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What To Expect At The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- It's like a temporary city being built over Fort Lauderdale's Intracoastal Waterway in just a matter of days.

Crews are constructing high dollar showrooms on seven miles of floating dock that make up the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

"It's the largest in-water boat show in the world," said show spokesman Danny Grant. "There'll be more than 1,200 boats on display in water and another several hundred on land. Seven different locations connect by water and ground transportation."

There are four billion dollars worth of yachts and equipment that will be on display with buyers and sellers from all over the world.

Isa Yachts is at the event from Italy to sell mega yachts.

"Fort Lauderdale is the most important one," said Laura Carboni from Isa, "probably the biggest one in the world because the market here is very strong."

The show is well known for the huge yachts that are for sale or charter. One of them on display has a deck filled with five smaller boats and other toys.

"You'll see lots of different toys and tenders across the back," explained Grant, "and, on top, you can see there's a helicopter and in front of the helicopter is actually a seaplane up there too."

CBS4's Ted Scouten went on board a hundred foot yacht from Ocean Alexander.  It has four staterooms and carries a crew of five. The 9 million dollar floating resort oozes luxury and can go anywhere.

"We take these boats to California, Alaska, and everywhere in between, Transatlantic," said Justin Abernathy with Ocean Alexander.

About 100,000 people are expected to stroll around the event over five days.

It's not just for buyers who have millions of dollars to spend.

Grant explained, "Anything that can get you out on the water from small inflatables and even paddle boards and things like this, water toys, center counsels, sportfish, different types of cruisers and all the way up to some of the biggest yachts in the world."

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show begins Wednesday and runs through Sunday.

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