2013 Seattle Boat Show

800 Occidental Ave So, Seattle - CenturyLink Field

Hours: Mon-Thur 11am – 8pm

               Fridays     11am – 9pm

               Saturdays 10am – 8pm

         Sunday 1/27   10am – 6pm

         Sunday   2/3   10am – 4pm

This is the biggest boat show on the west coast. The show features more than 1,000 yachts and boats plus the latest accessories and supplies. There are more than 200 interesting boating and fishing seminars. www.seattleboatshow.com.

Dykstra Seminars – W 1/30 - 6:15 - Yellow Room and F 2/1 - Noon - Red Room

The 1/30 seminar title is “Pontoon Boats in the PNW: Pros vs Cons.” Pontoon boats are sweeping the country but are just starting to become popular in the PNW. The new generation of pontoon boats uses modern multi-hull technology. But what are the drawbacks? We will present the pluses and minuses.

The 2/1 seminar title is “Cruising Lake Washington: Navigating the Locks, Where to Dock, Anchor, Party and Dine!” Lake Washington is a fabulous boating destination but is often overlooked by salt-water boaters. There is great anchoring where you can swim in 75º fresh water. We will discuss the many things to see and do including viewing the fabulous mansions on “The Map of The Stars.”

The Boat Show’s main location is indoors at the CenturyLink Field Convention Center. The Show has exhibitors showing large yachts in the water at South Lake Union. There is free shuttle service between the two locations.

I will be exhibiting at Captain’s Nautical Supplies, booth Concourse 2240 and will be there most of the time. I will occasionally be at Tom’s – Avalon Luxury Pontoon Boats, booth North 161. I bought my new Avalon (Avalon video) luxury pontoon boat (boating blog and video) from Tom at 2011’s show. I recommend you stop by and see some of the perfect boats for the PNW. www.TomsBoatShop.com.

Go to Dykstra Boat Show pdf for more information including hours, directions and a map. Call my cell – 206-931-6065 for show passes.

Mastro In and Out of French Jail

The Seattle Times and Puget Sound Business Journal had numerous 2012 articles about Michael and Linda Mastro’s flee from justice and their capture in October. The saga was one of the top stories of 2012. The Mastro’s were captured in France after 16 months on the lam. At the end of the year they were still reported to be in France but out of jail under house arrest. They were released from jail in early December. Michael is 87 and Linda is 63. They are wearing electronic monitoring devices and their movement outside of their apartment in Annecy is very restricted. In the US they face 43 counts of money laundering and bankruptcy fraud.

Michael Mastro and his wife disappeared in the summer of 2011. The US issued warrants for their arrest and court orders that they turn over jewelry valued at $1.4 million. The courts confiscated items left behind and sold them at an auction. Unpaid debts are listed at more than $270 million.

Their former mansion sold 12/6/10 for $9.1 million by the bankruptcy court. There are a series of attorneys listed as the buyers: Robert Bruce Johnston, LCY LLC Series Homes, and James F. Rigby Jr. that were used to sign the documents to keep the real buyers’ identity off the official records. Mastro paid $15 million for the mansion in 2006. The Mastro bankruptcy, with original debts of $570 million, is the largest in Washington state’s history. Many “family and friends” lost their fortunes when his commercial real estate investment funds failed. More information about Mastro and his former Medina Mansion is in Seattle Mansions posts on 2/26/11, 4/6/11, 11/10/10, 10/11/10 and 11/12/09.

The listing was by Lisa Whittaker, Coldwell Banker Bain: “A property of significance and glamour. A brilliant pedigree; combining contemporary architecture with classic proportion. Over an acre of manicured, ultra-private grounds; 176' of west-facing waterfront with substantial moorage, boatlift & sandy beach. Magnificent Great Room with soaring 18’ ceilings, luminous wall of windows, soft graphite Venetian plaster. Caterer’s kitchen; wood-paneled library, separate MIL/Staff quarters. A rare offering designed for entertaining, art and the art of living.”