Caravelle Boats

Don’t sweat the small stuff? Sorry, but that old advice doesn’t work for Caravelle Powerboats. This quality boat manufacturer is building quite a reputation for doing just that.

While other manufacturers put most of their energy on boats 30 foot and above, Caravelle has an uncommon focus when it comes to their 17- 28 foot models. Each model they design receives the maximum attention of the management and production teams, ensuring high-quality construction and standout features. This concentration has guided Caravelle into quite a successful company.

Although the company has been around for 37 years, 2003 is proving to be a true breakout year. Caravelle got its start in Arkansas and soon debuted innovations like the first walk-thru windshield and hide-away convertible top. In 1987 the company moved to a 150,000 square foot facility in Americus, Georgia where they built a solid business building bowriders, sporty fish & ski models, and Interceptor performance boats. In 1995, a new management team was assembled with a long-term plan to boost its image and enhance its boats. In 1998 that management team purchased the company and their plan is paying off big time with the 2003 introduction of the wood-free Luxury Series (LS) sport boats and the wood-free Sea Hawk offshore fishing boats. “Our mission since 1995 has been to elevate the product through impressive styling, functional features and the highest quality materials available," says Craig Cummins, Caravelle’s vice president of sales. "We’ve gone around a lot of companies who didn’t see us coming.”

Part of the success has come from Caravelle targeting three basic questions that prospective boat buyers ask dealers when looking for a fiberglass boat: Is the boat wood-free? Does it have a fiberglass liner? Does it have a walk-thru transom? With the new LS Series, Caravelle can deliver a “yes” to all three, even on their 18 foot models. No other manufacturer offers an 18 foot bowrider or fish & ski model that has a walk-thru transom. “Nobody is building anything in the 18 to 20 foot market that’s any nicer,” says Russ Lowe, Caravelle’s president. "In fact, 'This is the best boat in the show,' is a common statement heard in every boat show we’ve been to so far this season.”

Best boat also means best materials. The LS Series and Sea Hawks have 100% wood-free construction that incorporate Penske composites and Knytex knitted fiberglass, not just the bi-axial woven roving, but the more durable and consistent quad-axial material. Caravelle also uses the best gelcoat/resin combination in the industry with the use of Armorcote, ArmorFlex, and ArmorGuard gelcoats, and heavy duty deck reinforcements like Nida-Core. Going beyond those three important buyer's questions, Caravelle also delivers other key features like extended transom platforms, stainless steel rubrails, pull-up cleats, and many other premium features, even on their 18 foot models.

In addition to making the most of the size of its boats, Caravelle makes the most out of the size of its company. What Caravelle doesn’t have is a corporate jet, sluggish bureaucracy, or voice mail. What the Georgia company does have, as Lowe puts it, is “a taste of Southern hospitality. If you call and have a question, you’ll speak to a real person not a machine,” he says. This business structure in not only more personal, but it also keeps Caravelle competitively priced. Their overhead costs are much lower than most of the big companies with enormous staffs. They don’t use high commission sales reps. In fact, there are only two Caravelle employees responsible for all the company’s sales. Caravelle also purchases most of their materials through IBBI, a buyers group consisting of more than 20 top manufacturers in the industry.

So what’s next? Caravelle is working on an all new Interceptor, capitalizing on the momentum already generated from the current popular models. In addition, there also will be new models for the Sea Hawk offshore fishing line. Caravelle’s plan has been very successful and the company’s evolution continues. “We’re always on a quest to build the very best boats with the perfect blend of quality, styling and performance,” Lowe says.

To learn more about Caravelle Boats, please visit their website at:  www.Caravelleboats.com