Boat show 2008

In January's copy of Dinghy was a pullout of the London Boatshow and I thought to myself 'I wouldn't mind going to that' . Well my Dad ended up with two spare tickets and gave them to me! So on the penultimate day of the show Emma, my eldest daughter (another boat freak like her Father), and I spent the day looking at lots of shine boats and all related paraphenalia much of it way beyond my pocket. Emma did pickup a bargin, new PFD worth probably about £40 for £15.

We met a chap on the Crewsaver stand who sails an Enterprise just up the coast from us at Burnham Overy Staithe Sailing Club noteable for its lack of clubhouse (and very reasonable club fees!). There are about three Ents that sail at his club so I'm wondering about an interclub thing; I shall have to get in touch and see what we can arrange. Anyway he's got an invite to our Open meeting this year.

One of the best things was the racing on the dock, 7 Musto Skiffs doing a simple sausage course; very entertaining! I snapped a couple of shots:

Among the boats there I found this vintage Hornet looking lovely, completely varnished with a sliding seat! I used to crewe in a Hornet when I was a teenager, They are great fun and a very accesible boat and still well supported in the UK and Holland.
We also got a short tour of HMS Exeter, the last surving Ship from the Falklands war and soon to be de-commissioned.

So what did I think of the show? Not bad but I think I prefer the Dinghy Exhibition at Alexandra Palace in March. At least at that there are loads of dingies to see where as over half the floor space at the boat show was taken up with power boats of very obscene sizes, prices and no doubt enormously obscene consumption of fossil fuel and poluters of the sea! How do people justify such things I have no idea but then I guess sailing is a pleasure industry that can seem incredible selfish when contrated with the needs of well over half the population of the planet. Such thoughts are just too stressful.... I must get some relief... I know I'll dream about sailing and maybe work on the boat for a while.....

I wonder what it does cost me to sail my boat for a season? Perhaps I'll work it out. I wonder what its carbon footprint looks like? Oh Man I'm getting stressed again.... boat thoughts, sailing thoughts ahh thats better. perhaps I'll plant a tree or two, mmm, that might be a cop out but it can't hurt to plant a tree can it? Does it really make a difference?