November 2008 webXtra coverage. Exclusive FS photos of the hottest new boats and accessories at this year’s show.
WHAT'S NEW AND EXCITING FOR 2009
The forecast looks good for prospective boat buyers heading to Fort Lauderdale: Breezy, cool weather; lots of sweet new rides on display; and boat dealers eager to do business.
The show will be open 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday.
There are indoor displays at the Broward County Convention Center, as well as in-water displays and brokerage sales at Bahia Mar Yachting Center and other sites. Buses and water shuttles are available to move between sites. Most of the skiffs, bayboats and center console fishing boats are at the convention center; tackle and clothing vendors abound at Bahia Mar.
General admission is $18 for adults; $5 for kids 6-15; free for kids under 6.
Here’s a quick look at some highlights from the opening day on Thursday:
American Solar Products-Solar Piling Light is a stylish and functional way to see where your pilings are. www.americansolarproducts.com
Angler has some attractive trailerable fishing boats, including this show special 22-footer, hovering right around that $30,000 mark. www.anglerboats.com.
Autotether features a man-overboard motor shutoff, for maximum safety on the water. www.autotether.com
Blackwood 27 Is one of the newest, and, largest performance inshore/offshore boats on the market these days, and will take you most places—fast. www.americanmarinesports.com
Bluewater 355 is brand-new and at the show, features triple 300 E-Tecs. www.bluewaterboats.com
Boston Whaler 280 Outrage has 100% flotation and some new distinctive lines for offshore. www.whaler.com
Carolina Skiff 198 Elite is simple and roomy, yet a step up from the base line of skiffs. www.carolinaskiff.com
Cobia debuts its 237 center console with 250-horse Yamaha four-stroke at an attractive show price of $59,215. www.cobiaboats.com
Costa Del Mar has just come out with the Blackfin and Permit models. www.costadelmar.com
Cummins Zeus 360 Control makes maneuvering large boats much simpler. www.cmdmarine.com
Dolphin Electreel helps bring up some delicious fish from the very deep seas. www.dolphinelectreel.com
Donzi has a bow seating area with table, space for entertaining friends and family. You see lots of this kind of hybridization at the Lauderdale show this year, indicative of a trend toward inclusive fishing trips. www.donzimarine.com
Dusky 19 Bay Shark is from a factory-direct sales outfit, and easily customizes boats like these for individual customers’ specification. Want a big livewell in back? No sweat. www.dusky.com
Edgewater 318 Very impressive lines on the 318 Edgewater center console. www.ewboats.com
EZhitchmate makes it a breeze to hook up the trailer by yourself with two poles that line it up precisely www.ezhitchmate.com
Everglades 350 Express Towering over the convention center fleet is the new Everglades 350 Express, an outboard-powered mini-battlewagon with enclosed, air-conditioned helm. www.evergladesboats.com
Fend-Air inflatable marine fenders allow more fenders on board, in a fraction of the space. www.fendair.com
Float-Tech makes a day on the water all that much safer, and is a lot less cumbersome than most flotation devices. www.floattech.com
Fountain 38 TE center console with blistering performance in a tournament-ready fishing package. Even with 10 feet of beam, the ventilated hull with keel pad and weight-cutting core construction promises reasonable fuel economy. www.fountainpowerboats.com
Frigid-Rigid Cooler/Tackle Tray combo keeps your food, bait and tackle all in one spot. www.rigidboats.com
Glacier Bay 236 Catamaran more your style? Here’s a Glacier Bay 236 Canyon Runner with twin 90 Hondas. The builder says this displacement hull will get home comfortably on just one of those motors, if called for. www.glacierbaycats.com
Grady-White Chesapeake is a big family cruiser that can also fish with the big boys. www.gradywhite.com
Hells Bay Boca Grande, a 650-pound, vacuum-bagged Kevlar magic carpet ride. www.hellsbayboatworks.com
Hydra-Sports 4100 Vector Sport Fish, looks built for speed and long-range comfort, with available quad 300-horse outboards. www.hydrasports.com
Marinetrack—Succorfish will keep you safe, secure and on track. Plus provide serious theft prevention. www.succorfish.com
Kushease outdoor indoor waterproof furniture is perfect for the boat, dock or deck. www.kushease.com
Midnight Express 39 Open No, that’s no joke: Mercury is making a 350-horsepower outboard, and there are five (!) of them hanging on the back of this boat. www.midnightboats.com
Piranha Propellers are built with composite materials. www.piranha.com
Porta-Bote is simple to store and assemble. Perfect for a below-deck tender. www.porta-bote.com
Pro-Line’s 26 Super Sport features Wyland hull wrap and inspired cushions. Pro-Line also offers a 32 Express with the same eye-catching graphics, as well as cabin fabrics. www.prolineboats.com
Pursuit 345 Offshore will get you out to the big game fast and comfortably. With lots of amenities too. www.pursuitboats.com
Ranger 173 Ghost is perfect for navigating the shallows, and not wearing out your bones on the way there. www.rangerboats.com
Regulator 34 CC You’ll find a flair for bow flare in the convention center, from the Regulator series. www.regulatormarine.com
SeaSucker has come out with a new radio holder, and other modular items that attach to a universal mount. www.seasucker.com
Sea Hunter 40 Sure, go ahead and bring your rods, too. . . I think we’ll have room for them. www.seahunterboats.com
Sea Vee Is back again with a full selection of big center consoles. www.seaveeboats.com
Sweetwater The one pontoon boat I found in the convention center. Among this crowd, she stands out for certain reasons. www.sweetwaterboats.com
Triton 281CC has a large bow flair and refined lines, for great fishing and stylish looks. www.tritonboats.com
Underwater Innovations will light up your dock area and turn it into a nice aquarium…or baitwell. www.underwaterinnovations.net
Wellcraft a pioneer in family fishing boats, show a trio of new CCs built on the same hull. www.wellcraft.com
Young 24 is ready to fish the flats, the bay or even offshore. And look good while at it. www.young-boats.com
OUR NETWORK: IMOUTDOORS WEBSITES
[Featured Title]
Shallow Water Angler Magazine Online. Covering inshore saltwater fishing from
Texas to New England.
Florida Sportsman; the nation's leading sport fishing magazine, is now the web's best resource for information on sport fish, conservation issues, regional fishing within Florida and all fishing gear including fishing tackle, fishing rods and reels, and boating equipment of all kinds. Florida Sportsman Online also has the most active fishing community on the web - share your fishing tales with new friends today.
OUR NETWORK: IMOUTDOORS WEBSITES
