Boat Show

Southampton boat show. What a lot of lovely boats – but not a chart table in sight! The nice man showing us round said that everyone used electronics now because they were safer! and as he was a sailing instructor he knew these things. When I asked what he’d do if the power went down he said that never happens. So nothing to worry about there 🙂

Then there was a lovely boat with a saloon bigger than my lounge but completely devoid of hand holds. When I asked how you would get from the companionway to the heads in a seaway I was told – strangely enough by another self proclaimed sailing instructor – that these boats had ‘form stability’ and so it had to be well over force 8 before there was any risk of spilling your G&T or tipping the vase of flowers on the dining table!

How different sailing a modern boat is, apparently. Perhaps I should go on one of those instructors’ courses and see what else I’m missing.

I watched Robin Knox Johnston climb onto his old boat and start her up. I wonder if he’s abandoned his chart table too🤨

We also looked round the restored ‘lively lady’ … very atmospheric but I wouldn’t fancy spending months in that confined space. Perhaps the whiskey that was on Alec’s menu at every meal helped! There were plenty of hand holds though.

But the high point was the purchase of new fenders and some lovely pink lines that I’ve never seen before!

I feel they put me in touch with my feminine side 👺