It’s Boat Show season so there’s great entertainment in store. Whether indoors or in-water venues, boat shows have expanded to include a mind-boggling array of events and exhibits in addition to the stunning stars of any show, the boats themselves. My wife and I are fortunate enough to live on the Intracoastal Waterway and can view the parade of vessels traveling to the South Florida destinations, and we often observe the deft seamanship of the captains jockeying their charges into challengingly-tight docking quarters at the nearby marinas.

Then there are services on premises to help you finance,
insure and store your boat.

Indoor facilities, such as convention centers, offer a myriad of products ranging from some sort of super glue (which my wife never fails to replenish at each show), to the latest iteration of center consoles, inflatables, engines, generators and electronicsnot to mention fine jewelry, clothing, table and cookware, blinds, screens, linens, mattresses and just about anything else you need for any type of boat or boating activity. The indoor venue also offers a welcome shelter from less than perfect weather conditions, be it extreme heat or the deluges we experienced at the Fort Lauderdale show last October.
But after all, it’s still the magnificent display of boats in the water that is the biggest lure to any show. Be it a new or beautifully maintained brokerage boat, getting aboard one of these gems engenders seeds of “what ifs” and “maybe we coulds” in the minds of show-goers. New prospective buyers are hatched and those already in the market for a first boat or upgrade are nudged that much closer to ownership. Then there are services on premises to help you finance, insure and store your boat.
Ambling along the docks, you are sure to meet friends who share your interest in boats, racing, fishing and cruising. In an atmosphere uniquely appropriate for these kinds of conversations, you swap useful information about new gear, desirable destinations, recent boating experiences (both good and bad) and generally indulge your affection for the boating lifestyle with people you like and who are like you.
On a different subject also dear to my heart, the sedentary pleasure of reading about boats is arguably the most fun you can have indoors with your clothes on. I recently acquired a copy of In a Class By Herself: The Yawl Bolero and the Passion for Craftsmanship, by the noted author, John Rousmaniere. It was published in 2006 but remained under my radar until I received it as a Christmas gift. If you think it deals with dry architectural data and arcane facts about boat building, think again. The book lovingly details the history of the iconic yawl, Bolero, which won three consecutive Bermuda Races, as well as the people who designed, built, raced and ultimately restored her. The Who’s Who of those involved in the process include the likes of John Nicholas and Anne Brown, Henry Nevins, Fred Lawton, Olin Stephens and Drake Sparkmanand this just scratches the surface. Once I began, I had difficulty putting the book down, even to eat. I heartily recommend it to you all.