Southampton Boat Show

[WKoW]

Is anyone going, or have they been put off by the testing regime and prices?

[MikeB]

I’m not going due to testing, ticket price, smaller show, no MDL hospitality,
But I will be going to the Har Bar for a couple of free drinks 😉
Sadly I think this year will mark the beginning of the end for the boat show as we know it.

[Fishcake]

Are they shoving cotton buds up your nose on the day?

[Laysula]

I'm going. Wasn't too sure earlier but the testing requirement swung it for me. I'm still nervous of crowds and haven't been back to a footie match or music gig yet..
Thank you MDL for the Hospitality at Har Bar,but who did the IT for the voucher? Had to print out two pages to get it all on, bit of a waste of paper really when it could have been done as an attachment..

[WKoW]

Agree about the voucher, very amateurishly done and it came out with my email address on it a bit of information which I'm not anxious to hand over to the HarBar. I was reading ion Facebook that the HarBar staff haver been refusing some people entry, has this happened to anyone here?

[Fishcake]

Going Friday, did someone mention free drinks 😃 🎉🎉

[WKoW]

Going Friday, did someone mention free drinks 😃 🎉🎉

Depends on your POV. We used to characterise the coffees (I was always driving) we had at the MDL stand at the boat show as the world's most expensive at about £3,000 a cup, but you did get a year's berthing with it. 😉

[Fishcake]

Ahh the old bait n switch model 😃

[VerityH]

We are going for the first time being quite new to Boating. Have done our Covid tests all negative and looking forward to it as Boat Show Virgins!!

[WKoW]

We’ve now been to the show. The new footprint isn’t too bad, the entrance being quite convenient for the Westquay car park, which at £5 was a reasonable cost, though the long single path down to the main show can be quite congested as it gets busier.

There were definitely fewer exhibitors than previous years, notably no chandleries and it seemed fewer retailers generally. There were an appreciable number of gaps on the pontoons as well, no sign of Sirius, Nordhaven or Elling amongst others. Whereas in recent years we’ve spend a day and a half there this time we were in at about 10:20 and out by 15:30.

Having heard of some of the hassles and then had the email from MDL advising booking we didn’t bother with going down to the HarBar. We did look at booking but couldn’t predict when we would be finished at the show. That we have never experienced anything better than abysmal service at HarBar in the past didn't help either. We definitely missed the opportunity to stop off for a coffee on site and chat to the team. We gazed rather jealously at the Boatfolk and Premier facilities.

[Fishcake]

X-Yachts 4.9 and Swan 48 the highlights