Eight Bells: Allan Molho

Allan Molho and I laughed and joked through many years in the marine industry – as competitors, collaborators and associates – and now he has crossed the bar. I believe he was 73 years when he passed on February 24, 2016.

We raced sailboats against each other, sailed on boats together, told tall tales of adventures at sea and drank a bit of wine over the some 40 plus years.

He grew up in Newport Beach, CA and left the area to attend college in Oregon. He returned to work in the boating business he loved.

Allan sailed under the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club burgee for years as the skipper of his J24 Electric Pumpkin with his boat partner Skip Elliot.

Allan was like the Swiss Army Knife of the marine industry. He worked as a marine hardware retail sales clerk, a boat builder, a boat dealer, a sales manager, a rigger, a sourcing agent for inflatable boats around the world and then the owner of his own manufacturer’s representative agency.

His insights into the boat business came through the many friendships he built as he went about developing the knowledge to build his own company.

His business legacy included years with Balboa Marine Hardware, Columbia Yachts, Eddie Arnold Sailboats, Forespar, West Marine and his own rep agency, AM Associates.

He was the original Captain Boat Show, a Marine Industry Association Director, the Schooner Man, a Watsonville wine lover living on “the lake”, a Music Man, an Ag History and History Museum Board Member, a business associate, a great friend to many and most importantly, a father and grandfather. – Bruce Brown