Boats Afloat kicks off Wednesday with more boats to look at
Sep 12 2011 in Business of Boating, Currents by Deborah Bach
The Lake Union Boats Afloat show is billed as the largest floating show on the west coast.
Organizers are hoping the recent good weather and the largest number of boats in several years will bring buyers out to this week’s Lake Union Boats Afloat show in Seattle.
The 33rd annual show, which runs Wednesday through Sunday, will have 191 boats, the most since 2008. That’s considerably fewer than the 300-plus boats the show had before the economic downturn but about 30 more than last year, show producer Bonnie Robertson said.
“This is still a very big show,” Robertson said. “It’s the largest floating boat show on the west coast.”
Boats on display will range from a 21-foot Ranger Tug up to a 101-foot custom Hargrave yacht, with the show split almost evenly between new and used boats. For the first time in several years, Robertson said, the mix will include about 25 ski boats in an effort to bring in younger buyers and broaden the selection.
Brands represented in the show include Beneteau, Jeanneau, J/Boat, Hunter, Ocean Alexander, American Tug, Grand Banks, Selene and Kadey-Krogen, among others.
Sailboats of note
Seattle’s Signature Yachts will have nine sailboats on display, including the west coast premiere of Beneteau’s new Sense 43, a two-stateroom designed by Berret Racoupeau. Also among the brokerage’s offerings is a new Schock Harbor 25, a weekender with traditional lines above the waterline, and a Beneteau First 30 racer/cruiser designed by Juan Kouyoumjdian.
Marine Servicenter will have the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 379, which makes its North American debut at the show. Designed by French naval architect Marc Lombard, it is one of few 37-foot vessels on the market that has a twin-wheel cockpit. Marine Servicenter will also be showing a new Hunter e36, one of Hunter’s six new offerings for the 2011 model year.
The show includes 31 sailboats, more than in previous years. Finding good sailboats to display is an ongoing challenge, Robertson said.
“We’ve been consistently having 27 sailboats in the show for the past four years, so I consider this a little bit of growth,” she said.
Powerboats of note
Grand Banks Northwest will have eight boats on display, including a Grand Banks 53 Aleutian RP, a 1983 Grand Banks 49CL, a Grand Banks 42CL and a 1985 Grand Banks 36SE.
The Krogen 52 from Kadey-Krogen Yachts will make its world debut at the show. Building on the success of Krogen 58, the vessel offers the bluewater capability of its big sister and many of the same design elements.
Chuck Hovey Yachts will be showing hull number 5 of the Corvette 340, which makes its west coast premiere at the show.
Selene Seattle will have a brand new 2011 Selene 58, one of the first of a new deep hull series featuring all new mold tooling and efficient hull design.
Elliott Bay Yachts will be showing a Hinckley Talaria 44 Express, a one-owner boat that was one of the first of its type on the west coast.
The number of shoreside exhibitors is up this year, Robertson said, and for the first time includes Sunbrella fabrics, which will have what is likely the show’s most unusual display — a makeover of a 43-foot Hans Christian sailboat, Galatea, which is homeported in Olympia and owned by photographer Steve Mason.
Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, which makes Sunbrella, hired Olympia-based Iverson’s Design to do the exterior fabric work on the boat and Portage Canvas & Upholstery of Vashon Island to reupholster the boat’s interior cushions and cockpit seating.
The show will also include opportunities for people of all ages to get out on the water. Free sailboat rides will run continuously every day of the show, and nonprofit organization Sail Sand Point is providing free sailing lessons for kids on Saturday and Sunday.
The lessons will be on 14-foot Hobie Cat Waves and will start with a 30-minute dockside briefing to go over the basics of sailing. Students then take the boats out on the water themselves, accompanied by instructors in powerboats. Lifejackets are provided. Lessons will be offered at 11 a.m. and 1, 3 and 5 p.m. both days. Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged; to sign up, email showinfo@boatsafloatshow.com.
Started in 1977, the show is put on by the Northwest Yacht Brokers Association (NYBA), which is headquartered on Lake Union and includes yacht brokers, dealers and marine businesses from around the region.
Despite the nation’s ongoing gloomy economic news, Robertson said early indicators bode well for the show. A recent offering on the online buying site Groupon sold 736 advance tickets – compared with 52 sold during a Groupon deal last year – and the show’s Facebook page has attracted 800 new fans since August.
Organizers are also expecting a strong turnout from Canadian buyers, who have flocked to the show in droves in the last few years and helped prop up the region’s boating industry as it struggled through a prolonged recession.
“We’re looking for a great, great turnout for this show,” Robertson said.
The Lake Union Boats Afloat Show runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Tickets are available online or at the door. Online ticket purchases include a coupon for a free bowl of chowder at Duke’s Lake Union Chowder House.
Justin R. said on September 12, 2011
I’m surprised that they’re charging $12 a head.