Melbourne International Boat creates a major splash!

There were over 200 boats on display, with the land component of the show made up of numerous outdoor marquess, along with trailer boat displays stretching the length of the promenade from New Quay to Waterfront City. The latest marine equipment was on display, along with an abundance of advice and expertise. Interactive water based activities, included sailing a yacht, paddling a canoe or taking a ride on a motorboat. Boats from the fortBboat Championships were on display with the opportunity to meet the drivers.

The "old Summer Boat Show" has undergone a magnificent renaissance, providing boaties, water sport enthusiasts and the general public with an array of spectacular new displays and exclusive exhibits. For the first time the show presented a comprehensive range of cruisers, inflatable boats, yachts and the latest in marine equipment. Aussie Boat Sales of Williamstown unveiled a variety of luxurious Maritimo vessels for the first time in Victoria.

The Maritimo 52 Skylounge, Martimo 550 Sportfishing and the Maritimo 48 all made their Victorian debut at this years show. Also on show for the first time in Melbourne was the luxury boat, Deep V310 Express. The Wakemaster, the first family orientated ski/wake boat was also displayed for the first time anywhere in Australia. Another first at the Boat Show was Scuba Culture, Victoria's leading scuba diving education provider. Scuba Culture is the only course in Australia that has every course mapped against an outdoor recreation training package making them Australian scuba experts.

Australia's original prop shop, Seahawk were at the show and offering free propeller appraisals and advice. Using their Accuscan Propeller Profiler, they provided complimentary advice on any propeller related performance issues. Along with boats there were a number of displays and daily entertainment. Parks Victoria has a strong presence at the show - with a little help from mascot 'Ranger Roo', who was on hand to provide interactive entertainment for kids about the environment.

The Marine Safety Victoria marquee was an important stopping point, with loads of useful information. They also delivered a number of demonstrations, provided advice on numerous issues and also gave away some complimentary safety gear. Along the promenade there were a host of boats, boat engines, boat trailers, rubber dingies, Sea-Doos, jet skis, outdoor wear from Helly Hansen, catamarans, accessories and lots more. While the on land boats were certainly interesting, the 'big fish" were moored at the marina. Here some of the world's most luxurious boats were assembled.

While the boats on shore were generally out of my price range, the starting price for many of the water based craft were in excess of the average home! There were some seriously expensive - and luxurious - boats with every conceivable luxury amenity. These included craft from Sunrunner, Riviera, Sundance Yachts and Euroyachts and Aussie Boat Sales.

RIBSPORT SHOWCASES NEW BOATS
Ribsport, based in Black Rock, showcased its state of the art Shearwater 860 Cabin for the first time. This outstanding sports boat was short listed as a finalist in the coveted UK??Motor Boat of The Year Awards 2008. Also on display was the Revenger 715.

SMART Kat
Smartkat is a clever sailing catamaran fitted with inflatable hulls. It uses high quality materials and the best news is that the whole boat fits into two 20kg bags and can be made ready to sail in about 20 minutes. Smartkat is 4.3 metres in length with a 5.8 metre height. The boat is simply pumped up to make it ready to sail. This smart boat is available from Smartkat, in Northcote, Victoria. It has a RRP of $6,950.
www.smartkat.at

Living the dream... Pleasure cruising
Pleasure Cruising is a Club that makes rental cruising an affordable alternative to actual boat ownership. Figures suggest that the majority of boats spent more than half their lives docked or parked in driveways. Why have your capital tied up in a resource that you don't fully capitalise? Pleasure Cruising is a Club that offers all the benefits of owning a Mustang Cruiser without any of the normal costs and ownership inconveniences. Club fees cover a 12 month period and entitle you to a Mustang Cruiser for a guaranteed number of days throughout the year.

Full training is provided and safety gear is also supplied. Pleasure Cruising means you pay no insurance, no mooring, no transportation, no maintenance or no depreciation on a luxury cruiser. Bronze membership to Pleasure Cruising is just $12,500 for use of 34-38ft Mustang vessels.
For full details visit www.pleasurecruising.com.au
Phone. 1300 132 565. email: [email protected]