Newport ’18: First Show of the Season Is Larger than Ever. Plus, Our Reviews of 29 New Cruising Boats You Can See There
By Peter A. Janssen
The Newport International Boat Show has always been my favorite. It’s the first of the fall show season, so almost all the new boats are there, and then, well, it’s in Newport. Enough said.
This year the show, the 48thannual, runs from Thursday, Sept. 13, through Sunday, Sept. 16, with most of the docks and engine and accessories tents at the Newport Yachting Center, but also spilling over to neighboring docks. There’s also a brokerage show at the Newport Shipyard with about 100 boats from 60 to 185 feet, and a wooden boat show at Bowen’s Wharf. You can take a free water taxi from the end of Bannister’s Wharf to connect to all the shows.
There will be lots of firsts at the Newport show, including the just-launched Back Cove 34O, the Maine builder’s first outboard-powered boat; with twin 350-hp Suzukis, it just topped out at 39 knots. For its part, Hinckley, known around the world for its iconic Picnic Boats, also will have its first outboard boat at the show, a Sport Boat 40c, with three 300-hp Mercury Verados; the cappuccino machine is standard. (Hinckleys, of course, are also built in Maine and the company will have its new Picnic Boat 40 at the show.)
Palm Beach Motor Yachts will launch its new line at the show with its GT50, an elegant, sleek and luxurious express cruiser, while its sister company, Grand Banks, will introduce the 60 Skylounge, built for comfortable and long-range cruising. If you are a traditionalist, take a look at the 30 Calvin Beal Star, a Down East lobster boat with modern touches, including solar panels that eliminate the need for a genset.
In addition to the new boats, electronics, and gear on display, seminars and hand-on courses will run throughout the show. The United States Power Squadrons – America’s Boating Club – offers free seminars on reading the weather and how to use AIS and VHF/DSC radios, among other things, at the Newport Blues Café across the street from show entrance.
And Confident Captain provides on-the-water training all four days of the show, covering everything from entry-level courses on how to leave the dock up to advanced outboard handling at high speeds. The courses last 90 minutes and cost $99.
Show parking is at Easton’s Beach and costs $20. A free shuttle runs to the show. If you want to get in a boating mood, you can park in Jamestown and take a ferry to the show.
For more about the show: http://newportboatshow.com
For our Special Report with reviews of 29 new cruising boats at the show: http://cruisingodyssey.com/2018/08/30/here-are-our-rev…the-newport-show/
