Guide To The Miami International Boat Show And Strictly Sail
To many South Florida natives, to own a boat is a luxury that they can't afford. But, as the Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail opens on February 13th, the organizers show through seminars and documents how economical it can be to own one's own boat and be an avid boater without the frustration. Here are the details to know for the days of the boat show.
About The Miami International Boat Show
Miami International Boat Show Miami Beach Convention Center 1901 Convention Center Drive Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 673-7311 www.miamiboatshow.com Sea Isle Marina 1635 N. Bayshore Drive Miami, FL 33132 (305) 377-3625 Miamarina at Bayside 401 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33132 (305) 579-6955 Date: Feb. 13-17, 2014 This year's Miami International Boat Show will be held in three locations: The Miami Beach Convention Center, Sea Isle Marina and Miamarina at Bayside. The hours of the show will always be 10 a.m. for the opening and then will close at 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 p.m. on weekends. The great thing about the logistics of all locations is that the Boat Show will have a shuttle bus that can transport people to all three locations. The transport will begin one hour beforehand and take people one hour afterwards to their cars. There is also a water taxi service that attendees can take from the Sea Isle Marina to the Miamarina during the show hours. It gives people a chance to avoid the hassle of traveling to each location so they can instead enjoy the sea air of Biscayne Bay while looking and experiencing the boating exhibits. For attendees planning to come from the western part of Miami-Dade, there is a park-and-ride service at the centerfield garage of Marlins Park. There is valet parking at the Convention Center and municipal parking around Bayside and the American Airlines Arena as well.
Tickets: Tickets for the Boat Show are different on opening day compared to the rest of the days. It is $35 for the premier day, February 13th. Then afterwards the price drops to $20 for persons 16 and older with children under 15 getting in for free. Ticket packages can be purchased such as a combo ticket ($24) on Monday, February 17th to attend the Boat Show and the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. A fervent enthusiast can purchase a five-day pass to the show for $85 or a two-day pass for $35 after Thursday (February 13th). The Boat Show organizers again give attendees the option of being able to see all three locations with a wristband an attendee can get when entering the show and surrendering their ticket.
For boating enthusiasts and amateurs: For the avid boater, the Convention Center will be the main area of activity with various exhibitors on site. The entire convention center will be divided into different categories (electronics room, accessories, outdoor boats). The Sea Isle Marina will exhibit yachts and the Miamarina will have sail boats. For the interested amateur, the show will have Fred's Shed interactive learning center seminars throughout the day. Topics will cover subjects like a one-on-one Q&A session with a service tech, installing and maintaining a marine battery, changing a water pump and fuel systems maintenance. It will be located in space #L87 of the Convention Center and the sessions will last an hour a piece throughout the hours of the show. Finally, the main website of the Boat Show has a great information page with videos on owning a boat called the Boat Buyers toolkit. The best part about attending a boat show is that an interested amateur can see many dealers in one location without having to travel. The toolkit provides a boat loan calculator, a cost comparison tool on boating activities versus other recreational activities and videos on why people should visit a boat show.
Eric L Labrador is a freelance writer covering all things Miami. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
