Talk about a show of opulence, the West Palm Beach Boat Show features an estimated 500 boats collectively worth around $350 million. The show began on Thursday and ended today, Sunday. We took some of the photos at the end of the day so unfortunately there are some shadows.
Hosted by the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, the event typically draws about 40,000 visitors and generates an estimated $15 million. But for all the vendors camped out at the boat show along Flagler Drive, it's just a game of waiting and seeing whether the local boating community is willing to spend money for their boats.
Tents will cover 100,000 square feet to house everything from boat accessories to cars, clothing, jewelry, home goods and fishing equipment. Exhibitors are expected from all over the world, including China and Europe. The middle yacht below is called "Never Enough".
There's a waiting list for exhibitors, some of which have been hoping for years to get into the show, said Emily Schaper of Haber & Quinn Inc., a public relations firm in Fort Lauderdale.
The showcase vessel will be the Casino Royale, a $38.5 million yacht designed with James Bond in mind. It includes frosted-glass panels etched with the silhouettes of Bond girls lighted by LEDs on the central staircase, a handcrafted marble roulette wheel in the deck of the main salon and a figure of Vesper Lynd, the fictional heroine from the 2006 Casino Royale movie.
Organizers of the 24th annual show do not expect the sour economy to dampen the event. Their statement was that everyone still wants the dream of owning a boat one day.
The boats are displayed in a temporary 500,000-square-foot marina on the Intracoastal that crews began building almost two weeks ago. This meant that the boats could all be displayed in one location, downtown West Palm Beach, instead of being dispersed throughout the city.
Hosted by the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, the event typically draws about 40,000 visitors and generates an estimated $15 million. But for all the vendors camped out at the boat show along Flagler Drive, it's just a game of waiting and seeing whether the local boating community is willing to spend money for their boats.
Tents will cover 100,000 square feet to house everything from boat accessories to cars, clothing, jewelry, home goods and fishing equipment. Exhibitors are expected from all over the world, including China and Europe. The middle yacht below is called "Never Enough".
There's a waiting list for exhibitors, some of which have been hoping for years to get into the show, said Emily Schaper of Haber & Quinn Inc., a public relations firm in Fort Lauderdale.
The showcase vessel will be the Casino Royale, a $38.5 million yacht designed with James Bond in mind. It includes frosted-glass panels etched with the silhouettes of Bond girls lighted by LEDs on the central staircase, a handcrafted marble roulette wheel in the deck of the main salon and a figure of Vesper Lynd, the fictional heroine from the 2006 Casino Royale movie.
It's a buyer's market for boats right now, and the dealers at the Palm Beach International Boat Show know it. "Pricing's going to be aggressive at this show," said Mike Brown, a yacht broker with Dania Beach-based HMY Yacht Sales Inc. "There are some substantial deals. If you come here to buy a boat, I don't think the dealers will let you get away."
7 comments:
I wonder if you aren't showing the future of Key West in these pictures...I remember the crowds at sailboat shows in the heady days of the credit boom and I have to say I miss them. My wife and I always have a plan B and these days we'll move back onto a boat if we can't keep up the rat race on land. Not I hasten to add in anything remotely resembling what you so nicely pictured here.
I would have loved to see that display! Although I kinda hate rubbing elbows in a big crowd. It's just that you'll never see anything like that here in Redneck Country. Here they go for mass produced camp trailers and motor homes.
At least I got to spend some time looking at your photos. Thanks.
There didn't appear to be many people walking about. Looks like you had the place all to yourselves. We have a yearly boat up here too, but obviously on a much smaller scale. Where else can you walk aboard luxury yachts pretending that you could actually afford one ?
bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin
Thanks for the post - that's a great shot of all the boats in the harbor! I can't imagine spending (or having, for that matter) the money to buy one of those yachts!
Conch'
This show was relatively small compared to the one we used to see in Fort Lauderdale.
Irondad,
Guess you could say that the yachts are the campers of the big and rich.
Bobscoot,
We actually took most of the close shots the evening before the show opened. Hence few people other than those preparing the boats for the next day.
Lance
We cannot imagine buying one of those either. Boats are like having a big black hole that you can throw money down in an attempt to fill it.
Owning a boat like these has been a dream of mine for years. Years ago when Tammy and I were first married I used to buy magazines and sit and stare at the pics of those beautiful vessels. Just wishing and dreaming.....
How I would love to own one of these luxury boats, and then just sail away from the busy streets of New York.
I remember going to the Boston marinas enjoying our rented boat, fishing and cruising around the ocean. Close to the (MA) marina were different shopping areas and delicious, affordable restaurants, my whole family enjoyed.
Anyhow, the marinas in Boston held a boat show early this year where a lot of potential boat buyers showed up despite the poor economy. According to the host I spoke to, there were a lot of interest but no one is shelling out cash just yet.
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