Want to make your next Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show experience a special kind of mind-numbing misery? Go with limited time and without a plan. At least for this reporter, ambling aimlessly on crowded docks next to sweaty strangers is worse than no fun. It wastes time, the one thing in this life you never seem to have enough, the one thing you cannot get back.
The newest 42-foot MTI center console is one of several new models coming to the Fort Lauderdale show this month. Photo by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Photos.
A little heavy in reference to boat-show-viewing strategy, I know. But there you go.
The good news? I’m here to save you some time with my own must-see list for the upcoming Fort Lauderdale affair. That doesn’t mean the boats that follow are the only ones I’ll visit. It does mean they top my list and will not miss.
Here goes:
• Cigarette Racing Team—Courtesy of new dealer Cigarette South Florida and the manufacturer itself, Cigarette Racing Team will have yet another drool-worthy display that includes 41 Nighthawk, 42 Auroris, a 52 Thunder center consoles and a 42X sportboat. You could easily spend an hour checking it all out and leave feeling as if you just arrived.
• CP Performance—If you are looking for aftermarket products, a visit to the CP Performance display at the Hardin Marine trailer is essential. But be warned: From steering wheels to exhaust, the two companies have a lot of cool stuff to ogle. If you lose track of time—and you can—you’ll be in trouble.
• Deep Impact Custom Boats—A total bad-ass I’ve watched being built for the better part of this year, 449 hull No. 1 is equipped with five Mercury Racing 500R outboard engines. But it can handle up to six of them. As for the 499 that will be on display, while it is hull No. 3 for the South Florida builder it is a “first” in that it is powered by six 425-hp V-10 outboards. Read More: Must-See For Lauderdale