Strong boat show uplifts marine industry
By Brian Bandell
Dealers said the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show had plenty of buyers and increased international interest – both signs that boats sales might improve after slumping this year.
On Oct. 26, potential buyers navigated the rain-slick docks at Bahia Mar Beach Resort & Yachting Center to gawk at yachts that would tower over most houses and had nearly as many luxury amenities as a five-star hotel. The 223-foot Kismet was so big the Coast Guard wouldn’t let it in the Intracoastal Waterway, so the $130 million yacht had to dock in the channel leading to Port Everglades.
The show featured more 80-foot-plus megayachts than ever before and a record 30 percent of the credentials went to international clients, said Marine Industries Association of South Florida Executive Director Frank Herhold. Attendance on Oct. 27 might have broken a show record, he added.
“This was one of our most successful shows ever, in terms of sales and a wide range of products,” said Herhold, whose organization owns the show. “The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is always the industry’s barometer for the next season – and right now, all the signs are very positive.”
Sales of boats between 34 feet and 59 feet have slowed this year as the housing industry has struggled, said Bill Filip, West Coast sales manager for Arlington, Wash.-based Meridian Yachts. But there were plenty of serious buyers at the show once the rain cleared up, he added.
Meridian promoted amenities such as air conditioning coming from the ceiling into a leather-lined cabin and a joystick-like docking control for its yachts.
Florida Boat Show
