What I liked at the Providence Boat Show

No Fluke

Captain Dave Monti
Posted 1/28/15

The new and improved 2015 Providence Boat Show was held this past weekend and everything seem to go off without a hitch. Allison Phaneuf of the Rhode Island Marine Trade Association said, …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

What I liked at the Providence Boat Show

No Fluke

Posted

The new and improved 2015 Providence Boat Show was held this past weekend and everything seem to go off without a hitch. Allison Phaneuf of the Rhode Island Marine Trade Association said, “Attendance was up 6% Friday and the crowd today (Saturday) has be good even with the ongoing storm.”

A reinvigorated boat show is what I witnessed. About 100 manufactures had vessels of all types on display… power boats, sail boats, dinghies, personal watercraft, kayaks and canoes. The show featured an enhanced fishing area with excellent workshops, and a new Washington Trust Pavilion area with local experts from top chefs to book authors and world class sailors.

I thought the Boat Show was great. Here’s what caught my eye.

Evinrude E-TEC G2 at www.woodboatandmotor.com

Debbie Wood (she and her husband own Wood Boat and Motor in Warwick) shared some of the attributes of the new Evinrude E-TEC G2 and I was very impressed. This engine is a monster delivering the power you need with high efficiency and high design. Wood said, “This engine is extremely efficient with no scheduled dealer maintenance for five years or 500 hours and it is backed by a five-year engine and corrosion warranty.” Evinrude says the engine is the first outboard ever designed to perfectly match your boat, inside and out. “Over 400 color combinations are available including color panels for the engine side, top and front panel areas”, said Wood. The engine is available in 200, 225, 250 and 300 horsepower.

The Hartley Wanderer and Zim 15, www.zimsailing.com

Zim Sailing, Warren, provides one-design sailboats, parts, accessories and services. This weekend it showed the Hartley Wanderer, a family- friendly 14-foot dingy that is fun for sailors of any skill level. The boat features interior seating, a dry storage locker and a roller-furling jib. The Wanderer is comfortable yet stable and is made in the UK. However, Zim Sailing has designed and built their own vessels too; including high performance sail boats said Allie Gray, Zim Sailing’s performance sailing associate. “We built the Zim 15 as a performance dingy for those looking for more excitement. The entire boat weighs about 200 pounds completely rigged. It is a racing dingy for two.” The suggested price on the Zim 15 is $11,500 and the Hartley Wanderer is offered at $10,450.

The Shanti Bar at www.theshantibar.com

Sea sickness can be nasty. So even though not a formal part of the show, I was happy to bump into the inventor of a new solution for motion sickness. The Shanti Bar’s slogan is “Peaceful nutrition for life's queasy moments.” Owner/developer Neheet Trivedi said, “We first developed the Shanti Bar to reduce nausea during pregnancy and then found that motion sickness at sea was a huge market for us too.” Trivedi, the Yale and MIT Sloan business school graduate founded Shanti Bar. “Our product is based on research on the role of protein, ginger, and vitamins in reducing nausea… (the bars taste like blueberries)” said Trivedi. Shanti Bar relates on their website “We set out to design a food product based on research that's easy-to-eat, portable, safe, tasty and healthy, and includes the necessary ingredients to prevent nausea. .. We also tried to keep the calorie level low, namely under 200, while keeping sugars minimal at about 10-11g, and as low fat as possible.” Right now distribution is limited. All Boston Harbor Cruises sell Shanti Bars or you can buy them online (www.theshantibar.

com ). I can’t wait to use them on my boat for fishermen who are prone to sea sickness.

Carolina Skiff at Woods Boat & Motor, www.

woodsboatandmotor.com

Woods Boat & Motor was showing two Carolina DLV- Series boats that are a modified Tri-V hull design that allows for a smooth, good performance and dry ride in rougher seas. The 198 DLV shown this weekend features a dry storage console and a standard live well. Marty Castle from Carolina Skiff said, “We are known for the three S’s… that is strength, stability and safety. The vessels offer a stable platform for fishermen and family cruising. You can have three adults at the on one side and the boat will not move much at all.” The 198 DLV was shown with a 115 HP engine with a suggested retail price of $24,900.

Fishing seminars

Capt. Jack Sprengle of Warwick who produced the boat show fishing seminars said, “We have had as many as 50 people attend some sessions with people standing in the isle.” Captains marketing their charter businesses and our guest speakers that have booths are doing very well. I managed to catch the end of Capt. BJ Silvia’s (Flippin Out Charters) presentation on tautog, “A prize tautog (over ten pounds) can come any time… so you have to be ready any day… at high tide, low tide, at the start of the day, or at the end of the day.” said Capt. Silvia.

Sea Hunt Gamefisher 27 at www.inlandmarineri.

com

“Inland Marine of Chepachet, RI has been in business for 40 years.” said Ross Lemieux. Ross and his three brothers own and run the business that their father started. They had the Sea Hunt Gamefisher 27 on display at the show and it was spectacular. Its side entry door, recessed trim tabs and hydraulic steering are standard features hard to beat. And they come ready to fish with multiple insulated fish boxes and a live well with cockpit and bow bolsters. Lemieux said, “This vessel is ready to fish but it is great for family cursing too with an enclosed head.” The show special price was $104,000.

Where’s the bite

Cod fishing has been good when the boats have been able to get out. The Frances Fleet reports, “Friday started on the slow side but a quick relocation paid some impressive dividends as the Captain put anglers into a very respectable pick of bigger green cod fish. Hi hook took home 5 nice fish. Sizes were generally 8 lbs or better, however there was a half dozen fish over 15 lbs and the biggest tipping the scales at 25 lbs! A nice catch of red hake and a lot of big ocean perch also filled up the bags and coolers. While fresh shucked clams seemed to have the edge overall this week, jigs were responsible for some good catches as well.”

Captain Dave Monti has been fishing and shell fishing on Narragansett Bay for over 40 years. He holds a captain’s master license and a charter fishing license. Contact or forward fishing news and photos to Capt. Dave at dmontifish@verizon.net or visit his website at www.noflukefishing.com.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here