The official Tiki Water Sports, Inc. blog which keeps you informed on the latest products and services being offered by our company as well as all the latest news on sailing and kayaking we are doing down here and the Keys and what is being done elsewhere around Florida.
The 2014 Miami International Boat Show has now finally come to a close but not without some great things to report back from the Tiki Water Sports booth. Friday, Saturday and Sunday saw the boat show get into high gear as people from all walks of life and all over the world came to the Strictly Sail venue and the Sea Isle venue to see the best the industry had to offer and there was nothing there to disappoint the crowd. On Friday February 14 our Sales Associate from the Coral Gables office, Felipe Barreda closed on his sale of 2014 Catalina 14.2 Expo which has been ordered and will be delivered to Port Tomas in Guatemala.
2014 Catalina Expo 14.2
Bob Chester also sold another Catalina 14.2 Expo to another customer and also sold the 2012 Hunter 22 which we had at the boat show and which will be going back to our yard to be prepared for its new owner. In addition to the Catalina 12.5 and 14.2 Expo, there was a lot of excitement about the Hunter 15 and the Hunter 18 which was at Sea Isle venue. Despite being a venue for power boat vendors and buyers, these two sailboats did manage to turn a couple of heads with its sleek design and sharp lines. the Hunter 18 looked absolutely cool with the blue hull and the two tone deck of white and tan. Despite being a cool daysailer, this boat is a fantastic race boat a great family boat.
Hunter 18 blue hull with two tone deck.
Although not in our product line, we did have a chance to check out the Hunter 337 and the Hunter 40 which were also at the Sea Isle venue along with the Marlow motor yachts and we were quite impressed not only with the efficiency of their design but also by their simplicity. We had the pleasure to show these boats to several clients who were starting their adventure into the world of sailing and we wanted to show them what they should eventually aspire to when they grow in confidence with their sailing ability. The wonderful thing about our industry is that we get to work with a lot of wonderful people in many different areas and we get to benefit from what we all bring to the table as professionals.
From left to right, Bob Chester, Rich Hutchins,
Barbara Short & Chip Short
Horizon Day Cat
Tyler Hutchins, a new generation of Hutchins ready to build high quality boats
As we mentioned earlier we were happy to see our old friends from Clearwater, Florida, Com-Pac Yachts especially Rich Hutchins who was there with his nephew Tyler Hutchins and his family. While there was considerable interest in the Catalinas and Hunters, we also saw a lot of interest over the weekend in the Com-Pac line of sailboats, particularly the Picnic and Sunday Cat. One of the features which made these boats attractive was the ability to put a bimini top to provide shade from the sun but the other features which made the Com-Pac line of sailboats attractive were the ease of set up, the mast could be set up in a matter of minutes and also for those who need to navigate under bridges, the mast can be stepped while under way, as well as the ease in sailing the boats. They are perfect boats for beginners as well as "old salts." We also had a Com-Pac Horizon Day Cat which is new to the Com-Pac line. Although it does not have as large a cabin as its sister, the Horizon Cat, it does have a huge cockpit and you are able to set up a table in the cockpit for drinks and food which is a very cool feature.Tiki Water Sports was happy to have sold one of these boats to a local customer who took it with him back to his home last night. It was a great thing to see smile in this individuals face as he drove away with his new boat.
Hunter 22 sold to a customer in Key West, Florida
So as we look back at one of the best shows in recent history, we look forward to an exciting year of new opportunities and new possibilities for Tiki Water Sports.
We ask you to please leave your comments below and let us know how we are doing with this blog. If you have any questions about any of the boats you have seen here, please call us at (305) 852-9298 or write to us at fb@tikiwatersports.net. Our website is at www.tikiwatersports.net. Thank you for making this a great show and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
We had an awesome show today. We couldn't have asked for better weather and definitely there was a lot of action not only at the Strictly Sail venue but also at Sea Isle. First and foremost, Felipe Barreda from our Coral Gables corporate office closed on a 2014 Catalina 14.2 Expo this afternoon with a gentlemen from Guatemala. Needless to say the gentlemen was very happy with his purchase and is looking forward to having a lot of fun with his new boat. We would like to congratulate Felipe on this sale. Felipe also escorted the gentlemen to see the Hunter 18 at Sea Isle as well as the Hunter 40 and the Torqueedo Engines which were there. We are looking forward to cultivating a very friendly relationship with this new customer and that we are able to help him enjoy his new found love for the sport of sailing for many more years to come.
We had a lot of action at the Sea Island venue, more than yesterday and we captured a lot of customer contact information for the Hunter 18. For any serious buyers who are willing to put down a 25% deposit on anyone of our boats, Tiki Water Sports will consider comping them their boat show tickets. Any Hunter purchase you make from the 15 up to the 22 you will get half off on the options package which would be the mainsail cover as well as the cushions. This special is only for the boat show.
If today is any indication of what tomorrow holds in store and since tomorrow is a day that most people have off, we should have an excellent sales day. If you have any questions, please call at 786-897-8600 or write to us at fb@tikiwatersports.net. We hope to see you tomorrow at the show.
The 2014 Miami International Boat Show is here! and what a show it is shaping to be. There is an air of excitement in the air and everyone we have talked to has the feeling that this show will be unlike any shows that we have seen in the past. Certainly it was a pleasure to see the folks we knew from prior shows but it was also nice to meet new people and to talk to them about their products and services.
The first day of the show, the price of the ticket is higher. Yesterday it was $35.00 to get in. The reason behind this is to allow the industry professionals to network with each other and also allow the serious buyers to have a better look at the boats and access to the sales force. Yesterday Tiki Water Sports was pleased to meet Roberto from Guatemala who had an interest in the 2014 Catalina 14.2 Expo. This boat is simple to set up and simple to sail and is great for the person who is just starting to learn how to sail. After crunching the numbers with him, we were able to offer him this boat at at boat show special of $8,865.00 plus a reasonable shipping cost to Guatemala. We at Tiki Water Sports have extensive experience at selling our high quality products and shipping them all over the world because people around the world recognize the high quality of American made and American crafted sailing products.
We got to see our great friend Mr. Rich Hutchins from Com-Pac Yachts who was their with us presenting the line of quality Com-Pac boats that are out there. Not only did we have the usual boats out there like the popular Picnic Cat and Sunday Cat but, Mr. Hutchins brought with him a boat which promises to turn lots of heads at the show and certainly attracted a lot of attention yesterday on the first day of the show. Tiki Water Sports in conjunction with Com-Pac Yachts is proud to present the Horizon Day Cat. Like its older sibling this boat is big, 20 feet and has a wide beam but it built for people who are not interested in a weekend overnight boat and just want a big day sailor. It has a nice cuddy cabin to store things and a large open cockpit to accomodate alot of family and freinds. We had a chance to chat with Rich and he has told us, I I think we can agree with him that he has designed and built boats for every different age group out there and that it is not just limited to one particular type of individual.
This year as always we had the Hunter 22 at the strictly sail venue and on its trailer and as always there were some people that were impressed by its design, particularly the open transom concept which we think is a neat feature in the small Hunter sail boats. People can't seem to understand how it works and how water doesn't get into the cockpit but if you look closely at the design, the boat is bult so that the stern is lighter and while under sail lifts out of the water, hence the excellent performance features of the Hunter design. We had a chance to speak to Greg Emerson, Sales Manage for Marlow Hunter who showed us the Hunter 337 and the Hunter 40, not something that is generally in our product line but we do have a large network of Hunter dealers that we work with that han help our customers get into these larger boats. Marlow-Hunter is doing a lot of amazing things with the design of their sailboats and we are expecting them to have more spectacular things in the years to come. We received a lot of positive response to the Hunter 18 which was at the Sea Isle venue, especially the blue colored hull and the two toned deck. It gave a real classic look to the boat and added an attractive feature to its already enhanced performance. Additionally, the Hunter 15 was there as well which is a very popular boat for people who are just learning how to sail.
It was our pleasure to meet Mr. David Marlow, the owner of Marlow Hunter who had a lot of good things to say about Tiki's sales presentation and style. We hope that it is a good sign of things to come and that this will bode well for an excellent boat show.
We will as always keep you informed of everything that is going on this weekend and the great hot deals that you can expect from Tiki Water Sports. Again if you are serious about buying a boat and wish to find out how you can get discounted tickets to the boat show, please call 786-897-8600. Thank you once again for making Tiki Water Sports the best provider of marine products and services in the Florida Keys and South Florida since 1963 and we look forward to continuing our great service well into the future.
Hey folks, we are just nine days away from the 2014 Miami International Boat Show/Strictly Sail and Tiki Water Sports is gearing up for what we expect to be one of the best shows we have seen in a long time. As we had mentioned in our last blog post, we will have our Hunter 22 out there and we just wanted you to see a video of how amazing this sailing machine is. This boat is a sailor's boat and with the performance package that we have on our boat, this machine is set to fly across the water. Can you imagine yourself sailing this boat? We are positive that you can imagine it and for $26,805.00 you too can be having the ride of your life! Tiki will of course consider any reasonable offers made at the boat show.
Catalina has also told us about the 12.5 Expo will be featured as well as the 14.2 Expo. Tiki Water Sports will have brochures and information concerning the Catalina 275 which has proven to be extremely popular at the Annapolis Boat Show and the Chicago Boat Show. Above is a video of the Catalina 275 introducing the Catalina 275 which was won Sailing Magazine's prestigious award for best sailboat under thirty feet for 2013.
In addition to the Marlow Hunter and Catalina, Tiki Water Sports will be proud once more to represent Com-Pac Yachts. We will have a Horizon Day Cat, Sunday Cat, and Picnic Cat at the our exposition booth and as usual Richard Hutchins will be there once more to show you why Com-Pac continues to have the best craftsman in the world and continues to build quality yachts since the 1970s.
Although not featured at the boat show, Tiki Water Sports would like to remind its customers that we are the authorized dealer for Hobie, Precision Boat Works and Future Beach kayaks and paddle boats as well as ATX SUP paddle boards. Please feel free to ask us any questions about those products when you come visit us at the boat show.
The Miami International Boat Show will take place from February 13, 2014 until February 17, 2014. Tiki Water Sports will be at the Strictly Sail venue at the Miami Marina which is located at Bayside Market Place in downtown Miami. For more information concerning the show, location, time dates and ticket prices, please go to click here.ANY CUSTOMERS WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT PURCHASING A BOAT, TIKI WATER SPORTS WILL OFFER A DISCOUNT TO TICKETS TO THE BOAT SHOW. All requests will be handled on a case by case basis. Please contact Robert Chester at (305) 852-9298 or bob@tikiwatersports.net to request a discount to the boat show.
For more information concerning Tiki Water Sports please go to www.tikiwatersports.net or call (305) 852-9298. Please do not forget to visit our Facebook page by clicking here and our Twitter page by following this link.
Tiki Water Sports is located on mile marker 94.5 on the ocean side of Key Largo, Florida. We have been providing high quality marine products and services to the Florida Keys and South Florida since 1963. We are authorized dealers for Marlow Hunter, Catalina, Com-Pac Yachts, Hobie, Precision Boat Works, Future Beach kayaks and paddle boats as well as ATX SUP paddle boats. We provide consignment services and act as agents for used boat purchases for commission.
