50th Anniversary
5 December 2018
MUSINGS OF MY PAST
I had the very good fortune of growing up on Bass River on Cape Cod. At a young age it became obvious to me that beautiful,
sea-kindly wooden vessels, along with their associated pleasures, and maybe, just maybe, possibly, a related career really appealed to me?
These thoughts grasped my interest far more than A2+B2=C2, and what difference did it make that I=E/R?
My parents certainly spoiled me on my tenth birthday: they gave me a Beetle Cat, a 12' catboat built by the Concordia Company.
I named her Undecided because for the life of me I couldn't think of a name I really liked. I loved my Beetle Cat, in fact still do;
her hailing port is now Half Moon Cove in the Damariscotta River, and on 1 July 2019 we will be celebrating our birthdays together,
including my grandchildren (Andy's children) who are the third generation of Correas who enjoy sailing her on many levels,
her 68th and my 78th. On the off season I spent my quality time in study halls drawing her picture or fantasizing about racing her
the following summer.
As the years went by A2+B2=C2 in my mind faded more and more, and I realized there was no defined career for me, no examples to follow,
and that I had to invent one. I have no idea exactly how nautical jewelry entered the scene.
I don't think the term was really thought of as a subject all its own, except for a small company in England. However,
when it did happen I knew I was in the right neighborhood. First came
monkey fist jewelry (still a best seller) a knot I tied in rope many times
and always thought it was a beautiful concept. The earrings soon evolved into cuff links, dress studs, pendants and even drawer pulls.
Criteria I set for business plan if this dream were to succeed:
1 - peerless quality
2 - exhaustive attention to detail assuring absolute authenticity
3 - no compromises
4 - timeless designs
An example of the above occurred the night I envisioned the constellations in diamonds. My first concern, the diamonds had to be proportional to the magnitude of the stars, if not, I wouldn't design them. Fortunately, I discovered M.I.T. published sky charts for teaching astronomy, solving a potential reason for not making the jewelry. H.E.Rey was also an enormous assistance, including possible legal reasons for not proceeding with the designs. That's a story for another day.
The timing was fortuitous. Fiberglass boats were in their infancy, which I predicted would certainly, at a minimum, double my potential jewelry universe, increasing my chances of success, and I must add, direct mail (catalogue) sales were coming into vogue which was vitally important to my game plan, as I had no intention of offering my designs through retail establishments. My intended formula called for direct contact with my customers, or it wasn't a viable plan. I also believed that convenience was a huge factor in future growth of catalogue sales, and that my customers should not have to pay a "convenience fee," and from day one never charged for shipping.
A few reminisces,
Regards and standing bye
Tony Correa, Founder Please, for any reason, if you are inclined to contact me: aga at tidewater dot net
P.S. My current Boss, son, Andy Correa initiated this experiment for recording thoughts from the past. This is my first attempt. Here's a small list of additional ideas I had over the weekend that I thought might spark your interest. If so, let us know and I'll continue my musings.
Hiring my first employee, who is still aboard, and now works with my boss.
Boat Shows
Success is a lot of hard work and a lot of luck, and the harder you work, the luckier you get.
J.P. (Jack) Morgan II
Robbed in Miami
Ability to weave gold was a blockbuster
L. Francis Herreshoff
Defending against "imitators"
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." John Ruskin