The world’s largest in-water boat show is underway in Fort Lauderdale despite some rain on Wednesday.
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) spans seven locations around east Fort Lauderdale, including newly renovated Pier 66 and the newly built Broward County Convention Center.
Plenty of mega yachts are using the Las Olas Marina to anchor for the show. The marina, which used to be a city parking lot, was converted into floating concrete docks designed for the biggest yachts in the world, ranging in size from 78 to 315 feet long.
It’s estimated that the show generates more than $1.78 billion in annual economic impact in an industry that creates over 100,000 jobs in the region.
Brian Chi, first mate aboard a yacht named Alexandra, showed NBC6 around the five-cabin vessel.
“You can be a deckhand, learn on a boat and make $50,000/year. When you live on the boat and travel on it, it’s hard to spend that income when you’re working on a boat,” said Phil Purcell, CEO of Marine Industries Association of South Florida.
Chi is a perfect example. He started working on boats straight out of high school in Miami, and he has a passion for being on the water.
“We do engine work, electrical work, anything that needs to be done. Maintenance, washing it down, and finding out what’s not working and get it working again,” Chi said.
The event runs until Sunday, and there’s so much to see that you’ll need all that time to see everything.
Even in the rain, the event was well-attended. If you plan to come to the show, expect traffic once you hit the beach. And some parking lots were charging $150-$200 to park your car for the day.
The show runs through Sunday. Click here to buy tickets.