Cannonvale Marine shuts doors after five decades

It was the first stand-alone Whitsundays boat dealership and now it will close its doors for good after more than five decades of business.

Cannonvale Marine's Leanne and Darrell Hinschen will be saying farewell to the business after 31 years of ownership. Photo Charlotte Lam / Whitsunday Times

A Whitsundays family run marina business is shutting its doors after 51 years selling and repairing boats.

Cannonvale Marine has been a permanent fixture in the Whitsundays boating community for more than five decades as the first stand-alone dealership in the region.

However the owners believed the time had come for the business to shut.

Owner and operator of 31 years Darrell Hinschen said the decision was prompted by he and his wife’s desire to retire.

“Cannonvale Marine will, after 51 years, be no more,” Mr Hinschen said.

“We wanna do a little bit of travel around Australia.”

Matt Telford and Darrell Hinschen got their start working as apprentices for Cannonvale Marine. Telford was a partner in the business with Darrell Hinshcen and his wife Leanne from 1993-2007. Photo Contributed

Mr Hinschen started at Cannonvale Marine in 1979 as the first non-family employee to founder Ron Dorman.

The next employee was Matthew Telford, who would join Mr Hinschen and his wife Leanne in taking over the business for the first 16 years of their tenure.

Their first employee, James McDonald, would pick up the torch and join them as a business owner later in his career.

“We’ve had a lot of customers over the years,” Mr Hinschen said.

“Two to three generations of customers from the same family have come to do business with us.”

Darrell and Leanne Hinschen and technician James McDonald are welcome the public to their 40th birthday boat show.

Mr Hinschen said one of the best parts of owning Cannonvale Marine was the friendships he made with the community.

“Thank you for your friendship and support over the last 31 years.”

After struggling to find a buyer to take over the business, Mr and Mrs Hinschen have decided simply to “walk away” and shut the door on Cannonvale Marine for good.

“It’s a shame,” he said.

“But life goes on.”

Cannonvale Marine will close for business on August 30.