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Int'l boat show comes to Vancouver, with cheap and dear ones

Xinhua, January 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

The 54th annual Vancouver International Boat Show, the largest showcase of recreational boating in the province of British Columbia in west Canada, has just opened to the public and is expected to attract more than 30,000 people during its five-day display.

The boats and cruisers are not only for rich people. There's actually something for everyone, with quite a few affordable for middle class people.

Eric Nicholl, boat show producer, told Xinhua on Thursday that there was always a boat for every budget, if he or she was interested in boating.

"Whether it's a canoe, a paddle boat, an entry-level fishing boat, and again, you get right up from a thousand bucks to four million bucks. There's a pretty wide range, you know," said Nicholl.

One luxury cruiser, called 510 Sundancer by Sea Ray, is selling for just under 2.4 million Canadian dollars (1.68 U.S. dollars). The 50-foot boat has everything a home does, or even better equipped than most homes.

The sellers say the Sundancer is made for coastal cruising and would be ideal for trips from Vancouver to - say - Alaska, California or beyond.

"We're looking at what is essentially a luxury home, or a luxury penthouse that has all the amenities and comforts that you'd expect in a fabulous building, or a fabulous neighborhood, but floating on the water," Bob Pappajohn from M&P Yacht Center told Xinhua.

He said it might look big and complicated, but maneuvering these boats has never been easier. A person can learn the basics in an hour.

The show's producer says the doom and gloom facing the global economy doesn't appear to be lowering interest in these big ticket items. In fact, the low Canadian dollar has made buying boats in Canada affordable for buyers from the U.S. and China, who continue to flock to the show.

"Right now, with the uncertainty in the world economy, it's a little too early to say what that ripple affect will be. What we are seeing right now is that buyers and people that enjoy the boating lifestyle, once you get into the boating lifestyle, it's there. You're hooked for life," said Nicholl. Endi