Welcome to February's update on what's happening throughout the marine industry here in the States. With the 74th Miami International Boat Show just around the corner, this month we preview some of the outstanding offerings you'll find on display around the dock.
74th Miami International Boat Show
This year the show is still located at the Miami Beach Convention Center, in-water new yacht and boats at the Sea Isle Marina, and the Strictly Sail at Miamarina at Bayside Marketplace, but the big news this year concerns the addition in 2016 of the soon-to-be-renovated Miami Marine Stadium on nearby Virginia Key.
Image credit Friends of Miami
The convention center will be undergoing a major renovation after this year’s show and it has not been determined whether it will be available to the marine industry going forward.
The 6,000+ seat stadium, an architectural jewel built in 1963 and designed by then 26-year old Cuban architect Hilario Candela, was originally conceived as the first purpose-built powerboat racing venue in the US.
With its spectacular outdoor views of downtown Miami and the barrier islands, the stadium not only hosted the roar of high performance marine engines, but also saw world championship boxing, concerts, and other major events throughout the years.
On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew, which at the time was the costliest storm in US history, came ashore in South Florida. The approach of the Category 5 hurricane caused a mass evacuation of the area leading to the largest traffic jam in Florida history along I-95.
Image credit Friends of Miami
When Andrew finally passed across the peninsula and into the Gulf of Mexico, it was found that the stadium had been damaged and although structurally sound, was declared unsafe. Left to the elements, the building languished and deteriorated and soon became a haven for graffiti artists, the homeless, and lots of local bird life.
There were many efforts over the ensuing years to revive the stadium but it wasn’t until 2004 when a bond pledge of some $US3 million was issued to assist in a long-planned renovation.
Now, with a resurgence of interest and some firm commitments from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the project is finally getting some traction.
With the positioning of the 2016/2017 Miami International Boat Show at the venue, it is hoped this iconic landmark will, once again, be fully restored and renovated to showcase events in the 21st Century. We’ll continue to keep up with this evolving story.
If you would like further information, or wish to get involved, contact www.marinestadium.org
That Other Boat Show
Coordinating time with the NMMA’s 2015 Miami International Boat Show from February 12-16, and once again being promoted by Progressive Insurance, Show Management takes over a portion of Miami Beach’s famed Collins Avenue starting at the Fontainebleau Hotel on the Indian Creek Waterway at 41st Street and heading north, for its 27th annual Yacht & Brokerage Show.
The free event offers some 1.2 million square feet of in-water displays, $1+ billion in inventory, and alongside familiar and iconic brands including long-range cruisers, sportfishing boats, sailing yachts, and custom builds, there will be a major showing of megayachts.
Free shuttle bus service to and from is available at this location to all the others in the Miami International Boat show.
Among those yachts available for viewing are the following:
Lady Linda: 187’, built by Trinity Yachts
Moonraker: 165’, built by Mangusta (Overmarine display)
La Pelligrina: 164’, built by Guy Couach (Denison display)
Match Point & Odessa: 160’, built by Christensen
Imagine & Themis: 157’, 156’ built by Christensen
Katya: 151’, built by Delta
Blue Ice: 150’, built by Palmer Johnson
Claire: 150’, built by Trinity Yachts
Keeping Big Things Cool
If you are in the know in the world of superyachts, when your hear that Trinity has a 193 ft/58.83m in the works, it’s, well, big news.
This soon-to-be-launched, tri-deck beauty, with naval architecture by Trinity, will have an aluminum hull and superstructure and be have ABS Maltese Cross A1 Yachting Services, AMS, and MCA compliancy. A pair of CAT 3516C engines, rated at 3,386 bhp each, will power her.
Naturally, keeping a big ship like T-062, as she is designated by the yard before her official naming, requires a major chilled water system and it was recently announced that Dometic Marine, a division of the Dometic Group, has been contracted by Trinity to supply this build with its high capacity STS9000 chiller.
Image credit Trinity Yachts
The new unit is a state-of-the-art system for yachts up to 200 feet, providing 75 tons of cooling capacity and 75 kilowatts of heat. It offers advanced features to adjust to extreme seawater temperatures, regulate water flow through the system, reduce stress on the boat generator, simplify maintenance, and ensure optimal operation.
Dometic engineers worked closely with Trinity Yachts to design the chiller to the company’s precise specifications. The system comes with a touch-screen display that is customizable to Trinity Yachts. It offers remote connectivity out of the box, with complete access from smart phones, tablets and computers.
Technicians can use the remote connectivity to control, diagnose and troubleshoot the chiller. Dometic will have a display at the upcoming Miami boat show.
The Ultimate Superyacht Tender
When it comes to a heritage of boatbuilding, the name Hodgdon carries a lot of weight here in the States. Iconic, revered, and coveted by many who want the best there is, this East Boothbay, Maine builder has been sending boats down the ways since 1816.
With its fifth generation Hodgdon at the helm, the company has entered the 21st Century with a diversified approach including a Custom Tender division with a decidedly obvious slant toward the superyacht market and has established an international presence in Monaco.
Utilizing Michael Peters Yacht Design as marine architects, the company has a complete line of custom tender designs for owners wishing to make yet another personal statement and add to the distinctive collection of toys for their really big boats.
Image credit Hodgdon Yachts
The 34.4ft/10.5m pictured here is also available in 7m and 12m sizes. This particular model has a 9.11ft/3.02m beam, a top speed of 36 knots, and is powered by a single Volvo D6-370 DHP stern drive.
The rendering is of the 39.4ft/12m Aft Helm Tender. She carries a 10.4ft/3.15m beam, has a top speed of 42 knots, and is powered by twin Volvo D6-400/Volvo DPH stern drives.
Image credit Hodgdon Yachts
Fish On!
If big sportfishing boats are your game, you will be overwhelmed at the offerings at the Collins Avenue Yacht & Brokerage Show.
From fully custom battlewagons from such builders as Jarrett Bay and Bayliss Boatworks to high quality production boats from Viking and Hatteras, there is definitely something for those of you who wish to chase big fish in blue water down past the horizon.
Randy Ramsey, president of Jarrett Bay, presents Blank Check, a fully custom 77-footer whose owner is awaiting delivery of his new 84-foot fishing machine. Also dubbed Blank Check, the name is quite suitable for this situation. A 90 footer, along with 64- and 46-foot models are in the works at the Jarrett Bay yard.
John Bayliss is a serious fisherman. So serious in fact, that in 2002, he started his own boat building company.
Image credit Bayliss Boatworks
Eighteen hulls later, Bayliss Boatworks occupies a special place in the rarified air of custom sport fishing yachts. Here, the 77-foot Clean Sweep shows off her distinctive lines. Ninety, 76-, and 64-foot boats are currently being built by Bayliss and his team.
The big news at Viking this year was the launch of its 92-foot enclosed bridge sportfishing yacht. Family owned by Bill and Bob Healey since its inception, and now run by the second generation of family members headed up by Patrick Healey, the company is at the forefront of production boat building in the sportfishing sector.
Image credit Viking Yachts
Long a mainstay in the American production boat building sector, Hatteras Yachts has always maintained its identity though the years.
Along with its iconic sportfishing boats, including the GT Series with offerings from 54- to 70-feet—pictured here, the GT 63 - Hatteras also has a line of motor yachts with 60-, 70-, 80-, and the new 100-foot raised pilothouse.
Both the Miami International Boat Show and the Yacht & Brokerage Show are excellent settings to satisfy your nautical fixes and, whether dreamer, sufferer of terminal wanderlust, or avid boater, there truly is something for everyone.
Should you have any special interests that you would like me to look into, please contact me at the bottom of this article and I will do my best to track it down for you. I hope to see you around the docks or better yet, out on the water.
Fair winds, shipmates. – Capt. Ken
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