The Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show opens Wednesday, February 16, at multiple locations across Miami and Miami Beach. The in-water components of the show will take place at Sea Isle Marina, One Herald Plaza, Museum Park Marina, and Island Global Yachting Yacht Haven Grande at Island Gardens, while the on-land portion of the event will take place at the newly reimagined Miami Beach Convention Center and Pride Park. New sailboats and catamarans including those from Balance, Bali, Beneteau, Jeanneau, Leopard, Catalina, Dufour, Fountaine Pajot, Hylas, Island Packet, Xquisite Yachts and more will be on display at the Museum Park Marina on the mainland (west) side of the MacArthur Causeway. The show runs through Sunday, February 20.

The Miami Beach Convention Center will feature boats up to 49 feet along with engine manufacturers, marine accessories, electronics, and retail pavilions. Superyachts will be on the display at IGY Yacht Haven Grande at Island Gardens.

Tickets are only available for purchase online, and there will not be a ticketing box office at the show.

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Congrats to Cruising World authors who were recognized at the start of the 2020 Miami International Boat Show in an annual awards program conducted by the membership of Boating Writers International (BWI) for their “Excellence in creating compelling stories about the boating lifestyle through entertaining, educational and inspiring journalism.” In all, CW writers took home three 1st Place awards, three 2nd Place awards, two 3rd Place awards, and four Certificates of Merit.

The BWI Writing Awards, presented for 27 years, attracted 112 participants submitting 299 entries. In addition to first-, second- and third-place awards, 45 Certificates of Merit were presented to other entrants who scored closely to the third-place tallies in each category. All submissions to the contest were published in 2019.

Seamanship, Rescue & Safety – sponsored by Sea Tow Services International

1st place, “Touching the Water” by John Rousmaniere. Jim Rhodes said, “Rousmaniere grabs the attention of the reader at the outset with a compelling and moving lead, and then delivers on the promise with a well written story based on personal experience. A thoroughly good read.” Certificate of Merit: “To Moor or Anchor” by Tom Zydler.

The Business of Boating – sponsored by Evinrude

Certificate of Merit : “The Case for Buying a Charter Cat” by Tim Murphy

Boating Adventures – sponsored by Yamaha Marine Group

1st, “The Art of Cruising” by Tom Zydler; 3rd, “Chasing a Pacific High” by Ronnie Simpson. Judge Richard Armstrong commented, “The slow-motion adventure of a skipper/author and his artist wife as they explore the Canadian Maritimes and Greenland takes the reader on a journey past ice floes, calving icebergs, rugged terrain, and wildlife in a world most boaters will never experience.”

Boat Projects, Renovations & Retrofits – sponsored by Boats Group

2nd, “The Full Quiver” by Ronnie Simpson; 3rd, “Sweat, Tears and Fiberglass” by Jordan Wicht

Boating Travel or Destinations – sponsored by Kicker Marine Audio

Certificate of Merit: “Riding the Rideau” by Mark Pillsbury

Boating Profiles – sponsored by ZF Marine

Certificate of Merit: “Hard Aground, Caught Aback” by Gary Goodlander

Boating Columns – sponsored by KVH Industries, Inc.

2nd, “Off Watch” by Herb McCormick

Boating Lifestyles – sponsored by Discover Boating

1st, “Back to the Abacos” by Tim Murphy; 2nd, “Sisters from Other Mothers” by Barbara Marrett; Judge Betsy Haggerty noted, “In Back to the Abacos, long-ago journal entries and vivid descriptions of new experiences combine to bring readers along on a three-generation catamaran cruise that highlights the closeness of the family and the beauty of sailing in the Abacos.”

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February might be the perfect time to be in South Florida, particularly when there are boats involved. If you are heading down to sunny Miami for the show, here are some cool boats and gear items to check out, where to go and what to do!

Where and When: The Miami International Boat Show will be held at the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin on Virginia Key, 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL.

The show opens on Thursday, February 13th and runs through Monday, February 17th. Check out the latest info on parking and getting to the show here.

The Hylas 60 is making its long-awaited debut at the show. Designed by renowned naval architect German Frers, the new Hylas H60 delivers the familiar quality and safety features that Hylas Yachts are known for, but introduces an edge for performance and modern styling that’s brand new. Pier 9, Slip 933

Looking for luxury? The Sunreef 80 will be the largest yacht at the show. This 80-foot catamaran features an open saloon that merges with the generous cockpit, which extends onto a large aft platform. The flybridge has moveable furniture, a Jacuzzi(!) and a fully equipped wet bar. Inside the hulls you’ll find accommodations with details like walk-in closets and spacious en suite heads and showers. Pier 9, Slip 926

If performance is more your thing, check out the new X40 from Danish builder X-Yachts. At 39 feet, 8 inches LOA, the X40 is the smallest in the company’s XRange. It’s available with a two- or three-cabin layout in an interior that’s designed to maximize the space available and Scandinavian styling. Pier 8, Slip 822

Two power cats are also making a debut at the show: the Lagoon Sixty 7 and Nautitech 47. The Sixty 7 motor yacht is a smaller sister of the flagship motor yacht Seventy 8, and was designed by the catamaran experts Van Pethegem Lauriot Prevost (VPLP) and Patrick Le Quement, with interior design by Nauta Design. Pier 9

The new Nautitech 47 Power offers plenty of comfort and speed. Racy and contemporary lines are combined with optimized hulls for real performance: 22 knots top speed with two Volvo 300hp engines and a range of 300 miles at 15 knots and 1,000 miles at 8.5 knots. Pier 9, Slips 941 & 943

New Gear at the Show

West Marine Inc. Showcases Newest Boating Tech and Safety Products, Tent C, Booth C448

Miami Boat Show presenting sponsor West Marine will be on-site demoing the following accessories for the everyday sailor: ACR Electronics ResQLink 400 Personal Locator Beacon, FUJINON Techno-Stabi 1440 stabilizing binoculars, SPOT – Trace Theft Alert Tracking Device, ICOM – M37 Floating 6 Watt Handheld VHF Radio, and the Taylor Made – AquaFi Mobile Hotspot Kit

OneUP, Tent E, Booth E105

OneUP, is a cool, ultra-compact and portable self-inflating PFD. It weighs less than a pound, and is designed to be thrown a long distance. Upon contact with the water, it inflates within seconds to become a horseshoe-style PFD.

Sunglasses made from recycled fishing nets – Costa Del Mar’s Untangled Collection

Need some new sunnies? Check out Costa’s Untangled Collection, a line of sunglass frames made entirely from recycled fishing nets, which are some of the most harmful form of ocean plastic. The collection features four frame styles made from 100 percent recycled fishing nets, each featuring mineral glass polarized lenses and recycled aluminum Costa logos.

Seminars

Educational seminars will be held upstairs at the Rowing Center, which is adjacent to the East End food court and next to the water. Register at miamiboatshow.com/seminars

Pam Wall is hosting several seminars to get you ready to cruise, including:

Cruising the Bahamas – an in-depth presentation geared to thoroughly prepare you

• Thursday, Feb. 13th, 11am
• Duration: 6 hours
• Cost $169 (includes show admission)

Family Sailing with Kids

• Saturday, Feb 15th, 11am
• Duration: 3 hours 
• Cost: $99 (includes show admission)

Outfitting for Blue Water Sailing

• Sunday, Feb. 16th, 11am
• Duration: 3 hours
• Cost: $99 (includes show admission)

Cruising in the Bahamas

• Monday, Feb. 17th, 11am
• Duration: 3 hours
• Cost: $99 (includes show admission)

Join weather Guru Chris Parker from Marine Weather Center

• 20 Interesting, and useful, things you probably don’t know about marine weather
• Sunday, Feb. 16th, 2pm
• Duration: 3 hours
• Cost: $99 (includes show admission)

Interested in the America’s Cup? Join Tucker Thompson, the AC’s TV commentator

Chasing the Cup: An America’s Cup update featuring American Magic

• Saturday, Feb 15th, 2pm
• Duration: 3 hours
• Cost: $99 (includes show admission)

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