If you go
2014 Atlanta Boat Show Fast Facts
Where: Georgia World Congress Center, Hall C
When: Jan. 9-12, 2014
Thursday, Friday, Jan. 9-10 11 a.m. – 9 p.m; Saturday, Jan. 11, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 12, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tickets: Adults 16 and older: $12; youth 15 and under are free (when accompanied by an adult)
-See the latest in power boats, personal watercraft, and sail boats. Education seminars, indoor fishing, and the Swampmaster Gator Show.
Jimmy Buffett croons that there’s “Something ‘Bout a Boat” that can give a man hope.
That’s pretty deep for a guy who is most famous for singing about margaritas. But it is in that spirit that the largest boat and watercraft show in the Southeast, the 2014 Progressive Insurance Atlanta Boat Show, will take over the floors of the Georgia World Congress Center Thursday through Sunday.
With more than 500 boats on display and more than 200 vendors selling their wares, the show has turned into a experience that attracts thousands of winter-pale people dreaming of summer tans to Atlanta. It features interactive displays, the cringe-worthy Swampmaster Gator Show and boats ranging anywhere from nine to 50 feet.
“The Atlanta Boat Show has really grown into a regional event that draws exhibitors and attendees from the entire Southeast region,” said Larry Berryman, the show’s manager.
The number of boats on display plus all the accessories puts this weekend among top boat shows in the nation and for good reason; boating is a major industry in the state of Georgia. The 338,285 registered boats in the state create almost 6,000 jobs annually. One in every 10.7 Georgia households owns a boat or watercraft of some type, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association. This includes powerboats, smaller personal watercraft and sail boats.
Along with some impressive boats and high-tech exhibits, Berryman said the show has added some new wrinkles to this year’s showcase, including entertainment and seminars.
Gator handler Jeff Quattrocchi will hold court three times a day at the Swampmaster Gator Show, where he will bring an eight-foot gator to the stage and discuss the behaviors of the wild Florida reptile. Following each performance, children may pose with a baby alligator and meet Quattrocchi.
If gators aren’t your thing, maybe becoming a more educated boater is one of your goals for 2014.
Education is always a big theme at the show and with Georgia lakes and reservoirs back to normal water levels and the boating population at an all-time high (88 million recreational boaters in U.S.), efforts have been stepped up to make sure recreational boaters and anglers can coexist on the state’s bodies of water.
The Let’s Go Fishing Center attraction will conduct hourly seminars led by professional anglers. Area fishing clubs will also be on hand to speak with attendees. When kids come by the booth, they can try their luck and perhaps catch “the big one” at the Catch and Release Trout Pond.
With large lakes like Lanier, Allatoona, and Hartwell, Georgia is one of the top sailing states in the country. So this year Windsong Sailing Academy will host seminars for sailors of all ages and skill levels at the show.
For the budget-conscious boater, Discover Boating’s onsite Welcome to the Water Center offers help from experts on selecting a the right vessel for boating on a budget, with options starting as low as $250 a month.
“(It’s really for) anyone interested in the boating lifestyle,” said Berryman.
About the Author
