Boats by George two locations are located in Lake George, NY, one at the corner of Routes 9 &149 and the other in Sandy Bay On Cleverdale. Founded by George Pensel in 1982, the flagship Boats By George store on Route 149 became the regions largest indoor boat showcase of boats, boasting 18,000 square feet of climate controlled showroom featuring boats from 17-37'. In 2005, the Boats By George brand and empire was broadened, when the former Mooring Post Marina was acquired by Pensel and renamed “Boats By George…on the lake”.

Boats by George principal George Pensel is quite iconic in the Lake George area, having grown up locally and worked as a dock boy at The Dunham’s Bay Boat Company, a company that George’s revered father, Donald Pensel, had purchased in 1948. It was this early experience that inspired George and motivated him to believe that someday he would have a boat of his own and that like his father, he too would have a marina on Lake George.

Don Pensel retired from the boat business in 1970 when he sold Dunham’s Bay, but his then teenaged son George, wanted to stay involved in the marina, so he persuaded the new owners to hire him as a dock boy during the summer months. George remained with the new owners throughout his high school and college years and became very interested in boat sales.

In 1977, George pursued this newfound interest when he joined the Pilot Knob Boat Company as an assistant manager and spent the next few years learning the management, sales and service aspects of the boat business.

In 1980, George decided to open a business of his own in the marine trades and determined that boat covers and tops would be a great niche market and thus in January 1981, “Custom Boat Covers by George” opened their doors for business. His business flourished but there came a funny twist when George was selected to be the area Dealer for the Century Boat Company; a twist of fate that marked the beginning of a business that still carries the name “Boats By George.”

For a retail site, he selected the firm's present location on Route 149, the busy Farm to Market Road near Route 9, just a short distance above Northway Exit 20.

George Pensel had an absolute passion for quality service and superior marine products. He used that as the fundamental ingredient for the foundation of Boats by George, and he was proud to represent such an excellent line of boats as Century.

During the fall of 1982, George attended the International Marine Trades exhibit in Chicago and on his way to the Century booth, discovered a display by Cobalt. He was very impressed with the quality and styling of the Cobalt product.

In June 1983, Boats by George had sold every Century boat the firm could gets its hands on, so George contacted Cobalt to seek some of its outstanding products to sell in the Lake George area.

Cobalt responded by sending boats and thus began a strong relationship with Boats by George. The rest, as they say, is history. That relationship has grown to where Boats by George is one of the nation's leading Cobalt dealers. It is from this dealership that the excellent Cobalt product has become a favorite among boat owners on Lake George and on many other recreational waters in the area.

Boats by George has grown from one to two locations and is now a full service dealership. It offers radio dispatched technical mobile service, making dock calls to its customers. The company still offers custom covers and tops, boating accessories including the Cobalt clothing line, winter storage, fiberglass repairs and of course, the continuing outstanding line of Cobalt boats.

The "Yes you can at Boats by George" answer to your call to the dealership is more than a marketing response, it reflects the history of the teenage dock boy who had a dream.