| USA. One megayacht sunk by Wilma, many damaged; consensus says “Call off 2005 Ft L Boat Show” |
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| Thursday, 27 October 2005 | |
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Marian Martin The consensus of industry opinion gleaned by BYM is that decisions taken by the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show organisers, both before and after Wilma, have been flawed. BYM has not been able to find one single show participant who considers the decision to reschedule the show for next week is a good one. Keith Romer, captain of the 108 ft Broward megayacht On Seafari, which sank in Dinner Key Marina after the hull was ripped open, told the Triton (http://www.the-triton.com) – a magazine for megayacht crew – that the only reason the yacht had stayed in South Florida was to await the Boat Show. “Otherwise we would have been in the Bahamas or someplace to ride it out, but we were told it was going to blow over and they were going to rush everyone into the show so we stayed.” Romer said. Romer is not the only captain to feel anger at Show Management’s decision to initially put off the show for just two days, creating an impression that the hurricane would cause little damage, but others have little sympathy for captains whose yachts suffered because they stayed in Florida. One told BYM News “Looking at the stuff coming from the hurricane center, it was clear that Florida was not the place to be when Wilma arrived.” Comments saying “Call of the Show” are on the increase, as those planning to attend the rescheduled show discover that they cannot find hotel rooms. One UK visitor, who had intended to go, told BYM News “Hotels that are supposed to be able to offer accommodation next week say they are fully booked, others don’t plan on being ready to open.” His comment was typical of many and it does appear that there will be little, if any, available accommodation in the region over the new show dates. Not only is there doubt over who will visit the show, but also over who will exhibit there. Lewmar and Bénéteau USA say they wont, others intend to put on a reduced display, manned by local dealership staff, others are adopting a wait and see policy. Dustan E. Mc Coy, president of the Brunswick Boat Group, told BYM News “It’s too early to tell what our level of participation will be. Our decision will be driven by how well the area has recovered, the ability of people to travel to and from the show, and other similar factors.” The general view is that, despite communication difficulties, the Florida Marine Trade Association should have made a serious attempt to poll members and find out what they wanted, before a decision was made. The Superyacht Society is polling its members and has issued a statement saying "The ISS is sensitive to the situation regarding the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and is taking the appropriate steps to go along with whatever is going to occur. In the meantime, we are canvassing our members and the large yacht industry to determine the most appropriate path forward." |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 27 October 2005 ) |
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