But visitors were able to see a good example of a luxury steel holiday hire boat from Maestermyn Marine and narrow and wide beam steel boats for the private owner from Rowen Boat Fitters, Big Fish Narrowboats and Simpson Boats, with Simpson showing the Tug & Butty – basically a full-length (70ft) unpowered liveaboard craft with a detachable tug as propulsion; the main advantage being that the former section is classified as a dumb houseboat which does not have VAT on the purchase price.

Wider waterways – mainly the Thames – were represented by stands from Hambleden Sales & Charter, Bushnell Marine Services and Val Wyatt, which was exhibiting a Viking cruiser. Glass fibre was also represented by the revival of the popular and compact trailable Wilderness Beaver 23, now being produced from new moulds by Wilderness Trailboats of Shepperton. For something really traditional and different you could buy a kit to build your own Coracle...

There were some accessories and services, such as a Sat-Nav system to locate boats and facilities anywhere on Europe’s waterways, and the breakdown and other facilities provided by River Canal Rescue.

With their budget constraints nobody expected the navigation authorities to be represented, but some British Waterways (BW) publications were provided by a boating information stand from Canals & Rivers magazine and the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) was there with its usual full range of books and maps.

Although billed as part of the feature, one had to search in the other hall for Waterways Ireland’s excellent stand providing new and up-to-date information on the island’s waterways; also – for privileged visitors – a local whiskey not distilled by Whyte & Mackay.