Miami Boat Show Makes Fun, Free Event for Families

This year, the 70th annual Miami International Boat Show and the Strictly Sail Miami expo cruises into town Feb. 17-21, 2011, over the President's Day long weekend holiday.

Catching some rays with the kids in Florida that weekend? If so, put your wallet away and head to Miami's Convention Center where new and experienced boaters from throughout the world will gather to view, board, and buy the best the boating industry has to offer.

You may not be in the market for watercraft, but we guarantee fun for all ages, and with free admission for your sailors under 16 and a fee of only $16 for adults, you can't go wrong.  You can check out everything from sport fishers, sailboats and mega-yachts to engines and the newest electronics, as well as the pretty girls and guys touting new products..

Boat lovers can learn from many of the special guests, lectures, booths and displays:  Dive and Travel Harbor; new Discover Boating Resource Center; appearance by Zac Sunderland, youngest male to circumnavigate the globe; Guy Harvey Artist Pavilion; the Affordability Pavilion; daily free boating, sailing and fishing seminars; world product unveilings; and more.

On Friday, February 18th at 6pm, we're saving seats for the "Evening with Chris Fischer."  The legendary ocean explorer, angler, conservationist, and host of National Geographic Channel’s ground-breaking series, "Shark Men," will give a presentation on his experiences during his recent shark research expeditions and will answer audience questions. Fischer will also be on hand to meet fans (and who's not a fan?) and sign autographs following his presentation.

While filming during several trips throughout the Pacific, Fischer and his crew caught more than 20 Great White sharks, tagged them with unprecedented real-time tracking tags and released them unharmed. The effort has created entirely new theories about the life-cycles of these powerful apex predators. Several of the sharks were the largest fish ever caught and released—weighing more than 4,000 pounds. 

We guarantee the kids will want to stay in the water after this show. For more information about the show and other features, call (954) 441-3220 or visit www.MiamiBoatShow.com, www.StrictlySailMiami.com.