The pace at FLIBS was fast and furious the past few days, in both good and bad ways. It was bad for blogging, keeping me on the docks full time, but then again, that’s a good thing. It was good for the megayacht builders and brokers, too. Even with upwards of six inches of rain in the area on Friday and flooded display tents, most people I spoke with said yacht buyers who’d contacted them ahead of time kept appointments and that new clients came in throughout the day–as well as the rest of the weekend.

Speaking of the weekend, I attended a fundraiser for Mission International Rescue (MIR) Charities Friday evening at the home of the owners of Hargrave’s La Vida. There I met Wissam Elghoul, the engaging gallery director for New River Fine Art in Fort Lauderdale, one of the oldest galleries in South Florida. For the past few years, Wissam has also worked with megayacht owners and designers in outfitting their boats. For example, he recently collaborated with Patrick Knowles on Trinity’s Mine Games. He’s also previously worked with Dee Robinson on some projects. Wissam says he enjoys the process of selecting pieces that add color to a room and express the owner’s personality, whether the owner has a specific item in mind or just gives general direction.

I certainly enjoyed getting to know him, and I’m sure you will, too, so stop in when you’re in town.