2014 Miami International Boat Show: Final Report

Hunter 15

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.