Westwind Marine changes hands

Two weeks into taking over Westwind Marine, Jessica and Bryson Basore are more certain than ever they made the right choice buying the Point Roberts marine service and chandlery.

“I think of the overwhelmingly warm welcome we received from the team here and the community, the perfect handoff from Mark and Tami,” said Jessica. “We really jumped on a running horse here and we’ve had nothing but support.”

Jessica said she and Bryson had the perfect combination of skills for Westwind. “It just fits us so well,” she said. They bought the business from Mark and Tami Pondelick, with the official transfer taking place on June 7.

The Basores met in the Air Force and she has since worked in retail and sales. Bryson has had a career with Cummins as a technician, a service manager and working on process improvement at the corporate level.

The couple commute from Bellingham, where they moved from Illinois in 2020, while their two children are still in high school. “Point Roberts is our home away from home,” Jessica said.

When asked about changes they plan to bring to the business, Jessica said, “We’re still trying to get our sea legs,” but they are also looking at ways to grow. “We are mostly looking at process improvement, ways to get work through faster, improve communication.”

Jessica said she also plans to diversify the offerings in the chandlery, from Point Roberts branded merchandise to some convenience items. “Useful items for when you’re in the sun and wind and some more nautical gift items,” she said. She has also reached out to local artisans about selling their products in the store.

Despite vacant slips at the marina, Jessica said the service yard is busy. “We have tons of work pouring in, mostly from local people who have boats in the marina but also people coming here for service. We just had a call from someone in Birch Bay bringing their boat in.”

Asked what their future plans were, Mark Pondelick said they hadn’t had time to figure that out, saying the sale of the business followed by the sale of their house took place much faster than they thought it would. “We had seven offers within 24 hours on the house and accepted a cash offer the same day,” he said. The Pondelicks plan to spend some time at a recently purchased property in the Dominican Republic to figure out their next moves.

To schedule service at Westwind, call 360/945-5523 or stop by the store at the marina. Westwind Marine is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.