Melbourne Summer Boat Show

The 2013 Melbourne Summer Boat was run over the past weekend (Feb 1-3) with the weather gods not quite smiling but not reallty grimacing either.

A cool and windy day on Friday kept the crowds down but Saturday and Sunday saw numbers steadily rising with the temperature.

The Summer Boat Show is the only show in Melbourne with boats on the water. A wide variety of vessels graced the marina with quite a few Australian debuts on hand to tempt the boating public.

Chaparral Australia had a stunner in the form of the all-new 257 SSX, a thumping bowrider with 50-knot performance and room to party. The layout of the 257 can be adjusted to suit your needs with features like a portside lounge that can convert to two seats or even a dinette.

The big swim platform is accessed by a central walkway flanked by two lounges so you can sit out the back and watch the kids or just kick back with a drink. The boat even features a bathroom with a vacuflush loo!

Chaparral Australia’s Scott O’Hare said that the 257 SSX was a big hit with show goers: “We had seven boats on the water and the 257 was certainly the most popular,” he said. “Interest in our boats was high over the weekend and we have on-water tests happening all through this week as a result of the show,” O’Hare added.

At the other end of the marina, Premier Yachting was debuting the all-new Sessa C38. Sessa is a premium brand of luxury cruiser from Italy and the C38 is refreshingly different from the sports cruisers we’re used to.

From the sumptuous chaise lounge on the portside opposite the helm, to the two galleys -- one below and one in the cockpit -- to the very classy forward stateroom, the C38 just oozes class.

Premier Yachting’s Jim Sismanes said that the Summer Boat Show was flat out aboard the Sessa: “I’ve done a lot of boat shows and this was one of the better ones,” he commented post-show.

Another big hit on the water was a new 34-foot yacht, the Hanse 345. With a beam of 11ft 5in carried all the way aft, this is an extremely roomy 34. Available in either two or three cabin versions, the Hanse 34 offers as much room as a 38 or even 40-footer of yore. Watch for a full test here soon.

On the hard, Crownline debuted the fist outboard-powered boat we’ve seen from the company. The 19 XS looked resplendent in its black-and-white livery with a thumping 150hp Mercury four stroke on the back.

Of course the kids and anglers were kept busy with the Yamaha Big Tank where you can see how lures act underwater and how fish react to them, as well as the bream comp and heaps of other attractions.

In all, even tthough numbers were down a bit on last year, the Melbourne Summer Boat Show was hailed as a success by the BIA of Victoria and the exhibitors.