Each June houseboat enthusiasts from all over the world converge to tour dozens of houseboats and catch up with friends at Houseboat magazine’s annual National Houseboat Expo. This event has become a staple for the industry since it’s the only show that brings all the houseboat manufacturers together to one location.
When it comes to houseboaters, the majority of owners also enjoy some type of secondary vessel and in a lot of cases that other boat is a pontoon. The first Houseboat Expo back in 1999 only focused on houseboats, but as the popularity of this summer on-water show has grown, so has the demand to expand and cover other types of crafts.
Getting On The Water
On June 5, the three-day On Water Expo will once again take over the docks at the State Dock Marina on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky and will again feature pontoon boats for those interested in seeing boats on the water instead of up on blocks like at a typical indoor boat show.
“While traditional boat shows are indoors, the On Water Expo takes interested parties to the dock to see exactly what the boating lifestyle is like,” says Houseboat Publisher Greg Larsen. “It’s truly an experience like no other.”
This unique show—that includes live music at night and houseboats that can be rented so attendees can stay near the action—will include dozens of houseboats on display as well as pontoon dealers like Stokley’s Marine who will once again have boats in the water.
One particular pontoon that stole a lot of attention at the 2014 Expo was the Regency 254 LE3. Sure there are a lot of three-pontoon performance models available today, but this one that was equipped with a Mercury 300 Pro Verado was extremely popular with the attendees.
Why Regency?
For starters, the high-end model on display last year included painted pontoon logs. This is something Regency began including as an option recently and boaters have really appreciated the cleaner look.
“I love the look of the powder coated logs and they have less resistance going through the water than raw aluminum, plus are much easier to clean,” says Neil Smith who is the sales manager at Stokley’s. “Our customers have embraced the Regency line as different and this is something as a dealer we really pushed for with Tracker Marine. The Regency is a high-end brand and it’s really done well in our region especially.”
Also included on the show boat last year was an electric custom Bimini top, in-floor storage, Sony premium stereo, as well as a Lowrance HDS 8 in-dash depth finder. But arguably the one upgrade (besides the powder coated logs) that attracted the most attention was the Blue Ice LED lighting package.
“Our customers love the LED lighting,” adds Smith, who has been at Stokley’s for more than 10 years. “We have installed it on several other pontoons, both new and used. It really adds a unique look and feel to the boat.”
Loaded
The few options on this particular boat tend to overshadow all of the standard features that come with this Regency, which according to the dealer is what makes it easier to sell.
“This boat is incredibly comfortable and it comes absolutely loaded with standard features directly from the factory,” says Smith. “You don’t have to add thousands of dollars of options to have this boat be well-equipped. It is also thousands less in price than our competition with equally equipped pontoons.”
Houseboat Expo
While there are other boat shows that Stokley’s Marine supports throughout the year, it’s the National Houseboat Expo that they look forward to the most.
“We do well at this show and we will be there again this year,” says Smith. “We enjoy the caliber of clientele and the customers at this on-water show are serious buyers.”
With a luau theme planned for this year, the On Water Expo promises to be the best show to date. You can come for the fun, to tour the houseboats on display, or just to get out for a quick demo ride on a pontoon. No matter what your motivation is, plan on heading over to State Dock the first weekend in June for a boat show that is second to none, especially when it comes to having a fun time.
