We are excited to introduce to you our newest addition to the Cannons’ team – Andrew White!  He is a sales specialist and is here to help you buy or sell a new or used boat or a Yamaha motor.  We are particularly psyched about Andrew, not only because of his impressive boating experience and work history but also because of his love for our community and the Florida lifestyle.  We are so happy to have him on our team and can’t wait for you to meet him.  Here’s a brief introduction to him, but please stop by in person to say, “hi!”
How is working at Cannons going so far?
I am so happy out here on Longboat Key. It’s been a great week for me and it’s a really great group of people and the location is fantastic.
Are you from the Bradenton/Sarasota area?
I grew up in Bradenton and also spent a lot of time on Anna Maria Island because my family has a beach house in Holmes Beach. I was born at Manatee Hospital. During the school year I would be in town but in June, I would be out at the beach house all summer long. My mom bought the beach house in 1963 and we have kept it in the family ever since.
Did you do a lot of boating when growing up here?
Yes, my dad always had boats. I started to love fishing at a young age, my dad taught me a lot about fishing and boating. He did an excellent job of passing it down to me. I was always out fishing on the Manatee River or on Holmes Beach. We would go to the Keys every year for a couple of weeks. Boating was an enormous part of my life and always has been. I think I took my first trip to Egmont Key at two years old. I went out there in a little basket.
Are you a fisherman? Do you have a favorite catch?
Yes, I have a lot of fish stories, but the best times are when you’re out there with your best friends or your family and you’re enjoying it together. Being able to come home to eat the fish that you caught, it’s a sublime thing to me. I cannot get enough of it. It’s a little difficult to verbalize – being able to be out with friends on the water doing something that we love, it’s one of my favorite things to do. I love being able to take the kids fishing and to see that they are interested in sea creatures and fishing – it means a lot to me. Being lucky enough to have what we have here and being able to enjoy it; it’s unbelievable.
Describe one of your favorite fishing trips.
On my honeymoon, I caught a 300-pound marlin, that was pretty incredible. But my favorite would be just an average day out here with my brother and kids. It sounds hokey, but it’s true! I think a lot of it has to do with passing that knowledge on. I remember going out with my dad and how he taught me to fish. I teach my son almost verbatim as my dad taught me.
Have you ever boated in the Caribbean?
Yes, I took two years off from college and moved down to St. Thomas where I was a mate on a marlin boat. St. Thomas has a famous spot called the North Drop, known for some of the biggest marlin in the Atlantic Ocean.
Do you snorkel or scuba dive? 
I think I was 23 when I got certified as a scuba diver and it changed my life in a big way. From then on, I was more of an offshore guy. I got to go down and see the spots and the bottom, where I had been fishing my whole life. I have nine different diving certifications – Open Water 1, Advanced Diver, Nitrox, Deep Air & Technical Diving, Rebreather, Cavern, Cave, Trimix and Advanced Rescue. I was also the editor of Advanced Diver magazine; a technical diving magazine. Working for the magazine, we were always doing some sort of expeditions. We explored the caves in Wakulla. We helped map a shipwreck in the Cayman Islands. It was pretty neat, but a lot of it involved very deep diving and heavy equipment.
What’s your favorite thing to do out on the water now?
My favorite thing is to go spearfishing. There’s 60 feet of visibility out there today. It is a gorgeous day for spearfishing!
In the area, what are some of your favorite boating destinations? 
My favorite place to boat is 25 miles due west out in the Gulf of Mexico. I also love to take the kids to Egmont. It’s a great place to anchor and bring the kids up on shore and walk around the little paths. I also love Cabbage Key;  I’ve spent a lot of time there. That’s the place I would choose to go to on any vacation. Try their famous specialty drink, the “Cabbage Creepers.”
Do you have a favorite boat-up restaurant?
I’ve been to the Tide Tables a couple of times and have had a fantastic experience both times we’ve been there.
Have you ever worked in the boating industry before?
Yes, I started working for Wellcraft in 2006 where I was the marketing and special events manager. I was responsible for multimillion-dollar shows and the advertising and marketing around the events. I planned and managed all of the photo shoots for the events. Part of my job was that I was corporate brand manager of Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Kingfish and Striper fishing tours and so basically, I would have to emcee the whole tournament. Most of the time I would deal with the owners and fish with a team and make sure that all the customers were happy. I traveled everywhere for the tour – from Venice, Louisiana to Nantucket. It was a lot of fun. In 2008, Wellcraft moved their manufacturing to Michigan so I started my own business doing pretty much do the same thing as I did before, but instead as an independent contractor. It was great to work from home and spend a lot of time with my kids.
How do you feel about the boats you are selling at Cannons?
The boats here are fantastic. I’m dragging my jaw into work here every day! You can’t get any better brands of the boats that cannons sells. When I was previously working on the FLW tour and for different boat companies, it’s very hard to sell against a Grady-White. It’s one of the top brands in the marine industry; whether it’s fishing or cruising. When you take into account all of the awards Cannons has received for service and you put that together with a brand like Grady-White, it’s no mystery why Cannons has been so successful. It’s just the best.
Tell us about what you will be doing at Cannons.
I’m a sales specialist and I’ll be selling new and used boats, Yamaha engines, Grady-White and Southwind boats. I will also be doing yacht brokerage, which means whatever they want to buy or sell, I can list it with them on consignment or help them buy one. Whether it’s new or used, I can fix them up.
 What is your favorite boat that you are selling right now?
I’ve had a very long love affair with the Grady-White line, it’s everything I want in a boat. There’s a 336 Canyon – a big center console – it’s the perfect fishing boat but classy and very comfortable. It’s got it all.
Are you excited to be working with Cannons?
I can’t say enough about how supportive, knowledgeable and how friendly and welcoming everyone here has been. Everyone has been fantastic. Lucile and David, Benny the manager – they’re all great. Jim Gallagher and I have a lot in common, we both surf and fish. I have found myself a wonderful spot…I feel right at home.