[Rhodes22-list] FW: Miami Report

Sun Feb 19 16:57:23 EST 2012

All,The Miami Boat Show was a great time.  Long drive though - 8 hrs down and 7 hrs back.  Went primarily to look at the Seaward 26RK to see one in person.  It is a very impressive boat - see some pictures attached that I took.  I was trying to see if that would be a good step up to a boat that would still be trailerable but one that my wife and I could spend more time on - maybe a month or two at a time.  The retractable keel design looks very sturdy and I expect that it would be very seaworthy, more ocean-going and would point very well.  My conclusion after seeing the boat and learning almost everything there is to know about it (without sailing it of course) is that I am not going to go in that direction.  Here are my opinions that led me to this conclusion:
It is not a major step up from the R-22 in terms of liveability.  No standing headroom, galley is mediocre at best, minimal storage space in the galley, real lack of storage in terms of keeping clothes on board for extended stays (no hanging locker etc).  Overall, the salon felt very cramped.  The V berth is very nice and roomy and having a shower in the head and cockpit with h/c water is real nice.  Why is it cramped?  Because it's trailerable and has 8.5 ft beam.  The ease of trailering is claimed to be excellent, but my opinion is that it is 50% heavier than the R-22 (6,000 lb vs. 4,000 lb) and so my opinion is that it would be 50% more complicated.  Just my opinion but even the sales rep said you might want to trailer it at the beginning and end of the season.  After having trailered the R-22 thousands of miles, I think the Seaward would be more complicated and more difficult.  Just my opinion, not necessarily fact.The cost is very high.  The boat show model pictured is $80,000 and I know that after I finish outfitting it so that it is equivalent to my Rhodes I would be at or over 90K.  I think I could get a 31-32 foot Beneteau, Catalina or something similar that is < 10 yrs old, fully outfitted for less than that - probably $50-70K. 
Compac was there but did not have the new pilothouse.  Sounds like they cannot keep up with the demand but maybe they only build one per month, I don't know.  Overall, new sailboat prices have become outrageously expensive, unlike new powerboats where there are still some reasonable deals.  The new Catalina 315 was there and it is very nice and roomy.  The price?  $175,000!!  Ridiculous for a 31 foot boat.  Smallest Beneteau at the show was 37 feet!

Most impressive boat (monohull) was easily the new Seaward 46.  Hull #1 was there and it is amazing - has a pilothouse and leather captains chair that you can see all around and still navigate and operate the a/p.  The show model was only $500,000.

Went to the Lats & Atts party on Saturday night for free beer and pizza and spoke to Bob Bitchin briefly.  It was a great time.  

Speaking of keeping my wallet in my pocket, when I left the party Sat night I was halfway out and realized my wallet was not in my back pocket.  Went back and it was still sitting on my chair where it had fallen out.  Lucky me..

That's my unsolicited review of the boat show.
BK

Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:14:53 -0800
From: bobandkathyr22 at bellsouth.net
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Miami
To: r22yankeeclipper at hotmail.com

Hey Bob:  Kathy and I usually make it to the Miami show as you may recall; however, too much going on this year.  Used to love it when it was held on Watson Island - now the monkey jungle.

Have a great time.  Keep you hand over your wallet.  {:>)
Bob and Kathy on the R22 "NoKaOi 3"
        From: Bob Keller <r22yankeeclipper at hotmail.com>
 To:
 rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org 
 Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 2:02 PM
 Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Miami

On my way to the Miami Boat Show.  Will be there on Saturday.  I doubt there will be a Rhodes or a Stan sighting?BK

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