“This is the Sea Lion. We’re sinking. Men in the water. Water in the wheelhouse. This is our last transmission. We’re going down!”
Three weeks ago, Bjoern Kils was leaving the dock off the southwest shore of Long Island, N.Y. when he heard those distressed words. Kils is the owner and operator of NYmediaBoat.com, a business that runs boats out of Liberty Landing Marina for sightseeing, photoshoots, and other related business. At the time he heard this desperate mayday call over the radio, Kils was able to make an astonishing rescue while driving his 26-foot Willard Marine RIB.
Anaheim, Calif., – Feb. 4, 2014 – Willard Marine, Inc., a leading manufacturer of composite and aluminum boats for more than 50 years, announced the appointment of Karen Jacquelin as director of marketing earlier today.
Jacquelin will be responsible for leading Willard Marine’s product and brand marketing strategy, including all advertising, public relations and event marketing initiatives. She will be based out of the company’s corporate offices in Anaheim, Calif.
“Karen Jacquelin’s vast advertising and marketing experience across a wide range of brands including Gatorade, Callaway Golf, Ford, Lincoln, Toyota and the Irvine Company is extremely valuable to Willard Marine as we strive to elevate our brand image and develop new product offerings,” said Ulrich Gottschling, president of Willard Marine. “Karen will leverage marketing analytics and research to help us develop the best products and services that appeal to new market segments and better serve our customers,” Gottschling explained.
Anaheim, Calif., – Feb. 3, 2014 – Willard Marine, a 56-year-old builder of composite and aluminum boats, has received an order to supply the Ukrainian navy with four aluminum patrol boats, with an option for a fifth.
Under the contract, issued by the U.S. Navy Foreign Military Sales (FMS) office, Willard Marine is supplying two SEA FORCE® 11-meter and two SEA FORCE® 7-meter aluminum patrol boats, each with an open cockpit configuration. An additional 7-meter patrol boat will be supplied upon request.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Anaheim, Calif., – Jan. 6, 2014 – Willard Marine announced the appointment of Ning Wang as director of operations and program management. Wang will be responsible for overseeing Willard Marine’s planning, purchasing, stockroom and IT operations. He will be based in the company’s corporate offices in Anaheim, Calif.
“Ning Wang is a motivated, highly analytical individual who has a deep understanding in these areas, which will help us expand our capabilities and further strengthen our management team,” said Ulrich Gottschling, president of Willard Marine. “Our customers expect timely deliveries of high-quality products, and his new role reflects our commitment to obtain only the very best talent available to keep us competitive as we grow.”
Back in the early 1980s, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) introduced a new line of rescue boats, the first being built by Willard Marine, Inc. in 1983. This boat was named the Surf Rescue Boat. At the time, the boat’s design, which was self-righting and self-bailing, proved markedly different than typical lifeboats used by the USCG. The boat was designed to perform search and rescue in adverse weather and surf, much of the design being centered around speed. While top speed was 31 knots (57 km/h), most of the hulls dealt with minor water intrusion that slowed the boats to approximately 28 knots (52 km/h) at max RPM.