Is it worth going to the boat to show hunt for bargains?

neilmcc

neilmcc

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I am doing some revamping at the moment and need (want) to buy some new equipment, wind instrument, chart plotter, autohelm, ropes, and a number of other bits and pieces.
Is it worth travelling the 840 miles to Southampton and back with a couple of nights hotel added in to buy the stuff there or will I save as much locally or online and use the weekend for sailing instead.
 
driving? That 840 miles is £400 even at the ridiculous government rates at £0.45 per mile. Chuck in a couple of nights at an hotel and the cost of the tickets .... You'd have to get really good offers to justify the expense. Most of the big dealers have 'show pricings' that they'll give you even if you are not at the show.

That and you'll come back with ideas on the next boat, the next upgrade and the next bit of expensive clothing/electronics, hardware that you think you'll need.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
Only worth it for comparing different varieties of expensive equipment (windlass for example) and suppliers of such equipment will give a discount of 10 - 15%. For electronics I would say no, but it may help to buy from show exhibitors on line, as they often seem to give everybody the same discount. I bought a new cooker with a show discount but didn't go to the show. For rope, buy from Barry Edwards, www.boatropes.co.uk, far cheaper than any of the standard suppliers.
 
Or do as I did when I re-furbished my last boat, make up a list of everything and send to all the chandlers that stock the items you require, you may be amazed by the quotes you get, I got a really good deal for my stuff.[ Mailspeed but it was four years ago]
 
Thanks so far.
We usually go to the Excel in January for the jolly but need the gear before then to work on the boat in the Autumn.
 
Is it worth going to the boat to show hunt for bargains?
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Imho, no, but it is still quite nice to see all the bits and bobs available in one place and imaginearily spend all your pennies...

Boo2
 
nimbusgb said:
driving? That 840 miles is £400 even at the ridiculous government rates at £0.45 per mile. Chuck in a couple of nights at an hotel and the cost of the tickets .... You'd have to get really good offers to justify the expense.
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The cheapest rail fare from Glasgow to Southampton is £140 return, Offpeak. Anytime is £369.

Even at your "ridiculous" Government rate train is cheaper. At 45p/mile most journeys would be cheaper by rail. What rate for car use would you think fair/realistic?
 
It's useful to be able to try everything out hands-on, but you won't get a bargain you couldn't get elsewhere. I live within walking distance of the show, so it costs me nothing to get there (and I can even get a cheaper residents' entry if I bother to apply in time) but I still wouldn't expect to make a significant saving. I was after a small plotter last year, and even determined haggling with what seemed to be the cheapest supplier there couldn't beat MES's list price. After all, the seller at the show has to pay for their pitch, and the Internet seller doesn't.

Pete
 
I like to Southampton Boat Show but i would not travel the distance you are thinking of - SBS used to be the place for real bargains especially for waterpoofs and some chandlery etc but not so in the past 2 - 3 yrs. Its close to my mooring so I'll be going there but mainly to meet friends and have a look, I am not expecting to find many bargains
 
Felixcat said:
The cheapest rail fare from Glasgow to Southampton is £140 return, Offpeak. Anytime is £369.

Even at your "ridiculous" Government rate train is cheaper. At 45p/mile most journeys would be cheaper by rail. What rate for car use would you think fair/realistic?
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I reckon that anything but a roller skate costs about £0.80 a mile to run these days ( £25k car 10000 miles per annum ) http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/running_costs/petrol2011.pdf
 
Just go it costs money and that's that.

It's a nice jolly seeing different gear and boats all at one venue. You can ask questions of the experts and also chat to other boaters.

If you want to save real money on the boat, don't think if lists, or online chandlers, just sell her, get a nice alotment and put those hard earned notes in the bank. You then can have your grand children in awe of the size of the cabbages, and how the rhubarb makes fantastic crumble.

Tic

bob
 
I don't think 'bargains' are what the boatshow is about. If you find one that's a bonus.

In particular, don't go on the last day expecting giveaway bargains - most of the exhibitors are so p*ssed off having been standing up all day for the last 10 days that they actually put the prices up a bit to catch out the bargain-hunters!

It's very useful to be able to see such a large range of equipment and S'ton is an excellent show.
 
nimbusgb said:
Or living a lot closer to Southampton and Excel than Glasgow like I do :) Think you may have mistaken me for the OP!
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No, and my point about money saving is a general one, not about the OP's particular journey.

Motorists often justify driving rather than using the train by comparing the train fare to the cost of the car journey which is reckoned as the cost of petrol.
The train ticket has to include some at least of the full cost of providing a rail service, whereas the petrol cost is the marginal cost of driving. You are including the full cost of driving, which makes the two choices much more comparable.
Once one has the car, paid for, VEDed maintained etc. the cost of a journey is seen as the cost of the petrol. The train fare has to pay a slice of the cost of the track, the stations etc. etc.
To make the choice fairer perhaps we should put most of the taxes on motoring on the price of petrol.
 
Barnacle Bill said:
I don't think 'bargains' are what the boatshow is about. If you find one that's a bonus.
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I get the impression it's what it used to be about, before the Internet leveled the competitive playing field. I know my parents, most of whose sailing experience was from decades ago until we got KS, expected to save a packet by flogging up to LIBS to fit her out.

I agree that's not the case any more, but it's still a good day out.

Pete
 
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