Miller yacht sales in Toms River

S

sport

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Oct 2, 2005
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19180
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If anybody cares or is familiar with this horrible excuse for a marina.
It appears they have 30 days to get there junk out and the state is taking the property over.
And all the section 8's will be moving over to Pier One over by Seaside.
Any body have any other info on this?

Sport
 
I've been in the building over at MYS....there is a lot of anitque nautical stuff in the office. Lot's of junk in the yard too. It would be a perfect place for American Pickers to visit.
 
If that's the "yacht club" on Rt 166 and Crabbe Road, it's about time. The owner has been letting "down on their luck" persons (PC for derelects and bums) live there for years and the place is fire trap waiting for a match.
 
Miller imported almost all the Marine Traders for the East Coast for decades. I have been told the owner is cranky.
I was disappointed about 4 years ago at the AC Boat show I thought we had a deal on a new 36 Marine Trader Europa (a show special). I told him I had to think about it and would be back to sign a deal and leave a deposit the next day. Well my wife and I went back and he acted like we had never talked with him and the price was $20k higher. We walked away and I'm glad I did considering the economy and the amount of money we were willing to pay. He also lists boats for sale in a local boating periodical and most look like junk even in the ads. In person I have been told by other's they are worse.
Bill
 
I was there two weeks ago, a friend bought (rescued) a used boat there. I was in absolute amazement at what I saw, people living in floating garbage, you could literally see INTO some of the "boats" . I was told the owner helped design Marine Traders, they had three on hand that where clean. EVERYTHING else was over priced junk including the 60mediteranian. if you are in the area it's worth a visit, you WILL be amazed.
 
plus two on American pickers, someone should call them, they could spend a week in south jersey.
 
I don't want to say anything negative but Don Miller is a legend in these areas. He did oversee and had input on most of the Marine Traders that hit the East Coast. He could tell you the good and bad and which yards did the work and the best years. The economy is killing him as well as all the regulations in NJ. A piece of me wants to say he is being picked on the operation hasn't really changed much in decades.
As for the place well, let me call it unique!
Bill
 
I had one dealing with the guy. I thought he was a complete whackadoodle.

A few years back, he would buy out yards that were in default and bring the inventory to Toms River. I saw a boat in the yard that was sitting for about a year. In the late fall I made him a reasonable offer and he came back with price that was twice my offer and he would not budge. Obviously I walked. At the end of the summer I went back to him and he still refused to budge. I could not believe it because I thought the boat would sit all winter. I looked at another salesman and he shrugged his shoulders in disbelief.

I was wrong. The boat sat there for another FOUR YEARS. I took a look at it four years later and the mooring cover was shredded as was the complete cockpit upholstery. He finally cleared it out when they crushed up all the derelict boats in the lot behind the porn shop. I think he had to sell that lot to Light House Marina in order to keep solvent.

That, plus I knew two mechanics that worked there. One was Jim the Troll. He had brain damage because he was hit in the head by an air conditioner that fell from a second story window when he was young. The other was Rework Wally. His nickname came about for obvious reasons.
 
I met Don in 1982 when my dad bought a Force 50 sailboat from him. Our interaction with him could not have been better.
Years later as a marine surveyor I have reach out to Don many times with questions regarding his and other far east boats. He could not have been more helpful.

I like the guy and am sorry to hear he is loosing his marina.
 
Like I said I have mixed feelings on this and Don. I see he is still operating and selling boats. I think he may have more then one location. I will say this Don is in a political hotbed area and he and we all have to deal with the Pinelands Commision as well as the NJDEP these people can be impossible to deal with if they decide it's time for you to go bye/ bye. I am sure the extended downturn in the economy has only led to most marina's owners in Central Jersey. These areas also have impossible local township administrations and the state seems to constantly change it's own rules with impunity. As far as I can tell Miller Yacht Sales is still in business by looking at the local Salty Dog new & used boat periodical. Don is still importing Marine Traders. What I wouldn't give to have a Marine Trader compared to the boat I currently have.
Bill
 
Donald Miller, of Toms River, passed away Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. Donald was President and CEO of Marine Trading International, Inc. for the past 40 years. The business began in Bay Head before relocating to South Toms River. Donald had been building Marine Trader Trawlers since the late 1960's. Donald was well recognized as the Pioneer of the Trawlers in Taiwan and the United States.
 
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