When we heard that the Gulf Coast Yacht & Boat Show was coming to Gulfport, MS for its first year, we knew we wanted to check it out. Until now, the only boat shows that we've seen around our neighborhood were in buildings with no water in sight. Needless to say ... they sucked.
The weather was sunny and in the 70's ... perfect for walking around and checking out the boats. There weren't as many sailboats as you'd probably see at the larger boat shows in Miami and Annapolis (from what I hear), but there were quite a few new and used sailboats for us to walk in and drool over. While we loved the boats we saw, for our budget we were reassured that our boat is a good fit for us. The one thing that I was envious of was the larger heads with a separate shower. That would be nice!
This Beneteau below was pretty nice. We got a few ideas, such as that clear plexi-glass shown above the galley countertop. I've had that in my mind for a while, and was able to show Ken what I was talking about.
I love this separate head and vanity area.
This folding swim platform is pretty sweet too!
This little boat is so cute!
We even got to take a free boat ride into the Gulf. The marina where the boat show was held is really nice. Ken and I envisioned the day we'd visit in our own sailboat.
We also saw a gorgeous 2005 Island Packet. It was over 42 feet in length and was a thing of beauty! Why didn't I get a picture?! Again, while this boat was amazing the maintenance of such a boat is more than we'd want to handle.
There were several seminars throughout the weekend, and we were able to catch one about cruising the Florida Keys. I don't remember their names, but the seminar was given by a couple that started cruising in their early 40's with the plan of going for a year. They wound up going for a lot longer because they were having so much fun. The pictures they showed and the stories they told really got us anxious to get out there. While I read other cruiser blogs often, Ken doesn't have the time. I think he really enjoyed hearing about cruising from real people who did it. They made it sound like so much fun ... and so easy! The hard part is just dumping our anchor (house) currently weighing us down.
With the lack of boat shows around us, we really enjoyed this one. It's about time we had a decent boat show nearby! We also each got a bunch of free goodies ... a t-shirt, baseball hat, backpack, and 2 cocktails each at the casino nearby. We ended the day enjoying our free drinks while sitting on the casino's deck overlooking the gulf ... aaahhh! We needed this!
Hasta luego ... until then. Mid-Life Cruising!
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5 comments:
Nothing beats a good boat show and it sure help with decorating ideas too. I'll just be glad when we can fire our baby up and go on a trip. Bugger.
Have a terrific day. ☺
We lived aboard for 7 years. We stopped showering inside the boat. Moisture made mold too difficult to control. Smaller boats are more affected than a big 40+ footer. Most doing it for any length of time shower on deck. Swim suits if in a big crowd in town. Clip on lee cloths around the cockpit. But after being around the French and Germans, meh no big deal.
We'd like to get to the Key's too, and hope that we can get there next year. We went to a boat show here last year and it felt so good to already have a boat and also realize how much we love her!
Thanks for the review. Hopefully next year we can make the show. We'd considered going, but spent the weekend sailing (and working on the boat)!
Anonymous ... we very much like the idea of showering in the cockpit! Sarongs clipped around for privacy should do it.
Laura, it is a good feeling to go to a boat show and already have the boat! Maybe we'll both get to the Keys around the same time.
Carolyn ... can't blame ya for sailing instead!
Sandee, I know you missed your boat for a bit. Glad she's back!
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