North American In-Water Boat Show underway
Thursday, 13 September 2007
LEMTA Press Release
SANDUSKY, OH – September is upon us – the days are getting shorter, the nights colder, and the North American In-Water Boat Show is ready to drop anchor at Cedar Point! Opening this Wednesday and running until Sunday the 16th, the show features more than 700 power and sail boats and dozens of on-land display booths. Now an end-of-the-summer boating tradition, the show got its start in 1973 after Norm Schultz, then president of the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association, visited an in-water boat show in Annapolis, Maryland.
“I wanted to see if something like that would work on Lake Erie,” said Schultz, who retired in 2005 but remains President Emeritus of the organization now headed by Ken Alvey, “We thought if we were lucky 1,500 or 2,000 people would show up.”
Schulz turned out to be more than lucky, as 5,000 visitors streamed in from across the region. Originally configured to display 91 boats and 16 accessory booths, the show has grown to become the largest in-water boat show on the Great Lakes and one of the largest in the country.
The fest was held in Cedar Point Marina’s north harbor until it was moved in 1992 to the south harbor. Since the switch, the boat show has had unlimited room to expand and took full advantage last year by interconnecting all the docks. Visitors can now walk out onto the piers, get a drink, look at boats and use the restroom all before coming back to land. “Our location has always been an asset, and we’ve grown with Cedar Point,” said Schultz, “A lot of people come for the weekend and visit both the show and the park. There’s more than enough to do when you include all the wineries, resorts, golf courses and nearby islands.” Adding to the excitement, Cedar Point was recently named Best Amusement Park in the World at the Golden Ticket Awards for a record 10th consecutive year.
Many other successes from last year have been built upon, including the Powerboat Demo Dock. Introduced in 2006 as a companion to the Discover Sailing Center (which offers free sailboat rides), it gives novices a chance to drive a power boat or potential buyers the opportunity to compare multiple models in the same place. Test drives are free, and the boats include 20-35-foot models from Sea Ray (MarineMax); Regulatory (Catawba Moorings); Pursuit and Tiara (Lakeside Marine); Key West (Sima Marine); Formula (Ivancic Marine); Grady-White (Beaver Park); and Malibu (VanDevere Marine), among others.
The “Boats Under $15,000” section was also a hit in its debut and will be complemented by a new “Boats $15,000-25,000” section. All packages in these displays include a boat, motor and trailer. Cost-conscious buyers should also be sure to check out the Brokerage Pier, where a wide selection of pre-owned boats will be open for boarding.
Be sure to bring the family on the weekend when, as part of the Allstate Safety Weekends program, free lifejackets will be handed out to children while supplies last. Those under 12 years of age also get in free during the entire week.
The floating Party Barge, now a boat show staple, will be open during all show hours to serve up drinks, music and entertainment. The shady tent and umbrellas offer the perfect setting to take an afternoon break or meet up with friends at the end of the day. The North American In-Water Boat Show opens September 12 and runs until Sunday, September 16. Hours are noon – 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $9 for adults, kids 12 and under get in free. For more information, visit www.cedarpointboatshow.com.
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