QUALITY LINE STARTING @ $1.50 PER POUND!!

Happy Halloween !!!  Up at 0500 this morning picking up tons new rope and line from a Southern California rope company.  They are moving and are really cleaning house.  We purchase most of it by the pound and that's how we are selling a lot of it.  We are buried in line and we are blowing it out at from $1.50 to $3.50 a pound !!  For you, this means you are saving 60 to 80% off the big box store prices.  A cruiser presently anchored in our harbor was totally excited that he had located almost 200 feet of 5/8 Specta priced at ninety five cents a foot.  "Herr Minney" he said, "how do you do it?  Last time I purchased Specta jib sheets for my 60' ketch I pay $8.00 a foot!!!"  He then tossed the large coil of line over his shoulders and pedaled his bicycle back to the DivBar restaurant to his rubber boat.  In a few days he sails for Ensenada to haul out and then back home to South America.  Got the morning off to a great start.  As we were unloading rope a skipper came in with a pair of Lewmar 40 aluminum self tailing winches as barter goods.  Soon we were loading that lovely pair of bronze chrome plated Lewmar 46"s that we featured in the BLOG a few days ago into the back of his car.  He was $1250.00 lighter but couldn't wait to install the new 46"s while wearing a brand new Minney's TEE shirt.

WE MADE IT !!!

For over forty years we've been helping others live their dreams.  We get several nice notes like this one from Kerstin & Brian every month. Have a nice weekend.......Ernie

MINNEY PICTURES.........

300 foot rolls of PEC plastic tubing-it's in our way.  Priced reduced to $20.00 a roll.  We just turned a seldom used storeroom into an out of date chart room etc.  1000's of charts available at $1.95 each, also we have old nautical posters and yacht blueprints and drawings for the same price.  We have a special give-away book, "A Cruising Guide To San Francisco Bay"  while they last (have about 500 of them) one per customer FREE!!!  That pile of sails is my "job security"I'm still trying to measure, tag and price all the sails around here.  We get about 5% returns so that means about 95% of you are pleased with the sails we ship to you. Also pictured are about a ton of brand new SS shafts for Cabo Yachts.  We've lowered the price to $500.00 each.  I estimate if you had to purchase a new one from a prop shop it would cost close to $2000.00 ??? Also pictured is a small section of our store devoted to paints and varnishes.  I stock pretty much what I use on my own boat and to keep things affordable for the rest of you we only mark things up 10% over my cost.  Last picture is a Cal-34 I saw in Ensenada.  It's name is PIRATA (Pirate) and has two deck mounted torpedo tubes on the front deck.  You may want to give this guy a wide birth ? P.S.  The woman that owns the big rig (85' tall with all SS rigging and main boom, radar mount, roller furling etc) is going to cut it up for scrap.  It's from the 65' Lapworth cutter "Driver".  I looks totally in good condition and suitable to go into another boat. I estimate the new cost at $50,000.00.  Make me an offer of $1000.00 and I'll try to cinch the deal for you.  It's located in a Costa Mesa boat yard.  No, we won't send you any pictures or specs.  I will sell you the sails that fit the rig however............

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS........

Here are a few of my favorite video clips that I took during the summer.  I always have my video camera nearby so when I see a whale, a school of porpoise etc. I can capture them.  There is nothing like voyaging in a small boat.  In the late 70's I circled the world in a lovely 70' schooner named "Shearwater." We all have a bit of saltwater in our veins.  It was under sail that our forefathers arrived  in this great country.  Exploring our own country and others in a small boat is truly one of the last freedoms we can all enjoy.  P.S.  Please know that my brother Owen appreciates all your e-mails and outpouring of kindness and interest.  This is my first time on "death watch"and it really screws with your mind?  He's totally mentally alert but his body is shutting down.  He has an amazing mind set and only last night we were laughing about the time on the Tahiti race aboard the 78' ketch "Miramar" a crew member lit a giant string of firecrackers, dropped them into a metal bucket and tried to set the bucket on deck as a gift to the other watch at 3AM in the morning.  Instead, the crew member dropped the bucket into the main saloon of the elegant yacht and ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE !!!!

USED LEWMAR 46'S CHROME BRONZE ST

Close-up pics of used Lewmar 46's for a skipper in San Francisco.  Note.  Winches are just as they came off the boat..  If you would like them we'll make the price $1500.00 and the shipping will be our treat.  You may return them (you pay the shipping) if for any reason you find them unsuitable.....The drums and bases have no dings or show no signs that they have ever been dropped.  They must be double wrapped with lots of foam to protect them in shipping.  Have a nice day.

ERNIE'S MARKING PRICES DOWN !!!

Ernie's been going "nuts" with his marking pen and is reducing prices all around the store.  Rope by the spool that he usually sells by the foot has been reduced to $3.50 a pound.  This results in a 60 to 70% savings for you.  KEVLAR has been reduced to $4.00 a pound on selected spools only.  Factoid!  Did you know that the average price the rope company pays for the KEVLAR thread to make rope out of is $10.00 a pound !!!  There's about a half TON of mixed rope at the front door of the store marked down to $1.50 per pound.  It's moving fast!!!  In the backyard we've reduced the price of rope core, the inner braid of hollow core line from $3.50 a pound to $1.50.  This is great to cut up for sail ties, lashing line, lobster traps etc.  Also, pictured is a nice pair of Lewmar #46 ST chrome plated bronze winches for $1595.00. Handles NOT included.  The Lewmar 40 ST bronze-chrome are about gone.  I think there are about 3 pair left out of an original lot of 40!  We've been Lewmar's secret "liquidation outlet" for the past 25 years.  Have a great day.  P.S. I think my BLOG counter will hit 80,000 today!  Thanks for following my BLOG.  Boats are my life and I know many of you have the same interest.  Me and my crew really work at making hardware and supplies affordable for you.  I could have purchased a "turn key" sailboat but instead bought a "rescue boat."  For the past three years I've been in and out of all the marine stores in our area and at times am shocked at the prices some stores are charging?  Rest assured that I'm on the front line when it comes to holding prices down and giving Southern California boaters a second choice when outfitting their boats.........

MINNEYS IS YOUR NOAA CHART AGENT....

I'm proud to report that since we've cleaned up our chart area, and are stocking up to date charts from San Diego to Seattle that our chart sales are increasing.  The dredging of Newport Harbor is almost completed and we have noted that our local skippers are purchasing the official NOAA chart of our lovely harbor so they can better explore our bays and channels.  Especially what we locals call the Back Bay.  That area was dredged several years ago and looking at the water depths (soundings to old salts) it's amazing how far inland you can take your boat.  Pictured is the new look of our chart room, a poster noting that we are closing out all foreign charts at a price of $7.50 each and a plotting sheet I was doing celestial navigation in the early 80's when I was delivering a 100 foot teakwood ketch that I purchased in Tahiti to Newport Beach.  If you can't read the print, it says " a five star fix doing it the old school way with a sextant usually took about 2 hours to work out and give you a position.  Today with GPS, it takes about 2 to 5 minutes."  P.S.  My brother Owen thanks you for the e-mails you are sending him through me.  capnernie1@aol.com is the direct pipeline to him.

Yanmar Diesel...Great Buy $7900.00 !!!!

Here's the original bill for the Yanmar diesel and a pic of the engine.  At the new reduced price of $7900. 00, someone's going to get a great engine at a very good price.  P.S.  If you want to get a message to my brother Owen who is losing his battle with cancer.  Send it to me @ capnernie1@aol.com and I will personally print it out an deliver it to him.....Ernie Minney

THIS WEEK AT MINNEYS......

As you explore Minneys you will see that I have been reducing prices on many items. The 4 cyl. Yanmar diesel with 20 hours on it is now $7900.00 instead of $9500.00.  A 2 cyl. Yanmar came in this week and is being test run and serviced.  It will soon be available.  Our favorite rope company has cleaned house and is moving.  We have approximately 2 tons of great line for sale.  Brand new by the spool priced at $3.50 per pound and about a half ton of shorts and misc. priced at $1.50 per pound.  Quite a bit of Kevlar and hi-tech stuff in the mix.  Monster sails sold good this week.  The 2 mainsails off "Morning Glory" are out of my garage and being re-cut at a Quantum loft. The loft manager estimated the new cost at about $60,000.00 each!  The buyer was was a tough negotiator and scoffed at my modest price of $1495.00 each!  To cinch the deal I said, "how bout both of them for $2500.00?" He said, "my truck's on the way to your store!!" Just yesterday a man picked up one of Roy Disney's monster assyo chutes off "Pyewacket" for his large catamaran in Hawaii.  He felt the North sail with a 109' luff was a good value and agreed the price of $1495.00 was extremely fair.  We've cleaned up the chart and navigation area of our store.  All the new charts are in their proper drawers.  Pass the word, I think I am now the only authorized chart agent in Orange County.  A a few minutes in my chart room will produce all the charts to get you from San Diego to Seattle, Washington.  Our charts are priced at $15.00 each.  $20.75 seems to be the price other government agents are selling them for. In local news.  Larry Doheany's big ketch "Kamalii" has been reconditioned after sitting in Newport and not hauled out for about 14 years.  Our local worms are going to have to find another big wooden boat to dine on.  "Kamalii" will be making her new home in New Zealand.  Have a great week and remember, "we keep boating affordable!" Photo is my dad George Minney, my brothers Joseph and Owen and me.  The date is November 1, 1959. Shortly after this picture was taken the Minney men departed aboard the 65' schooner "Kelpie" and sailed to Tahiti.

Help my prove my kid WRONG?

Help prove my kid WRONG?  Minneys has been a nautical chart agent for the past 40 years.  Because of hi-tech chart plotters interfaced with GPS we note that mariners are not purchasing paper nautical charts.  You pilot your boat as if you were controlling a video game.  I play this game aboard an elegant Seline 62 in Alaska every summer for a couple of weeks.  It's fun, so far has been accurate but I don't trust it.  My skipper always the paper chart nearby and if a power failure occurs we are ready to go back to "old school" and safely guide our vessel.  Things have also changed with NOAA, Uncle Sam's chart maker and distributor.  They've put us all quotas, if we don't make our quotas, we get dumped and     you will no longer have a convenient place to pick the latest chart you need.  My son Josh says, "dad, you're on a sinking ship, dump NOAA and your chart cabinets and use the space for something else." I think Josh is wrong and just purchased 500 up to date charts that will get your from San Diego to Seattle and all the islands and ports in between.  I just checked Amazon.com and note that my charts are priced one cent above theirs.  I'm going work hard for one year to continue being your "go to" place for charts.  It's up to you?  If you don't want them we'll phase them out.  Pictured is the most up to date chart of our lovely Newport Harbor.  I recently used it to correct my compass by running between points in the turning basin.  Several restaurants have purchased then to frame and used as wall decor.  The upscale clothing store Vineyard Vines in Fashion Island has blown this chart up to "monster size" and it's the first thing you see when you enter their elegant and interesting store.  The little booklet pictured is a great story about Santa Cruz island, written by the manager of the ranch.  It's a $12.95 value and is out of print.  To kick off my chart sales and prove Josh wrong, I'm offering the Santa Cruz island booklet and Newport Harbor chart for a total of $15.00.  P.S.  My brother Owen is losing his battle with cancer.  If anyone would like to say goodbye, call the store and I'll take a message from you to him........

PIRATE'S INVADE CATALINA ISLAND !!!

CRUISERS AND BAJA HA-HA FLEET.  THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO VISIT NEWPORT BEACH.  FREE DOCKING, WATER AND WASH DOWN EVERY DAY TILL NOON AT THE DIV-BAR.  THEN ANCHOR FOR UP TO 5 DAYS IN FRONT OF MARINER'S MILE RESTAURANTS IN OUR TEMPORARY ANCHORAGE BY THE LIDO ISLAND BRIDGE WHILE DREDGING IS BEING DONE IN OUR BEAUTIFUL HARBOR.  MINNEY'S IS ABOUT A 15 MINUTE WALK FROM THE DIV-BAR.  

Lofrans "Tigress" 1500 lb. pull, 12 Volt Windlass

5 Day Guest Anchorage and free wash down dock !!!

The cruisers are arriving.  Hey you guys, I just pulled off a really neat deal for you.  As some of you might know, they are dredging Newport Harbor and the over night and up to 5 days anchorage is up at the West end of the bay right in front of the new DIV BAR restaurant.  I've made arrangements with the management of the DIV-BAR for you guys to tie up, wash down and take on water until 12:00 noon every day.  You can then anchor out (only a couple hundred yards away) and dinghy back to the DIV-BAR's dock for lunch and a cold beer or hike up to Minneys a little less than a mile away and do some last minute outfitting before heading off to San Diego.  In our lifetimes we'll probably never be able to anchor in that part of the bay again.  Actually, it's the most sensible spot to have a public overnight anchorage but tell that to the Federal Government.  Give it a try.  Once at Minneys, if your purchases are too heavy we'll figure a way to get it down to the DIV-BAR.  Purchase new anchor chain and we'll deliver it with our work boat directly to your hawse pipe.  Now, how's that for service  I'm pretty sure DIV-BAR has the largest guest dock in Newport Harbor.  Probably about 6 forty footers could all tie up at the same time.  While at the DIV-BAR, be sure to say hello to one of the managers, Marcus.  He's outfitting a cruising sloop and will probably be in the HA-HA next year.