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Feb. 26, 2005 Each February Miami is host to a spectacular boat show that pretty much criss-crosses the vast majority of Miami Beach, Florida from their convention center to the docks across from some of the beaches finest hotels and back to downtown Miami. Traffic is horrendous, parking is nearly impossible and can be costly, but it is always well attended. Merchants from around the globe rent booths or dock spaces to show their various wares to experienced and novice sailors alike. Here one can find lifejackets, navigation equipment, nautical clothing, shoes, housewares, pet supplies, fenders and dock lines, anchors, fishing rods and reels, fighting chairs, engines, insurance, funding, etc., and of course boats for almost every budget. They even offer a variety of cushioned and/or gel inner soles for your shoes in order to make this trek more comfortable, which in retrospect is something we should have purchased straight away. It had been four or five years since I had attended this show and I had forgotten how vast it truly is. According to the show directory there are 2,200 recreational manufacturers and dealers that show here and use nearly 2.3 million square feet of exhibition space. There are over 300 in the water boats that can be previewed. Charter busses provide transportation between locations to ease with the congestion of traffic to and from. My boyfriend and I had just purchased a 63’ Bertram flush-deck motoryacht and wanted to see the electronics, tenders, navigational chartplotters/GPS, and pet supplies for my little hound, AbuChez. We had a friend visiting us aboard our new vessel from Key West who also owns a 54’ Cheoy Lee motorsailor and together we traversed the miles of retail space and dock walks that this show utilizes in search of the latest and greatest boating stuff. We bought updated navigational charts with the ability to overlay the actual chart onto an aerial photograph of the area you are plotting and have high hopes of using them in the coming months. We bought stainless steel dog bowls, but didn’t really need them to make the boat any more comfortable or efficient. We perused the tenders from Avon, to Novarania, to Achilles, etc., looked into davits and cranes for tenders and water toys, ate pizza because the line was the shortest, saw engines with reverse thrusters that we touted as being the fastest and most efficient in their class, tested a variety of varnishes and paints that were high in UV protection, and met some old friends along the way. If you are in the market for anything boating the Miami Boat show every February is the place to find it. You can purchase many items at a lesser rate than if you went to a regular dealer because they have show specials and we took advantage of this on the items that we bought because the savings was substantial and it was convenient. The representatives for all of the various dealers were pleasant and provided us with any and all information we requested. ------------ About the author: Michelle Malsbury was born and raised in Champaign, Illinois. She attended Parkland College and the University of Illinois before graduating from the University of Phoenix with her degree in Business Management. Currently she is working on her master’s degree in Organizational Management while concurrently pursuing her lofty writing ambitions. Ms. Malsbury moved to south Florida in 1983 and resides between the Keys and Apalachicola, allowing her to experience the seasonal fluctuations between the southernmost and nearly northernmost beauty in the state of Florida. Travels have taken her from Europe through the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and across much of the United States. Michelle has been a bartender, real estate agent, flight attendant, beauty contestant, yacht broker, and commodities broker over the years, but writing is her passion. She enjoys outdoor activities like sailing, waterskiing, hiking, bike riding, working out, and fishing as well as reading, music, theatre, playing with her two amusing pets (Abu Chez, her 6 year old Australian Blue Heeler and Zack, her two year old yellow tabby cat) and writing. Michelle is a regular featured author on the web site Useless-Knowledge.com and enjoys exchanging points of view with her comrades there. “Three Years With Adonis” is the first to be published of several books that she has written and will be available early, to mid, 2005. In addition to “Three Years With Adonis”, she has authored four other books and three screenplays while continuing to explore all that life hands her. Email Michelle Malsbury: abuchez@mchsi.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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