The one with the boat show

Small boat or large driver? Hardly matters in a pool.

WARNING: Graphics-heavy supersized post follows! The annual Toronto boat show is an odd event for me. It's been years since I went solely to check out new boats, and the kind I prefer (sailboats) have become increasingly rare over the years as the nature of the boating community has, as we shall shortly learn, shifted away from wind-powered fun to one predicated on fossil fuels.

A HobiePhat? Inflatable, portable pontoon thingie.

But as we own a diesel-driven motorsailer, I risk hypocrisy here, even though we try to motor very selectively and have kept the hours low. But it's a definite trend at the boat show: I have never seen a greater variety of powered fishing boats, runabouts, outboards and cabin cruisers in one place. So...much...chrome...And so much for carbon taxes, eh?

On the other hand, this is the Canadian-approved Honda eu2200i and "companion" pair of gensets, a way to get about 3600 watts of 120 VAC, or 30 amps (continuous) in two approximately 20 kilo "luggables". Now, for us, this is an attractive alternative to having a small diesel genset aboard as it is portable (as either one or both in operation) and needs little gas to run for several hours (which we would carry for the small outboard we're bringing) and allows us to run pretty serious standard power tools without engaging the inverter off the battery bank, which is generally considered "lossy". In addition, a pair of these can themselves charge the house bank or to power the watermaker, should the renewables and the alternator be out of commission. Another option is to bring them ashore if we need to do work (or help locals) on distant beaches. Lastly, they can be fit in existing compartments and lashed in place for safe stowage. I've had the predecessor model, the eu2000i, for some 10 years and the Hondas are reliable and well-built. And yes, I know not to run them at the bow when anchored.

I will point out that the speed limit in Toronto Harbour is six knots.

Overcompensating, Skip?

The Honda 2.3 HP aircooled outboards now out are not to my mind worth the upgrade from my simple, 12 kilo Honda 2, and while propane-powered outboards abound (which I don't entirely understand, given the energy density of propane versus gasoline or diesel, although I'm willing to stand corrected), there is seemingly no other air-cooled outboard option.

Because I would go for a 3 or a 3.5 HP one of those, thanks to the weight savings and mechanical simplicity of an air-cooled four-stroke outboard...and yes, they are noisy little buggers, but you can refill them from a water bottle if you want. Well, a water bottle capable of holding gas safely.

There's a 2.5 HP Yamaha, but it's water-cooled and about four kilos heavier than the one we own.

So...many...fishing boats.

...but enough fish?

Now, powered boats of all kinds have always dominated the Toronto boat show, and given the thousands of small lakes and rivers within 500 km. of here, that's not surprising. But the floor space devoted to sailboats has declined precipitiously in recent years and appeared to be at a new low, to judge by the shoved-off-into-one-corner appearance of the few Hanses, Dufours and Beneteaus present.

So, maybe 10 sailboats?

A new approach to making bow thrusters accessible?

Rectangular portlights...ugh. The grey hull is nice, however.

I usually prefer the Dufours, but they've gotten as "samey-samey" as most other production boats at these price points.

More on Boat Show sailboats (and powerboats) a little later, but the changes at the show arguably reflect more than reinforce changes in the marketplace demographics of boating, its costs and indeed, its likely future form. I had the good opportunity to sit down and talk boats with Wallace and Sharon Gouk, the survey/yacht delivery team responsible for Port Credit Marine Surveys.

Fits the driveway, doesn't need the dock.

Veterans of the local boating scene and long-time liveaboards, neither is short of opinions on the changes in boating in southern Ontario and elsewhere over the years; indeed, Gouk posts on the popular Cruisers' Forum website. I asked him to speak as a surveyor to note some of the major changes he and his wife have seen in recreational boating over the last few decades. Wallace replied that, in terms of the demographics of the sort of boats with which he is involved, mainly "cruiser-type boats, whether power or sail", boating mirrors society. "People are getting older," Gouk says. "The demographics of [boaters] are getting older, too." He adds that "boating is becoming more complex, extremely expensive and it's hard for younger people to get into in until they collect the inheritance from the boomers."

The companionway is a little shallower, meaning there's extra stowage in front of the engine here. Clever? Depends how hot it gets, but that's decent access to critical stuff for a production boat.

But Gouk does not see money as the only obstacle to the continuance of a thriving recreational marine scene. "I don't think the interest is there among the young people" he says. "There's a bit of a different attitude that goes way beyond boating. Kids are coming out of school with [significant] debt. That changes their attitudes about everything. The ones that have an interest are looking at smaller, trailerable boats, or at chartering, but for a young family to lay out $200,000 for a good used cruising boat, that's not going to happen."

One pair of winches on a 41 footer? Huh. I'm going to three this spring.

Gouk sees a decline in sailboats of the cruising type, but also sees a fallback in sales of the larger cabin cruisers and powerboats. "Nobody's doing very well [on new boats]." But the outlook is perhaps even worse for used boats. The surveying couple, who also do the appraisals on seized boats for Port Credit Harbour Marina, part of which is a "graveyard" for abandoned boats, sees more 'classic plastic' as unsellable at any price and destined to be cut up for scrap. 

"That particular problem I see as mushrooming over the next five to 10 years," says Gouk. "The shell of the boat, the part that's going to last forever, that's the cheapest part of the boat. It's the systems inside of the boat that are really expensive. People buy a 32-foot sailboat? I can take you to 50 of them right now you can get for $500. People go into this with the dream of 'I can fix that up' ...well, maybe, but it's going to cost you $3,500 per year to store the boat while you're fixing it up."

Hmm. Why boating's in decline is no mystery.

Gouk does not see, in his work as a surveyor, the level of competence he would hope to see in restored boats, noting that "marine electrical work is different from that done on land". Your correspondent can agree with the assertion. Nonetheless, the skilled amateur wanting a cheap boat has not got long to wait. "In the used boat market, the prices are dropping simply because boomers are dying off," says Gouk. "The biggest tip-off is in the demographic make-up of the yacht clubs. The younger kids have an entirely different outlook on life. They're not coming in at the bottom of the market to pick up an old boat."

The man I sold Valiente too is in his (quite fit) 70s...I have to concur.

This realistic assessment may extend to even the more popular brands of "good old boat". Gouk, who has been inside hundreds of them in a near-forensic assessment of their qualities, is emphatic: "There are no 'good old boats'" he says. "You get into those older boats, and there's gate valves, solid-core household-grade AC systems, and sloppy construction techniques. And yet some of them are still very expensive on the used boat market."

Having had a '70s boat, which, besides its fine sailing qualities, was more or less a ready-to-sink firetrap when I bought it, I can only concur. A special thank you to the Gouks for spending time with me and I encourage a visit to their interesting and comprehensive website for some great resources (and some horror stories!) from deep inside the world of boats. 

These lads were doing fine work for an underappreciated cause that could render a lot of fishing, save for carp, unlikely.

But back to the show. The numbers support Gouk's assertion of a shrinking market for boat owners of all types. According to show management,

"the 2019 Show attendance totalled 73,464, down 5% from 2018, having experienced 8 out of the 10 days with major snowfall, ice and extreme cold across the province effecting travel for show-goers. The closing weekend had over 1,800 e-tickets unredeemed, likely due to weather conditions."

Likely, sure, but a lot of clubs in the Toronto area also have empty docks, and as noted, the demographics of people who might enjoy boating of any type are getting longer in the tooth...how are you going to get a 24-year-old into a Shark when Netflix is streaming?

This looked to be popular, but as we sail pantless offshore, it would be rather inappropriate for our lifestyle choices.

That said, sales were apparently reasonable enough to keep vendors happy; Mrs. Alchemy worked a few shifts for Genco Marine, which we have personally enriched this winter with multiple purchases I'll outline in a later blog post. Anyway, my co-skipper reports that sales appeared to be strong this year (the incentivizing discounts no doubt played a role), and other vendors with whom I spoke gave the impression that the trade was "fewer, but better". May this continue. The boat show is a big regional draw, and irrespective of my attendance, or indeed our presence in Canada, a lot of people would still clearly miss it.

More square windows? Have they never heard of the Comet jetliner?

I often go not to see the boats...I mean, we have a boat...but to see the innovation. With a steel pilothouse cutter that will plow more than glide through the waves, "slick" isn't a priority. Advances in control gear, safety gear and the "working the boat" elements are, and I like to quiz various vendors, especially at the less-frequented booths, about lingering, obscure questions I might have. Pro-tip? Go on a Monday or Tuesday of the show, because the mornings are sparsely attended and you'll have the marine industry pro's attention more easily than on a weekend.

This pro must have been on break.

For instance, I had a particular issue in that want to weld on studs for hull anodes this year. Without going into detail at this stage, I have to change over from freshwater-sutiable magnesium anodes to ones capable of providing protection to our steel boat in brackish and salt water, at least until we get our hull recoated. We are going out to the sea via the St. Lawrence this summer, and it had been recommended to me that I switch to aluminum anodes for the hull, rudder (aluminum, too, but of a different grade) and prop. I could source them, but I could only find zinc anodes to fit my DF-107 model VariProp. Well, they exist and I found that out at the show. Fizzing averted.

Found out some details about EPIRB registration here, as well.

Along with the multitude of free and paid educational seminars available (although Paul and Sheryl Shard and Andy Schell and Mia Karlsson were not present this year, both of whom I count as friendly acquaintances and at whom I enjoy throwing impertinent questions, the show remains a great place to pick up knowledge without actually getting wet in the process. I think in the rush to promote big, shiny things, this aspect of the show is somewhat underplayed, but as we are about a thousand miles from the ocean...and it's winter...time spent learning from sailors on break from full-time lives aboard (or people like forecasters or delivery skippers) is of great utility and interest.

This firm makes a Travelift not made by Travelift, which tends to monopolize locally the boat picking-up business.

A couple of last points: The commercial marine business is not well-represented at the boat show, and perhaps it should be. It is very difficult to convince Canadian youth to take trades-type jobs these days, but perhaps if they knew more about them, there'd been some attraction, interest and uptake. This booth, for Georgian College's marine trades courses, saw very little action and was tucked away in a presumably cheaper corner.

Didn't help that I couldn't attract this guy's attention to speak with him, so absorbed was he in his screens.

Perhaps that's the wrong approach for a labour-starved field to take.

I also noticed that some popular booths were not in attendance, particularly Garhauer Marine and Ontario Battery, both of whom from which I've bought significant amounts of gear in the past. I also noticed that Ray of Ray's Marine didn't have his usual double booth, or indeed any booth, another surprise and another vendor I've spent money with. While I can still find multiple outlets for pepperoni, hammocks, miracle waxes and Sperry shoes, it's the more "hardware" places I miss.

Holland Marine Products: I patronize them and will again.

Knowing our plans to depart this summer, I spent more time at the show than I had in years, and appreciated, I think, its rhythms and emphases. It's a circus, sure, and it's not necessarily even a place to score bargains (although I did pretty well in that regard this year, probably because I was keen to "finish" certain necessary areas on the boat). But it remains a great place to window-shop, to pick up well-priced "sundries" (every third person seemed to have a fender, foulie jacket or boat hook to hand) and to think of the warmer months to come.

I am surprised, but perhaps shouldn't be, at how many people I know, or run into, at the boat show.

Got a fresh 2019 almanac and confirmed we can order the charts for our big trek to Nova Scotia at The Nautical Mind.

Finally, like all boat clubs these days, our strong racing and junior sailing programs protect my own National Yacht Club from the march of time and division of attention that so strongly suggests boating 20 years hence will be even more niche an activity than it is now. However, it's not all gloom: the NYC booth attracted a lot of favourable attention, and the cadre of  over 30 friendly and informative club members acting as "ambassadors" garnered around 150 serious enquiries from people contemplating a club from which to enjoy life on the water.

Good. I'm rather fond of the place myself.

Sure, the location's great, but the people are pleasant, too.