Thursday, March 04, 2010
Million Boat Show March
Ok, maybe there are not millions of boat shows this month, but there are a bunch this weekend. Too many to list, actually, but we'll give it a try.
Where are all the boat shows? Let's just say that if you're in Denver, Orlando, Philly, San Diego or Louisville, there's a boat show of some sort near you.
There are also boating events in Alabama, northern Illinois and on Long Island. Many of these are traditional boat shows, some are quite large, and a couple are specialty shows focusing on trawlers or houseboats. American made cruisers, like the beautiful Nordic Tug 49 pictured here (courtesy of Nordic Tugs), will be on display at Trawler Fest this weekend in San Diego.
Not in the US? No problem. There are boat shows this weekend in Japan, Austria and Winnipeg, too.
As always, all the details about these and other fun events can be found on our boat show calendar.
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Where are all the boat shows? Let's just say that if you're in Denver, Orlando, Philly, San Diego or Louisville, there's a boat show of some sort near you.
Not in the US? No problem. There are boat shows this weekend in Japan, Austria and Winnipeg, too.
As always, all the details about these and other fun events can be found on our boat show calendar.
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Labels: Boat Shows, California, Canada, Florida, NY, Social, Things to do
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Boat Shows Two by Two
Now that the Miami International Boat Show (MIBS) has ended, there are boat shows on virtually every corner this weekend.
Interestingly, many states are even holding boat shows in two locations simultaneously. California has shows in both LA and Alameda. On the east coast, Massachusetts is hosting a big boat show in Boston and a smaller "Sportsmens and Boating Show" at the Big E fairgrounds in Springfield. And in the middle, sort of, Michigan is heading into the second weekend of the Detroit show just as the Grand Rapids boat show begins.
Breaking the twofer trend are shows in Duluth, Michigan, and Mumbai, India (Like Miami, this show is also referred to as MIBS (Mumbai International Boat Show).
Details on these events and more are available in our boat show calendar.
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Interestingly, many states are even holding boat shows in two locations simultaneously. California has shows in both LA and Alameda. On the east coast, Massachusetts is hosting a big boat show in Boston and a smaller "Sportsmens and Boating Show" at the Big E fairgrounds in Springfield. And in the middle, sort of, Michigan is heading into the second weekend of the Detroit show just as the Grand Rapids boat show begins.
Breaking the twofer trend are shows in Duluth, Michigan, and Mumbai, India (Like Miami, this show is also referred to as MIBS (Mumbai International Boat Show). Details on these events and more are available in our boat show calendar.
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Labels: Boat Shows, California, Florida, Things to do
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
America gets its cup back
As a casual, recreational boater, did you know that the 33rd America's Cup just happened?
Were you aware that the billionaire CEO of a giant software company called Oracle led a radically designed yacht across the Mediterranean to win the bragging rights to the oldest active trophy in international sports?
Admittedly, many of us were too busy watching the Olympics, or were distracted when the first race was postponed due to lack of wind. Maybe you were turned off by the two-plus-year courtroom drama between the Cup contestants over the rules, or questioned the validity of the technology used in this year's boats.
Maybe you missed it, but don't dismiss it. The America's Cup is back in the country of its namesake after a 15 year drought, the longest in the contest's history. The technology behind the winning boat is considered revolutionary by some, and could change the face of the Cup for all future races. As an American, you could be proud of our country, our team and one of our nation's amazing entrepreneurial success stories in Larry Ellison and Oracle.
Don't worry, thanks to the Internet, you can watch the victory and learn more about the contest easily at several sites. AmericasCup.com, Oracle.com, and the NY Times are good places to start.
Thank you, Larry, for bringing the Cup back home.
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Labels: California, Contest, Famous, Sail, video, Yachts
Thursday, February 04, 2010
For Ladies Only
Today’s boat show round up includes a special event in SoCal this weekend, the 21st Annual Women's Sailing Convention (brochure pictured courtesy of the event website.)
Otherwise, this weekend's boat show schedule is light with most industry folks looking to avoid the disappointment of low turnout to their events on Superbowl Sunday. The industry is also gearing up for the big one in Miami next week.
That being said, if you are in Atlantic City, Tulsa, Seattle or Fort Wayne, Indiana, there's a boat show near you going on right now.
Did you go to the Hartford Boat Show last weekend? BoatNameGear was there, and we were pleasantly surprised with the turnout – especially on Saturday morning and afternoon. Lots of folks came by the booth to look for boat name ideas or gear for a recently purchased boat. That's right, many people told us they recently bought a boat - we heard the same thing from the dealers. In fact, one of the largest boat dealers in Southern New England told us they sold 20 boats at the show. Not bad for a town like Hartford in January, especially in this economy.
If you attended the New York show a couple weeks back (or even if you didn't but thought about going), the National Marine Manufacturers Association wants to hear from you and have put out this survey to get your feedback on the show.
More information about all these shows and more, as always, can be found on our boat show calendar.
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Labels: Boat Shows, California, NY, Sail, Things to do
Thursday, January 28, 2010
At the Hartford Boat Show
Each week we tell you about boat shows around the world, but this week it's personal.
While there are a few boating events around the country, the Hartford Boat Show is the only one we’re thinking about. Our sister site, BoatNameGear, will be exhibiting all weekend at the Hartford show. At the BoatNameGear booth, you'll be able to see and feel the high quality products that are usually only available online – welcome mats, shirts, jackets, totes and more, all personalized with your boat name.
Of course there are other boat shows this weekend, but the other two general-themed boat shows – in sunny San Diego and historic Duesseldorf – were tempting yet too far to travel for this young, growing organization. Other shows in the US sounded too specific for our needs – Strictly Sail in the windy city and Trawler Fest down in Ft. Lauderdale. So it turns out that the boat show in our own backyard was the only show for us this weekend!
Learn more about the 2010 Hartford Boat Show, and get coupons to print and bring to the show to save money on admission. And if you go, please stop by booth E10 and say hello! (We're not far from the food stands in the back, to the right.)
As always, details about other boat shows and more are available on our boat show calendar.
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While there are a few boating events around the country, the Hartford Boat Show is the only one we’re thinking about. Our sister site, BoatNameGear, will be exhibiting all weekend at the Hartford show. At the BoatNameGear booth, you'll be able to see and feel the high quality products that are usually only available online – welcome mats, shirts, jackets, totes and more, all personalized with your boat name.
Of course there are other boat shows this weekend, but the other two general-themed boat shows – in sunny San Diego and historic Duesseldorf – were tempting yet too far to travel for this young, growing organization. Other shows in the US sounded too specific for our needs – Strictly Sail in the windy city and Trawler Fest down in Ft. Lauderdale. So it turns out that the boat show in our own backyard was the only show for us this weekend!
Learn more about the 2010 Hartford Boat Show, and get coupons to print and bring to the show to save money on admission. And if you go, please stop by booth E10 and say hello! (We're not far from the food stands in the back, to the right.)
As always, details about other boat shows and more are available on our boat show calendar.
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Labels: Boat Names, Boat Shows, BoatNameGear, California, Chicago, Social, Things to do
Monday, January 25, 2010
Getting Younger
This weekend, while many of us were deciding important issues such as who will be in the Superbowl, a 16 year old American girl sailed off from California in an attempt to become the youngest nonstop solo circumnavigator. You can follow the trek of Abby Sunderland and her yacht, Wild Eyes, on her website: http://abbysunderland.com
Of course, we've also been paying close attention to Australia's Jessica Watson, who embarked on her own quest to solo-sail around the world, unassisted, this past September. Just this weekend, around the time that Abby was setting sail, Jessica was passing through an incredible storm that she said pushed her mast "180 degrees in to the water". More details and pics of the damage done to her yacht, Ella's Pink Lady, are available at Jessica's blog.
Pete Thomas, writing for the LA Times, has a great piece about Abby's adventure, and includes factoids such as Abby's older brother Zac is (currently) the youngest American to sail around the world alone. He did it at 17, and was trumped within weeks by England's Mike Perham, who did the same but "at a slightly younger 17."
These are all amazing "kids" doing amazing things, and we look forward to their safe and successful returns!
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Pete Thomas, writing for the LA Times, has a great piece about Abby's adventure, and includes factoids such as Abby's older brother Zac is (currently) the youngest American to sail around the world alone. He did it at 17, and was trumped within weeks by England's Mike Perham, who did the same but "at a slightly younger 17."
These are all amazing "kids" doing amazing things, and we look forward to their safe and successful returns!
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Labels: Around the World, California, News, Safety, Sail, Weather, Yachts
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Boat Show Mania
Seriously, if you can’t find a boat show near you this weekend, you must be on the west coast! The Midwest and east coast are flooded with big boat shows this week, but don't worry California, you've got one coming up next weekend.
Weekend-long boat shows kicked off yesterday in Minneapolis, Louisville and New York (one of the big ones). Today marks the start of the Baltimore Boat Show, and tomorrow (Friday) is the first day of South Carolina's 30th Annual Charleston Boat Show.
Milwaukee and Cleveland shows, both of which began last weekend, wrap up this Sunday, January 24th. (Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee show)
Attention US Power Squadron members: The New York National Boat Show is offering free admission all weekend long with your USPS identification according to a post on the show’s FaceBook page.
As always, details about all these shows and more are available on our boat show calendar.
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Labels: Boat Shows, California, Chicago, Great Lakes, NY, Things to do
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Boaters Welcoming Winter
It is so cold in New England today that it’s hard to believe winter doesn’t officially start until Monday. Florida (because they can) is kicking off the season with several boat parades this weekend, including some rescheduled due to rain last weekend. But the big one is in California, where they are welcoming winter with a bang - despite the fact that the weather won't really even change for folks in SoCal. The 101st Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade kicked off on Wednesday and runs nightly through the 20th.And while there are no boat shows this week, there has been plenty of boat show news. The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), which is behind more than a dozen boat shows all over the US, will own and manage Boston’s annual New England Boat Show beginning with this February’s event. With the NMMA in charge, the Boston show may include two programs that will help you out if you’re a new boater. First is the NMMA’s long-running Discover Boating program, which strives to introduce people to the joys of recreational boating (Just like FirstBoat, only bigger). Second is the NMMA’s new Affordability Pavilion – a special area on the show floor featuring boats that can be financed for $250 or less per month.
If you were making plans to attend the 49th annual Vancouver International Boat Show (April 8-11, 2010), you’re going to have to find something else to do. The show was canceled, allegedly because of construction. However, other boat shows have been canceled recently due to the economy. Just saying.
In Texas, the 2010 Houston International Boat, Sport & Travel Show, which boasts sixteen acres of boats and campers on display, has announced it will be held January 8-17 at Reliant Center.
Details and links for all of these boat parades and shows can be found on the FirstBoat boating events calendar.
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Labels: Boat Shows, California, Economy, Florida, News, Parades, Things to do, Weather
