Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show

brew · Posted: Feb 15, 2012 8:34 pm Post subject: Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show

Does anyone attend this regularly? Can you actually go down and walk through the boats on display? After being down there this past weekend and watching them bring the boats in, I have decided that I will be going back next year for sure if I can actually go in and look at the boats. For those of you that haven't seen it or been, they do shows at five seperate locations with this one being on a 3 mile stretch of Collins Avenue where they just line up the boats down the side of the street. These are the big boys in the boating world like Azimut, Pershing, Hargrave, Lazzara, Benetti, etc. My wife got pissed after a while because I just pulled the car over and watched the boats coming in. There was a steady line coming in and then you could go down to the shipping channels and watch where they were bringing in some from overseas on big shipping boats with like 2-4 boats on it.

Aubs · Motorboat Queen Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9167

I know for the Ft Lauderdale one, they did credit checks on you before you were allowed to walk onto the yachts. Not sure about Miami, but I'd assume its quite similar.

nmballa · Posted: Feb 15, 2012 9:54 pm Post subject:

I walked the Ft. Lauderdal one a few years back and there wasn't any credit checks at that time. But this was around 03' I think. Was pretty cool.

Aubs · Motorboat Queen Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9167

Yeah, they started that about 2 years ago. Palm Beach is the same way.

Chad H · Posted: Feb 16, 2012 12:18 am Post subject:

Not a big fan of the brands mentioned..

Any bertrams or hatteras? I'm a big fan of the sport fishing yachts

brew · Posted: Feb 16, 2012 7:06 am Post subject:

They had all of their models there as well.

brew · Posted: Feb 16, 2012 7:09 am Post subject:

Credit check? Hmmm, I have excellent credit, make an excellent living, but I don't think it's going to get me past the gate keepers of the $5 million+ yachts. I can go look at the $1 million and under boats at dealerships any day. I want access to the big boys.

RampageWake · Posted: Feb 16, 2012 7:50 am Post subject:

I was about to say... I have an 815 score but no way I am anywhere near a customer for a 1MM dollar boat... Doubt they care what your credit score is. I have been to the Miami show several times and bought my SF in Lauderdale from a broker I met at the show. I was looking at 35-42 ft SF boats so I wouldn't know about the big boats. I was, however, invited to go on the yacht "Braveheart" as I ended up drinking with the crew at a bar. They said the owners were never on the boat -- they just sent them to Monaco, Miami, etc... just in case they decided to fly in. Damn 1 percenters! Cool

Chad H · Posted: Feb 16, 2012 9:52 am Post subject:

RampageWake,
Pics of your SF?

brew · Posted: Feb 16, 2012 10:12 am Post subject:

I'm not a customer for a $1M boat either, but you can go to dealerships or a higher end boat show and see the big Bertrams, etc without an issue. I'm wondering if you can go down to the docks and walk the big boats at the Miami show. There were some boats in the 180 foot range in the show and that's what I want to check out plus the Pershings, etc. that you only see from a distance. You can walk Collins Dr and see all of them from the exterior if nothing else.

I'm not sure those people even qualify as the 1 percenters. They may be the .1 percenters. I'm slowly starting to get in the market for a used 35-45 foot boat, but I've got to decide what my primary use is going to be before I start narrowing brands and types.

Commodore · Ladies Man Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 11636

They don't do credit checks. Rolling Eyes

More of a background, verify interest check. They will ask specific questions about what you are in the market for, who else you've dealt with, and are you going through a broker (95% of the buyers do).

Having a broker verify you, or having them with you is like having a real estate agent for a house. You can go anywhere.

For Joe Schmoe to walk up, you'd have to have a notable name (Peyton Manning) to just walk up on them.

Most are appointments, and have pre-set times to view the boats.
This allows the true buyer an uncluttered experience to take their time in the boat, look around, and ask serious questions about their decorating, customized options. Without onlookers and gawkers.

If you know a dealer, or the salesperson well, they may let you in if they have a break in schedules where no one is scheduled to come in. Do like someone else mentioned and try to hit up the local watering hole where the crews will be. If you are fun enough without looking like Bozo the clown they will allow you to tour the boats.

RampageWake · Posted: Feb 16, 2012 1:36 pm Post subject:

Chad H -

http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewtopic.php?t=85223&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=phoenix

Added new electronics, stereo since then:

Craig-R · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 19 Dec 2008 Posts: 1676

brew, i don't know about the big big boats but i went to the Miami Boat Show back in 2006 and i won a watson 138 from watson himself in a free raffle it was sweeeet

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

http://www.showmanagement.com/miami_boat_show/event/faq/

Q: Can I get aboard any boat?

A: In general, most boats at the show can be boarded, with the exception of the superyachts and megayachts. In some cases, you may have to go through a qualifying process to get on board a boat, in others, you can just take your shoes off and go. Access is granted at the discretion of the exhibiting manufacturer/dealer

Nor*Cal · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9479 City: Sac

Chad H · Posted: Feb 16, 2012 6:56 pm Post subject:

RampageWake,
I'm jealous of your life. I'm gonna try to get a job on a charter boat this summer if I can with extra time. Really want to learn a bit more about that.