Southampton Boat Show

This year it was the Southampton Boat shows 45^th anniversary and to me, a frequent visitor, it was one of their best. I love all things about water, being on it, in it and just around it so it’s always going to please me but this year for the first time I took along my two boys and insisted my husband came too.

Christmas list? 

It seemed to be more child friendly this year than in previous years and also they werent just focussing on the huge millionaire lifestyle boats. My favourite’s stands are the little wooden sailing boats or the little oppis perfect for mucking about on a lagoon or river or for beginners and priced under £100. There seemed to be a huge shift this year or showing that boating is not just for the rich. We spent ages with the paddle board stands who we have stood at our local river and watched effortlessly float down stream. It looks a ton of fun I have to say! When you’ve done it awhile you can even go to sea!

From there we drifted down to the Volvo stand. We’re huge fans of this trusty brand and while their engine display didn’t grab the children discovering those engines were on board some of the most amazing we saw did!

Managing not to crash into the Isle of Wight

We headed down to the RYA stall but as the youngest is petrified of costumed people (imagine the horrors this caused at Peppa Pig world!!) he and I diverted in the sponsors of the show the PSP tent. Absolutely amazing!! We discovered ECDIS training who runs safety courses using simulators and was more than happy to show us how to play sorry showed us how to safely steer a boat. He then let the boys steer a range of boats safely around the Isle of Wight and down the Solent. I can’t even begin to describe the fun the boys had with this. I’m more amazed by how well they did and didn’t crash despite hearing the army had when trying it the day before!

Also in the tent was a lady whom helps out on the Ellen Macarthur Cancer Trust. This is definitely worth reading up about. Set up by an amazing woman to help even more amazing children rebuild their confidence! An incredibly lovely way of doing it she takes young people sailing to help regain their confidence and assure them they are more than an illness.

Now the most favourite part of the boy’s day was being allowed on board the Pirate Ship!! A proper proper old pirate ship flying the Jolly Roger! A tall ship, one of the eldest around they were allowed to run all over including the hull which must have seen some horrors!