Extravaganza back on an even keel

Steven Hudson was ready to “make things happen” as the calls started rolling in Thursday for the start of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

The president of Fort Lauderdale-based International Yacht Collection brought 16 vessels – twice as many as his usual – to the show this year, in hopes of a rally after a lackluster showing last year in the wake of Hurricane Wilma.

The late-season storm surprised the region just days before the 2005 show, delaying opening day by a week, cutting the show by a day and pushing attendance down by 30 percent.