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Annapolis Revs Up for Powerboat Show
 | | Powerboats line the temporary docks at the U.S. Powerboat Show. |
“America’s Sailing Capital” will be transformed into a horsepower-driven spectacle of power and speed when the 31st annual U.S. Powerboat Show motors into Annapolis Oct. 17.
The powerboats – nearly 500 in the water, almost 300 more on land – come in a vast array of shapes, sizes and price ranges. Serious boat shoppers and more than a few dreamers who come to indulge their fantasies will check out luxury yachts, speed boats, catamarans, cruisers, houseboats, Jet Skis, dinghies and inflatable boats.
This year’s four-day powerboat show begins just after the U.S. Sailboat Show clears out Oct. 14. And the transition from sail to power is a show in itself. To the cheers of throngs on shore, crews disassemble nearly a mile of floating docks and usher out some 300 sailboats to make way for the arriving powerboats.
Organizers who run both shows predict attendance at the powerboat show will match the 50,000 expected at the sailboat show, reflecting the growing popularity of powerboats.
“While Annapolis can justifiably lay claim to being the ‘sailing capital of America,’ the fact is that 95 percent of the registered and documented boats in Maryland are powerboats,” says James Barthold, director of the Annapolis Boat Shows. “This helps explain why the U.S. Powerboat Show ... is one of the largest in-water powerboat shows in the nation.”
Among boats sure to attract hordes of oglers: Meridian Yachts, the new Brunswick Corp. line debuting at this year’s show. The sleek Meridian 580 Pilothouse sells for nearly $1 million and features three luxury staterooms, a full kitchen, a large salon and a Sony theater system.
Along with Meridian, the show also features yachts from Hatteras and Viking as well as European entries like the Italian Cranchi 48 and the British Sunseekers.
 | | The Meridian 580 Pilothouse luxury yacht sells for nearly $1 million. |
And you’ll find plenty of classics like Wester-Eng’s Dutch-built beauty modeled after a 16th-century whaling boat, with a solid mahogany hull and teak trim, but built from fiberglass for easy maintenance.
If you’re not ready to take out a second mortgage for a down payment on a boat with a six- or seven-figure price tag, don’t despair. The show also has plenty of lower-priced offerings for the fishermen or family.
Brunswick’s Bayliner Marine Corp., for instance, says customer and dealer demand prompted the company to tailor its new line to budget-conscious buyers.
“After extensive research, we found that Bayliner owners want simple, practical dependability that allows them to discover fun on the water at a price they can easily afford,” says Dave Taylor, senior vice president, sales and marketing. “We believe we are giving them everything a boat buyer needs, with nothing they don’t.”
Bayliner simplified models and reduced the number of boats to help cut costs and, in turn, prices. Models start at under $10,000 for the new Bayliner 175, a 17½-foot sport boat that comes with a trailer and a 135-horsepower outboard motor and comfortably seats six people.
Other major manufacturers including Carver, Monterey, Regal, Chris Craft and Sundowner also will display cruising boats.
For a handsome combination of style and speed, check out Chris Craft’s new 20-foot launch, which slices through the water at up to 54 mph.
Cruisers’ growing popularity notwithstanding, however, 70 percent of powerboat owners use them for fishing. So naturally, fishing boats abound at the show, from 17-footer Trophy boats to center consoles with T-tops to huge offshore fishing boats like Egg Harbor’s 52-foot Sport Yacht.
This year’s show also marks the return of a “show-within-a-show” devoted to the fastest-growing segments in powerboating: trawlers and multihulls.
Trawlers, the descendants of commercial fishing boats, have grown a whole lot bigger, more luxurious (and expensive). To learn more about trawlers, check out Trawlerport (Dock H), for semimars introducing the trawler lifestyle.
Multihulls – catamarans and trimarans – have enjoyed growing popularity in part because they offer more space and stability than the traditional mono-hull.
On land, vendors in exhibit tents will tout seasickness remedies, canal boat charters, boat financing packages, satellite navigation systems, engines, onboard entertainment centers, the latest in foul-weather gear and just about everything else related to powerboating.
For boating education, stop by exhibits of the Annapolis Power Squadron, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Annapolis Powerboat School.
 | | The Bayliner 175, a 17.5-foot sport boat, costs less than $10,000. |
The U.S. Powerboat Show runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on VIP Day, Oct. 17, and the final day, Oct. 20. Hours are 10 to 7 daily Oct. 18 and 19. Admission is $25 a person for VIP Day. For all other days, general admission is $15 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under. For more information on the U.S. Powerboat Show, call 410-267-6711 or visit the Annapolis Boat Shows website.
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