Boats Afloat
19 October, 2011 ... Design
They came to compare what they have with what is available or how to improve their current inventory through interior design and/or engineering. Attendees were serious and looking for quality, sustainable goods. A happy surprise for all exhibiters was the attendance at Boat’s Afloat which is an annual boat show held on Lake Union in Seattle, WA. There has been so much financial doom and gloom on TV and news media that most exhibiters felt; if people showed up – great! If they didn’t, at least we’d come together and endorsed boating as a professional group at the ready. Evidently Seattle and the Pacific Rim aren’t letting negative press dampen their boating spirit. They arrived by thousands!
The Boat’s Afloat show is unique in that it isn’t a huge show like Fort Lauderdale or Miami but it is a quality show. I don’t know about other folks but the bigger boat shows are so crowded that it’s difficult to see the boats much less go aboard or consult anyone. That isn’t the case at Boat’s Afloat in Seattle. Boat Brokers moor new and used yachts and boats dockside and marine support businesses exhibit on land in special, exhibition tents dockside to the event. There are all sizes, types and vintages of yachts and boats available including custom builds and small run-a-bouts. Even though the weather cooled down with some rain and wind, people stood in line to purchase their tickets. Most purchased tickets for the full, 4 day event. The big buzz was when a married couple from Hawaii purchased not one but two yachts. One a brand new 78’MY to keep in Vancouver BC so they could cruise Canadian waters in the summer then, they walked around the corner and purchased a 50’ sailboat in which to sail back home to Hawaii.
That’s good news.
The Boat’s Afloat show is unique in that it isn’t a huge show like Fort Lauderdale or Miami but it is a quality show. I don’t know about other folks but the bigger boat shows are so crowded that it’s difficult to see the boats much less go aboard or consult anyone. That isn’t the case at Boat’s Afloat in Seattle. Boat Brokers moor new and used yachts and boats dockside and marine support businesses exhibit on land in special, exhibition tents dockside to the event. There are all sizes, types and vintages of yachts and boats available including custom builds and small run-a-bouts. Even though the weather cooled down with some rain and wind, people stood in line to purchase their tickets. Most purchased tickets for the full, 4 day event. The big buzz was when a married couple from Hawaii purchased not one but two yachts. One a brand new 78’MY to keep in Vancouver BC so they could cruise Canadian waters in the summer then, they walked around the corner and purchased a 50’ sailboat in which to sail back home to Hawaii.
That’s good news.
