There’s nothing better than a typical 85-degree, 85-percent humidity South Florida day. It must be time for the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. I’ve actually lost count of how many I’ve been to. It’s well over 20, probably closer to 30, jeez. This is my first, however, as an editor with Marlin Magazine. The response as we walk around the show in our Marlin shirts and name badges is pretty amazing. The reaction by our readers is cult-like, a true testament to the team I joined, and that was in place long before I arrived. Working the show with birthday-boy Dave Ferrell was like walking with Elvis.
On the docks the production boats consume the real estate with Cabo, Hatteras and Viking the slip leaders. Tomorrow I’m running the new 36-foot Cabo with the ZF drives. The pod-drives are still the news and Tiara unveiled its new 43-footer with CMD Zeus Technology. The powers-that-be at the respective companies promise a 4-degree reduction in dBa levels due to the system and a new exhaust system designed by the in-house Tiara engineers.
I cruised past the new Spencer convertible sporting a pretty cool new window design on the house. It’s a sharp looking vessel even just sitting at the dock sans hardtop or tuna tower.
Ritchie Howell’s Blue Runner always gets looks and one of the reasons his shop has a number of boats in the production line.
Of course one would be remiss not to walk past the line of megayachts, Med-moored at the show. Must be nice to lift the garage-like door in the transom and have your den with full galley at the ready. Can’t wait for tomorrow.
