Dusseldorf Boat Show

On Saturday January 16 I went with my German friend, who is a sailing instructor at a German Sailing School, to the Dusseldorf Boat Show in Dusseldorf, Germany. This is one of the largest boat shows in the world and definitely the biggest I have ever seen. There were 17 pavilions full of everything you could ever imagine for boating and watersports enthusiasts. This included two pavilions for windsurfing, kiteboarding, and standup paddle boarding.
There were thousands of people in attendance and the boardsports areas were packed. We were there on the first day of the show and I think everyone showed up that day to take advantage of the huge inventory of windsurfing and kiteboarding gear at the big boat show discount prices.
Anyway, here are some photos. Enjoy..... Chuck

Tons of new toys ready for buyers and riders

Big crowds looking for big discount deals!

Black Sails anyone? They look cool but wonder how long they will last once exposed to sunlight?

50 meter SUP paddling demo pool

Manufacturer Rep explaining board features to the crowd.

Tabou Boards and Tabou Reps talking with potential riders.

Beautiful Starboard 15 stand up paddle board

NAISH SUP Display

The "Tabou 3s 76" - Suppossedly a great high wind & gorge board!?

World Famous Kona One adjacent to the Exocet display area

Shipping Windsurfing Gear Overseas

Well, my windsurfing boards, sails, masts, booms, and roof top sail/mast carrier are now on their way back to the USA. They were packed up yesterday in a big 360cm long x 155cm wide x 155cm high overseas shipping box. Our Belgium moving company, Gosselin, built the box especially for the gear based on the dimensions of my longest board and the best width by height stacking requirement. Of course I spent several weeks pre-packing each board with bubble wrap and extra cardboard padding over the rails, decks and lower surface. Then all that went either back into the now very tightly fitted board bags or into windsurf board boxes.

For the sails I used the same big 12" and 14" diameter heavy cardboard shipping tubes with wood stringers and round plywood end plates. The sails got put inside each shipping tube and I also placed some of my bigger sails inside the rooftop sail/mast carrier that I built for my Volvo last year.

Once it was all packed in and the side put back on, with the top nailed down etc. it was good to know that everything should be safe inside for the long ship sea voyage home. Of course this box will be placed along with my other overseas shipping crates containing house hold items and furniture, into one of those big metal containers.

Still, it is difficult to watch your beloved windsurfing boards and gear get taken away in a big truck by someone else. Don't worry though, I do have each and every item listed on the shipment inventory!

Now, I just look forward to unloading it all back on the other side and finding everything safe, sound, and ready for Hatteras action.

Chuck

Windsurf boards, booms, masts, & sails waiting along with lawn tractor to be loaded up.

THE BOX!

Loading of THE BOX begins! Epoxy/Wood/ Glass - Roof top sail/mast carrier, pre-wrapped in cardboard, loaded first. Luckily it was built to take the weight.

The Goya Wave board goes in on top of sail shipping tubes.

Everything fully loaded, with some extra house hold stuff to fill up space, and side panel ready to go back on. Those "Dish Pack" boxes are what I used to wrap up my longboard.

"THE BOX" side gets sealed and nailed back on for the long journey across the Atlantic.