Recap of Palm Beach Show

Well, the Palm Beach Show just came to a close. As I am hearing from everyone in every aspect of the industry, attendance was down slightly, or attendance was stable but less 'qualified' traffic. But, it certainly was a fun show, and there were still plenty of highlights. I would like to quickly thank some exhibitors,

• Anchor Yacht Sales (Thanks again Forest!)
  
• Hells Bay Boat Works
• Wilson Yacht Sales
• Canyon Runner/Ritchie Howell
• MJM Yachts
• Seven Seas (3 shows straight!)
• Offshore West
• Bradford Marine

It was a pleasure to work for all of you, and lets hope those sea-trials you lined up come through!

One thing I prefer over other shows? Everything is one place! Even with mediocre downtown parking, the ability to see (and service) all boats in one place was great. The fact that our advertising with Show Management is building a relationship with them is excellent (if you are going to any future Show Management shows, call us for free tickets!). Downtown West Palm was great, whether lunch at Pizza Girls, or the Dockwalk party at Dr. Feelgoods, or after show cocktails at E.R. Bradleys, being able to eat outside the gates in less than 1ooft is huge. Cracked Conch fritters are not helping my diet.

Also, thank you to Prism Polish and Boat Owners Warehouse for the complimentary gear, we will give you a full report on if it fits in our kits.

I almost forgot to mention the weather. Though there was only a slight sprinkle on Sunday, it was so windy throughout the show that Canyon Runner was being heavily sprayed at their South East slip, and not only did a few of the smaller boats get banged around, the Sunreef at the show was missing a chunk of gel after a gust while docking (it was uncomfortable to watch!) but also, even a big boy, Northern Lights suffered through gel damage. Very windy.

Leave any thoughts, comments, or questions about the show in the comments.

Did You Know...

Did you know there are seven Coat Guard Districts in the continental United States?  

The surprising part is they are not numbered 1-7.  The districts are 1st, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th, and 13th!  Hawii is in the 14th District, and Alaska is in the 17th.

Michigan is in the 9th District.

Oakley Bottlecap Shoes

Here is a bit more style that will be available for this summer on the docks, or wherever you might be.  $80  (HT:  Plunder Guide)

“Water-friendly” is one thing. This shoe is downright amphibious because river rafters, kayakers and hikers are out there to experience the world, come hell or high water. This fast-draining, quick-drying design blends synthetic microfiber with breathable open mesh. Take note of the protective toecap, the speed lacing system, the shock-absorbing EVA midsole and theUNOBTAINIUM® rubber outsole that grips wet and dry surfaces with a vengeance.

Toddland Ship Mast Tee

Urban Outfitters has come out with a hip looking graphic tee to get you ready for the docks this summer.  $24  (HT: Style Crave)

"Hot ship. Soft cotton tee from Toddland with Ship Mast graphic at the front. Exclusive to Urban Outfitters. Made in the USA. Machine wash."

Pirates and Constitutions!

I have a personal fondness of The Constitution, but also of constitutions in general.  Combined with the lore of pirates, the topic is as appealing as a cigar and mixed cocktail at the end of the day.  Peter Leeson's, soon to be published book, The Invisible Hook (a play on the term, the invisible hand) should be available soon and tackles this very subject.  It will make great summer reading around July 4th:

The Invisible Hook looks at legendary pirate captains like Blackbeard, Black Bart Roberts, and Calico Jack Rackam, and shows how pirates' search for plunder led them to pioneer remarkable and forward-thinking practices. Pirates understood the advantages of constitutional democracy--a model they adopted more than fifty years before the United States did so. Pirates also initiated an early system of workers' compensation, regulated drinking and smoking, and in some cases practiced racial tolerance and equality. Leeson contends that pirates exemplified the virtues of vice--their self-seeking interests generated socially desirable effects and their greedy criminality secured social order. Pirates proved that anarchy could be organized.

Revealing the democratic and economic forces propelling history's most colorful criminals, The Invisible Hook establishes pirates' trailblazing relevance to the contemporary world.

Read more about Leeson's work on pirates here.

Ship Shape '09!

We have neglected posting a bit this winter, but boy have we been busy!

We did a tour of the big Florida boat shows and got a first hand look at the latest and greatest.  We were at Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and are currently at Palm Beach!  

We are expanding our operations to cover more area than ever before!  This summer Ryan will be overseeing a full time Milwaukee crew, and I will be in Saint Clair Shores serving the Detroit Metro Area.  Trevor will be returning to Grand Haven for another round, and Jimmy will be helping Larry in what Jimmy likes to call "the Northern Theatere" up in the Petoskey area.

This means we have a few staff positions open for the summer.  If interested please email me at lewis.butler@WeAreShipShape.com for more details.

This summer we hope to expand the blog to cover events happening on and around the docks.  So if you have an event you want to promote, just let us know!