Southampton Boat Show - 2023

[Gsailor]

I am a little new to this... I do not understand why a moderator is posting.

Curiosity only I imagine... what is going on... if anything?

 

[Gsailor]

Mistake

 

[ashtead]

Think I must take an ordinary shirt with me one day so I can go aboard and get full details and price list. The prices of new boats is shocking plus the extended delivery time. You may be better of buying a slightly older boat and getting it fully renovated. It will cost less and be completed quicker.

Yes based on comments re new Bene prices a secondhand gunfleet or suchlike looks a bargain -just need to find one .

 

[steveeasy]

I would like to add at no time did I find at any new boat stand the sales people anything but friendly and welcoming. I was even more taken back when looking at the Bentleys I was actively encouraged to look around and invited to sit in.No big thing but I would have expected the complete opposite so very impressed with the attitude. Good on them.

Steveeasy

 

[zoidberg]

....the base price for an Oceanis 30.1 was £140,000, so with extras well over £200,000 - and you may have to wait several years for delivery and have annual prices increases in the contract.

I go to SIBS for two principal reasons. One is to scope bril new ideas that others have developed, which I can maybe use myself..... and the other is to look at the girls.

I found a fair bit to interest me in the new Jeanneau 30 OD ScowBow, just delivered and 'not fully fitted'. Yes, it is stripped-out - doesn't have anywhere to stow the brandy goblets or the ballgown, for example - but I reckon one could throw a trio of beanbags, some cheese and ham and wine a la Solitaire de Figaro into the cavernous forward chamber and take it 'Jestering'. There is a fitted B&G instrumentation package, and one could readily fit a JetBoil. Water storage is yer trad 40L plastic jerrycan..... or use it for vin en vrac. Get into the spirit!

However, the word on the block is that this French confection will cost the thick end of £200,000, one way or another, by the time Messrs HMRC are done wi' it.

 

[Gsailor]

I would like to add at no time did I find at any new boat stand the sales people anything but friendly and welcoming. I was even more taken back when looking at the Bentleys I was actively encouraged to look around and invited to sit in.No big thing but I would have expected the complete opposite so very impressed with the attitude. Good on them.

Steveeasy

I would like to say “fantastic”.

Perhaps I looked down at heel when I wanted to walk through whatever make of boat it was - perhaps the person was having a ‘moment’ when they refused my walkthrough.

Perhaps they were right - I could not have afforded their boat at all - good judgement call in that case; so fair do.

I rememember a chap selling attachments to prop shafts that shredded nets and rope wraps- his daughters (I believe) were ‘manning’ the stand too - a thoroughly great experience to see a family business thrive ( I believe it thrived - the owner may even post on here for all I know).

The good experiences £7 parking and a ride to the show, outweighed the one and only negative experience I observed (yeah - I was humiliated - get over it - the goods outweighed one person having an off day perhaps - or maybe she made a good judgement call and it simply peeves me as a peasant - still fair enough).

 

[xyachtdave]

Nice day at the show. Nice to meet a few people on the stands. Got some goods leads for upholstery replacement and good advice from Hudson marine. Met the team from Ardent training based in Tobermory who were super efficient when I did my Dayskipper theory. Looked at an Beneteau Oceanis 34 without add ons. I seam to recall it being Arround 220,000 without a chart plotter. Not totally convinced it’s VFM. But nice chap.. Got as close to driving a Bentley as I ever will do all in a great day.

Steveeasy

Blimey, £220,000 for a 34' Oceanis without electronics!

If I was shopping in the 1/4 of a million pound market I'd expect to come home with something a bit tastier than that.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I’d be coming home with a Dragonfly 28 performance if I were to splash that much cash. That little Jeanneau thing could chase us if it liked.

 

[Boathook]

I went to the show yesterday, the first time since covid or maybe 2018.
Parked in West Quay carpark for a fiver plus had the rya free ticket. Found the atmosphere in the show good and even the security people having smiles and chatty. Managed to see the stands I wanted plus a few more. Went on a few boats, dragonfly and seaward, but both out of my price range at present.
Henshaw inflatables are back in business for dinghies. My existing tinker foldaway is fine, but nice to know that they have spares, etc.

 

[Tomaret]

I would like to say “fantastic”.

Perhaps I looked down at heel when I wanted to walk through whatever make of boat it was - perhaps the person was having a ‘moment’ when they refused my walkthrough.

Perhaps they were right - I could not have afforded their boat at all - good judgement call in that case; so fair do.

I rememember a chap selling attachments to prop shafts that shredded nets and rope wraps- his daughters (I believe) were ‘manning’ the stand too - a thoroughly great experience to see a family business thrive ( I believe it thrived - the owner may even post on here for all I know).

The good experiences £7 parking and a ride to the show, outweighed the one and only negative experience I observed (yeah - I was humiliated - get over it - the goods outweighed one person having an off day perhaps - or maybe she made a good judgement call and it simply peeves me as a peasant - still fair enough).

I went to Excal one year with a friend and a friend of his, who was finalising the spec of his already ordered 50‘ Jeanneau. He was by far the richest but scruffiest of the three of us - my friend and I were treated like royalty in the mistaken belief that we two might also have money to spend,

 

[Tomaret]

I went yesterday, and it brought back memories of LBS at Excel. Empty booths in the main marquees, and a few empty pontoons. Jimmy Green and Bookharbour both had very small stands compared to previous years and some of the big chandlers were totally absent. There seems to be fewer marinas exhibiting, although the guy from the Polish Lake District was very enthusiastic and informative. There were the same awkward entry arrangements as last year. I wonder when it will all be concentrated on the one site?

However, it was a warm, sunny day, after a few days of sailing, and I picked up some pilot books that I wanted so it was all worthwhile. Long may it continue!

 

[zoidberg]

I've been rummaging through my little day-sac for some of the useful goodies - and also 'weeding' the not-so-useful - I brought home yesterday. Among them was that device no well-found cruising yacht should go to sea without - a nifty 'Swiss Knife' combination bottle opener courtesy of that charming GJW Underwriter Karen Wallis. Oh, and a branded baseball cap.... just in case I ever get to play baseball, I s'pose.

There were leaflets on Project Kraken from another lady charmer in the employ of the National Crime Agency, with her two huge Close Protection Officers from Border Force leaning over her shoulder. I spun them a story about bringing a newly-purchased sailboat back from Guernsey one foggy November night and creeping into Torquay Marina at silly o'clock, then early the following morning into the Retreat Boatyard moorings above Topsham right at the top of High Water when nothing else was moving on the fog-bound river..... my passenger cum-new-owner in his non-yottie clothes and suitcase in hand.... One could sense the two 'lurches' edging closer, ready to make the 'collar', when I told them I'd phoned 'that lot over there', indicating HMRC in their Ocean Hall stand across the aisle. The air of disappointment was palpable!

Then there were a few minutes of 'good old days' with wizened National Treasure Tom Cunliffe, exhausted after a frenzied hour of book-signing, but with just enough spark left to get in a plug for his forum-blog 'Sea Chest', until stand owner and Classic Boat editor Rob Peake intervened with a plug of his own, chasing a subscription. I must look as though I'm made of money - or exude an air of 'gullible punter'!

There are pockets of deep expertise dotted around the show, but experience reminds that one has to dig for it. I went with a shortlist of 'Problems Seeking Products' and found the techie-wizards at TMS deep in discussion with others from the trade.... three times. Not so at Jimmy Green Marine, where the whole team was busy guiding customers - who buy kit. Their product range has expanded considerably through their mail order website - although I like the excuse to go visit them down in tucked-away Beer.

Another source of deep know-how is Jeff Webber at Barton Marine. Then there are the helpful guys at English Braids, on the west-outside of Ocean Hall. And the perennial Stokey Woodall on getting more out of GPS and, when that fails, out of stargazing....

A good day out!

I might even go again....

 

[ashtead]

Well the vid of the new Dufour 41 looked good but perhaps Cannes has something to offer missing from Soton. I do need to find a new master step where the plastic doesn’t fracture but that will be limit of my shopping I suspect. . Must not forget to buy some sandwiches at M&S if I go unless the catering has improved dramatically ? By way of comparison the food on offer at the classic boat show in Henley was really good I thought .

 

[PhillM]

Is anyone around Sunday 17th? Thinking of cycling down (my son has borrowed my car for a party (date) but its only 11 miles from home. so thinking if I can bag a cheap ticket I may well come and take a look.

 

[Parabolica]

I’ll go down during the week, see some of the products we’ve manufactured, see some customers, try and find a few others, and then wander about for my own leisure. I wanted to do Cannes instead but couldn’t manage that on account of wifey being away so someone had to feed the sprogs.

 

[Concerto]

It felt quiet for the first Saturday considering the weather forecast for the rest of the show, especially Wednesday, is mainly damp to wet and windy. The 38 to 45ft length of yachts seems to be well catered for but virtually nothing under 33ft. Another observation is how the number of motor boats far exceeds the number of yachts. The chandlers seem quite well stocked and hve some good discount items like shoes and safety gear. YouBoat had some heavily discounted electric anchor winches. The usual rope and mooring lines at 'bargain' prices. Not so many companies selling synthetic teak decking. Still some sections of the halls I have not fully walked, so I may have still missed something.

 

[Pete7]

Who is visiting the Southampton Boat Show in 2023?

Following five days sailing on Lake Solent I am visiting on the 23rd. I'm not convinced that the boat show management team read my rant on here about how I thought the withdrawal of the free RYA member offer was a bad idea, but am delighted to see that they have reinstated it.

I'm looking for 'narrow' solar panels to hang from the push pit and ideas for a cockpit enclosure and hope to see Brian from Le Tonkinois.

Sandy, don't know if you found any narrow panels, but Sunstore in Lancing have a number of different options. No connection other than I have just bought a 110w panel off them which is 1482 x 440mm. Slightly more expensive than Renogy but the size is a better fit on our guard rails. They also have some slightly damaged returns at reduced prices selling on FB Marketplace. The small dent in one corner of the frame doesn't bother me.

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[Sandy]

Sandy, don't know if you found any narrow panels, but Sunstore in Lancing have a number of different options. No connection other than I have just bought a 110w panel off them which is 1482 x 440mm. Slightly more expensive than Renogy but the size is a better fit on our guard rails. They also have some slightly damaged returns at reduced prices selling on FB Marketplace. The small dent in one corner of the frame doesn't bother me.

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Thanks @Pete7 that looks exactly what I am considering.

 

[Paulfireblade]

I have booked a hotel for Wednesday evening so going Thursday, never been before so be interesting to see and hopefully I can find a head sail furler that is compatible with my boat as local rigger thinks I should pay them to modify my Genoa and boat to fit the furler they have in stock.

 

[wonkywinch]

Not so many companies selling synthetic teak decking.

I saw four in close proximity, Flexiteek J266, Elite Teak J306, Permateek J203, TekDek J351.