Boat Walkthroughs are Dumb
I watch them all the time. I want more of them, always. But I kind of hate boat walkthroughs. Let me explain.
A boat walkthrough is supposed to be this golden ticket: a host (like me, your friendly neighborhood boating influencer with 20+ years of salt in the veins) or some slick boat broker (gross) takes you through every nook, cranny, and extra cup holder on a new (or new-to-you) boat. When I crank them out on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok—short, snappy, gotta-hit-the-algorithm reels…there’s barely time to scratch the surface. I do it because… well, you need to see new boats, right? Fresh designs, cool features, the next big thing in boating lifestyle.
But here’s the rub: a ton of boats are basically the same under the gelcoat. Same layouts, same “premium” finishes, same “innovative” storage that’s just a fancy way to say “we hid the wiring.” So why should you care about yet another tour pointing out the same crap you’ve seen on 17 other boats? I try hard in my own boat walkthrough videos to hunt down what’s actually special—the new helm setup, the reconfiguration of the steps, the way the bow slices through chop because she’s got an extra notch in the hull and nifty flare. I chase that spark.
Still, it’s never quite enough in 40 seconds (or even 4 minutes). There’s this intangible thing that doesn’t translate through a screen: how the boat feels when you step aboard.
Some boats just feel right. You put one foot on the deck and your shoulders relax, like the boat’s saying, “Yeah, we’re good here.” Some feel right for my client whose dog refuses anything without a ton of shady spots and non-slip flooring. Some feel right for my neighbor who bowfishes at midnight and needs light mounts that don’t look like an afterthought. And yeah, some feel so wrong they’re kinda right—like that sketchy project boat that screams “adventure… or regret.”
That feeling? It’s the magic. It’s what makes you write the check, or at least dream about it. Short social media clips can show you the specs, but they can’t hand you that vibe. You don’t get the smell of fresh teak, the slight rock underfoot, the way the wind hits different on the flybridge. And that’s why boat shows are getting quietly wrecked, and I blame walkthrough videos.
People used to flock to shows to feel the boats. Walk the docks, step aboard, imagine their life on it. Now? “Eh, I’ll just watch the yacht tour video later.” Or the 50 boat review reels flooding their feed. Why fight crowds, parking, overpriced show pretzels, and matching-scarf ladies who want your soul before you board, when you can get a sanitized walkthrough from your couch? Boat shows are losing their excitement because the videos are doing the job… sort of. Vendors love the free exposure at first, until they realize nobody’s showing up to actually touch, feel, or buy. They all complain to me that the shows are slow.
The struggle is real, though. I’m not sure every boat brand wants a boating influencer emoting their way through a tour instead of reciting bullet points. Plenty of content creators out there do free boat walkthroughs all day because they are big enough and can afford to be there without a sponsor.
Me? I do this because I love boats, but it would be nice if I made enough to attend all the boat shows.
If you’re a builder tired of boring tours tanking interest, and want to remond people that coming to a show and actually feeling the quality of the craftsmanship, try to make your walkthroughs more of a party and less of a list. Let’s make a video that doesn’t just show the boat—let’s make one that makes people feel it. And maybe get them off the couch and back to the docks.
Oh, and I’ll be at the Palm Beach Boat Show in case you want me to come film something!
