Wilson Marine will be at the Progressive Detroit Boat Show this February. The show itself offers a wide array of boats for eventgoers to browse and buy.

Wilson Marine will be at the Progressive Detroit Boat Show this February. The show itself offers a wide array of boats for eventgoers to browse and buy.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes


Boat show sails into Detroit

By: Alyssa Ochss | C&G Newspapers | Published January 30, 2025

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METRO DETROIT — This year, the Progressive Detroit Boat Show is back with magnificent boats and activities for the whole family.

Ron Wilson, the owner of Wilson Marine, which has multiple locations, said he’s been going to the boat show since 1975.

“And we’ve grown from a pretty small little display to the largest exhibitor in Cobo Hall,” Wilson said.

Wilson Marine will have around 75 boats down at the show, which runs Feb. 1-8. It will be open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and 2-8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Wilson said it used to go nine days, but it was shortened because of the Super Bowl on that Sunday.

A press release from the Progressive Detroit Boat Show stated hundreds of boats will be available for viewing and purchasing.

“Like the Auto Show, new models and features debut making the show a must-see for current and new boaters alike,” the release states. “Unlike the Auto Show, the boat show is one stop shopping with financing and purchasing happening right on the show floor. Many dealers attribute up to half of their annual sales from sales and leads gained from this show.”

Other activities and events that will be available are a tiki bar, Twiggy the Waterskiing Squirrel, a kids zone, free boater safety courses and more.

Rob Kotowski, owner of Lake Shore Boat Top Company in St. Clair Shores, said they’ve been participating in the boat show for the last 25 years. He said the show is fun to do and helps kick off the boating season.

“It’s a good opportunity for people if they need any type of maintenance,” Kotowski said. “You know, if they’re looking to keep what they currently have and kind of refresh it. It’s a good spot to find different types of services that are available.”

Kotowski said eventgoers should bring photos of what they have.

“You’d be surprised how many people come by and they don’t even know the year of their boat and you’re trying to help them out as much as you can,” Kotowski said. “But, you know, simple things like that, just having the knowledge of what they have.”

He said they should also bring a good pair of walking shoes and recommended that his customers come during the week because it gives them time to talk about what they need and what they’re looking for.

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“During the weekends, there’s a lot of traffic coming through, so we try to do our best to help and cater to everybody,” Kotowski said.

Wilson said it’s the best place to buy a boat.

“Because it’s so well attended by dealers, and of course, the more dealers, the more competition,” Wilson said.

He said consumers benefit from the show because they don’t have to travel everywhere to find a boat.

“They come here and they can see everything that’s manufactured,” Wilson said. “But there is one thing that’s not well represented anymore, and that’s sail boats.”

He said patrons can find jet skis, cruisers, pontoons and much more at the show this year.

Wilson said the show is fun and that the entire family can enjoy it. A boat based on the Disney movie “Moana” and a “Barbie” boat are going to be available for viewing.

“It’ll get kids out of their bedroom and off the video games (to) just see really, really cool stuff,” Wilson said.

The boat show will take place at the Huntington Place, formerly known as Cobo Hall, at 1 Washington Blvd., on the riverfront in Detroit.