I just got back from Australia where I attended the Gold Coast Boat Show with our publisher, Arnie Hammerman. Man what a successful, whirlwind trip. I could have done without the turbulence on the long haul from Sydney to San Fran though. (It’s never a good look when the lady next to you is already literally shaking with fear, and the copilot crackles over the intercom and informs everyone that we’ve only seen “moderate turbulence so far, and it’s going to get a lot worse” with all the strength and confidence in his voice of Woody Allen in his prime.
BUT! Other than that, a great trip. The show down there is a very manageable size, which makes it perfect for someone like me to poke around on all the boats he wants.
I got the opportunity to test the Palm Beach 55, Riviera 565 SUV, and Maritimo S50 in some serious offshore swells, and I also wheeled the ever-impressive Belize 52 on famed Lake Macquarie. Oh you’ve never heard of Lake Macquarie before? That makes two of us. (It’s a saltwater lake about two hours outside of Sydney. Or about an hour and 20 minutes if your driver is a maniac Aussie boat broker who thinks the word “tailgate” means a political scandal involving a peacock.)
All four of these models were impressive in their own way. The Palm Beach has a hull like a duck, the Riv has an awesome layout, the Maritimo has a feather-soft entry, and oh my goodness that Belize was a joy to run.
Look for more upcoming blogs soon about my sojourn to Oz. It was quite the trip.
