R MARINE dealer principal Brendon Grieve created a bit of a stir when he ran an ad for his Riviera and Princess yachts recently. The ad tells potential boat buyers that they would be "dreamin" if they thought they could get a marina or yacht pen on the Swan River. The ad went as far as to say "even Brian Burke couldn’t wrangle you a pen". So, why would someone that makes a living out of selling boats highlight the chronic shortage of pens in WA? As astute readers of the ad will discover, Mr Grieve at R Marine claims to guarantee a pen to purchasers of new Riviera sport cruisers or Princess motor yachts. Curiously, The Note asked Mr Grieve how this was possible, and discovered that R Marine has a deal with Aquarama Marina for first rights to any pens that become available. Mr Grieve reckons that the annual turnover at Aquarama in East Fremantle is enough to keep up with current boat sales; however, he agrees that more pens are needed and that he may not be able to keep up with demand in years to come.
