Norwalk Boat Show: Good Time for Boaters, Businesses, Kids

This week’s Norwalk Boat Show is a huge chance to meet new people and say hi to friends, says Bill Gardella Jr. of on Water Street.

With 30 years in the business of buying and selling boats and operating a marina, Gardella says he’ll attend all four days of the show manning one of his companies three booths.

Every business is impacted by the weak economy, Gardella said, but, “We’re holding our own. The marina’s full. People are still using their boats and are happy.”

He said there’s a bit of a trend toward smaller boats right now, but sales of boats over fifty feet are holding up pretty well, too. Besides price, boat sales are affected by the cost of fuel, he noted.

“As long as you buy a boat we’re happy,” he said..

Boating enthusiasts will have plenty to be happy about starting Thursday morning with the opening of the 36th Norwalk Boat Show.

The show presents a wide assortment of boats in size and style, both in and out of the water, along with displays of marine equipment. Also
on-hand will be representatives of marine services, including brokers, marine architects, yacht clubs, insurance brokers, appraisers and surveyors.

The show runs from Thursday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Norwalk Cove Marina, 48 Calf Pasture Beach Rd., in East Norwalk. Admission is $14, with youths 15 and under let in free when accompanied by an adult.

Parking will be available in Calf Pasture Beach park. Attendees who arrive by boat can tie up to free guest moorings in Norwalk Harbor designated by an orange buoy.

Gardella said Rex Marine will have three booths at the show,
including one he’ll be in that offers three yacht ownership alternatives.

First, he explained, customers can purchase a portion of a boat and share its use. He said this could enable four customers, for example, to purchase a $1 million or half-million dollar boat they otherwise couldn’t afford.

Second, there’s the Rex Boating Club, where the customer uses one of the marina’s boat for a day, then returns it, without any responsibility for cleaning or maintenance. Gardella said this is an excellent way to introduce boating to someone who isn’t certain about purchasing a boat.

Third, the yard provides boats with a captain for customers who want to go out on the Sound, but aren’t interested in having to operate a boat.

Events and Features of this Year's Boat Show

• Kids will have toy boat-building opportunities and can listen to author Steve Buckley read from his award-winning book, Blackbeard the Pirate, then get a book signed by the author. Coloring activities and pirate-hat making will also be available.

• Meet Josh Harris, son of the late Captain Phil Harris from Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch. After a serious injury, Harris stopped fishing on the boat run by his father, the late Capt. Phil Harris. His father later goaded him to get back on board, and he rejoined his brother, Phil, on the Cornelia Marie, as recounted in the reality television program:

• Friday, Sept. 23: 4–6 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 24: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3–5 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 23: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3–5 p.m.

• In January 2010, at the tender age of sixteen, Abby Sunderland set sail from Marina Del Ray, CA, at the age of 16 in an attempt to become the youngest solo sailor ever to circumnavigate the world. After five months of sailing 12,500 miles, a huge wave in the Indian Ocean capsized her boat, Wild Eyes. She spent two anxious days with the wreckage before she was rescued. You can meet her Saturday from noon to 4p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• PaddlePalooza: A demonstration of Stand Up Paddling (SUP), takes place wth a schedule you can find here. SUP combines surfing and kayaking as people use paddles while standing on a bigger version of a traditional surfboard as they glide through the water. You can even do a variety of yoga moves on the boards, as experts from DownUnder Paddling in Rowayton will demonstrate. Enthusiasts also race with the boards, as shown in another demonstration.

• Various seminars on boating techniques and subjects will also be presented (Check out this Norwalk Boat Show Web page for more information, for some seminars, registration is required):

• Close Quarters Powerboat Handling
• Advanced Docking Experience
• Essential Boating Safety
• Introduction to Sailing
• Coastal Cruising
• Marine Diesel Basics (a 12-hour class held Thursday and Friday; space is limited and registration is required)

• Latitudes & Attitudes magazine is sponsoring a party from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, open to anybody at the boat show. Eric Stone will play "island inspired tunes" from the British Virgin Islands, and there will be complementary beer, soft drinks and pizza for attendees. A raffle will also be held, with "prizes valued at more than $10,000," according to the boat show website.
• The Annapolis School of Seamanship will offer boating and fishing education sessions and live demonstrations where you can learn the basics of diesel engines, GPS navigation and new fishing techniques.