Americans spent a record $1.25 billion on boating last year, bringing the nation's pleasure armada to one vessel for every 28 people. Last week, as beaming boatbuilders launched the 47th National Motor Boat Show, the outlook for 1957 was for more clear sailing. Outside Manhattan's cavernous Coliseum, thousands queued up for as long as two hours in near-zero weather to see the biggest boating exhibit ever: 420 boats and thousands of nautical gadgets crammed into seven acres by 363 manufacturers.
The biggest hit was the biggest boat, the 53-ft. Wheeler cruiser with...
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