Next years London Boat Show

[ianwright]

If the organisers don't get their collective arses into gear and re-introduce the Classic corner, expanded if they have any sense left, I will not be going.
Face it, owners of Standard White Boats like to see traditional stuff. It give them a link to real boats and they like that. Why else do they decorate their own boats with bits of wood and fake teak decks?

IanW

 

[bernard_foster]

I for one decided not to go this year. Following last years major dissapointment, at the complete lack of anything for the more moderate earners among us.
I went in hopes of visiting people such as Lansing Marine, who had been frozen out by stand prices, consequently, only the big players could exhibit, and for the price i wish to do more than gape at gin palaces.
I'm told there is a small boat show at the NEC, this might be a better day out.
Like yourself I have a 1963 classic, and go to these sort of places to try and find parts etc.

 

[paulrossall]

Bernie
I did not go this year for exactly the same reasons as you. I do not wish to pay tens of thousands of pounds for an AWB and have no interest in looking at them. A group of us used to go the Earls Court and enjoyed the yearly trip but I cannot see any of us going to the new venue again. Paul

 

[Kristal]

Well, not terribly relevant, this one, but...

...at the time of last year's boat show, I was attending with my then-partner Jen, who was getting a set of nice Gore-Tex oilies from me for Christmas. The plan was to try and buy at the show.

The first stand we approached (can't remember it's name) told us there was no such colour scheme in the Musto range (it's appearance in their catalogue presumably being a red herring), and after an increasingly heated conversation, it was duly found that in fact such a scheme did exist, and was in stock.

"Great," said Jen, very politely (despite the clear annoyance of the assistant), "I'd like them in a twelve, please."

"Goodness, no, you'll never get into a twelve," says the lady.

I then had to console my partner, so angry she was in tears, after we'd politely indicated that we'd look elsewhere and departed. That particular company shan't be getting another penny from me. I've heard all sorts of excuses - show is hard work, not paid very much, away from home, getting a bit too much by the end - but none of them hold any water. Shocking, shocking rudeness to a customer trying to spend close on £400.

Not really a show problem, but it's my main reason for finding the thing rather traumatic...

/<

 

[Santana379]

Re: Not Many Wooden Boats There

There was one wooden boat at the show (excluding folding marine ply dinghies. That didn't have a stick, but was lovely and apparently available in a sailing version. Plastic gaffers were there of course - the Shrimper/Crabber/Pilot Cutters, Drascombes, and Drascombes by another name - all much nicer than AWBs. I didn't make it to the 2004 show but understand that at least the Classic Boat stand was great.

I was hugely disappointed by my first Excel boat show - despite seeing Suhali and Lively Lady, and going around an RNLI Lifeboat. The place is completely devoid of soul and romance. It used to be really exciting going into Earls Court, whereas Excel is just like a shopping mall (pronounced "maul" I believe).

The pasties were very good - I had one for lunch and enjoyed it so much I had another before leaving. (Yes I do look like the guy who ate all the pies....).

I felt, rightly or wrongly, that lots of the small and interesting stands weren't there.

I think it would take more than a classic corner, plastic gaffers (however nice), and good pasties to get me to give up a day and go to Excel next year.

Perhaps a visit to IFOS will be more rewarding.

Francis Fletcher

 

[Mirelle]

Much the same

For those of us who already have our last boat, the attraction used to be the small stands where specialist suppliers and equipment manufacturers could show their wares. (I bought my Shipmate coal stove at a Boat Show!)

The boating business seems to have become slicker, sexier, snobbier and altogether less interesting.

See you in Gasworks Creek.

 

[milltech]

Lancing Marine were CERTAINLY there and would be pained to hear you suggest they were not! I take the general thrust of ianwrights post through and agree. It's where I like to browse.

 

[bernard_foster]

Well... I stand corrected, but this was one of the stands, that i particularly wanted to see, and could not find them, and therefor assumed they were not there. one of the other things that i went to see, was alluminium, tender type boats, eventually i found one, once i had queued for 35 minutes to get into the other hall, only to be ushered around by security, not giving you chance to stop and look at anything.
Bring back earls Court. it was a far better show

 

[TrueBlue]

BMF has a lot of soul searching to do, LIBS has become more focused on flag waving - with the emphasis on the I - International. It has always been so, but at EC there was a lot of space that was not really attractive to the big players, and because of that the space was sold off to the smaller enterprises at reasonable rates. The result was there was something for everyone and upstairs had the atmosphere of a market - quite a buzz. Coupled with the smell of fast food and the noise from the downstairs Guinness Bar, the whole place felt like a village fête.

You can't do that at Excel, and that's why its so soulless.

<font color="blue">Time for a new approach and considerable lateral thinking</font>

<ul type="square">[*] Change the dates so that:-
[*] The big boats could be on the water where they belong; saves a lot of cranage and costs and frees up space
[*] Put the East Hall water-sports in the dock; same arguments apply as above

[*] More space inside for "market stalls"
[*] Have a decent web site with loads of information; who's there, whats on sale etc, etc.
[*] Make the show more of a "day out" to attract visitors and more importantly New Blood.
[*] Set aside some water-space for exhibitors and customers to stay over, and keep a small area of the main facilities open for food, drink, and networking.
[/list]

EC was impossible by car, but public transport made it accessible; Excel is the reverse - you can park somewhere, but vehicular access is indifferent, and public transport is good, but the links to it aren't.

The above needs a lot of massaging, but could create quite a carnival. What is lacking is, I expect, the will to do it.

 

[franb]

Sounds Like the Beale Park boat show is going to be packed this year