Bigger, better, brighter 2023 Melbourne Boat Show opens

This year also marks the presence of some boat brands that haven’t visited the Melbourne show for a number of years.

Of note, this year’s event features a strong showing of jet skis including Yamaha’s new JetFish, a modified version of the Yamaha WaveRunner FX HO equipped with fishing accessories including a Garmin fishfinder and an icebox with rod holders.

Not far away from Yamaha’s display is the Ski-Doo Fish Pro, the market’s only dedicated jet ski-based fishing platform. We also noticed a couple of range-topping SeaDoo RXP-X 300 jet skis mixed in among the more pedestrian models.

BRP, Sea-Doo’s parent company, used the Melbourne show to announce it would formally introduce the Manitou pontoon boat to the Australian market. 

The Manitous feature the Rotax S engine system that provides extra deck space compared with a conventional outboard-engined layout. The company had brought a couple of the unique Manitou tri-toon boats – they feature a large central hull and two outrigger-style pontoons – out to Australia in time for the Sydney boat show to gauge interest in the new model.

Speaking of the Rotax S, the Quintrex 595 Freestyler X bowrider is on show in Melbourne for the first time ahead of its expected first deliveries to customers either late this year or early next year.

This is the first Australian-built boat range to use the new Rotax S engine. Again, it uses the engine’s unique profile to provide much more useable space on the boat when compared with a conventional outboard-engined model.

New Zealand brand Senator also had its Victorian launch with its show special, the Senator RH690, showing its chops by punching its way across a rough Port Phillip from Carrum to the Docklands-based show site.

Other brands making surprise appearances at this year’s show include Geelong-based Edencraft and French powerboat brand Jeanneau, which had a strong line-up of fishing- and cruising-based trailer boats including the new family adventure-friendly Jeanneau Merry Fisher 795 Serie2.

This year’s show has also introduced a focus on fishing products – something missing from last year’s event – as well as more focus on boat-based accessories.

Opening the show, Boating Industry Association of Victoria president Scott O’Hare said if ever anyone was going to snare a bargain, “this is the weekend”.

“All these boats here on show, they’re not on show for any other reason than for you to put your hand in your pocket and take one home.”

BIAV chief executive Steve Walker said the Victorian boating industry was starting to turn around after challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising interest rates.

“I’d say we’re at the tipping point after we saw that scenario up until about eight or 10 months ago where supply was diminished, and we’re starting to feel that things might be starting … to find a bit of balance again,” Walker said.

“The talk around town is that the phones are starting to ring again [at boat delerships].”

Walker said the Victorian boating industry was still strong despite some dealerships listing for sale in the state.

“They [the Victorian dealerships being sold] are being sold in a strong state,” he said. “All of the owners selling have been doing it for decades and want to take a break into something else, so it’s more that than anything else.”