Miami Boat Show - AKA More HP and Bigger Masts

Miami Boat Show - February 14-19, 2019 - Miami Marine Stadium

Miami is not known for being a reserved, sleepy hamlet and that is reflected in the boats, yachts, electronics and people we saw at the boat show!

We rented an Airbnb in downtown Miami, right next to the water taxi stop that would bring you to and from the boat show.  Unfortunately, Lisa and Jesse were not able to join us, last minute, because of a new job Jesse had taken that required him to be at the Pentagon for a meeting the Friday of the Boat Show.  Didn't seem like going to the Boat Show was more important than whatever the meeting was about, so we understood their not being able to make it, but were disappointed to not be able to spend a few days with them.

Leading up to the Boat Show, we booked some appointments to look at Catamarans like piqued our fancy.  It is possible to schedule an appointment to see a yacht while at the show, but you may have to wait a while, but honestly, booking ahead of time sends a clear message that you are serious and not just a looky-loo.  We had done our research before the show and knew a few makers whose yachts we wanted to visit, namely Leopard, Fontaine Pejot and Lagoon.  We also wanted to visit Just Catamarans, a yacht broker that is based in Ft. Lauderdale (and another company we learned about through Gone with the Wynns).

We scheduled these appointments for Thursday, the first day of the boat show, which they call the Premier Day and for which they charge a little more for admission.  Our hope (which seemed to pay off) was that attendance would be lower that day, given the price and the fact that it was a Thursday, which would allow us a little more time to see boats and speak with their reps.  We were reserving Friday to look at all the indoor portion of the show, for things like electronics, furnishings, water makers, little boats (you know, under 25') and all manner of other things, mostly related to boating.

Seeing "fishing" boats with four 300HP outboards was commonplace, motor yachts with three decks abounded, sailing vessels up to 77' long and 36'wide could be ordered.

(Lagoon Seventy-7 - with optional Owner Cabin swim platform, 'cause why not)

We learned a few keys things.  

• We didn't want a catamaran with daggerboards (sure, higher performance, but the draft gets so deep with them deployed and you don't want to hit a reef with them down)
• We didn't like the interiors of the Fontaine Pejots
• We didn't like the exposure required to get to the flybridge on all of the newly designed Lagoons.  The Lagoon 42 was okay, but that will be phased out soon.
• We were amazed by the 50' (aptly named) Exquisite Yacht, but way outside of our budget.
• We absolutely love the Leopard 45 (except for it's now monohull-like draft of 4'11"')
  The draft on the predecessor Leopard 44 is only 3'11" - a world of difference
  
• A LOT of people in this community follow and respect Gone with the Wynns.

Probably one of the best parts of the trip to the boat show was that we met and made freiends with Bob and Melinda, owners of the new Leopard 45 that was on display at the show (new owners often show their boats at one or two boat shows as part of their purchase agreement).  They are a few years off from retiring and their yacht, S/V Counting Stars will become their retirement home.

They are super sweet and spent a great deal of time with us, since we were so enamored with their boat and have similar plans to them.  They invited us to the Leopard Owners party held at the Leopard slips at the end of the day, which allowed us to meet just amazing, down to earth people, all owning and mostly living on Leopard Catamarans.

More amazingly, Bob and Melinda invited us to help them move their boat from Punta Gorda, on the west coast of Florida to Ft. Lauderdale, with a stop at Key West after an overnight sail AND to sail around Vancouver Island in the Spring of 2020 with them!!

The trip to moving their boat is coming up (April 19th) and as long as things are running smoothly at work, we'll be going!

-Mike