The Boat Show, The Boat Show, The Great Seattle Boat Show!

As my stepdaughter said recently, she was sorry that she ever complained about the snow as she tries to dry out from the rain. The Northwest was hammered these past few weeks, first with more than usual snow fall, and then by serious flooding. Earlier last week about the only way you could get to the Seattle area was either by boat, plane, or via British Columbia by car. All three major east-west passes were closed and I-5 was flooded out to the south around Centralia. The trains were not running, either. High-water, mud slides, and continual avalanches were the stuff of news reports

For my wife and me, two of the harbingers of spring (and hopefully, slightly dryer and milder weather) have announced themselves. The annual Flower & Garden Show at Seattle's Convention Center runs February 18th for five days. The second is the Great Seattle Boat Show, which starts January 23rd and runs through February 1st. I hope they keep their theme song this year; it's one of those that keeps running mindlessly through your head every time you hear their commercial.

The Boat Show is a collaborative venture by two groups, Northwest Yacht Brokers Association (NYBA) and Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA), and has two venues: outside and afloat on south Lake Union and indoors at the Quest Field Event Center, with free shuttle connecting. The show is advertised as the largest show on the west coast, trumping the San Diego show which ended this past weekend. (In the interests of full disclosure, I am a member of the NYBA.)

These are anything but the best of times for the boat sales industry, and even with boat financing being available, it is tight. Almost daily the various boating industry news outlets report more and more manufacturing company layoffs and production cut-backs. Nationally, new boat sales have fallen over 25% in 2008 compared to the previous year, with net dealer profit falling by 56.2 % for the same period. A clue as to what is happening across the industry is the National Marine Manufacturers Association (the NWMA is not a member) this year broadening its policy of limiting exhibiting previous year boat models from 20% to 50% to help dealers sell off existing inventory. All this means an extremely good time to buy a boat, if you can swing it. 

I suspect that this year's show will present some challenges. In previous years the Olympic Boat Centers have been an anchor exhibitor at the event center. Now Olympic Boats no longer exists, although other brokers have picked up some Bayliner products.

While the Quest Field show is primarily run by the NMTA, the afloat show at south Lake Union is a Northwest Yacht Brokers Association event. Here you'll find boats of many vintages, sail and power, new and older, and there should be some exceptionally good deals. Don't be afraid to talk to the brokers about boating in general and in specifics. You'll find a lot of knowledge there to help you find the boat you're really thinking about. And don't miss visiting my friends on the Ray Rairdon Yacht Sales boats on the east (of the exhibitors' tent) dock, and, as Stuart Anderson says in his TV ads, "Tell them Mike sent you."

Besides walking the docks (they bring in lots and lots of extra docking for the event, and I've often wondered where all these live between shows) and kibitzing with old friends - - I'm not seriously in the market for a new-to-me boat, we also enjoy heading down to Quest Field. To be honest, I'm more interested in the many, many product displays and exhibits than climbing, sans shoes, the boats on display. For me it must be something like the Las Vegas computer trade show - - Comdex, without Microsoft's Steve Ballmer exuberating.

Also worth checking out at Quest Field event center are some of the seminars. Jo Bailey with Carl Nyberg, good friends and now Kitsap penninsula neighbors, are a must. If the term Gunkholing in the San Juan Islands (or . . . in South Puget Sound, or . . . in the Gulf Islands) doesn't mean anything to you, then you've missed some of the best cruising resources for the northwest and the delightful writing of these two veteran cruisers. You'll probably also find Jo and Carl book-sighing at the Captain's Nautical Supply display.

Another seminar presenter well worth catching is Lynne Reister, a marine surveyor and friend who I understand is scheduled to do three seminars: Buying a Boat, Preparing a Boat to Sell, and What to Expect of a Surveyor. Knowing Lynne, all of these should be very worthwhile. 

Nigel Caldwell, well known for his classics Marine Diesel Engines and Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual, is scheduled to give three 3-hour courses on diesel, DC electrics, and new boat technologies at the boat show university. Though there's a $39 cost per course, any of the three should be excellent.

The complete seminar and boat show university course schedule is on line. 

One ticket, which you can get at any boat broker (some even have free passes) or on-line, covers both shows, plus the shuttle and some extra goodies.

Garden Show mentioned on a boating blog?

You bet, especially if you've ever seen my wife June's great garden on our back forty - - I mean, our aft deck.

See you at the Great Seattle Boat Show. And then, if you have an aft deck that needs some color and life, at the garden show.