Thousands of boating and fishing enthusiasts packed the North Charleston Convention Center Complex last January for the 27th Annual Charleston Boat Show, which took place over three sunny days. 
     This indoor and outdoor show, presented by “Mercury,” featured over 100 boat dealers and manufacturers, as well as 100 booths with fishing and boating products and accessories. Marine companies came from all over the East Coast to the busy seaport of Charleston, which is a leading harbor for fishing, sailing and yachting.
     Jacqui McGuinness, President of JBM & Associates, who produced this show and other boat shows around the country, said she was happy with the turnout and the great weather. “This has proven to be a really successful show, with lots for people to see and do,” she said. “We expect about 10,000 visitors coming through.”
     There were many dock builders, boat lift companies, motors, marine clothes and shoes, marine insurance and financing companies, lures, sunglasses, and trucks such as GMC. In addition, there were special exhibits, such as Phillip Hain of Hot Springs, Arkansas, a fishing expert teaching techniques with a huge traveling glass aquarium tank. Bill Semple, of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, was teaching a children’s lure-building class, and Daniel Machowski, a marine biologist of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, was teaching bystanders how to tie nautical knots out of different ropes. Gene Adams, of the Charleston Angler, offered hands-on instruction for kids on basic fishing skills. 
     The layout of this boat show was organized and professional, with boats set up all over the grounds outside, as well as inside the Coliseum and Convention Center, and with booths lining the halls. There were boats of every size, from small Zodiac rafts and Mako’s, right up to 50-foot yachts. 
     Alan Small, a broker for Barrier Island Yacht Sales of Charleston, was one of many boat brokers wandering around the show. “This is the kickoff for Spring,” he said. “Sales are going well, and this show gets bigger every year.”
     Nearby, a couple was looking over one of the boats being shown by Jarrett Bay Yacht Sales. “We come to this show every year, and this year we are looking for our dream boat,” said Ron Green, of Mount Pleasant, who came with his wife, Susan.
     A salesman for Cape Fear Yacht Sales was showing off some Cruisers Yachts, Carver Yachts, and Marquis Yachts, several of the lines they carry. All around, these beautiful, streamlined yachts glistened in the afternoon sun.
     Other exhibitors included Hinckley Yacht Services, Sea Ray of Charleston, Scout, Key West, Classic Yachting Solutions of Charleston, Everglades, Yamaha, Roth Bilt Boats, Boston Whaler, Grady-White, Sea Fox, and Chris Craft, to name a few.  
       Dave Cherubini, President of Cherubini Yachts of Delran, New Jersey, said he flew down to support his new tri-state dealer, Classic Yachting Solutions, of Charleston. They are selling his state of the art, custom built runabouts in N.C., S.C. and Georgia. 
       Crowds gathered around numerous booths, to try on sunglasses, check out jet skis, and try different products. Marshall Solomon, of Marsh Marine, was on hand in his booth to demonstrate his fuel polishing service and barnacle buster. Many representatives showed pictures of their lift systems and floating docks. Tackle companies showed the latest in bait and lures, and non-profit boating groups like Sea-Tow and the Department of Natural Resources gave out literature on their organizations. Throughout the day, people took a break to eat a great lunch at the show, of local “Low-Country” shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes, and pork barbecue, provided by “Lowcountry Boils” of Charleston.
       So even if you missed the Charleston Boat Show, you can still make the next one, also produced by JBM & Associates, which is the “Savannah Boat Show,” and takes place from March 30-April 1, 2007, in this scenic city. See you there!
