Bill looks ahead to this year’s boat show and does a spot of planning

Try your hand at boating without even taking to the water

Having taken the time last month to (some would say over meticulously) plan my two-day trip to the show, I have been spending the past few days thinking of all the side-line attractions that one always intends visiting but seldom does.

Not being a very good big boat sailor, I am very tempted by The Radio Sailing Pool. I cannot imagine how I am going to get my brain around the controls when the boat is one minute going away from me and in the next it could be coming back towards me. This I assume will all be compounded by the trimming (or not) of the sails. It sounds ever so complicated but very interesting – a definite, I think! Perhaps I will make sure I have visited the sailmakers before I venture down to the pool – it must be a given that they will know the art and intricacies of sailing these Dragon model boats.

“Despite what The Admiral thinks, I am not going purely for a pint of Guinness and pulled pork bap! I have several very important ‘meetings’ with manufacturers and suppliers.”

Wow – the Andark Try-A-Dive tank sounds awesome. A 13m x 6m pool surrounded by digital screens featuring underwater creatures must be the closest a true novice like myself will ever get to the real thing. As wonderful as it sounds, I am not sure if I could be tempted or persuaded to take on the challenge of donning all the gear to participate; however, I will certainly pop across to watch the eager volunteers plunging themselves into the action. It is in situations like this that I question if I am just scared of taking on new adventures, or as I rather see it, I have responsibilities to The Admiral to look after myself. Truth be told, I imagine she would be there ready to cut the air hose – she would do anything for a quieter life (without me)!

With so many show attractions or in my case, distractions, I must stay focused on my main reasons for visiting the show. I must work hard to remind myself that despite what The Admiral thinks, I am not going purely for a pint of Guinness and pulled pork bap! I have several very important ‘meetings’ with manufacturers and suppliers.

Bill will be watching but not trying the Try-A-Dive tank

I am still looking forward to seeing the Jotun man to thank and update him on the antifouling performance. I now have photos (taken recently) of when we dried out alongside the town quay to check the antifouling and anodes, as I was quite worried due to not replacing them last spring. I will not be doing that again; it has caused me sleepless nights worrying about the skin fittings and shaft corroding away, and the boat sinking. As usual the worry was unfounded as the engine and skin fittings are all well earthed.

On the subject of skin fittings, I have added another brand to my ‘must see’ list – that being TruDesign. Fortunately Bainbridge International are the UK distributor of this brand, so I can kill numerous birds with one stone and get information on the HSX-P sail cloth, replacement tender from the AquaMarine range and meet the Jotun man! TruDesign are a New Zealand based company manufacturing skin fittings; body and nut from a glass-reinforced nylon composite. Apart from eliminating the risk of corrosion and electrical bonding problems associated with metallic fittings, there is also the weight saving. I am sure the weight saving is of far greater interest to the racing community.

There is nothing wrong with taking a break for a pint of Guinness

The Admiral has decided that as the grandchildren are proficient swimmers, we should be spending more time with them next summer. This has caused me much panic as I want to have quality family time but also want to use the boat as much as possible. How do I get two youngsters interested in spending time with an old codger on a boat with no WiFi access?

Result! I have found a kayak suitable for children in the Point 65 range – the Plutini. If the manufacturer does not have a stand at the show, I am hoping they will have representation on one of the various retail stands: Force 4, You Boat Chandlery, Marine Superstore or Jimmy Green.

The post Southampton Boat Show Planning – Part Two appeared first on All At Sea.