Boat Show good or bad.

[BabySharkDooDooDooDooDoo]

I seem to recall that the volume boat builders used to display their boats on land adjacent to the footbridge rather in the marina?

 

[Cantata]

.........The issue for me is that the show doesn't know what it is. Is it an entertainment show for gawpers to come and have a nice day out looking at expensive things they wouldn't buy anyway but just like to see what this strange sub species do, or is it a serious attempt to get dealers together with people who have some serious interest in their product even if not likely to buy. Taking the Pontos winches as an example, would they want to demo them to some local who can't tell one end of a boat from another or to someone who owns a boat and might therefore want to look properly at pontos winches if the existing winches on their boat ever needed replacing. Personally i'm not going to buy 99.9% of the stuff on display any time soon but I like to know it exists so that when I do suddenly find I need xx I do at least have a starting point. If those nice & helpful guys at Aztec marine showed some knowledge at SIBS of kit then maybe I will go and speak to them when I want to replace something that they sell.

I guess the Show is whatever you want it to be.
Usually for me it's a good day out, always enjoyed (unless it's raining).
This year I went armed with a long list of shopping and queries, spent four hours in that big tent and got everything on my list ticked. So that worked for me.
As for Aztec....
....I emailed them a few months ago about something for which they are supposed to be the UK dealer. Never had a reply. Rang them, got the answer machine, left a message, no call back ever happened. Emailed the supplier abroad, got an response within 30 minutes, had the product on my doorstep 4 days later.

 

[flaming]

I seem to recall that the volume boat builders used to display their boats on land adjacent to the footbridge rather in the marina?

They did, but they were persuaded / enticed to move into the marina. Personally I think that's a good thing. Makes it easier to ensure that you've seen all the boats. Released a load of space to expand the tents and also have the massive Andark chandlery tent.

The tent issue is an odd one. My understanding from my former colleagues is that the space is just about the same, but with 2 tents connected. To be honest it's probably what you'd do if you were starting from scratch, but with the history of the visitors etc, I fully understand why some people were confused.

To me the only downside was the total lack of anything racy.

 

[Hacker]

To me the only downside was the total lack of anything racy.

Boats or clothing?

 

[flaming]

Boats or clothing?

Boats...!

 

[Fantasie 19]

Boats...!

Pure unadulterated (racy) boat porn....

 

[flaming]

That's not racy, that's a gentlemen's daysailor!

It is porn though...

 

[doris]

That's not racy, that's a gentlemen's daysailor!

It is porn though...

Flaming, you can be a right tart at times! Lol.

 

[Camilleri Marine]

I went there this year, had a blast, So many different ships all so beautiful.

For a sea lover it was basically paradise : :