Southampton Boat Show
This was my first visit to the boat show and only my third to Southampton. On arrival at the dock area of Southampton Nancy Bright-Thompson and I were impressed by the modernistic high rise architecture and its proximity to water reminded me of Canary Wharf. It was a run down area but now houses the home of Southampton FC and a monument to intelligent and resourceful town planning. Not having been to a boat show I did not know what to expect though this one had been previously reviewed on this organ.
Every type of thing necessary for boats are on display from anchors to clothing to yachts. These are in bays reached by overhead staircases and gangways which at least assured me that my old ticker was working alright as I was not too breathless. I was dressed in a light sports jacket but a wind cheater was de rigeur for the yotties. Some were clearly the Hamble set typified by Howard’s Way whilst others may have had a more modest dinghy.
Ironically as I live in a marina I have no interest in buying a boat following the maxim that there are only two great moments (‘when you buy it and when you sell it’). My marina is really a boat park. I had hoped it would be like Monte Carlo with the rich set having elegant dinners on board but in truth you see little life. I once said to Polly that I had rarely seen a boat sail out of it other than the fishermen, to which she replied “They would not know how to.” Nonetheless, I prefer to open up my blinds to see boats and a beautiful dawn than a urban landscape and foul metro air.
It’s a cliche but we are a maritime nation. At my prep school the 3 houses were Drake, Grenville and Hawkins – all lauded seafarers in Elizabethan times. Admiral Nelson is still a national figure and our last military achievement after World War 2 was in the Falklands. Cornwall is pro-Brexit as the French – they say – steal their fish and there is still an island mentality everywhere. From cruise liners to merchant and freight shipping, to the coastal fisherman seeking the produce of the sea, it’s an important but varied source of commerce. At the top end is the super yacht and Sir Philip Green has attracted much adverse publicity for his third acquisition of a yacht in his wife’s name whilst his BHS high street stores went down the tube. It’s the badge and scoreboard of the super rich.
I thought of this as we passed anchors, tried on overpriced windcheaters, some costing over £200, and saw displayed every form of accoutrement a boat might need.
Out in the marina we saw winsome hostesses posted on the quayside to seduce you into shelling out £1m for a decent cabin cruiser.
We marveled at an old fashioned rigger straight out of HMS Bounty with its skyscraper masts.
Eventually we reached the “Sunseekers” yachts where smooth salesmen would persuade buyers with more money than sense that this was just the job for the South of France or Puerto Banus.
The boat show did not persuade me to part with north of £ 10m for a gin palace or revise my views on them but it was a most interesting expedition consummated by a delicious lunch at the Jetty , Harbour Hotel Chichester continuing the sea theme with a scrumptious fish pie.
