Award-winning Riviera and Belize dealer R Marine Crawley based at Runaway Bay on Australia’s Gold Coast has announced a significant boost to our renowned owner care program in the idyllic Whitsundays region.

Dealer Principal Ben Crawley said the new Whitsundays yacht management service launched this month is in the very heart of Queensland’s fabled cruising grounds.

“Our purpose-built ‘floating office’ is located at Abell Point Marina, Airlie Beach, and will enhance our premium service and support for the 100 Riviera and Belize family members who choose to berth their boats in this wonderful part of the world,” said Mr Crawley.

Beautiful, calm waters on as the R Marine Crawley family heads north to the cruising
paradise of the Whitsundays.

“We will also have a Riviera 47 Open Flybridge there from June to November each year, and we will have a quick-response vessel there permanently.”

R Marine Crawley’s dedicated team already spends three to four months in the Whitsundays each year as part of the dealership’s annual Experience events that encourage Riviera and Belize owners to undertake the passage north in company of like-minded luxury motor yacht enthusiasts, and with the peace of mind of knowing assistance is close at hand should they require it.

“R Marine Crawley Whitsundays is a complete luxury motor yacht management and concierge service and we will also be further expanding our program of social, educational and hosted cruising events for Riviera and Belize owners, many of whom fly in from other parts of Australia and the world to spend quality time on their yachts in these beautiful, pristine waters,” said Mr Crawley.

“Experienced skipper Matt Brown will be on-hand and on-call for everything from warranty, factory parts and repairs to routine maintenance and detailing – we are very proud to welcome him to the R Marine Crawley team.”

Ben Crawley (third from left) welcomes Matt Brown, Ben Leigh-Smith and
Jason Kowalski to the R Marine Crawley team.

Matt Brown has established his luxury motor yacht management credentials over the past decade with Matt Brown Marine in Sydney and says he is extremely excited to be making the move north with his wife Jodie and their three children, Elle, Benji and Cooper.

“For the past three years I have spent up to three months a year in the Whitsundays with Riviera and Belize owners. For a long time Ben Crawley and I have wanted to provide 52-weeks-a-year, premium Riviera service for owners who berth their yachts here,” said Mr Brown.

“Those owners now have peace of mind knowing that R Marine Crawley Whitsundays is providing the premium quality care and attention their luxury Riviera and Belize yachts deserve.”

Mr Brown has a genuine passion for Riviera and its hallmark ethos of excellence, having purchased his first ‘Riv’ – a 3000 Offshore – as a gift for himself for his 30^th birthday.

“We kept her for five years,” he said. “We loved our 3000 and now we have the opportunity to work directly with Riviera and R Marine Crawley … for Jodi and I it really is a dream come true.”

Elevating the R Marine Crawley Experience

Mr Brown joins a well-rounded service and support team at R Marine Crawley, which has boating professionals on-hand and on-call to cater for all owner needs.

“We have also recently welcomed factory-trained electrical engineer Jason Kowalski to the R Marine Crawley team and his extensive knowledge and 11 years of experience creating new Rivieras will prove invaluable,” said Mr Crawley.

“Jason is available to assist owners with the purchase of Riviera or Belize luxury motor yachts, with new yacht handovers and with special training for the state-of-the-art technology that today makes boating so much easier and more enjoyable with Riviera, such as the CZone digital switching and glass bridge navigation systems as well as the amazing joystick steering with IPS.”

Mr Kowalski said his passion is customer service and the opportunity to have one-on-one interaction with owners would enable him to call on all the skills developed at Riviera.

“I particularly enjoy making people happy and I really like the fact the team of R Marine Crawley is so focused on that end-result,” he said.

“The advanced marine technology of today really does enhance time aboard for every owner and every guest.

Dealer principal Ben Crawley with the 2015 Riviera Sales Excellence Awards for
Australia and New Zealand in both the dealer and individual categories.

“I’m excited – this a great opportunity for me to work with R Marine Crawley, the 2015 Riviera Sales Excellence for a Dealer award winner, and with Ben Crawley, the 2015 Individual Sales Excellence award winner.”

Fostering the family feel

Also relatively new to the R Marine Crawley team is widely respected luxury boat broker Ben Leigh-Smith whose father, Noel, was formerly a Riviera dealer principal on the Gold Coast for many years.

“I purchased my first Riviera at the age of 20 and I began working in the exporting and shipping side of Riviera in 2000 when they first opened the 14-hectare, world-class Coomera facility,” said Ben Leigh-Smith.

“I was with Riviera for eight years before moving into the former Riviera dealership at Runaway Bay with my Dad, Noel Leigh-Smith, where I was in charge of service, warranty and customer care.

“My role with R Marine Crawley allows me to carry on my family’s rich boating tradition – my grandfather actually built the marina at Runaway Bay in 1987 where R Marine Crawley is located today.”

Ben Crawley said Ben Leigh-Smith’s knowledge of boats and the industry makes him a fantastic addition to the team, which also includes:

• Jade Anderson, service and maintenance manager– an experienced shipwright and skipper
• Michael Donnan, assistant luxury boat broker – a qualified diesel mechanic
• Nick Westh, warranty manager – a factory-trained marine engineer and skipper
• Lauren Dayberg-Muir, creative and marketing manager – who grew up within a family of long-term Riviera owners.

“Our owners tell us that our dealership has a real family feel,” said Mr Crawley, who himself has been a multiple Riviera owner and has extensive experience across marine management, sales and service.

“My family has been cruising to and from the Whitsundays for about 20 years , and I purchased my first Riviera 11 years ago, at age 22, so I feel I have salt water in my veins.

“I now spend about 110 days each year on our owner trips, Experience events and special cruising adventures with the R Marine Crawley Club, so I know how much our owners value having an experienced and energetic team helping and supporting them to achieve ‘the ultimate boating experience’.”

• R Marine Crawley is located at Shop1A, Runaway Bay Marina, 274 Bayview Street, Runaway Bay, Queensland. You can phone the office on +61 7 5529 5007 or email info@rmarinecrawley.com.au.