The 45th Annual Stuart Boat Show

The 2019 Stuart Boat Show

What a difference a year makes. The largest boat show on Florida’s Treasure Coast is not only growing, featuring more than 200 local, national and international displays, but is also improving the boat show experience to boot. Welcome to the 2019 Stuart Boat Show.

Air-conditioned, full-size coach buses (with bathroom) will whisk visitors from two parking locations: the new lot at the Martin County Airport (Witham Field) off SE Monterey Road and SE Flying Fortress Lane, and from the Wright Blvd. and NW Dixie Hwy. corner lot.

It’s baaaack…

The Bahamas Pavilion is back, bigger and better than ever, and features numerous resorts and services with more interactive displays, music, and food. Speaking of food, the newly covered food court will provide greater comfort and highlight higher quality menu selections.

Even as guests walk the quarter-mile span of Old Dixie Highway at the foot of the Roosevelt Bridge and the more than 1,000 feet of linear dock, they’ll notice a wider variety of boats and gear from companies such as Aqua Sol Yacht Sales, Boat Owners Warehouse, E.J. Schrader Mattress Company, Freedom Boat Club, Seakeeper, and so much more.

From jewelry, T-shirts, hammocks, propellers, fishing gear, and electronics to the latest models of center consoles, sport fishing boats, pontoons, and personal watercraft to safety equipment, insurance, and financing, the Stuart Boat Show has something that will interest every boating enthusiast from the young to the young at heart. The Sea Tow Foundation will provide PFD-borrowing stations for children before entry onto the docks.

Wicked Seminars

Six daily seminars will provide valuable information, including destination topics from Captain Chris, choosing the correct electronics from Marine Electronics of the Treasure Coast, children and adult fishing clinics from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and a special appearance by Paul Herbert from the reality TV show Wicked Tuna to answer questions and give autographs. Check out the seminar schedule on the Stuart Boat Show website.

Coming back as the show’s presenting sponsor, INFINITI brings their signature INFINITI mobile experience trailer as well as a lounge area and champagne bar. The new QX80 ill be on display showing off its 8,500-pound tow capacity. And if that’s not enough, be sure to enter the drawings for a two-night stay at Valentines Resort & Marina and a two-night stay at the Bimini Big Game Club in The Bahamas.

stuartboatshow.com

By Steve Davis, Southern Boating December 2018

Show Schedule

Fri., Jan. 11 & Sat., Jan. 12 : 10am – 6pm
Sunday, January 13: 10am – 5pm

Admission

Infants: FREE
Children (12 & under): $7
Adults: $14
Veterans: $12

Locations

South: 54 N. Dixie Hwy.
North: 290 N. Dixie Hwy.
(Dixie and NW Fern St.)
Stuart, Florida 34994

Sorry, no pets allowed.

See more from past shows:

The 2018 Stuart Boat Show

The 2017 Stuart Boat Show

Marine Watch 12 from WPEC CBS12

WPEC CBS12 brings viewers the news as it’s happening on the water from a Jupiter center console, Marine Watch 12.

Florida’s Martin County, which includes shoreline on Lake Okeechobee, is 27.8 percent water, and Palm Beach County is 17.3 percent water. It was only natural for the area’s prime news station, WPEC CBS12, to develop on-the-water coverage.

On display at the 44th annual Stuart Boat Show, presented by Infinity, Marine Watch 12 is the newest member of the WPEC CBS12 fleet. “We thought if we could have the Traffic
Tracker 12; if we could have the SkyTeam 12 drone; if we could have the StormTracker 12 truck; and if we could have a boat, we would have a fleet of vehicles that would give
our news team an awesome advantage in terms of getting to particular stories or even finding new stories,” says General Manager Michael Pumo, who remembers how the idea
started.

“When the algae bloom happened, all the reporters were on shore, and we thought, we should be out on a boat showing how deep the algae is, what it looks like and actually going out to Lake Okeechobee and being able to look at it. Having the boat has enabled us to do that.” And it’s not just the bloom; news of refugees coming to shore, people that go missing, storm erosion, and abandoned boats in the waterways are all shown from the water’s perspective.

At the helm is Capt. Abe Aksal, who was with the Lake Park police department marine division for 8 years and retired after 25 years with the sheriff’s department. With towing,
radar, Ordinary Seaman, and U.S. Navy endorsements, Aksal is certified in rough water ocean rescue and is a licensed dive master. “Finding the right captain was critical because it’s not an easy job,” says Dale Matteson, integrated sales manager of WPEC CBS12. “We needed somebody who was credible, reliable, knew the waters, knew the laws and could manage the boat as well.” When it comes to news, it’s not a nine-to-five gig, so when it happens, Capt. Aksal has to be ready to go.

The 30-foot Jupiter is sponsored by Geico’s West Palm Beach office and Tuppen’s Marine. Aksal says the twin 300-hp, four-stroke Yamaha outboards “sip fuel and are very economical.” He adds, “It has a step-down hull and holds about 300 gallons of fuel with a cruising range of about 500 miles. At about 5,500 rpms, she’ll go about 55 miles per hour.” The center console allows for plenty of room to hold the latest Garmin electronics and incorporates Yamaha’s synchronized management software to synch the throttles and show fuel consumption, rpms, and maintenance schedules in one unit. With a 50-gallon water capacity, plenty of storage and ample seating, Aksal says the best thing is its comfortable ride.

But what gets the news to the studio is the power unit that controls two GoPro cameras tied directly to the TV station? The canopy camera incorporates night vision technology; a portable underwater camera can lower down to 300 feet and is also towable behind the boat with a fin mount. A monitor on the boat allows for the captain to see what’s shown in the studio, and producers can control the cameras from the TV’s control room.

Launched in March 2017, the boat has more than 230 hours of sea time and has been 30 miles offshore to cover a large debris field from Hurricane Irma. Besides community participation in local events, Marine Watch 12 also relies on input from viewers. “We want boaters to let us know stories that we’re not seeing and hearing about, and it gives us
ammunition to go out and make these stories more relevant for the community,” says Pumo. “We’re blessed to live in an area that is surrounded by water, and water for us is recreation, livelihoods, and our environment.”

cbs12.com

By Steve Davis, Southern Boating March 2018

Sights from the 2017 Stuart Boat Show

A successful Stuart Show!

The 2017 Stuart Boat show was a great success for vendors, brokers and attendees alike. Sunny skies and balmy temperatures throughout the weekend, Stuart, FL was buzzing with visitors and locals.

View our collection of photos from the Stuart Boat Show by clicking the arrows left and right.

Bright Buoys Abound

These colorful baubles lit up the show with a burst of color.

Play Dress-Up with your Address

There were plenty of vendors selling marine-inspired decor for boats and homes!

Sea-Worthy Schooling

Visitors of the show were treated to a bevy of seminars to help training mariners on the skills they’ll need to be successful. Above, Captain Chris and Alyse Cadwell.