Hello Sea Breezers, Today (thursday) I went to the opening day of the Sydney Boat Show and wish to report that you should all save your money and not go. The organisation is a shambles, the floating component is still in Cockle Bay at Darling Harbour, just like it has always been. Unfortunately the undercover component has now been moved to Glebe Island Bridge where it will now be held for the next three years while they go about knocking and rebuilding the Darling Harbour site.

The undercover venue is reached by free ferry from Cockle Bay and vice versa back the other way. The resultant undercover show is badly laid out with too much repeptiton of brands and models (how many Mercury outboards do you want to see in one day?), the boats generally are boring, mainly because these are boats that overpriced for what they are and the market they are aimed at. Not many of the kinds of boats that interest Sea Breezers, that is smaller more useful utility kind of boats. But hey! If $60.000 wake boats are your thing then by all means this is the show for you.

The in the water show at Cockle bay was nicely laid out and nearly all the boats were accessable, prices ranged from atronomical to anywhere in the next universe. Having said that there were lots of lovely boats to drool over, every thing from 65' power motor yachts to a Tayana 58 (that boat was very droolably).

I had a lengthy chat with the gent from Jeanneau yachts about their sea going ability (knowing that some in here have howled Jeanneau down as not being seaworthy) to handle blue water cruising and he assured me that all Jeanneau yachts are "A" rated and then to back up his claim he showed me the rating plate that is affixed in the stbd rear corner of the cockpit

Lastly if Jode5 is still reading this forum ...... Very noice, your new boat is most impressive and attacted a fair amount loving looks at the show << that's tongue hanging out, will you now be know as Jode7 ????

Perhaps we should start a business making "Rating Plates". What did it have on it? Stability index! Something over 120?

... to clarify it's ability as a blue water capable boat.

Not familiar with A-ratings and how it relates to equipment versus construction.
Does it mean a boat with an A-rating plaque is very solidly built ?

Karsten said..

... to clarify it's ability as a blue water capable boat.

Not familiar with A-ratings and how it relates to equipment versus construction.
Does it mean a boat with an A-rating plaque is very solidly built ?

Karsten, I think it's originally a Lloyds standard and as such it possibly is used more frequently when talking about European built boats plus it has also been adapted by Bureau Veritas and Germanisher Lloyd as well.

If a boat is built to an A standards then it meant to be capable crossing oceans safely without fear of structural failure.

Have a look at this ....... www.boats.com/reviews/boats/the-lloyds-standards/

Heed the sentence where it states ......

......."A classification society is, in essence, a professional third party that assures the owner or buyer of a yacht that the vessel is built to an accepted standard. Everyone else — seller, builder, designer, broker — has something to gain from the construction or sale of the yacht and, therefore, is not to be entirely trusted, particularly when it comes to betting your life at sea"

There will of course be other standards which may or may not be equally as good.

To be honest I think that just wandering around a marina and looking at what other people have and how they do stuff has more interest to me than attending a boat show and doesn't cost anything either

Regards Don

Unless a rating plate or anything else clearly states the Classification Society and the classification given by that society it isn't worth a great deal. Any derivation of a classification that isn't specifically from the relevant society isn't an approved classification.
All in all, a Rating plate is worthless unless it is from the Classification Society. Not having seen the Jeanneau plate, it appears to be Jeanneau's version of a rating and is therefore worthless. Which I think is Ramona's point.

Donk107 said..
To be honest I think that just wandering around a marina and looking at what other people have and how they do stuff has more interest to me than attending a boat show and doesn't cost anything either

Regards Don

agree. walked past it yesterday, wouldnt bother.

There is one thing you learn from boat shows and that is "All that glitters is not gold. It is marine hardware."

Karsten said..


(crewed by the CEO, the Head of Marketing and the Head of Finance).

Fantastic idea!

Thought the boat show was ok, the Glebe Island setup was poor but I got to talk and learn so I was happy.
Marina seemed to be a lot smaller this year but every seemed happy to spend time with me but I think my southport yacht cub shirt may of had something to do with that. Spent a bit of time at the sailors with disabilities display, boy those guy do a good job and they need help guys!!

I guess would rate the show with a good stamp but yes it needs to lower its sights down ion market a bit. I would like to see some used market boats on display one year??

Yes Sailors with disAbilities do need help. The raffle for the brand new Hanse 34 that was displayed at the boatshow closes at the end of the month. So please help. You can still purchase a ticket here: www.gofundraise.com.au/