Commentary: On Safari In Miami
Bag the gloom and doom and treat this week’s Miami International Boat Show as the adventure it’s sure to be. Photo courtesy/copyright Tim Sharkey/Sharkey Images.
There is no question that with the change of venue to Virginia Key and a makeshift dock-and-tent-city at Miami Marine Stadium and Park, getting to and from the Miami International Boat Show this week will be a challenge. Shuttle buses and water taxis will be the best way to go—and the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association claims there will be plenty of both—but the very fact that the logistics and location are new guarantees problems will arise. Predictions for the show commute/traffic range from tricky to a total cluster.
There’s also no question that the new location will decentralize the boat show experience. There was something special about the Miami Convention Center being walking distance to most of the hotels where attendees stayed, not to mention a short walk (or sometimes long stumble) to and from the assorted nightspots of South Beach. That kind of proximity made for great camaraderie, especially for members of the go-fast boating community.
Here’s the good news for folks heading to the show—and I’ve talked and exchanged emails with a few of you—for the first time: You won’t know the difference.
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