Boat Show good or bad.
- Thread starter freespiritdavid
- Start date
langstonelayabout
Well-known member
With our usual freebie tickets we went on Saturday. The usual story, took our own food and only planned to buy tea/coffee on site.
Were sort of disappointed that there were fewer boats on shore this year. The tat (read as: hot tubs, massage chairs, non-marine stuff) was there in force and when we looked we noticed that one of the marquees had gone. Got a good insurance quote from GJW, Almost had to buy that Nauticat 441 (what a great boat!) played with those lovely folding props on the Darglow stand, and were unimpressed by the product knowledge of most of the people trying to sell top-end binoculars.
A nice day, followed by a Thai meal. We'll do it again next year
but the show does seem to be shrinking...
Were sort of disappointed that there were fewer boats on shore this year. The tat (read as: hot tubs, massage chairs, non-marine stuff) was there in force and when we looked we noticed that one of the marquees had gone. Got a good insurance quote from GJW, Almost had to buy that Nauticat 441 (what a great boat!) played with those lovely folding props on the Darglow stand, and were unimpressed by the product knowledge of most of the people trying to sell top-end binoculars.
A nice day, followed by a Thai meal. We'll do it again next year
but the show does seem to be shrinking...
Angele
Active member
Yes and no. Only one marquee, but I believe that had made it bigger than before, by combining them. If the total covered floorspace was less than usual, it can't have been by much.
I did find it slightly harder to navigate round though. Easier when there were two halls.
I "saved" myself over £100 at the show. :encouragement:
jac
Well-known member
And how long till we see you "testing" the dinghy?
oldgit
Well-known member
+1
We went in after 3pm and got the £10.00 tickets and used 2 x £5.00 for the couple who came with us.
Those £5.00 tickets where hard to avoid as the entire forum knew .....
They did let us cheapskates in before the 3pm deadline .
MoBo good deed of the day.
Did point out to a couple of obviously saily types (please do not enquire how one could tell
)that if they waited a few minutes they could get in under half price
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GrahamD
Active member
I'm interested in the comments made about the new layout of the show.
This year on the main site there was only one big tent, which was made up of a series of interconnected transverse tents with a few walkways between them. In previous years this had been one long tent, so visually it was similar to the London Boat Show, in that you could look up and see the extent of the indoor display area.
Our stand was situated in the second to last tent down the far end, so people had to walk through several transverse tents before they got to us. Last year we were in the (now defunct) Windward Hall and we noticed a bigger footfall there than in this year's position. Several of the people working on stands around us, who in previous years had been in a similar location in the big tent felt that there were fewer people getting all the way down through to them this year.
So, from a visitor's perspective, did this year's tent layout make it feel easier or more difficult to find your way around, did you keep exploring to the end of the tent, or did you bail out half way to go to see something else?
This year on the main site there was only one big tent, which was made up of a series of interconnected transverse tents with a few walkways between them. In previous years this had been one long tent, so visually it was similar to the London Boat Show, in that you could look up and see the extent of the indoor display area.
Our stand was situated in the second to last tent down the far end, so people had to walk through several transverse tents before they got to us. Last year we were in the (now defunct) Windward Hall and we noticed a bigger footfall there than in this year's position. Several of the people working on stands around us, who in previous years had been in a similar location in the big tent felt that there were fewer people getting all the way down through to them this year.
So, from a visitor's perspective, did this year's tent layout make it feel easier or more difficult to find your way around, did you keep exploring to the end of the tent, or did you bail out half way to go to see something else?
jac
Well-known member
I wondered down but it was more a case of checking everything in the tent as IMHO that's the more interesting part of the show. I love a good look around a new Halberg but i'm more likely to buy a Pontos winch! ( and you guys seemed busy both times I went past!)
The separate tents made navigating easier as you knew you were in the right hall which this years layout didn't help.
From a navigation perspective I found finding specific stalls harder. The numbering seemed chaotic
CrikeyChris
Member
Boat show good. Southern rail bad (next train to Southampton? Maybe tomorrow. Probably not though. And don't even think of getting home before 10pm. Grumble). Bring own food!
Tip: Best & cheapest drink to be had at the show is on the tallship Artemis, which has not only smuggled a floating bar into the boatshow (complete with German draft beer on tap), but also resisted upping their prices to boatshow ridiculousness (unlike the Starbucks in the RYA lounge, who seriously advertised a price above £5 for a cup of tea/coffee - no thanks).
Got a good price for Victron solar bits, bought ropes from my favourite rope seller who recognizes me by now, said thanks to a guy whose varnish and advice I've used, got epoxy injection tips from West System, talked to sailmakers about battens on furling mains, played with windvanes, feathering propellers (Darglow guy really knew his business) and Selden rigging (torsion rope top-down furlers neat). Found some nice Antal low-friction snap-hooks. I piloted a ROV - see if you can use the remote manipulator arm to get the rubber crab into the tea mug.
Sunseeker stand still ridiculous. Some massive cruise ship was parked behind the tallship, making for an interesting contrast. I came with a shopping/advice seeking list and got it all done this time around. Even had time left to hop onto the Sirius 35DS and say hello. She's even more impressive in reality than on YouTube.
I think we may have shared a table for lunch onboard Artemis. We talked about the Sirius 35DS and my wife showed you a photo of doubtful authenticity...
Ring any bells.
Anyway, good to meet you (if it was you).
Subsequently did visit the Sirius boats and very impressed, especially with the engine room.
Yngmar
Well-known member
Wasn't me. I sat at the bar chatting to the friendly dutch barmaid instead
I did meet a couple on the Sirius 35DS that seemed quite taken by it. If there was a bloke practicing his rusty German on the yard owner, that would've been me.
jofb
New member
We were also very taken with the Bestevaer - here's a link for you:
http://www.kmy.nl/yacht/bestevaer-45st-pure.html
http://www.kmy.nl/yacht/bestevaer-45st-pure.html
Vanilla
New member
Glad prv took 2 tickets off my hands and enjoyed the show but I never found takers on here for 3 further free tickets sadly!
langstonelayabout
Well-known member
No, we ran out of interest in the first hall. In previous years we would have rekindled the interest/need to buy mojo but this year it just went.
Sad really, I was looking to buy a reasonable pair of binoculars and went to buy. Last year in the 'second' hall there was a stand with a very nice pair of Minox 10X50s with digital compass for sale. Had they have been where they were last year and still selling the bins I would have bought. Instead I bought from Amazon on Saturday evening...
Don't get me wrong; I enjoy the show but even my good lady was disappointed as to the lack of the second tent. I guess it adds to the variety.
Angele
Active member
As I posted earlier (#23), and as Jac and Langstone Layabout have subsequently confirmed, the new layout was a bit confusing. I never buy a programme, so rely on my own senses to navigate my way around. I did wander from tent to tent, but tended to forget what was where.
Now, it may be that I'm just used to the old layout, but I think it was more obvious when the big equipment/technology suppliers were in one marquee, and the sailing schools, charter cos and chandlers in the other.
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Yngmar
Well-known member
The way I ended up wandering through the show meant I got to your end of the tent last. Also I've already played with your very cool winches last time so had no reason to stop while there were still things on my shopping list to track down.
I found the layout easier to navigate than last year, as I could just snake my way up and down the stands without missing any. The confusing layout last year made that more complicated.
For people seeking out specific stands it would probably help immensely if the idiotic practice of selling the floor plan for the price of a steak dinner was abolished and the thing instead published online prior to the show so visits can be planned better.
I fast forwarded through the parts of the show I had no interest/use for, including powerboats, bath tubs, garden sheds & furniture as well as vast amounts of RIBs and outboards.
ex-Gladys
Well-known member
We went yesterday. 1 free RYA ticket and 1 £11...£5 to park the car, and shock, horror, a boat show where most of the boats were afloat! Yes, the layout was different, but I think the better for it. Agree there's too many non boat related stands, it would be better if all the J stands in the big tent could have been subdivided to make navigation easier. Loved the Sirius DS's, nice to see such a well thought out boat
jonic
Well-known member
Hacker
Well-known member
We went on Friday (my 3rd time but her 1st). I thought the tent layout was good, I just went down the aisles in a structured way. Preferred having the boats afloat. Loved the HR 412........
jac
Well-known member
Boats have always been afloat at SIBS though so no great change their. I did miss the Police launch on the day I went onto the marina. Didn't go down there on 2nd day.
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.
Fantasie 19
Well-known member
prv
Well-known member
I did notice a few gaps on Saturday, which I don't remember seeing before. At least one of them had floating pictures in (printed on foam boards moored in place with fishing line) to try to disguise the gap a little.
Certainly didn't feel under-populated in general, though.
Pete