Fort Lauderdale, Florida is preparing to host the 52nd Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show on October 27-31, 2011. This is the type of event that gives Fort Lauderdale its reputation as one of the yachting capitals of the world. This year’s show will cover over 3 million square feet of exhibit space in six locations, with a transportation network of bush shuttles, riverboats and water taxis helping show attendees get from one place to another. Some of the boats and sea vessels that will be on display include cabin cruisers, catamarans, motor yachts, inflatables, ski boat, skiffs and higher performance boats. And of course there will be some superyachts.

Some of the special attractions of the show include Hook the Future Kid Fishing Clinics, the Blue Wild Dive Show and IGFA’s School of Sportfishing.

For more information, visit the official Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show website.

We’ve written in this blog about WorldCat power cats, a top manufacturer of high-performance fishing and cruising power catamarans.  In 2009, WorldCat owners Andrew Brown and Chris Brockway bought Glacier Bay, the oldest U.S. maker of catamaran’s and WorldCat’s biggest competitor.  Two more acquisitions followed in 2010 – Carolina Cat and Livingston Boats.  At this year’s Miami Boat Show, the PowerCat Group made its debut as the union of these four brands.

We’ll be looking at some of the current offerings of the PowerCat group in our next few posts.  You can learn more about the company on the PowerCat Group website.  You should also check out this PowerCat Group YouTube video that shows why mono-hulls just can’t compete with powercats on the high seas.

Rounding the Cape of Good Hope at the bottom of the continent of Africa is one of the great boating challenges of the world. Perhaps this is the reason that South Africa is the second largest exporter of catamarans in the world, right behind France. This is quite an accomplishment, given that the reputation of South African boat builders has only been established in the past 20 years or so. The experience gained from building boats that can withstand severe weather has give the South African builders a superior edge. For more information about the powercat industry in South Africa, see this excellent article by Gregor Tarjan of Aeroyacht Ltd.

The Mares 38 High Performance Powercat is advertised as a great poker run boat.  This is one of the only high performance catamarans which features a full cabin with a double bed and an enclosed head.  The cockpit area is also large, with plenty of room for entertaining and sunbathing.  The 38 foot length of the Mares 38 makes it perfect for offshore cruising.  For more information, see the Mares Powercats website.