A day off at the Annapolis Boat Show

H

hack4alivin

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TECHNICAL Contributor
Apr 18, 2008
2,518
Joppa, Maryland
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320 Dancer
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Twin 350 V Drives
I took a well deserved day off of work Friday and Sandy and I spent a great day in Annapolis at the boat show. This is always one of the best shows of the season and it did not disappoint us this time. The new 2011 Sea Rays in the 280 to 310 class have a new design for the transom that looks pretty cool. I was busy looking at the diesel Sedan Bridges at the MarineMax exhibit; they had a Meridian 390 that caught my eye. While I was on the boat I see a bunch of our pictures from their past Get-Aways, and then on the way out I see this one!

BoatShow002.jpg
 
Too cool!!! I cant believe we did not see you down there

I saw those Meridians too!! Liked the 48 Sea Ray. But was really impressed with the Formula 450 and Fleming 55. Got to see the Grand Banks 72 early what a yacht!!! Was on the 2.2M 54 Vicem too another beauty!! The Ocean 46 smelled like a wet dog was sleeping in the staterooms wife was not impressed. Really liked the Riveria 45 sedan bridge. But with 300K of upgrades it was priced out of sight!

Great day for sure. Now to explore Bmore for some more fun.

Take Care
 
We spent today there. I gotta say, I was a little deflated after looking at the new Searays, specifically the 370, which the salesman told me was the 340 rebadged... they just didn't have that 'make me want to go buy it' appeal. Loved the Formulas, and the Vicem 72 as well as the Jolly Good. Either a steal at less than 3 million and whatever that boat was that was anchored catty (?) corner all by itself, blue hull, power windows, nice.
 
We caught the show a few weeks back in Newport. I have to admit, we were not that impressed where Sea Ray is going with the new interiors of the Sundancer. Very disappointed with the 310. Will be looking for a pre 2010 model when we are ready :smt089
 
The 340 is a 370. The 36 sedan is now a 39. The prices are up. Am I missing something or is the recession so in the past that we don't care how we spend our money?
 
I have not seen the 2011s but that is how I feel about the 2010s. We are looking to upgrade to a 260 or 280, and the 2010s don't have as nice of a layout in the cockpit or a lot of the extras. We are going to go used, 06-08.
 
Alegria said:
Too cool!!! I cant believe we did not see you down there

I saw those Meridians too!! Liked the 48 Sea Ray. But was really impressed with the Formula 450 and Flemming 55. Got to see the Grand Banks 72 early what a yacht!!! Was on the 2.2M 54 Vicem too another beauty!! The Ocean 46 smelled like a wet dog was sleeping in the staterooms wife was not impressed. Really liked the Riveria 45 sedan bridge. But with 300K of upgrades it was priced out of sight!

Great day for sure. Now to explore Bmore for some more fun.

Take Care
Click to expand...

Vicem is a Turkish boat brand and produced in Turkey.
http://www.vicemyacht.com/index.php/contacts/where-we-are
Its a great pleasure to got your(s) attention and complements.
Best regards.
Melida
 
We were there on Friday also. Stopped by and saw Jim and team.

Saw the Searays on the way out and they did not impress. The whole show was pretty much the same as last years. We saw many of what looked like the same boats as last year.

There was only one boat that peaked our interest over our current 280SS.

The weather was excellent and the crowd was good. I had the Mahi sandwich and the wife had a crab cake at Pussers. I think we are going to do something else next year.
 
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Say goodbye to the 280 Sundancer. The new one appears to be the same size as my 260 except it has a 4" wider beam. Very disappointed! I guess I'll have to go the used route. Nobody else has anything else either. I cannot stand up in any of the other manufactures 280s. :smt021
 
We just got back from the show, GREAT weather, sure beat staying home. I had the Mahi sand. at Pussers also and enjoyed walking around looking at all the vendor displays. We're not in the market for a boat so we didn't board many except the Sea Rays and I was a bit dissappointed with the new size designations. The boats seemed small to me until you got up to the 40's. I think the huge swim platforms are where they are playing with the numbers. Those three and four foot deep platforms are part of the LOA but don't add anything to the living space. The cockpits on some of the boats were huge, while the cabin was small. I noted this particulary in the 380? I think it was. My old 300 with 11' beam has more cabin room albeit a narrower cabin sole. My wife didn't like the hardware in the cabins that much. I liked the cedar lined closets and seperate shower stall on the bigger boats but they are way out of my league.
I got the most enjoyment out of the vendor displays, gave me some good ideas to update our old boat. Looks like bedding is a hot item this year as well as fuel filtration systems and lighting. I really don't know why the teeth whitening booth was there, didn't see anybody springing for that while we were there. From the number of custom bedding vendors, I think the boat manufacturers should take notice, their beds are uncomfortable and maybe they should upgrade the matresses and sheets on new boats.

Got to say hi to Jim Maier and his wife and crew while there and got my CSR burgee. Good to meet our Admin. and pleased to support his business, hope to get a radar in the future from him as well.

Liked the NUTEAK look for the cabin sole, but seem to remember somebody have issues with the stuff, I'll have to do a search and reread that thread.

Overall, a fun day to be outside.

I was surprised that neither Clarks Landing or Marine Max had any Sea Ray apparel for sale, unless we missed them. You'd think that after hauling in millions of dollars worth of boats a few thousand dollars worth of shirts, hats, and jackets would'nt be that difficult. I'd imagine those items would have sold faster than the boats.
 
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MEH!

On a side note. I went to the Richmond (VA) Home show today. All of three aisles of 4 products. Very disappointing.....as were the last few years of boat shows here.

My thoughts are the BS handed to the public by the industry is over....Kinda like politics as usual in DC....
 
I am afraid to go to any boat shows.

I am not sure I could resist the urge NOT to upgrade.

How do you guys do it ??? :smt100

I think I would need an intense intervention.... "Dave, Step away from the sales contract."
 
Dave8792 said:
I am afraid to go to any boat shows.

I am not sure I could resist the urge NOT to upgrade.

How do you guys do it ??? :smt100

I think I would need an intense intervention...."Dave, Step away from the sales contract."
Click to expand...

Leave your checkbook at home!
 
Cast on thumb and index finger, such that you can't sign anything. Also. . .leave ID at home.
 
that 72' Vicem burns like 120 gph. that'll make you broke in no time.
 
So, on Friday morning I went with 2 buddies on the boat to the boat show. Small Craft Advisory, 20kt NW winds, and 3 foot waves. Since I was heading south, the ride wasn't bad, but we took a lot of spray. Cruised at 25 mph.

We stayed Friday and Saturday nights at Annapolis City Marina. We came home Sunday morning to watch the Ravens game on TV. :smt089

Some boat show highlights/lowlights:

Sea Rays:
New 240, 280, 310, 370, and 450 DAs were there. There was also a 2009 48 DA. Once again, I'm irritated by the naming/numbers introduced last year. Small boats, big numbers, and even bigger MSRPs. The 310 is about the same size as my 290, is much smaller than other 31s like Formula, and carries an MSRP of $220k.

However, I really like the 450 a lot. Great styling. Zeus Diesels. The huge open aft cabin/"theater" is really nice. But, with 1 head and a 13' beam, its really the same size as an older 40 DA.

Other boats I liked a lot:
Grand Banks 72: cruises fast or slow, roomy, amazing woodwork, very seaworthy. A go-anywhere liveaboard.
Ocean Alexander 68: HUGE interior for a 68. Feels like a 90 footer. 4 big staterooms + crew, 4 heads. Big TVs all over. Its like a big luxury condo inside. Made in Taiwan -- actually a bargain at 3 mil.
Hatteras 68 convertible: just amazing all over. 21.5 beam. 3600 hp. 40 kts. 5 mil.
Boston Whaler 370 Outrage: triple 300 Verados. Surprisingly big cabin under the console, with head and forward berth. A/C and Deisel genset w/ 20 gal tank. Big outdoor galley, too. Side hull dive door. But priced at $450k.

I had a great time at the show, and a great weekend overall. This was probably my last overnighter this year. Fri and Sat nights we stayed out late at Pussers, McGarveys, Middletons, and Federal House. Overnighting on the boat in Annapolis is about as good as it gets for dining and nightlife --- as long as your wallet can handle it. I better start saving now for next year's boat show.
 
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That’s cool Eric!! Going to a boatshow with your own Sea Ray!! :thumbsup:
Isn’t the Whaler 370’s head right IN the cabin? How one is supposed to use it, I do not know…:huh:
 
Thanks, Pietro. Taking the boat to the show is one of my favorite thngs to do. October weather usually makes it a last minute decision.

Yep, the Whaler 370 cabin is one open area with a double berth and head all together. There is a curtain for the toilet/shower area, though. Not the best privacy, and be careful with that shower sprayer!! Despite that, I still was pretty impressed with that boat. The outdoor galley is really cool.
 
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