The Chicago boat show weekend was a complete success and the tone was set as soon as we entered the train station. What a civilized way to travel! No x-rays, no constant computer-voice announcements from our friends from the TSA, and they didn't ask for my shoes or take my 10 oz. of shampoo. We walked out to the train and climbed on. The aisles were wide enough to pass another person without getting intimate details. There was room between the seats even with the seat back in front of you reclined. Each seat had its own, easily reached, AC plug to run electronics, (maybe 1/4 of the travelers were working on a laptop or watching a movie) and no one cared if the tray was down for departure or arrival. There were no seat-belt announcements, there were no seat belts! If I can't be on a sailboat at least put me on a train.
Chicago (this year anyway) was a mono-hull show. A lone Island Packet Estero sat kind of "up front," but as much as I want to like that boat it just doesn't tickle me at all. I'm done looking at it. The J-boats aren't my thing, and a few other strays couldn't entice us back for more than one visit. We found ourselves circling though the 4 big displays of Beneteau, Jenneau, Hunter, and Catalina.
Catalina 445 cockpit
The Catalina 445 barely edged out the Hunter 49 as the "best in show" as far as Deb and I are concerned. Everything on the 445 seems to be done just right. I couldn't find any real faults with the Hunter so this was pretty close to a coin toss. But both those boat are at the "long" end of the scale of "hulls for two people."
Hunter 49
Right in the middle of that list sat the Jenneau 39i, Hunter 39, and Beneteau 40. Hunter barely lost out to Jenneau, this time the lack of a separate shower stall tipping the scale. It seems a minor thing, but who wants to wipe down the toilet after every shower? And (to my eye anyway) the high tech window shapes on the Hunter detracted from its looks. The Beneteau 40 lagged a few boat lengths back. Deb didn't care for the galley and the settees just didn't sit very well. (I'm still fond of the 43, but Beneteau insists on mounting the sinks along the port side. Deb wants to see them nearer the center line of the boat.) The Jenneau 39i hit every note true and its variable position nav station was unique. I would really like to look at the 42i, though all of these boats are serious $$.
Hunter 39 Salon
In the "too short but still really nice" category the Catalina 375 looked like a wonderful boat. The fold up table made the main salon area huge and user friendly. Truth to tell, Deb allowed as that living on a Catalina 375 would still be pretty good living. Catalina didn't bring their 40, but several people at the show spoke highly of that boat. We'll have to look one up sometime.
Hunter 39 Galley
Catalina 375 Galley
Tim standing in Hunter 49 galley
Things we liked? I am really fond of the Hunter arch, and Deb constantly gave the Hunters the edge in the galley department. I thought the Catalina 445 port side "work room" was a really good idea, and both of us have grown fond of twin helm cockpits. And as usual, I walked about from this boat show thinking I could call nearly any of these boats "home" without much problem (or prompting) at all.
Things I didn't like? It is still winter, it will be nearly 10 weeks still until Nomad is back in the water, and I don't own any of the boats that we looked at in Chicago.
Catalina 375
Hunter 49 Centerline V-berth
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