From the newly revamped Las Olas Marina to the all new luxury Pier Sixty-Six Resort, tens of thousands of marine enthusiasts will find a fresh array of exhibit spaces, restaurants and places to play when the 66th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show kicks off next week.
Tickets went on sale more than a month ago for the show, which is expected to draw more than 100,000 people and 1,300-plus vessels including superyachts and recreational vessels at venues on both sides of the Intracoastal Waterway from Oct. 29 through Nov. 2.
The 164-slip Pier Sixty-Six Marina will be taken over by the show, with its Pier South again serving as the home of a “superyacht village,” which will host the show’s largest vessels along with luxury hospitality, industry seminars, and high-end exhibitor displays.
“We’re very, very excited — you’ve got this fabulous five-star resort that is now part of the show,” said Andrew Doole, president of U.S. Boat Shows at Informa Markets, the show’s producer. “We’re taking both sides of the marina. There are events in the hotel.”
He’s also looking forward to the show’s full access to the classy 88-slip Las Olas Marina, which opened last December after a multimillion-dollar renovation.
One key question: How will external factors such as tariffs, overseas wars and rising prices affect attendance? The show, owned by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, has been racking up six-figure attendance figures for the five-day in-water extravaganza, billed as the world’s largest.
Superyachts moving fast
Mike Busacca, Fort Lauderdale-based chief operating officer at the global firm Fraser Yachts, said he’s looking for a strong U.S. clientele to make an appearance at the show. The firm not only sells yachts, but charters, manages and provides crews for them.
The Monaco Yacht Show, which typically precedes Fort Lauderdale in September, “went very well,” he said. “The traffic was a little bit down than normal. There were some extremely large yachts there. The momentum was great.”
“It just seems right now the smaller boats are having a more challenging time than the bigger yachts,” he said. “We are seeing a strong segment of purchases in the big yachts sector.”
Fraser will have eight yachts at Fort Lauderdale.
Busacca, a co-chair of the annual Yacht Rendezvous fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County, which occurs a week after the show, said the firm’s charter business has tripled this year.
“We never would have expected it,” he said. “I think the confidence level in the bigger yacht sector is stronger than it has been in a long time for us.”
Yachts on display at the Superyacht Village during the 2024 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Brokers are expecting strong sales of the massive vessels when the 2025 show starts on Oct. 29. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
It’s showing up in Florida, one of the nation’s hottest destinations for wealth since COVID-19.
“There is so much wealth that has moved to Florida — everybody wants to move into Florida,” Busacca said. “The wealth between Miami and Palm Beach is more than I have ever seen moving here.”
Show highlights
The show’s promoters are pointing to “showcase” vessels led by the 242-foot Casino Royale, according to a statement. The vessel accommodates 12 guests, offers six suites, a spa, gym, jacuzzi, and steam room. It requires a crew of 19 and has a range of 5,000 nautical miles.
Other notable vessels include Hemisphere, which at 145 feet is billed as the world’s largest sailing catamaran, and the 180-foot Gene Machine with its 182-foot support vessel Gene Chaser “demonstrating the balance between family cruising and scientific exploration.”
Debuts include the 100-foot BGM75 catamaran from Bluegame Yachts — a Sanlorenzo brand; the 130-foot Explorer 130, a steel-hulled expedition yacht “built for range and bluewater adventure;” and the 110-foot AB 110, “a high-performance sport yacht capable of speeds over 40 knots with sleek Italian styling.”
Builders of smaller boats will be at the show in force with not only their vessels but new technologies.
For example, Brunswick, the world’s largest marine manufacturer and home to more than 60 recreational brands, including Boston Whaler, Sea Ray, Simrad and Mercury Marine, will be exhibiting its new self-driving, autonomous boating system.
Of loans and discounts
For would-be buyers with lower ownership ambitions, a little financial help is always available, though interest rates are about as lofty as they are for loans that fuel car and home purchases.
At Tropical FInancial Credit Union, Erick Padron, vice president of lending, says October through April is boat loan season. Most of his members are in the market for vessels 32 feet or less, he said.
Loan amounts go up to $500,000, with maximum terms of up to 240 months.
He said the credit union is waiting for Oct. 29, the day the Federal Reserve is likely to cut interest rates, before conducting any promotions. Customers with good credit reports and 30% down payments can command a rate of 6.14%. At 20% down, a buyer can borrow at 6.34%.
Padron said he attends the Fort Lauderdale show yearly.
“Usually you get good, good deals at the boat show,” he said. “The manufacturers do offer incentives at the boat show. I ended up buying a small Boston Whaler. Usually they don’t negotiate that much. I got $5,000 off the sticker price.”
“There are a lot of incentives this year,” he noted. “I do recommend to my members to negotiate the prices because there are a lot of incentives and they don’t always advertise those incentives.”
“This year I see more and more incentives with the boats compared to previous years,” Padron added. “They’re not moving that many units.”
Visitors surge through the 2024 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, pushing attendance past 100,000. More of the same is expected by sponsors this year between Oct. 29 and Nov. 2. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
The seven venues
Las Olas Marina (240 E. Las Olas Circle) : Brokerage yachts, 60 to 200 feet.
Hall of Fame Marina (435 Seabreeze Blvd.): Brokerage and new-build models. Windward VIP Club.
Bahia Mar Yachting Center (801 Seabreeze Blvd.): Center consoles, superyachts, accessories and electronics.
Pier Sixty-Six Marina (2301 SE 17th St.): Brokerage yachts, 100 feet and up. The marina will also host ORCA, a handcrafted recreation of the fishing vessel from the movie “Jaws,” which burst upon the cinematic scene 50 years ago. It will be displayed with a “recreated never-before-seen shark cage,” a resort spokesperson said.
SuperYacht Village at Pier Sixty-Six (2150 SE 17th St.): Largest and most luxurious vessels at the show. Meet builders to design your next yacht. Lounge for Windward VIP ticket holders. Located at Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina’s “Pier South” property, adjacent to the southeast corner of the 17th Street Causeway bridge. Open to all general admission ticket holders. Direct access by water tenders and shuttle bus routes to and from all seven show locations.
Broward County Convention Center (1950 Eisenhower Blvd.): A showcase for fishing boats, runabouts, cruisers, marine accessories, fishing equipment, diving accessories, and personal watercraft. Visitors can attend women-focused seminars, The Blue Wild Kid’s Corner, Don Dingman’s Kids Fishing Clinics, and Boating to the Bahamas sessions. Note: the newly constructed convention center hotel will not be open.
17th Street Yacht Basin at Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina (1881 SE 17th St.): Located across from the convention center on the west bank of the Intracoastal, the venue is a “quiet enclave” for superyachts 100 feet and up.
If you go:
Tickets are available exclusively online at flibs.com, according to the show website. They are not on sale at any of the entrances.
Wednesday preview — $70 per person.
Adult 2-Day Preview + General Admission — $100 per person, valid for two days Wednesday through Sunday.
Adult 2-Day General Admission — $77 per person, valid for two days Thursday through Sunday.
Adult 1-Day General Admission — $46 per person, valid for one day Thursday through Sunday.
Child 1-Day General Admission — $18 per child ages 6–12, valid for one day Wednesday through Sunday. Children under 6 are free when with an adult.
Windward VIP Experience — $439 per person, valid for one day Wednesday through Sunday. Access to all show locations including the Windward VIP Lounge at Superyacht Village, Windward VIP Cabana Club at Hall of Fame Marina, premium food and beverage, one-hour early access through the SYV entrance, and complimentary self-parking at the Superyacht Village (first come, first served).
Parking and transportation: Although there is a public parking garage with easy access to the marina basin, spaces will be limited and crowds large, so it’s recommended that visitors park off site rather than drive onto the barrier island.
Broward County Convention Center: A transportation nerve center, the garage offers 3,000 parking spaces. Each sells for $20 a day.
Participating City of Fort Lauderdale garages work with PayByPhone, a system that allows you to pay for vehicle parking. Download the app on iOS or Android, or call 1-888-680-7275.
Water taxi, shuttle, or golf cart services to and from all seven show locations. Water taxi tickets are sold separately for $15 at www.WaterTaxi.com/FLIBS.
Venue, ticket and transportation source: Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show