MarineMax of Clearwater buys Boatyard digital platform

CLEARWATER — MarineMax announced Tuesday that it has acquired the digital platform Boatyard.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Boatyard will remain an independent brand led by its founder Nathan Heber, who will become president of Boatyard at MarineMax, which will allow boat owners to save time by using their smartphones to arrange for various boating-related services.

"We believe this digital platform can become an accelerator in MarineMax’s evolving strategy to enhance and further transform the boating experience,” MarineMax president and chief executive officer W. Brett McGill said in announcing the acquisition. “There is significant pent-up demand for the types of solutions Boatyard brings to ... make the boat ownership experience easier and more accessible.”