuck" was more so collecting information to make sure your order was done correctly. 

 

[kent_island_sailor]

I would be curious how much custom rigging you are able to do on Amazon? As for not getting orders properly filled that sounds like a isolated event tbh. Custom rigging is anything but easy to get correct and can very easily get messed up. I do not know the specifics with your order but I would bet any "kluster-fuck" was more so collecting information to make sure your order was done correctly. 

Or they really did start having issues? Maybe the best rigging people saw what was coming and bailed out, leaving the socks and hats guy to try and get it right?

 

[Starboard!!]

Or they really did start having issues? Maybe the best rigging people saw what was coming and bailed out, leaving the socks and hats guy to try and get it right?

Never had any problem with their rigging and don't know anyone else either, the only concern was that usually had a backlog, because they had the best selection of line and did the most business locally.  I heard some of their riggers went over to Bacons when they were laid off last year.

 

[woodpecker]

Matter of fact Blatant is that APS wasn't filling order properly and then not at all.  I tried ordering rigging done by them and it was a kluster-fck last time.  People stopped using them when they stopped being reliable supplier.  That simple.  Do I admire Jeff Bezos and Amazon?  Not necessarily, but if they can get me the good cheaply and reliably and Brand X homeboy store can't, I'll choose Big Box any day.  That's a fact.

I ordered a new main halyard just before they stopped doing rigging. They did a nice job and got it on time. 

 

[mgs]

I liked the inexpensive Yale cover that APS sold, I've never seen that anywhere else.  It was just cheap polyester but good for backup halyards and other low use lines.  Maybe I can convince Fisheries that they should stock it.

You can get Yale cordage from Hamilton Marine, not sure they have covers though, and Bainbridge, sells to wholesalers...

Yale’s Poly cover is fantastic, but they aren’t really in the marine rope business anymore. 

 

[RATM]

I grew up as a kid reading and circling in the APS catalog for Christmas.

I used to do that with the Sears Wishbook.... 

If you raced One Design, APS was turnkey.

 

[Liquid]

There is a right price and a right now price!

Hard not to save money on a planned purchase that you can price compare online but when you need it now, price doesn't matter!

Amazon has smashed those 2 things very close together, for other SKU types...

Amazon: The grim reaper of traditional retail!

 

[Grande Mastere Dreade]

If you do NOT live in Annapolis and bought from APS, weren't you killing your local shop?

local (national chains)  died on their own..  you can sell only so many fenders and cup holders to the power boaters in north texas...  

WM still around, but they only have one of something when you need 2...    oh, we can order that and have it up here next week !   might as well order online and have it shipped directly to my house and usually for a better price making up the cost of shipping.

i'll miss APS,  their line selection was decent and not 95% sta-set like WM,  

 

[jerseyguy]

If you do NOT live in Annapolis and bought from APS, weren't you killing your local shop?

My local shop was non-existent unless you count one some 60 miles away.

 

[Christian]

Pretty much. Selling ANYTHING brick and mortar is always going to suck, your "customers" look at all your merchandise and then go buy it off Amazon or Ebay once they find what they like. Looked for any camera shops lately? APS kind of screwed up in a unique way though. They were about a 30 second walk from SSA and maybe 45 seconds from EYC and well within a 15-25 minute walk from AYC and a bunch of marinas. Fawcetts had long since moved out from downtown and West was also out of walking distance. They were THE place to go if you were in a hurry.

Fast forward to being a clothing shop. BFD  How often do you need clothes right this second before a race? All the various tourists have plenty of shops to choose from along Main Street, the tourist foot traffic over to the east end of Eastport is fairly minimal. I never thought this plan had any chance of success for in-store sales and selling clothes online puts you right up against numerous big players. I can't really see the Covid issues being relevant at all YET, how much tourist clothes buying goes on before Memorial Day?

You must be drunk when you walk around in Eastport as EYC is actually closer to APS than SSA is

 

[Christian]

What local shop? For example, I know of none in Virginia or Delaware that could compete, there is maybe 1 in NJ (small outfit, truck run business I believe), none in SC, none in GA. Even in Rhode Island the most comprehensive source of supplies is the West Marine in Newport, and the small shop at NEB. Yes, a lot of marine business' have headquarters in RI, but most don't have storefronts for retail sales.

RigPro (for Newport)

 

[kent_island_sailor]

You must be drunk when you walk around in Eastport as EYC is actually closer to APS than SSA is

I was off by 15 seconds?

 

[mustang__1]

Writing was on the wall when they went to all apparel. Alienated a lot of customers who have now found other sources for what they need.

writing was on the wall when they went to that awful new website  several years ago. I could find anything on the old site (some friends on the college sailing team would have me put orders in for them), all but the most obscure items had details and images, and it was fast/responsive/laid out logically. They went to the new system and it was forever a mess. Slow, disorganized, and fucking useless for hardware. Oh well. Guess the only question now is.... Am i a medium or small for some goretex musto. If they have any left. Small musto salopetts, so probably small jacket i guess. 

 

[Wavedancer II]

Have to agree with Mustang about the change in the web site. I wonder how Kyle, who must have been knowledgeable about these things, never saw the problem(s).

PS: Did anyone mention that APS used to sell many kinds of boats as well; they were a dealer for quite a few manufacturers (like Vanguard, and its successor with the terrible reputation). But one or two years ago, the racks where one could salivate over new sailing toys got empty. SAD...

 

[er111a]

Have to agree with Mustang about the change in the web site. I wonder how Kyle, who must have been knowledgeable about these things, never saw the problem(s).

PS: Did anyone mention that APS used to sell many kinds of boats as well; they were a dealer for quite a few manufacturers (like Vanguard, and its successor with the terrible reputation). But one or two years ago, the racks where one could salivate over new sailing toys got empty. SAD...

It is a little more complicated than that. 

 

[kent_island_sailor]

View attachment 368841

Fuck off to PA with that shit please.

 

[mgs]

View attachment 368841

Drawn wrong. Mask goes on the ass

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Blocked along with the rest of the socks. PA is just right over there - go on and knock yourself out.

 

[er111a]

Well it is officially closed as of last Friday.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Dang