03 Mar 22
How did you spark your passion for boats and all things
marine? I have a background in diving and marine science.
Before getting in business, I spent years on boats either
doing research or teaching people to dive. When I met my
husband Ben, he introduced me to all the technical aspects
of boating: engines and hulls. We share a passion for the ocean and now
we enjoy boating, sailing and surfing as a family of four. Our two little
daughters are basically growing up surrounded by boats and surfboards.
Can you tell us a little bit about the many clubs that you sponsor,
and why sponsoring is so important to you? Locally, we help the
Coffs Coast Spearfishing Club, the Coffs Coast Game Sportfishing Club
and the local Yacht Club, where they introduce children to sailing. We
also sponsored a local sailor, Pierre Gal, who participated in the Sydney
to Hobart race in 2019. Australia-wide, we sponsor Women Who Sail
Australia and Sistership Magazine. We like sponsoring clubs and events
that are either starting or would be considered minorities in the big
boating and sailing world. We know first-hand that everyone needs a
bit of help when starting a new project, endeavour or business.
That is why we try to help clubs with big dreams that are working
really hard to grow.
We have heard there are some big things currently happening
at Thwaites Marine... Yes, we are happy to announce that we
just became dealers for Tohatsu outboards! These are super reliable,
affordable, high-quality engines made in Japan. We are also stocked
up with a big range of new Stacer boats. If you are looking for a boat
package, you should definitely drop by! Stock is not lasting very long
these days.
In a male-saturated industry, have you been faced with any
challenge that can relate back to the fact you are a woman? Yes,
at first it was very challenging to talk about boats and engines with
customers Sometimes I knew I wasn’t taken seriously at all. As my
knowledge and confidence grew, our customers trusted me to answer
their questions. I still sometimes face some sexist comments, but
thankfully at Thwaites Marine we can nowadays choose only to work
for and with people who value and respect gender equality