See full version: Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Recap
If you’ve never been to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show—FLIBS, for short—the most important thing to know is that it is the largest boat show in the world. Its economic impact is legendary, so much so that Fort Lauderdale regards it on par with getting to host the NFL’s Superbowl every year.
In the coming weeks you’ll see interviews with naval architects, reviews of small cruisers, new products, boat previews, and more. Story ideas for 2017 and beyond are forming as we find out about new buyers and previous clients that are having or are planning to leave for epic experiences on the water. You’ll also hear about boats cruising from Alaska to Annapolis with creative ways of avoiding the Panama Canal. We’ll be covering new technologies that are becoming smaller, more affordable, and easier to DIY. We’ll have new boat tests with popular new trawlers as well as some unique boats that we feel qualify as true passagemakers. [links]
FLIBS covers every kind of boat imaginable: fishing, flats, inflatables, sport boats, trawlers, tugs, catamarans, superyachts, megayachts, unique yachts, and every sort of boat in between. We even saw some sort of amphibious fusion between a catamaran and a bulldozer that is used for waterfront management.
• Monte Carlo 52, which has three cabins.
• Beneteau Gran Turismo 36 OB, Swift Trawler 41 and Flyer 32.
• Monte Carlo Yachts MCY 66, MCY 70 and MCY 76.
• Jeanneau NC 895 SPORT and NC 1095 FLY.
• Prestige 420, which features sweeping views inside and two staterooms. Prestige also announced a new line called XLine; the first model, the X70, will debut at FLIBS 2020.
• Scarab 285 ID is the biggest jetboat in the segment and reaches 55 mph.
• Wellcraft 402 Fisherman is 40 feet and is equipped with four engines and a cabin. more
• Marquis showed off its new Marquis 42, a sporty dayboat, as well as the luxurious Lexus LY 650, which was built at the Marquis facilities in Pulaski, Wisconsin. here
• Boston Whaler showed off its new 405 Conquest and 325 Conquest. The 405 features a private master stateroom, enclosed head with separate shower, redesigned hull and more.
• Galeon’s 680 FLY made its FLIBS debut after being unveiled at the 2019 Cannes show. This new yacht features a sundeck that transforms into a seating area, a spacious flybridge, four guest cabins and more. more
With the Jupiter 34 and Edgewater 34 coming in at a show price of around $490,000 the Boston Whaler Outrage 350 looks like a bargain at $410,000 (as does the Valhalla 33 at around $410k). Granted, the Whaler didn’t have the “Platinum” package but still was a good comparison and a foot bigger! more
Numerous center consoles had triple and quad 425’s and 450’s. Scout’s 53 LXF had five Mercury 450hp racing engines and others even had “unlimited” horsepower ratings! here
I can’t believe how expensive boats have become. It’s now common for high-quality, center console boats in the 34-foot range to be priced in the high $400,000’s!! It could be that it’s because of the added option of a Seakeeper gyro stabilizer but still…ouch!
The number of boat manufacturers with center consoles over 40′ is extensive. Some of the nicer ones I saw were from Intrepid, Blackwater, Jupiter, Valhalla, Grady-White, Scout and Invincible. HCB has the largest center console measuring a whopping 65 feet! more
Our experience started with an opening night cocktail party where we met so many fellow industry partners. The next morning an opening ceremony and ribbon cutting where West Palm Beach Mayor Elect spoke about the marine industries economic importance to the area. The following days of continuous live music, refreshments, and exhibits, along with the famous floating cocktail barges were fantastic.
I’d like to share some key facts that came my way about the Palm Beach Boat Show. It featured more than $1.4 billion in boats and accessories and saw a spike in attendance of more than 6.7 percent from last year.
As you walked around the tented areas, the variety of merchants selling fishing equipment, apparel, and other marine products and services was endless. You can see that this industry is full of passionate folks who love what they do. [links]
From the mega yachts to custom built sportfishing boats to tricked out inflatables; we couldn’t believe the diversity of brands being represented. Jeff Lichterman from Albury Brothers Boats said, “This was the best boat show of the year”. here