After years of squeezing into the cramped confines of Northway Mall for years, the Anchors Aweigh Boat Show moves into the expansive new Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center on Friday.
"It's a breath of fresh air, a major relief," said Dudley Benesch of Alaska Mining and Diving, one of the vendors. "It's really going to be phenomenal."
"There's definitely going to be greater interest," agreed Buster Hall, the show director. "In the Northway Mall we only had eight to 10 vendors strung out through the hallways. This year, we've got 26 vendors spread out over 35,000 square feet -- with a beer garden next door."
Alaskans who love boats put themselves in craft as small as packrafts and as big as yachts. In between are runabouts, cruisers, twin-hulls, air boats, rafts, riverboats, sailboats, Zodiacs, canoe and kayaks, to name a few.
Often, Alaska boats are a means to an end, and that end is fishing. Prospective buyers will want to first consider where they'll go most often. A lower Kenai River boat is usually much different than an upper Susitna River boat. Salmon trollers in Seward or Valdez have different needs than someone who plans to ply Cook Inlet in a cabin cruiser.
But it's January, with about eight hours of daylight and, seemingly, as much solid water as liquid in Alaska. Why consider boating now?
Often, the manufacturer and dealer need time to get everything ready for a summer launch, marrying the boat to its electrical, power train and navigation systems. If you want to pick your color and add some options, dealers often need orders in February to ensure delivery by summer.
Plus, there's nothing wrong with dreaming -- especially when the first big king salmon opening over Memorial Day weekend is still 18 weeks away. Preseason prices are often better too.
But with the national and state economies in trouble, will consumers zip up their wallets for everything but necessities?
"We'll see," Hall said. "I think some people may keep their old boat but buy a new piece of equipment to outfit it. I've been in business 20 years and if there's one thing you can count on with Alaskans, it's that they take care of their toys."
Benesch said he sold three boats larger than 25 feet in December.
"We're watching it," Benesch said of the economy. "For a lot of folks, boating is one of the reasons you live here. With the price of fuel so much lower than last summer, there are going to be more people able to use their boats this year."
The small boat harbors of Seward and Whittier have yet to see any decline in boaters. Waiting lists for a slip range from under two years for small boats to nearly 20 years for a big boat.
Reporter Mike Campbell can be reached at mcampbell@adn.com or 257-4329.
By MIKE CAMPBELL
mcampbell@adn.com