Strictly Sail Boat Shows

[jda]

Have any of you gone to these boat shows? I'm thinking of going to the one in Chicago this winter. For me I would make it into a mini-vacation/long weekend with my wife because it would be a 500 mile trip one way, so it would require motels, etc. Are they worthwhile?

Thanks for the input.

John

[richandlori]

If you like boats, these type of shows are always worth going to, but beware....you may come home feeling inadequate about your Mac. These shows have tons and tons of BIG, HUGE, and expenseve luxury boats that are fun to walk through.

There are a lot of great equipment dealers and you will find some cool boat toys.

When these show are in my area, I always try and make it, it is just good clean fun.

Rich

[Zavala]

I went to the Chicago show last year and it was a lot of fun. My best friend lives downtown, so we walked over -- enjoyed a couple drinks while taking in the boats, and dreamed a LOT. Upon our return, we told his newlywed wife he'd put a deposit on a 36 footer -- but she didn't take the bait. Probably a good thing.

As I recall, there was a Mac dealer there with a , as welll as the Mast 28 from another. It was a good time -- wish I could go again this year.

[kmclemore]

"Nice Aft" and I went to the Phila show this past year. Don't know if he liked it, but I did... it wasn't a really huge show, but it had a good selection of boats and my kids and wife all had fun. They even had an .

I will say I prefer outdoor/in-water boat shows to these 'civic center' style shows, but as a nice wintertime 'sailing fix' these do just fine. I'll go again.

[Beam's Reach]

We went to the Toronto Boat Show last fall to see the before we made our decision between it an the . Even though we went primarily to check out the Mac, we enjoyed the rest of the show as well. It's not often you can view and board that many boats all in one place.

My wife wanted to check out the 40 & 50 footers "just for fun" but I was afraid that after those, she'd be disapointed in the Mac. But even after touring the big ones, we still felt at home in the Mac and made our decsion.

Of course, the fact that we could write a cheque for the Mac but would have to sell our house and everything we own to buy one of the big ones probably had a lot to do with it as well . Although once the kids are gone....that's not out of the question either .

[Frank C]

I've been to numerous boat shows over the years, including several times to the large, in-water show at Jack London Sq. in Oakland, as well as 3 visits to the very large (biggest?) sailboat show in Annapolis. I have always enjoyed them enormously, but agree it's much better when the boats are afloat. While it's fun to muse about those big, fancy keelboats, I find I'm always pleased with status quo - Mac 26X. As long as that's my conclusion on the Monday-after .... fat city!

BTW, the Annapolis Sailboat show is this weekend for Tony & other Chesapeake locals - have fun! I'd planned to go, but biz travel last week & next week made for too much air-time.

This weekend is also Fleet Week on SF Bay, so I'll be out there with a thousand others, anchored off Alcatraz, picnic & beer while the Blue Angels rattle our fillings!

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I believe this is the show that comes to St Pete Florida (Vinoy Basin) every November. Nice time of year down here for sailing, I've been a couple times and had a great time. Met Lin and Larry Pardey there several years ago.

[Jack O'Brien]

Strictly Sail does a show every year together with the Miami Boat Show, which is so big it is in three locations. The Strictly Sail part, and some of the stink pots, are at Miamarina = Miami Marina which is part of the really big Bayside International Shopping Bazaar next to Port of Miami. Usually some good show-priced bargains on accessories. Good fun.

[NiceAft]

Went to the Philly show last year and very much liked it. This weekend we are going to the Annapolis in water show. That show is great!

At the Philly show last year my wife and I attended a demonstration about sailing maneuvers, docking, line handling, etc. Very informative.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

Strictly Sail was originally the name of a regional show in S.E. Wisconsin. It was the first boat show I did, in Feb. of '92. I did it there the following years and the first year it was in Chicago.
Basically the originators of the show got bought out for the name, along with a non-compete clause.
When I heard that, I talked to a nearby Hunter dealer and we became partners, with a hand-shake agreement, to do a show there. I reserved the show dates for the following year, always the last week-end in February, with a $500 deposit. We had divided up who was going to do advertising, contacting previous show participants, etc. I spent a lot of time and effort doing my part of the agreement. Whenever I called him, he said things were going fine. When it came time to pay for the rest of the show, he said he wasn't going to do it, and hadn't actually done anything. At that late point it was just too late to get the things done that he said he was going to do, so I cancelled it.
It cost me some money but I learned a lesson.

[DLT]

MacGregor isn't selling Image... At least not the Hunter, Catalina, etc. image...

MacGregor doesn't compete with Hunter, Catalina, etc. If a person is seriously considering one of those, then that person is going to be a very low percentage sale for a MacGregor (i.e. low probablility that they actually buy a MacGregor).

Also, MacGregor simply isn't a fancy boat. So, those people who really need to see a fancy display/presentation aren't going to buy a MacGregor anyway...

[DLT]

Ok, maybe this:

MacGregor isn't selling Image... At least not the Hunter, Catalina, etc. image...

Should have just read like this:

MacGregor isn't selling the Hunter, Catalina, etc. image...