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hewebb
Admiral

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USA
761 Posts
Initially Posted - 01/29/2013 :  06:06:50  Show Profile
Have any of you gone in the past or are planning to go to the Southwest boat show, March 21-24. Looks like it is at Clear Lake near Kemah.
1988 WK/SR w/inboard diesel Joe Pool Lake
Hobie 18 Lake Worth



Life is not a dress rehearsal. You will not get another chance.
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NautiC25
Admiral

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USA
957 Posts
Response Posted - 01/29/2013 :  06:31:47  Show Profile
Oooh, thanks for the heads up. Would not have known.
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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts
Response Posted - 01/29/2013 :  15:12:05  Show Profile
Since the Seattle boat show is going on I can post to the generic "boat show" part of this thread.

I went last week for the first time. It was both what I expected and disappointing. The good is that I got good deals on some gear (half price inflatable PFDs, temporary discount card for Fisheries Supply that is getting me a cheap Manson Supreme anchor, cheap diving gear) and that was all nice and worth the $20 admission (for two, my wife came along). The downside was that it was about 70% power boat related and the model sailboats to explore were heavily leaning towards the $500k+ 40ft+ cruisers. I'd have loved to have seen a wider variety of boats that makes sailing look more approachable and fun.

I'll probably go in years where I need gear and skip it in years where I don't. It didn't motivate me one bit to do any more sailing or make me more excited about boating in general, which overall makes it a loss for me.
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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts
Response Posted - 01/29/2013 :  16:49:28  Show Profile  Visit delliottg's Homepage
That's been my experience at the Seattle Boat show as well. I think the best part was walking the docks on Lake Union & poking around all the nice sailboats that were so far out of my price range that all you could do was look. The sailing part of the show is disappointing, but as you pointed out, there are some good deals to be had.

What really sucks is that I work within walking distance of the Bellevue West Marine, but they dumped pretty much all of their sailing gear a couple of years ago, so it's almost all power boat stuff now, with bits & pieces of sailing stuff left over.
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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts
Response Posted - 01/29/2013 :  19:34:29  Show Profile
It's held at South Shore Harbor Marina on Clear Lake. I had my boat at that marina during Ike and was still there when when they had the show the next Spring. I did not go to the show itself but was down there the day before it started.

For the most part it's powerboats. If you go to the link below and look at the photo section you'll get a good idea of what it's all about.

http://www.southwestinternationalboatshow.com/

BTW... The onsite hotel is not good and parking is crazy.
Edited by - GaryB on 01/29/2013 19:37:24
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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9081 Posts
Response Posted - 01/29/2013 :  20:57:12  Show Profile
Most shows have gone that way... In CT, we used to have a big sailboat show in Stamford and a powerboat show in Norwalk--the former is gone, and the latter has 8-10 sailboats in the water, and a few sailing equipment vendors...

What changed? I'm thinking the internet is part... Sailors (generally) know boats, know how to find and research them, and are much more comfortable buying used boats. Non-boaters are more likely to look for the factory-fresh "turnkey" solution to getting out on the water, and will benefit from a show. Families with kids want to pull gizmos behind a boat. People who want to fish want to get there, do it, and go home. Powerboat technology makes all of that more attractive than ever. It will probably be forever thus.

The Newport and Annapolis shows are the last bastions for those of us in the East. If it floats, it's there!
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Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1511 Posts
Response Posted - 01/30/2013 :  06:10:18  Show Profile
Concerning boat shows, with a little more than two weeks away from the Miami boat show, and even after saying that we wouldn't attend after last year, we are considering taking the trip.

You just can't see as much boating gear, all in one place, anywhere else.
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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.