Boat show rides out the rain
The 42nd annual Newport Boat Show was wetter than usual Thursday as organizers opened the four-day affair just as the rain began to fall.
But the boat show must go on.
“We’re still happening rain or shine,” was the answer one potential buyer got after phoning the front desk.
The event, featuring 200 vessels for sale from small electric Duffys to massive yachts, runs through Sunday in Newport Harbor.
But a few early birds braved the rain and showed up as the gates dropped at noon Thursday, and a few more shoppers filled out the docks when the weather broke soon after.
“Just a glimpse of sunshine and they all come back,” said Bill King, who was showing off a 53-foot Maritumo 50 that he billed as a perfect family yacht.
The inclement weather even showed off one of the yacht’s best features, according to King, an enclosed fly bridge that stays warm and dry even when cruising harsh seas.
“It was quite crowded up there when we had the downpour,” he said.
Newport’s boat show is an early-season event that’s critical for showcasing merchandise, according to King, who said he’d show up no matter the forecast.
Jim McLaren was introducing a new product, a 74-foot Horizon V80 that boasted four staterooms.
“There’s nothing to add to this boat,” McLaren told one browsing couple as he showed off each luxury feature, including a kitchen cabinet that retracts into the ceiling to offer an unobstructed view out of the wrap-around windows.
“Isn’t this great?” he asked as the motorized storage whirred into hiding.
Despite eager vendors, the docks were never really crowded Thursday.
Jonathan Eells, who was selling a protective coating for hulls called SeaShell, said it had been “stupidly slow.”
But he made the best of things by taking shelter under an awning where he chowed down on a sandwich and offered drinks from an open bottle of wine that sat on a table coated with SeaShell.
“Oh look, it’s raining again,” he said as the clouds opened back up around 2 p.m. “How lovely.”
If you go
What: 42nd annual Newport Boat Show
Where: Lido Marina Village, 3420 Via Oporto, Newport Beach
When: Noon to 7 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $15 for adults, free for children 12 and younger
Parking: Free parking Thursday and Friday at Newport Harbor Lutheran Church, 798 Dover Drive. Free parking Saturday and Sunday at the Hoag Health Center on Superior Avenue, with free shuttle service to and from Lido Marina Village every 15 minutes. Parking at the structure in Lido Marina Village will cost a minimum of $20 per vehicle per day.
Information: newportbeachboatshow.com