Moses Watersports owners Mark Newton and Chris Finch recently opened a new boat dealership, P23 Watersports, on Highway 58, offering different brands of new and used boats in a location closer to Chattanooga than their original outpost near Harrison Bay.
"There are a lot of boats out there, and we wanted to give our customers more options," said Newton, a resident of Lookout Mountain. "Moses is growing by leaps and bounds, and we felt there was definitely room in the marketplace to expand our presence."
Among the company's featured brands is Tige, which Newton describes as "one of the best inboard boats available." Inboard boats, in which the engine is enclosed in the hull of the boat, are built specifically for towing watersports, such as skiing, windsurfing and wakeboarding, he explained. With outboard boats, engines are mounted outside the hull of the boat and pose a safety danger for such sports.
"Tige also has one of the biggest hearts as a corporation," he said, adding that he was impressed by the company's charitable giving and the athletes it sponsors, including Bethany Hamilton, now a pro surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack at the age of 13 and whose life inspired the 2011 movie "Soul Surfer."
Newton and Finch introduced Tige last year at Moses, and moved it to P23 to give the brand - the top-seller at the new dealership - more space, Newton said.
"We're excited about being able to grow the brand in Chattanooga; we think it's a good fit for the market," he said, explaining that the brand's design, functionality and price point set it apart.
P23 sells mostly inboard boats, although pontoon, fishing and cruising boats are sold as well. Other brands include Crownline yachts and inboard/outboard models; SunCatcher pontoons; and Phoenix bass boats made in Winchester, Tennessee.
Discounted prices introduced at the recent local boat show will continue through March, with standard pricing for most brands kicking in starting in April along with the beginning of boating season.
Tige boats, being new to the Chattanooga market, will be available at new-dealer discounts for the rest of the year, with $4,000-$6,000 rebates offered, said Newton.
"They're probably the prettiest boats on the water," he said of Tige boats. "They offer more customization than anyone else."
The new dealership is named after Psalm 23, in reference to the portion that reads, "He leads me beside still waters," said Newton.
Finch, an Ooltewah resident, started Moses in 2013, and the company has another location in Knoxville. Newton became a co-owner several years later.
While boat sales have been on the decline nationwide, sales at Moses have increased year over year, said Newton.
Brands sold at Moses include Skeeter bass boats, Manitou high-performance pontoons and tritoons (a triple-hull pontoon boat), Robalo center-console fishing boats, and G3 aluminum boats. The dealership also offers several regional brands, such as Supra and Mumba inboards, made in Maryville, Tennessee, and Chaparral boats made in Nashville, Georgia.
"Everyone needs a boat," Newton said, adding that he got into boating because it's an activity everyone in his family can do together, from his 5-year-old to his 80-year-old father.
Like Moses, P23 features a full-service repair shop, as service is a large component of the business and something that was previously lacking in the area, said Newton.
P23 Watersports is at 5100 Highway 58 and can be reached at 541-1150, or visit p23watersports.com. Moses Watersports is at 6200 Highway 58. Call 508-8120 or visit moseswatersports.com to learn more.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.