“You sure travel a lot,” is something I hear often from friends and family, especially when the fall trade show season spools up. It’s not untrue. While many of my colleagues who work at the enthusiast boating magazines only have one or two shows to attend between September and the end of the year, I’ve had to walk as many as six shows every year since I came aboard at Soundings Trade Only in 2022.

While it may sound like I am complaining — and maybe I am, a little — I generally enjoy getting together with the industry and my editorial counterparts to get a read on how things are going, whether it’s boatbuilders, engine makers or components and accessories manufacturers. 

This year, however, will be different, and I am feeling a bit melancholy about it. Since I am transitioning over to sister publication Soundings, this year I’m going to miss out on the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference and Metstrade, two of the biggest industry-forward events on our calendars. 

I’ll miss getting my usual Cuban sandwich and enjoying the amazing seafood risotto at Ulele when in Tampa, Fla., for IBEX, and of course I will miss attending Metstrade. I always tack on a few extra days to my itinerary to enjoy Amsterdam’s canals, museums and culture, as well as the city’s food scene, which includes spectacular frites with mayo, bitterballen, pickled herring, stroopwafels and Indonesian rice table (rijsttafel).

But the shows must go on. If you’re aiming to see what’s on tap for those seasonal trade events, turn to Page 36 to read contributing editor Kim Kavin’s reporting on these important shows that will take place amid macroeconomic headwinds like tariffs, elevated interest rates, high shipping rates and more. Despite the challenges, it appears as if IBEX and Metstrade will be better than ever this year, as will the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and other shows, such as the salty Newport International Boat Show.

Another excellent piece of reporting by Kavin begins on Page 40. As many of you know, boatbuilder Kadey-Krogen, and subsidiary American Tugs, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in July, aiming to liquidate all assets. This left many buyers who put deposits down, or fully paid for boats, in the lurch. The story answers many questions but also raises additional ones that Soundings Trade Only will investigate for future issues.  

Boatbuilders fuel our industry and fan the flames of innovation and technology, so I asked senior editor David Conway to profile Maine-based Lyman-Morse in this issue. The custom builder is known not only for the gorgeous Down East designs it has built for companies like Hinckley and CW Hood, but also for interesting projects like Firefly, a Coast Guard-certified electric passenger cat destined for educational use by the Upstream Alliance in Camden, N.J. You can learn about the builder and the project starting on Page 44. 

We’ve featured several marine retailers in Conway’s “Dealer Spotlight” beat, and I’ve received some great feedback about the relatively new monthly column. Marine retailers are on the front lines with consumers of the industry’s many products — boats, accessories, gear, you name it — and we can learn something from each operation. Flip to Page 64 to read this month’s report about Florida-based Legacy Marine.

Last, this is likely my final editor’s letter for Soundings Trade Only. As I mentioned, I am pivoting to the editor-in-chief seat at Soundings, where I was senior editor before moving to this publication. I am super excited and grateful for the opportunity, which will allow me to focus on my love of boats, salty characters, culture around the water, and art and photography. 

I want to thank everyone who took me under their wing when I started at Trade Only almost five years ago, a time when I didn’t know the difference between the MRAA and ABYC and a host of other organizations that make up the acronym soup of this amazing and interesting industry. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the reporting I’ve done and the things I’ve learned about so many businesses and the people who run them. 

If you want to know where to get the best rijsttafel in Amsterdam during Metstrade, look me up.