The 2012 Lake Union Boats Afloat Show, one of the largest West Coast on-water shows, opens Wednesday.
The 34th annual show will include more than 50 distinct brands of yachts and 50 brokers and dealers from Washington, Oregon, California, Florida and British Columbia.
Among the manufacturers to be represented at the show are Ocean Alexander, Selene, Westport, Kadey Krogen, American Tug, Regal, Jeanneau, Navigator, Hunter, Catalina, Riviera and Sea Ray. There also will be shore-side exhibitors with professional services from marine finance and insurance to electronics, marinas, shipping, yacht linens and yacht maintenance.
Boats of note: The 82 Cockpit Motor Yacht from Ocean Alexander is making its world debut at this year’s show. Equipped with twin 1,920 hp MTU power units, the yacht is capable of topping 28 knots.
A 2012 Grand Banks 46 Eastbay, the only 46SX available on the West Coast, will also be on display. It features Cummins Zeus Pod Drive technology for maneuverability.
Holland Yachts will debut its new Holland 75-foot motor yacht featuring an open floor plan with large windows on the main deck which allows for 360 degree visibility from the lower helm, galley and salon. This particular Holland 75 was purposely designed and built to accommodate two couples, plus crew.
Islands Marine Center will feature a 2012 Dual Console 26 Pursuit, the first time this boat has been on display on the West Coast. The boat’s new hull was specifically engineered for its anticipated uses – family fun, casual fishing cruising and marine sport utility.
Sundance Yachts plans to debut a 47-foot Waterloft, a barge boat designed for cruising on rivers, lakes or protected saltwater. With two covered cockpits and a large upper deck, the WaterLoft has plenty of exterior sunning and entertaining space.
Seattle Yachts will have a 2013 Tayana 46 Pilothouse with inside and outside helm stations on display. They will also have a new 2012 Tayana 48 Deck Saloon and two of the new 5 Series sailboats from Catalina, a brand new Catalina 385 and a Catalina 355.
Other attractions: The Center for Wooden Boats will offer kids toy boat building Saturday and Sept. 16. There will be free kids sailing lessons the same days, and free sailboat rides every day. The Ocean Adventure Rowing and Education and Exploration Team, that includes two University of Puget Sound graduates, will be on hand. They are planning a row from Liberia to Venezuela in December.
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