Boating can be a year-round activity around here and whether you're looking for the latest accessories for your live-aboard vessel or daydreaming of summer recreation, the 10-day Seattle Boat Show has something for everyone, starting Friday.
Displays of more than 1,000 vessels, from multimillion-dollar yachts to kayaks and inflatables, are indoors at CenturyLink Field Event Center and outdoors at South Lake Union marinas. The show provides a world of ways to get on the water along with boating accessories, information and entertainment.
Specialty boats on display at CenturyLink include a fully restored 1957 classic Chris Craft, famous for its style and craftsmanship, and Seabreacher, a submersible vessel designed to look like an orca, able to reach speeds of 55 mph and jump as high as 15 feet out of the water. Kids can build a toy boat and try out paddle boats on the water indoors at CenturyLink.
Boating experts share their knowledge at seminars on everything from choosing and financing a boat, fishing and crabbing or writing a boating blog. For more experienced boaters, there are Boat Show University half-day courses on fishing, boat maintenance and cruising destinations. Contest prizes include a Lake Roosevelt houseboat vacation, a $2,500 marine-store shopping spree, and boat rentals. Play Pitch-A-Fish for the chance to win a pontoon boat.
Many boats, at both locations, are open for boarding; slip-on shoes and/or comfortable socks are a good idea if you'd like to hop aboard, since most exhibitors require visitors to remove their shoes.
The Seattle Boat Show continues daily through Feb. 5, with free shuttle transportation continuously between its two locations.
Seattle Boat Show
CenturyLink Field Event Center, 800 Occidental Ave. S., Seattle: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Feb. 2, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Feb. 3, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Feb. 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 5.
Read more at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2017334755_highlight27.html