Sunshine helped to set the summer mood Thursday for many attending this year’s Northern Illinois Boat Show at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake.
Outdoor temperatures hovered at 35 degrees, but many warmed to what’s ahead for the Chain O’Lakes, Lake Michigan, and along the region’s rivers and lakes.
“This beautiful weather has folks excited about getting out on the Chain and Fox River,” said Joseph S. Keller, the Fox Waterway Agency executive director. “The American pelicans are back in full force, and more and more eagles are nesting around the chain than many have ever seen.”
At the Fox Waterway Agency, he said, “We’re already over $620,000 in sticker sales through the end of last week for this new year, which is over $100,000 from where we were at this time last year. And I just got a report from the NWS (National Weather Service) that there’s little chance of spring flooding.”
Terry Anderson, general manager of SkipperBud’s Sequoit Harbor of Antioch, reported feeling, “very encouraged,” about the boating season.
“We definitely are ahead of the curve with weather,” Anderson said. “We have seen a good amount of traffic and people with boating interests early.”
Several thousand people were expected to attend the show, which runs through Sunday with more than 60 boat manufacturers and 30 exhibitors. The show is hosted by Fox Lake Harbor.
Warren Moulis of Johnsburg, co-owner of Munson Marine, Fox Lake Harbor, Chain O’Lakes Marina, all of Fox Lake, and Inland Harbor Marina of Antioch, said the four properties are full, with approximately 450 boat slip rentals this season.
“The reason to come to the Northern Illinois Boat Show (is that) it’s the last show of the season to start the spring season off,” he said. “You have the best selection, best pricing and availability for spring delivery.”
What’s new this 2024 boating season is flush inventory, Moulis said.
“The benefit for the consumers this year is all the manufacturers caught up on their building,” he said. “Everybody has inventory, so more and more dealers are discounting right now for spring deliveries.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when people rediscovered a love for boating as they sheltered in place, Moulis said, “You couldn’t get boats. They were paying premium pricing.”
Kyle Kreutzer of Antioch, president of Liberty Marine Center of Grayslake, said the end of 2021 into 2022 saw the lowest boat inventory amid high demand.
“Inventory has come back up,” he said. “Parts availability has come back up, serviceability, all that. We’re well-armed now.”
According to Boat Show recent statistics, more than 300,000 registered boats are in Illinois, with pontoon boats among the popular choices.
“Pontoons are still pretty hot,” Kreutzer said. “That market has been hot for 10, 15 years now, which is quite remarkable. We’re doing OK on the fishing boats.”
Jenny Copenharve of Spring Grove, with Munson Ski & Marine of Volo, Round Lake, McHenry and Fontana, Wisconsin, said she is, “Very excited for boating season. I love boating season. It’s my favorite time of year.”
Copenharve said buying a boat is, “Definitely the best investment you’re going to make for family memories. My kids love the boating world and it’s great memories.”
Neil Moulis of Johnsburg, Munson Marine general manager, said, “It’s going to be a great year.”
Bruce and Danielle Saboe of Winnebago, had already bought a fishing pontoon boat before coming to the show.
“I bought it for our grandkids, to take grandkids with and fish off of it,” Bruce Saboe said.
Danielle Saboe grew up in California and said, “We grew up with boating, we grew up skiing and being towed behind a boat. Camping and boating, that’s what we did most of our summers.”
Show visitors Cindi and Brian Bonadore of Lake Villa own two boats — a pontoon and a smaller boat — and have a slip on Fox Lake.
Brian Bonadore said they came, “just to see what’s out here.”
“We are Chain lovers, so we like to go out on the Chain,” Cindi Bonadore said.
Sue Weiss of McHenry, a sales consultant for Munson Ski & Marine, sat down with patrons Linda Anderson, Julie Anderson and Barbie Nessie, all of Lake in the Hills.
“We’re shopping,” Julie Anderson said about pontoon boats.
Weiss likes to, “encourage other women … to go out there and go boating. When you’re driving the boat yourself, it’s a thrill. You know when you’re on the water, you’re on vacation.”
Visit https://illinoisboatshow.com.
