St Pete Boat Show 2K24 Pt 1 of 3 . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

Sorry for the chopped up posts; there's an 8 pic limit on posts that apparently occurred after some web maintenance and is really starting to frustrate me.
I left reasonably early to attend the 2024 St Petersburg Boat Show and would have even arrived early, had I NOT spent one HOUR by the clock, just trying to park.   

Everybody was bundled up, befitting the weather.
You cannot view this attachment.

They really got the Zodiac RIBs looking like wet motorcycles, don't they?
You cannot view this attachment.

You can tell nobody wanted to overly exert themselves in the weather, when they don't even finish taking the shrink wrap off the windshield and Bimini top.
Way to show your boat off to best effect, guys; isn't that marketing 101? 
You cannot view this attachment.

What would turn out to be a common theme: BLACK hull with BLACK interior and BLACK fixtures, in Florida.   
Next August, let me know how that worked out for you.
You cannot view this attachment.

Walker Bay has come a long way from plastic molded dinghys, huh?
You cannot view this attachment.

Lots more power boats on display this year, using up more of the walking around space than in previous years.
You cannot view this attachment.

Yum!! A Dark 'N Stormy!
You cannot view this attachment.
As a  soon-to-be boat builder, I was immediately struck with the realization that on my limited income (still trying to decide if I'm unemployed, or just retired)  I could either get a Dark 'N Stormy OR, I could get a 3/8"-16 316 stainless steel bow eye for my future SCAMP.  (Same price.)  OTOH, I won't need the bow eye for quite a while, and a Dark 'N Stormy will more than take away the feeling of not having a bow eye!

Another trend, seems to be making sport fishing boats look like they are War Machines for the Military.
C'mon Guys, I know Form follows Function and all that, but could you fair up the curves, even a little bit?
You cannot view this attachment.

Charles Brennan