‘Smart Industry Cat’ Chooses Nor-Tech 340 Center Console
The easygoing son of Erickson Marine Founder and marine industry notable Bill Erickson of Sarasota, Fla., Chris Erickson expects custom boat-buying clients to be picky. And rightfully so—Erickson Marine is a full-service Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Powerboats dealer, and the Cape Coral, Fla., company’s center consoles don’t come cheap.
Nor does any brand of custom high-performance center console, for that matter.
A pair of marine industry pros Jim Ferguson (right) and Chris Erickson enjoyed working together on Ferguson’s new Nor-Tech 340 Sport center console.
Earlier this month, Erickson delivered a Nor-Tech 340 Sport center console powered by triple Mercury Racing V-10 400R outboard engines to Jim Ferguson, the owner and founder of Marine Engineering Services and Boat Storage in Sarasota. Ferguson, whose company manufactures fresh-water flush kits for Mercury Racing, Yamaha Outboards and IMCO among other products, wasn’t “picky,” according to Erickson.
But as a marine industry veteran, Ferguson was more knowledgeable than most clients who visit the dealership.
“Jim is one smart cat,” said Erickson. “He researches everything and makes sure it’s right. He knows high-quality stuff when he sees it. He’s owned a lot of boats. He’s been in the industry a long time. He knows what questions to ask.
“And he’s a really nice guy, great to deal with,” he added.
The new 34-foot Nor-Tech is not, as Erickson noted, Ferguson’s first boat. He currently owns a 32-foot Spectre catamaran powered by a pair of Mercury Racing 300XS outboards and a 28-foot Spectre center console equipped also equipped with twin 300R outboards from the Fond du Lac, Wis., high-performance marine propulsion company.
Ferguson, who opened his full-service marine business in 1997, had been aware of Nor-Tech center consoles since the company introduced its first one—a 39-footer—in 2010. But he didn’t order his 340 Sport until after the 2023 Miami International Boat Show.
“Nor-Tech builds a first-class boat and they have a great reputation,” he explained. “I looked at a lot center consoles that the poker-run guys own now. And I asked a lot hard questions about their construction.
“I appreciate the quality of the Nor-Tech,” he continued. “And I am really enjoying the 10-foot beam. All the boats I’ve had before, except for the Spectre cat, have had eight-foot beams.”
A Sarasota native, Ferguson ran the 34-footer for the first time last weekend in his home-waters.
“It was outstanding,” he said. “It exceeded all of my expectations. It’s steady in rough water. It doesn’t chine walk or porpoise. My Spectre center console can be a bit of a handful to drive at 80 mph. The Nor-Tech has more than enough running surface to handle it. And its tall bow gives me a lot of confidence. It feels like it could take on just about any water, within reason.”
Ferguson also offered high praise for Erickson Marine.
“Working with them was absolutely wonderful,” he said. “I’ve known Bill Erickson for a long time, since Chris was little. “I had approached Nor-Tech about buying direct, but they said, ‘No, we have a dealer network’ and pointed me to Erickson. And I was very happy to go there and work with them.”
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