Southampton International Boatshow 2024

It was a busy old week last week, what with sailing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but after a (much needed) lie down in a dark room with a damp towel on the brow on Thursday, I managed to score a cheap ticket for the Boatshow and went on Friday.. the forecast for the weekend was hideous, and weekends are always busier at the show anyway, and as it turned out I was glad I had gone when I did..

What follows then is just my view of the show - lots of people have gone, and still to go, and all have their own view of the success or otherwise of the show all of which are valid, but hey, this is my tiny little corner of the interweb, so clearly I'm right.. 😏

Cards up front then - overall, I thought it was a good show - better than last year for sure, and I think getting back to those levels of excellence last seen before Covid - unlike last year there was a good amount of chandlery present, but more next year please. 

Themes for the year seemed to me to be, electric, electric, electric, in all forms of propulsion- and a continuing focus on polarising markets - mobo's seemed to be focussed on smaller (ribs and Axopar style) while yachts (with one or two exceptions) are getting bigger..

'From the sublime' - as I mentioned - the range and depth of electric outboards is now huge compared with even a year ago - this (following) was mainstream internal combustion supplier Mercury's offering..  

That 75e at the front develops the equivalent of 10HP (they also have a bigger one capable of giving 15HP as well), and the middling one on the right is the one I was (mildly) interested in, the 35e is their approx. 5HP model - it weighs 47lbs (not including battery/s) c/w with 55lbs for my Tohatsu, BUT, the battery weighs the same again, and the 35e needs two of them, and also the hardware to tandem the two batteries together, oh, and the charger...    and from what I'm seeing there's not much change out of £14K for that little lot, the battery's are £2.5K a piece themselves!! That would buy you a lot of Tohatsu's.. 😁

..'to the ridiculous'..  biggest HP I saw at the show competition, this one was a Mercury (others do them too - I saw a Honda and a Suzuki version), but yes, that's a 300HP V10... almost as tall as me..  you can also get a 600HP V12, didn't see one though.. 😳

Time to head for the pontoons...  which were looking busy!

Highlights...

Ever since we chartered a Halberg Rassy for some of the Jolly Boys trips I've had an interest in them - they are a glorious boat - my HR choice for this year was a 44.. £700-800K going on current prices..

This one (following) was my 'boat of the show'..  the Dutch make glorious boats.. more here [clicky] on this one, but powered by sails and an electric engine (Torqeedo 3.0 POD) and note the integral solar panels just in front of the mast and up to the nose.. yours for anything north of  €70K (ex tax) depending on what extras and stuff you want - this one was simply stunning with that deep red hull..  no good for me though, as quite apart from not being able to afford it, it's also a fixed keel.. 😏

Saffier SE 24 Lite 😍

What comes around, goes around - Sparrow was fitted with roller boom furling back in 1967, still works, all manual and the sail wraps externally, but the concept appears to be making a come back, albeit hydraulic and wrapped internal  these days..

Seen her before but this one is pretty - IF I was to buy one this is the one I'd probably go for..  carbon mast and boom, couldn't be doing with the wooden spars..  much more manageable this one at approx. £30K. More here[clicky]

Hideous - following - this one fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch going down - 90 foot of butt ugly..  purely my view 'natch... 😁 They're selling well I understand, so clearly that is one, a good thing for British boat building, and two, a number of people who disagree with me.. 😏

Next - was good to see "Boleh" (means 'Yes' in Malay apparently) again, it was a while ago I last saw her up close [clicky]

Always a sucker for a square rigger, and they always seem to get one at the show - this year it was the Dutch training ship Thalassa [clicky]. Despite her looks she's a youngster, even when compared to Sparrow. Built in 1980 near Amsterdam, the hull was originally from a Dutch fishing ship the "Reliquinda", an old side trawler. In August 1984 it sank after hitting a wreck from the Second World War. She was refloated, gutted and rebuilt, relaunched and renamed in 1990 and then went on the Tall Ships circuit in 2004.

...and there you have it - my experience of the show...😀  

Only one thing to finish the day, a beer in the Platform ... well done to the organisers, a cracking show..

Southampton International Boatshow 2023 and some feistiness...

Over two weeks since the last sail, or should I say "drift", many reasons for this, tide times, but primarily weather - the Autumn equinox continues to deliver changeable weather in the UK - wind, rain, storm Agnes (which thankfully mostly passed us by) but also warmth - here we are at the end of September, and we are getting 20's and 21's in Celsius - love it..

Either way, I'm jumping ahead as one of the reasons for no boat time was also the now regular annual trip to the Southampton International Boatshow - can't quite explain the attraction the Boatshow has for me, but I couldn't miss it. I guess it's a combination of the boats, the buzz, the conspicuous display of money, the ability to have a nose over a whole load of boats you could never afford (or even afford to charter), the Guinness stand..  anyway it was brilliant as ever..  last years trend was SUP's/paddle boards, this year that continued, but the dominating trend was ribs in all shapes and sizes...

Excellent day out - just a few pictures though...  told the Jolly Boys my expectations were now raised having seen this monster...

She's from Jeannau, and is their 55 footer [clicky] at just shy of €975,000 (ex VAT!) sailaway, I don't expect my expectations are going to be met any time soon... probably a good thing; that boat would be a weapon in the hands of the Jolly Boys.. 😁

This one (next) I took for Rodders, as it is the slightly bigger model of AmiLy (AmiLy is a 324), think the Legends are nice boats, maids of all work...

Anyway, with my lift out fast approaching (sometime between the 14th and 18th, but I am on the lift team on the 14th, and doing a delivery on the 18th, so probably not then), it was time to get some boat time in..  

I have the Jolly Boys lined up to drop the mast on the 12th (with the 13th as contingency) so I have a little over a week to enjoy my little boat before I have to start getting her ready, and before it all starts getting dark and cold and miserable....so it was that I headed down to the boat yesterday

HT was 12:15 and a stupendous 5.17m (!), one of the biggest tides I remember this year, but the tide today was even higher. Winds were forecast to be F4 NW'ly going W'ly, but there was a decidedly brisk feel to it all when I arrived on the boat 10:15'ish, so I took the decision to wrap some reefs in on the main - not a huge amount, about 4 or 5 rolls, so about a foot - but it was to prove absolutely perfect.

Once the reefs were in, the engine was started, the ensign deployed, and I dropped the mooring and we headed off. With the direction what it was, and confirmed by wind direction on the other boats*, I turned into wind in the pool right by the bridge and hoisted main, before then bearing off to largely sail down the ditch (*I miss my windex!)

Goose winged from Northney, all the way past Sweare Deep and almost to Emsworth Beacon, before I then bore away and had a simply glorious broad reach in warm sunshine past Verner and almost to the sailing club, but with the wind building all the time (feisty!), and the direction it was coming from, it was then time to turn and see if I could do the up harbour trip in one beat or more..  happy to say long boards and a single tack saw me roaring past Marker, before turning at Emsworth Beacon for a another reach down harbour - it was just too damn pleasant.

Turned for home just north of Marker, engine on half way between Emsworth Beacon and Sweare Deep, and then I had quite possibly the most amazing mooring pick up I have had this year - and typically, not a single bugger to see it... 😏

Final note: One of my fellow club members got this shot of me and Sparrow at one with the world on the last trip - lovely picture, thanks again, Martin!

Log:

Distance: 8.77 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): Both ends of a F4 ; NW occasionally NWxW
Sail Plan: Reefed main and reefed genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 4.4 / 2.9

Southampton Boat show 2022

Slightly overdue but have just been to yet another totally awesome Boatshow in Southampton...  

Accompanied this time by just the brother-in-law, as my sister who was also coming had gone down with some lurgy...  Bro in law had a load of suppliers to talk technical with (he works for Clipper) so I got to mooch the stands and marvel at all the things I never knew I needed, while he talked the aforementioned technicals, and then meeting up every now and again to browse some more...

General observations were that it was back to its pre-COVID levels of business - we went mid-week and it was still heaving, and for all the nay sayers who say every year it's "getting smaller" and is "less relevant" - based on what I saw and overhead, it is still a major force - there was a lot of money being spent, and the boat business looked to be in rude health.  "Hot topics" this year - SUP's/inflatables, and electric power/engines, were everywhere...

Just inside the entrance I spotted this one ==> 

I've probably mentioned before that I generally accept that my almost lifetime interest in sailing was sparked by Arthur Ransome and the "Swallows and Amazons" series of books he wrote - still read them now on occasion - well this is "Swallow" that featured in the 1974 film (not the later remake) ... just lovely...

Pausing only to watch a fascinating live demo on the English Braids stand on how to splice an eye into a cored rope (seriously - it was very good! 😀) I then went and did my sole shopping of the day - three sets of 6mm braid on braid destined to replace the original, and now manky/green, topping lift, main halyard, and genoa halyard on Sparrow.. three 20mtr hanks from the remainder bin came to just over 45 quid - which I reckon was a bargain, as the quality is excellent - not your usual soft mush....

On the pontoons - this one caught my eye ==>

Think I'd have to beef up that bowsprit anchor point though...  😁

Jeanneau Sun Fast F3300 - scow bows on production boats - who'd have thought it?! Super fast, and as I am currently following "Team RockIt" which comprises Shirley Robertson and Dee Caffari on YouTube (WELL worth watching) racing the same class of boat, I was interested to see it in the flesh...  beauty is in the eye of the beholder with scow bows I suspect, but I love them - very purposeful. 

Bit of a first - my first million pound plus production yacht - I don't doubt there were others round before, but that's the first time I've seen it on a price tag on a boat...  happily, it includes VAT...  😏

This one is the one I'm trying to persuade Rodders to get the Royal Marines to replace "Ocean Waves" with..  😂

You can see why we would never be allowed to take it out even if they did actually buy one!

Picture courtesy Hallberg Rassy

Then last of all - loved the look of this one*, Cornish Crabbers biggest boat, I think. Yellow looks good on a boat...👍👌

* but not all the woodwork that would need looking after! 

Few pints in the 'Dancing Man' and off home - bloody brilliant day out...

Southampton Boat Show 2021

We're hot to trot...

So after the huge disappointment of last years late cancellation (and yes I'm fully aware that that could at best be described as a "first world problem" in light of the other sh*t that has liberally besmirched us all thanks to COVID, but as my mate says "that may be so, but I live in the first world") the Boat Show is back - albeit on a slightly smaller scale, and with a few extra hoops to jump through to get in..  minimum requirement was double jabs, but they also asked for one of those to the left within 48 hours of attending...  no skin off my nose, I was just pleased they were putting the show on and attempting to keep us safe.. throw in the fact that the tickets were paid for out of the voucher they gave me last year following the last shows cancellation and I'd say that I was more than a little looking forward to it...

Plans were drawn to attend with my sister and brother in law, but a week before we were due to go, the brother in law (who works for Clipper) was sent abroad so in the end just me and my sis went - but what a cracking day..

Number of exhibitors was down - not noticeably so - but at the end of the day, when I looked back, I had missed the usual Chandlery culprits as I was looking for a few bits and bobs that normally I would have got from them - the big trade tents were reduced to one (normally there are a couple). On the plus side the pontoons were as busy as ever (in fact I thought busier), and the food and beverage choices were better (which had had a positive effect on the price of a pint)

Good day then - so just a few pictures

One day I'll have one of those (above) - who am I kidding, no I won't...  Morgan were at the show and I couldn't resist the 3 Wheeler - British racing green, RAF roundels, Flying Tigers graphics..  lovely..  and the guy running the stand was a delight - knowledgeable and happy to chat..

My eldest is an Eleanor so that was for her - lovely day boat..  note the electric outboard - it was something I noticed increasingly at this years show...

Ludicrous... the Boat Show always has a few niche sellers and this was one of them - above - these are ice buckets on the grand scale - but £500?! Funnily enough the cow was sold already and we saw the new owner taking it home through the middle of Southampton on our way back...  😀

Sunseeker or Princess - above - I forget which, but despite not being a motor boat fan I thought that picture was too good to miss - beautiful sunny day and that row of bows just looked fantastic...

My boat of the show - above - the Tofinou 10 [clicky] was absolutely beautiful - stunning boat, and look at that varnish - almost French polished...  also very clever as the sheets and lines run underneath it so as not to intrude...  note also the recessed cleats... looking back over previous Boat Show posts I do seem to have a thing about the Tofinou boats!

From the sublime Tofinou to the ridiculous - above - Dutton...  who buys them???  😀

Lastly - above - no show is complete without a classic - and this years was the Dutch tall ship "Morgenster" [clicky] a sail training vessel originally built in 1919, but substantially altered over the years, including a period of service in the pirate radio line! All I can say is that she was absolutely immaculate - a very well looked after ship indeed...

No pictures - but another stand out boat was the Viko 21 [clicky] which I first saw back in 2016, there's a pretty good review of it here [clicky] but I still remain absolutely gobsmacked at the price - the one they had at the show was £26K (!) for a  21 footer..  ready to go... amazing..   The one at the show had a built in A frame to lower/raise the mast with integral 6:1 blocks for doing the lifting and dropping...  lift keel with a bulb..  sails..   roller furling... 

 Couple of pints in the Platform afterwards to end a brilliant day.. love the Boat Show! 

Southampton Boat Show 2019

Shtandart [clicky]

Much overdue, but I've been busy.. 

A good show this year again I thought.. my feet certainly told me it was the next day anyway..  I refuse to get excited about going on the big expensive one's, but I never tire of looking at them, and there were some crackers to look at.. 

Given my usual sailing experience I am far more interested in the smaller boats..  less of the newer/development one's this year (though the tried and trusted Cornish/Bay were there in force as usual, and also some smaller boats I've seen before in the main arena)..  this one did catch my eye however.. BTC-22 from Buckley Yacht Design [clicky] entirely British made..  and in Southampton as well...  more here [clicky], but I had a long and interesting conversation with one of the builders/designers (for which kudos, as it was the last weekend of the show, he'd been there a week, and still took time out to talk to a 'tyre kicker'.. )..  reasonable price, and from a quality builder (they build the Hawk 20), I do hope they do well..

They usually have a tall ship at the show (Kskelot last year) but this years was a bit special..

The frigate ‘Shtandart’ is a full-size replica of the flagship of the first Russian Baltic fleet built in 1999. There were no plans so they used naval historian, Victor Krainyukov, who had been commissioned in 1987 by the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg to find out everything possible about the ship.

After extensive research in the archives and records for multiple nations, and with the discovery of an 18th Century which showed the Shtandart in action, they had enough to go on to rebuild the ship. She's made in larch and is stunning..  the web site [clicky] has some shots of her under full sail that are superb..

From old style to old school..  Gypsy Moth was also at the show looking good..

Top it off with good company, and a couple of pints of Guinness in the Guinness bar and there's not a  lot not to like..   roll on next years show...

Southampton Boat Show 2018

..another year another Boat Show, and for me a "must do" event in the year..  I love it - the buzz, the boats, the crowds, the "stuff" you never knew you needed, and the Guinness bar...

So here's a whistle stop tour of "my show"

View from one of the boats on the pontoons to show the weather the day I went - blustery and occasional splat of rain, but mostly sunny.. 

..this was mid blustery period - and being a boat show there were oplenty of wind speed instruments to have a look at - this one clocked 30 knots so a good F7..  happily they didn't last for long..

.. for some of the days of this years show the pontoons were closed so we were lucky..  my sister works for the National Oceanography Centre and this was taken from the upper deck of one of their survey ships which was open to visitors - very interesting ship by the way...

..this is her on a far nicer day..  not my piccie..

...ugliness personified following - though I suspect her owner loves her ....  motor cat... and absolutely mahoosive...

This however was fascinating - prototype of a new model of yacht being built by these guys [clicky] - lovely people, very welcoming, and very proud of the new innovations...  full on induction hob, lift keel not so revolutionary I know, carbon fibre rig (the whole mast weighs only 14Kg.) dyneema rigging, spacious open cabin, sliding doors to forecabin.....  my sister was much taken with the wheel which pivots between port, centre and starboard steering positions but stepping on that step at the bottom of the wheel that locks it in place once moved - very clever...

..but this was very clever - electric propulsion with a drop down drive - if you're not using it just lift it up and out of the way...  I recommend a read of that web page for more... 

My boat of the show this year - Halberg Rassy 58..  I sail an HR 342 on the Jolly Boys trip every year so was keen to see what a stretched one looks like....  nothing like in summary though that's not strictly true - there are little hints but this thing was absolutely stunning...  so ..  twin wheels, centre cockpit... I recognised the glass dodger - same as the 342 (just bigger)

...those seats are the dogs nadgers - bro in law and I would be entirely happy to have one of those in our sitting rooms - very comfortable. They are an option, I think you could have a bench seat if you wanted, but the cabin is huge and airy with a full bench seat and table the other side already, and for relaxing in they have no equal..  this (following) is looking to the stern and one of the three double cabins - the aft one en-suite

..nav station..  I recognised the upholstery style, the door.cupboard.draw knobs and of course the superb wood work...

..this was very clever...  proper washer/dryer in the shower behind a clear perspex door..

Lovely...

Wasn't all wind and bluster (following)...  sat on the foredeck seat on one of the big sailing cat's - didn't like it as much as the HR... 

Racing sledge...  superb, lovely clean design, and looks super fast but with room to get below for a cuppa when the weather breaks... 

French of course...  very pretty...

...finished off with a look round these two old ladies who were moored next to each other..

Lively Lady in particular was in stunning condition after the major part of a full restoration in previous months - worth following their Facebook page...

..and Suhaili - solid as a rock...

Great show - layout changes every year, but just as enjoyable as ever...