By Nick Nahas
Todd Foucher launched his company on September 1, 2015, perfectly merging his background in the boat-building industry and his knowledge of fishing in Tampa Bay. Foucher, a fishing guide in the Tampa Bay area for six years, also had a fishing show on the Sportsman Channel.
While doing research, he came across a round boat called a coracle. According to Foucher, the coracle has been around since the pre-Roman era and is still used today in the Middle East and Far East.
Foucher used his knowledge to get to work on a new innovative design. He made improvements to the original coracle by adding more deck space, more storage, a flat-bottomed hull, as well as a motor. A seat with swiveling ability gives a 360-degree turning radius and a great vantage point to spot fish. Foucher named his new design the Roundabout. His company, Roundabout Watercrafts, is one of two companies in the entire U.S. that sell round boats.
According to Foucher, most of the good feedback he gets from clients is that the Roundabout is very stable and the upright natural seating position makes it very comfortable to sit in. Many of his clients are older and can’t jam themselves into a small kayak. “My father, who is 69-years-old, tells me that it’s like fishing out of a La-Z-Boy. It’s that comfortable,” Foucher said.
The one-man boat can easily become a two-man boat with the addition of another seat that attaches quickly. The Roundabout can hold up to 674 lbs. and has 22 sq. ft. of deck space. The two seats sit about 16 inches apart from one another.
Located at 1510 River Dr. SW in Ruskin, Roundabout Watercrafts, LLC headquarters offers free demos to try out some of the boats. “We want to make sure that our customers are absolutely 100 percent completely comfortable with their purchase,” he said.
Foucher’s main focus is on customer service. “We know we have a great product,” he said. “We know that our product is going to withstand and hold up for a long time but, to me, customer service is number one in importance. We take care of our clients and we make sure that we are there for them if they need anything.”
The already affordable Roundabout is even more reasonable when the buyer picks the boat up and doesn’t need to have it shipped. They will receive an additional $200 off the retail price.
Visit www.roundaboutwatercrafts.com for more information or to purchase a Roundabout.
