General Info

Our company history began in 1967, when Gary and Darlene Briggs opened Wayzata Lake and Lawn, a retail store offering boats, lawn tractors, snow blowers, snowmobiles and garden supplies. Through the 60s and 70s, the store grew and changed with customer demand. By 1980, the company was focused completely on marine sales and service. In 1982, the corporate name officially changed to Wayzata Marine and our notoriety as a leader in the boating industry began to grow. 1986 was a sad year at Wayzata Marine, Darlene passed away after 49 short years. The marine industry to this day honors her memory by awarding the Darlene Briggs Marine Women of the Year award. It is the top award for women at all levels in the marine industry. It has become a very coveted award. In 1989 Chris Craft became our premier brand. This was also the year that their son Dave's status changed from part time sales person to sales manager. Dave grew up in the business, made his first boat sale in 1978 at age 13, and advanced as a full time sales person, sales manager and then became General Manager 1994. The next big break came when Chaparral and Wayzata Marine joined forces in 1995. Both companies were on the move growing together and offering high quality boats that lake Minnetonka boaters fell in love with. In 1997, a new state of the art showroom was built to exclusively display the Chris Craft product line. This facility became known as Minnetonka Marine, and it contributed to several company awards, including designation as The Marine Retailer of the Year, by a national publication in 1997, and recognition as the nation's largest Chris Craft dealer for the third consecutive year in 1999. That year Wayzata Marine and Minnetonka Marine were also awarded the prestigious Tiara Yachts dealership. In 2000, the current home of Wayzata Marine was acquired on Lake Minnetonka. This awesome 2.3-acre location features guaranteed lake access, 260 feet of shoreline, 77 permanent slips, a fork & travel lift and launch ramp. The start of 2001 brought an ownership change to the company. Dave and his wife Dava bought the company from Gary. 2001 also brought a change at Chris Craft, with new ownership. The Four Winns product line was brought in. Most days you can find Gary, Dave and the third generation Jason and Taylor helping boaters enjoy their time on the water. Every year since 2006, Wayzata Marine has been proudly included in Boating Industry's Top 100 Dealers. As our business has expanded and evolved over the years, personalized, local service and long-term customer relationships have continued to help us establish an outstanding reputation and make us a leader in the boating industry. Buying a boat can be confusing to some, but we've made it as clear and simple as possible for our customers. Check out our boat buying guide.