Over 400 watercraft have descended on the lakefront for the Chicago Boat Show, an annual tradition for more than 90 years.
Walking into the event Thursday at McCormick Place was overwhelming, with rows upon rows of fishing boats, deck boats, ski boats, wake boats, pontoons, yachts and more beckoning customers.
“It’s like drinking from a fire hose,” said Chris Riley, 42, of Palos Hills. “You get to see all the different options as quickly as possible.”
Riley was eyeing a 28-foot, 9,000-pound EdgeWater dual console boat with a price tag of about $380,000.
“It’s got the most spacious bathrooms I’ve seen on any boat so far,” he said. “I’m 6-foot-5, so, it matters.”
Boat enthusiasts with budgets of all sizes still have time to enjoy the show, which continues through Sunday at McCormick Place South, 2301 S. Martin Luther King Drive.
Organizers and consumers say the appeal of the event is being able to compare and contrast models in one space, interact with manufacturers and take advantage of special discounts.
There are also family-friendly attractions, including a paddlefest pool for stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking, bumper boats, a beach bar and cantina, a catch-and-release fishing pond and a mechanical wave surf simulator.
Show manager Darren Envall said he expects about 40,000 people from Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and southern Wisconsin to attend the event, where boats range from under $10,000 to over $1 million.
“During COVID-19, a lot of people got into boating, because it’s a great way to be able to get on the water, get outside and enjoy outdoors while also separating [from others],” he said.
For salespeople like Brian Jahns, boat shows are big business. He estimates the events account for 10% of sales for his company, Gage Marine, based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
“Some people are here just to look, which is fine, but it’s nice to engage with someone that’s a real buyer,” said Jahns, who has been coming to the Chicago Boat Show for 30 years. “It gets your blood flowing.”
Jahns is selling Chris Craft luxury boats that start at about $200,000. “It’s the Bentley on the water,” he said.
History buffs can get a close-up look at a 1927 Chris Craft Racer — the “Racy Lady”— in the vintage section, presented by the Blackhawk Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society of America.
The “queen of the show” is the MJM model 4 yacht. At 47 feet long with a price tag of $1.6 million, it’s the largest and most expensive boat at the event.
MJM sales manager Bill Bartus said he was negotiating multiple deals for the boat, which has drawn interest from Chicagoans who plan to use the vessel far from the waters of Lake Michigan.
“About 50% of the people that have shown interest in this boat live here, but the boat will be going to Naples or Fort Meyers,” said Bartus, who lives in Fort Lauderdale.
He said boat shows account for 40% of annual sales for MJM, which is based in North Carolina.
In the business for decades, Bartus said he has sold boats to a wide variety of celebrities.
“You wouldn’t believe it,” he said, dropping names such as Shaquille O’Neal, Vanilla Ice, Vanna White and Tony Robbins. “The money is pretty wild.”
Married couple Robyn and Jeff Johnson, both 60, of Lake in the Hills, were shopping for something a bit more modest with their daughter, Haley, 24, on Thursday.
They own a 28-foot Chaparral deck boat but are looking to upgrade.
When asked about the appeal of boating, Jeff initially responded with one word: “Freedom.”
He also spoke about camaraderie on the water — which could also apply to boat lovers of all demographics at the Chicago Boat Show.
“Everyone has the same thing in common, no matter what kind of boat you’re in.”
