Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Closing out the second day of Florida International Boat Show (FLIBS), Michigan native Hunter Wright gives an inside look at the latest offerings.
“I did my preliminary walk through yesterday,” Wright says, “and plan to go more in depth today. Lots of new products are out there! Mercury’s MerCruisers diesel tech is fantastic, decking by PlasDECK, and Fleming’s new 65 is sweet!”
As a Michigan broker, Wright is in Florida looking for boats in the mid- to large-sized range that might appeal to clients on the Great Lakes. With such a broad range of waters to boat in around the Great Lakes region, Wright sees FLIBS as an opportunity to show clients all their options.
“Usually they stick to under 40 feet,” Wright relates. “I feel dealers in Michigan all too often limit themselves as to what size they think the client can handle. But I think it’s good to open that conversation that bigger boats can handle just as easily in the Great Lakes as small ones.”
Wright owns his own brokerage, whose clients range from hourly employees to multi-million dollar business owners. A passion for helping others enjoy boating — no matter the size — drives him to boat shows like FLIBS for the first look at cutting-edge options.
“I do not necessarily think Great Lakes boaters need to head to Florida,” Wright says, “but I do not think that the Chicago Boat Show really gives a full view of what is really out there. Plus, Lauderdale is in water, which makes it so nice to see how you would see the boat 90 percent of the time.”
With three days remaining at 2017 FLIBS, Wright is sure he will find listings that both fit the comfort level of Great Lakes boaters and push the limits of Great Lakes dreamers.
