Tagged: boat show
2026 Boating Trends
Yesterday I attended the New England Boat Show. There were many vendors there offering products from water-ready boats to remote monitoring devices. And a few things struck me. One, the massive size of the new outboards, those in the 300 hp to 600 hp range, which appear larger than life when you’re standing next to them. Two, the diversity of boats available. While pontoon boats are not typically highly ranked for open-ocean duty, they’re perfect for protected waters. Three, electric outboards have not displaced gas engines, however, there continues to be a consistent stream of product advancements. Four, ceramic coatings [...]
Ships Ahoy
The New England Boat Show is on the horizon. The show, located at the Thomas Michael Menino Center. 415 Summer Street in Boston, will run from Wednesday, January 7 through Sunday, January 11. During the week, the show will open at 12 noon and close at 8 pm, and over the weekend, the show will start at 10 am and close, again, at 8 pm. Large annual boat shows like this one offer a wide portfolio of boats for viewing, from center consoles to ski boats. And surrounding the boats are all sorts of products and services from propellor [...]
New England Boat Show
This weekend, I attended the New England Boat show. The show featured a wide variety of boat types and sizes, along with marine engines and accessories. Several trends were obvious within the various classes. Center consoles are getting larger and faster. Many consoles were in the 30’ to 40’ range, powered by triple engines, which, combined, generated 900 horsepower or more. Wake-board boats are offering more interior appointments and showing off eye-catching metalflake paint jobs. Pontoon boats continue to improve in terms of polish and sophistication. And, European-style boats, with markedly different hull designs and interior layouts, began to demonstrate [...]
Winter Boat Shows
In the Northeast, it’s a long cold slog between fall haul-out and spring splash. Unless you’re well-off and can afford to “fly south” it can be a challenging time. Fortunately, the winter boat shows provide welcome respite from this dreary landscape. The New England Boat Show, slated for January 8th to 12th, at the Boston Convention Center, will feature boats of all shapes and sizes. It’s an excellent place to do comparison shopping and maybe even take advantage of promotional show pricing. So, if you’ve grown tired of long winter days, take in the show and recharge a bit. It [...]
Ships Ahoy
The Miami Boat show has arrived once again. All sorts of craft are on display in water and under the various venue roofs. The show runs next week from February 14 to 18. Boat shows are an excellent way to do convenient comparison shopping. If you’re interested in seeing the latest models and have some flexibility in your schedule, you might take a quick trip south to enjoy the “world’s largest boat show”.
Newport
On Sunday, I attended the annual Newport International Boat Show. The show was well attended and there was a lot to see between the tent exhibits and in-water boat displays. Personally, I learned a lot from the vendors. Some highlights: Toyota and Kubota, relative unknowns in the marine field, are gaining traction in marine engines; high-line varnish manufacturers recommend ten coats of varnish to achieve a durable, professional level result; huge center consoles, paired with equally large outboards, are becoming the new normal; and while solar installations are becoming more pervasive, electric-powered boats are just starting to make their presence [...]
NE Boat Show
I attended the New England Boat show yesterday; it was quite an event. Center consoles seem to grow larger each year, with many boats on display measuring 30+ feet and featuring huge engines mounted in multi-engine configurations. Deck boats represented another evolving segment and this year’s group had larger engines and ultra-plush interiors. There was a large contingent of sporty cruisers, many with “windows” crafted in to the hull to spread light into the cabins. And, there were a number of very specialized ski-boats in bright, flashy colors. All in all, there was a real smorgasbord on display, which made [...]
Boat Show on the Horizon
The New England Boat Show is coming up – February 15 – 19 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. As usual, it will feature boats, engines and accessories from a broad range of manufacturers. This show will be a great opportunity to do comparison shopping and perhaps even get a special show deal. If you have the flexibility, consider attending during mid-week when the factory representatives have more time to talk. Hope to see you there.