Sydney Boat Show

[Noelm]

It's that time again, the boat show starts this week, I go every second year (I reckon boat shows are the same every year) and this is my year to go, probably do a Sunday stroll through the exhibits, kick a few tyres, then have a snoop at the mega dollar "ships" at the marina, might even stop and see the guy with his aluminium welding rods, and the shamwow guy soaking up a gallon of water with a small "rag" have a look at the "bargains" and compare how dear they are compared to what I could have bought them for at a shop a week ago! Jesus I am an old grump! anyone heading out to the show?

[mal555]

It's a good show, with plenty to interest both trailer and moored boat people. Over the years the marina section has grown dramatically, so plenty to compare.
Never had any issues getting on to inspect a mega boat either, so good opportunities to see how the other half boat :-).
I like any bargins (who doesn't?), but find big chandlers will match any boat show special prices, especially this time of the year.

[deckie]

Long lunch coming up on Friday. Will sneak over the walkway and disappear. I'll be the one epoxied to the helm of the 70ft Mangusta flicking a few switches and looking like i'm interested.

[Noelm]

I always wondered why all these big boats need 4 showers and 3 toilets, yet none of them are big enough to sit or stand in! I would rather 1 house sized shower and toilet and piss off the other 3! but I still love looking at the engines and stuff.

[deckie]

Yeah true..pokey little things. Got your own desalination plant onboard so whynot just one big shower and sit and enjoy for awhile. Besides...if u have one you could afford a few of those loose ornamental women that appear in the brochures..in which case u might need that bit of extra room. The designers never seem to think of the practical side of things do they...like a piss pipe next to the bait rigging station and a lockable keg locker.

[Noelm]

I wonder if "ornamental women" are an option, or just something you pick up later on? another thing that I get a chuckle from is all the champagne glasses and bottles sitting neatly on the tables, first 2" chop and the lot would be on the plastic covered carpet! wonder if the guy with his drill anything drills will be there too? and when you get tired, you can settle down with a $7 cup of cold chips and listen to the same old guys at the fishing "clinic"

[mal555]

I always wondered why all these big boats need 4 showers and 3 toilets, yet none of them are big enough to sit or stand in!

Once you get to 20 metres length and $4 million cost, you fit OK, but then you've got the crew wages and the 300 litre per hour fuel costs to consider,..... ah well it's only money!

[sleepygreg]

been to the boat shows all round this ole land of ours......and for variety of options...the Sydney one wins hands down. Chance to see the range from the very bottom to the top. I always wear my steel caps.....tooooo many tyres to kick. Its changed a bit over the years.....the sales people on the 'big' boats arent so quick to piss off the 'scruffs' as they used to be....a few found out the hard way that some of those 'scruffs' were the ones with the 'cash'. I went there one year with a mate who was in the market for a 38-40' game boat (had the ready$). totally ignored (read ridiculed) by the polo sweatered, gucci wearing salesmen on ALL of the leading makes represented. We had our club t-shirts, shorts and runners on.....guess we didnt look like we could afford the boats. The mate got so pissed of with the mob there that he went direct to the factory after the show.....ordered a 38 berty. So the sales guys at the show missed out on the commission. Similar thing happened to me a number of years prior....I had a bit of a thought about updating the boat..so i thought i would just call in to the show on the way home from work....at that stage I was all dolled up in the usual collar and tie...as you did when you worked in the CBD....had sales guys fawning all over me trying to get my business. Did my best to get around all of the stands and gather as much info as i could. Headed home to ponder the deals. Decided on the Sunday arvo (last day of the show) to go and have a final look (had made my mind up on the boat I wanted - but there were three dealers there for that brand). Now being a Sunday arvo...t-shirt, shorts and thongs were standard attire.....2 of the 3 dealers couldnt be bothered talking to me (interestingly they were the ones that had fawned over me in my business attire)...the one that bothered to give me the time of day got a quick sale with plenty of upgrades.

Still plenty of goodies to check out...and plenty of great places to eat around the joint...(steer clear of the concessions in the halls - over priced and crap food)....get a stamp and wander the Darling Harbour eateries.

[Noelm]

I agree, Sydney leaves the rest for dead as far as boat shows go, and indeed, there is a lot of 'stuff" to see, but it is the same "stuff" that has been on show last year, and the year before (in my opinion) I think the show lost a lot of the "cosy" feel when it moved venues, but then, the old showground did not have a marina, so the move was warranted (I guess) I have also been in the "shorts and thongs" thing with a mate who has heaps off cash (but is still a regular guy and does not flash it around) and he was looking for a 45'ish sailing boat (not my thing mind you) and as we wandered about asking questions, most of the white leather boat shoe and blue jacket clad salesman just looked down their nose at him, so he as much as told them to buzz off, and called the head office, asked to speak to the "top man" and told him how he was treated, I kind if think the next sales meeting was going to be interesting.

[Noelm]

OH, and yes, Darling Harbour has some great eating places, and a great place to spend a long weekend, especially for an interstate visitor.

[deckie]

Very good this year. Maybe its just me but enjoyed it more. Reps were extra friendly and u got the feeling noone with a shotgun was going to shoot you just for getting near one of the 50-80 footers without wearing some Armani. Sydney Police flagship boat was great. Welcomed everyone and magnificent big steel rig with all sorts of gear to drool over. Cant remember the name but worth a squizz.

Marina was terrific this yr...chose my 50 foot Cabo but was convinced i'd look sexy as hell ( i mean even sexier than normal which is hard to believe) in one of those useless but mind blowingly beautiful chris crafts. Chris Craft didnt have my ultimate trailer CC the 23 catalina with a lemon yellow hull but apparantly have one at Rushcutters bay they use. They had the 26 CC on display amongst their finest...mmmmmmmmm nice. The big Green Halvorsen 70 odd thats been up at Akuna Bay was there, Riv display was huge..seemed like most of their moidels were there including some sweet 50-60 footers. Pisces a new riv 50 odd sydney charter rig had that amazing gamechair out loaded up with bent butts.

BUT..i've decided to save my pennies for one of those Pershing 65's ;D Geez i'd look the goods at the helm of one of those. ;D

[Noelm]

well, I went to the show, and I can say I wandered aimlessly around for a few hours, and the guy with the welding rods that can weld a drink can together with an LPG torch was no where to be found, the shamwow guy was absent, the drills that drill anything stand was not there, had a "chat" to a few in the "game" and got the impression that crowd numbers where very high, but people were not buying, just tyre kicking (like me) the show featured a pile of boats, from a gigantic Sailfish Cat that was on a trailer, to god knows how many tinnies and shiny glass boats, I kind of liked the Archer plate boat (made by Telwater I was told) very good value with a ton of inclusions and looked something like a Barcrusher. The marina was a treat, so many big, fast,expensive covered in "bling" boats that it would take a whole day to snoop in them all, the police boat was pretty good, they were fingerprinting all the little kids and showing them around, the old steam boat was also a bit of fun to see, made sometime around 1900 and still working, had a bit of a snoop at my local marine Rescue Kevlacat powered by a pair of nice new Suzukies, but all in all, it was just another boat show, and I have seen enough to last me another two years.

[Noelm]

OH, one thing that I was kind of cheesed off about was Suzuki (or Yamaha, can't remember) had a big motor in a "tank" that was all hooked up with controls and stuff like it was going to be a demo thing, but the tank was empty and just had a couple of flashing lights on the bottom, what a bummer! I might add all the exhibitors where very attentive to anyone who wanted to ask a question, not too sure if it was a sign of the show that no one was buying, so they were ready to pouce on anyone who seemed interested, the Yamaha guy told me (and it could be bull) that the 70HP 4 stroke (the new lightweight one) was their biggest selling motor now, where the 15HP 2 stroke was before.
I forgot something, from my observations, Mercury motors were by far the most represented, I reckon there would have been 3 Mercs to 1 of any other brand, BRP (e-tec) was pretty scarce, Yamaha was fairly common, Honda had their own stand and that was about it, Suzuki was around in a few stands, as well as having their own "setup"