From the Boathouse: Buy a boat, or enjoy an outing at least
Ahoy!
Did your loved one give you a boat for Valentine’s Day? No? Well, then you can visit the West Coast’s premier indoor and on-the-water boat show this week.
The National Marine Manufacturers Assn. (NMMA) is kicking off the 58th annual Los Angeles Boat Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Burton W. Chace Park in Marina del Rey.
“There are 12 million registered boats in the U.S., with more than 820,000 of them in California,” Dave Geoffroy, vice president of NMMA West, wrote in an email. “Last year, boating participation was at an all-time high in the U.S., and the California boating industry has seen a surge as more people are taking to the water, primarily families at a variety of income levels — 72% of boat owners have an annual household income under 100K.
“At the L.A .Boat Show, everyone can experience the ease and accessibility to owning a boat. Boating is much more accessible than many think.”
The convention center site will have the trailerable boats on display with hundreds of accessories at the vendors’ booths. The larger yachts and boats will be displayed in the water at Burton W. Chace Park.
Both locations will have the ever-popular seminars, from cruising to knot-tying, and the Marina del Rey location will have on-the-water, hands-on sailing opportunities. Southern Californian Gino Morelli will present a seminar on Catamaran Cruising — Design Consideration at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Burton W. Chace Park.
The show “provides people with a chance to experience the benefits of the boating lifestyle, with hundreds of boats at all price points, hands-on education, and a chance to get your feet wet at Marina del Rey with a sailing or powerboating lesson,” Geoffroy said.
There is something nautical for everyone, regardless of whether they favor cruising, fishing, sailing, water-skiing or kayaking. Boat shows are a great place to see and compare different boats, and most vendors offer boat-show specials similar to my favorite chef’s specials.
Unfortunately, boat sales, like the housing market, cooled during the recession, but the tide is starting to turn and sales are slowly rebounding.
Boating and fishing are still top family recreational activities in the nation, and a boat is perfect to be your family’s second home. Not to mention a tax deduction if your vessel has sleeping arrangements, a head and a galley.
The Los Angeles Boat Show is open through Sunday. Show hours vary, so visit losangelesboatshow.com for the times. Tickets are $12 for adults, while kids 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Active members of the military are free with identification.
Vehicle parking is available at the convention center and Burton W. Chace Park, and free round-trip shuttles operate between the two locations. So park at one location, and hop on the free shuttle to visit the other venue.
As always, just keep an eye to the weather for any changes. Please be boat smart and boat safe. Lastly, please boat responsibly and look behind you before you turn the wheel at the helm.
The original boating program, “Boathouse TV & Radio Shows,” has stretched from coast to coast for more than two decades. See the details at https://www.boathousetv.com, https://www.facebook.com/boathouseradio and https://www.twitter.com/boathouseradio.
Safe voyages!
MIKE WHITEHEAD is a boating columnist for the Daily Pilot. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to mike@boathousetv.com or go to https://www.boathousetv.com.