MacGregorSailors.com

Clevelands Boat show at the IX center has alway been a big event..

this year there was only 1 Sailboat dealer with only 3 sailboats. Jeanuea 31, 34 & 38. they didnt even put the mast up. There was one display of about 4 small daysailers. The total show area used to cover the complete bldg, I would guess this show was 60%.

Talking to a few exhibitors, people just aren`t buying new boats right now. There were a few bulletin board displays of Used boats available. I didnt see any used or available.

Sounds like kind of a wasted trip - - - unless you had something else to do also!

Rick Less

PS I went to that show 1975 through 1979

It is a sign of the tough economic times, a group of MYCBC.ca members/freinds went to the Seattle Boat show last weekend and did not have any rave reviews to report, they were also disappointed. Fewer displays, fewer suppliers, and fewer sailboats. Many of the upcoming generation of boaters are more interested in the instant gratification of power boats and that is where the sales are, under 20' outboard power boats. Sailboats have too big a learning curve for some folks and they do not go fast enough.

That's sort of a bummer.

Giving all the "Green" hype around these days, one would think people would be programmed to look for "Green" recreation. Sailing is about as close as you can get.

Jim

Well the first day of the T.O. boat show I noticed all theseBig new sail boats 40ft & up with sold signs on them same again when I went back the following wk-end . So I guess the money people are not feeling the pinch in the big bussiness of T. O. Now if only I could win the lottery !! Yep yes sir i'll take two more of them there mac's one for the NWP & one more for the East coast yep that should work out just about fine
OK back to reality so I'm off to work now See Ya All later
J

The only two masts that were up at the Seattle show inside Qwest Field were the two M's BWY had on display. (Not counting the little day sailors which there were a few of.) The Dana 24 on display faked a mast by just tying the top of the mainsail to the ceiling structure. There was however an additional selection of sailboats over at the 'On The Water' part of the show on Lake Union. That's just an easier place to bring a sailboat to compared to hauling it downtown into a building.

All the normal floor space at Qwest was filled other than the side expansion area up stairs that has been used in the past. It was actually nice this way as many of the smaller vendors that are usually tucked away upstairs were down on the main floor area getting more exposure than normal.

I heard from someone who went to the Atlantic City boat show, and they said there were only three sailboats to be seen.
Some local boat dealers were giving away tickets if you came to their showrooms and feigned interest in the lines they carried.
Ray

I have to agree with terry on the poor quality show in seattle.

not only that........they tried to throw me out......
they could not even successfully do that.

The boats that were there were used or new in poor shape, floors that squeaked, heads that stunk, gensets that didnt work properly, trim not reinstalled correctly, (that includes the 1.4 million new oyster), electrics that did not operate correctly

Thankfully the MAC Dealer had his exhibit together quite nicely ! Kudos to Todd Cheryl and the crew.

however, the on the water sailboats was mostly a dud, staffed by rude leeches, slime, and mannequins with poor breeding
It was pretty sad.

someday I may have to tell the story of the obnoxious seattle marine brokers.
I won't paint all with the same brush, but it was a clear majority of slimey losers feeling the economic pinch.

But it was fun to turn them on their ear, and the NMTA secretary for sure does not care for me now. heheheheheh

However I would like to say thankyou to the Washington State attorney generals office and the Seattle PD for their great jobs done. and at least the NMTA Secretary recognized an 8 1/2 x 11 picture sign hanging from ones neck is no more disruptive than a T shirt, and realized she was not gong to win that one.


And the next time some broker jerk tries to reach out or push out or get a 77 year old woman or grab something out of her handbag while someone else is Talking to her about her sailboat(selling) or trying to get her thrown out thrown out, I will examine the situation as a real threat and break that shoulder of his to protect her.

you dont grab or threaten little old ladies on a dock,
I dont care if you are a puget sound area marine broker.

I went to the Strictly Sail show in Chicago at Navy Pier a few weeks ago. My first attendance at the event, but it seemed like a good selection of (mostly larger) sailboats...Catalina, Beneteau, Hunter and others. They did have a few smaller boats...Hunter Edge and a Seaward RK26. One of the more interesting trailer sailors was a Rhodes 22. A little too small in the cabin for me (have to stand up though a deck hatch to use the head!), but it had in-mast furling main and some other intesting features in a small boat.

I have yet to step on board a Mac 26, and was very disappointed no dealers would bring one to the show....one of these days I will have to drive to Wisconsin or over to Wauwausee Boat Company in Indiana to see if the Mac 26 is everything I have read about.

The crowd at the Chicago show was lower than previous years according to the friends I went with, but we went early on a Sunday to avoid the lines to get on the 40+ footers.

Greg

One of the more interesting trailer sailors was a Rhodes 22. A little too small in the cabin for me (have to stand up though a deck hatch to use the head!), but it had in-mast furling main and some other intesting features in a small boat.

Greg[/quote]

Back in 1988 I almsot bought that rhodes 22 until I seen a mac 26D

my Mac26D could run circles around he rhodes 22, of course my Mac26D could run circles around a Mac 26Xor 26M

I have yet to step on board a Mac 26, and was very disappointed no dealers would bring one to the show.

Greg - the margin on these boats is tight and showing any distance away from the home office makes no economic sense whatsoever. Roger builds the same number of boats every year and sells them all, with the DOW at 6000 or 14000.

Accidentally deleted extravagant wastebasket (100 USD) and internet (1000 USD) charges at trade show)

deleted 2x duplicate

I sure hope there were typos in those numbers. seems exhorbitant/extortionist

FYI... the Atlanta show had Zero mast. all Pontoon and Ski boats.

wnw - I almost got their internet because the first quote I got was 100 USD for the week - then I realised it was 100 USD to MOVE it, once it had been installed already.

Three days of T10 was 1000 USD, thats 1 with 3 zeros....

I opted out and added on a Pantec USB modem from Verizon to our corporate plan which costs 50 per month, one year contract, and of course comes with us for the rest of the year. Worked great for all of our needs (web interface to CRM)