NBS needs to rethink its inland efforts
The range of GRP cruisers from Shetland Boats – photo: Waterway Images
INLAND WATERWAYS: Perhaps a competition for any inland waterways orientated visitor to the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show should have been advertised as ‘find the narrowboat’, writes Harry Arnold.
Yes - there was one. And that one single sea otter was somewhat overpowered by the shiny white cruisers in the south hall of excel.
The financial situation has made the sponsored waterway feature at Earls Court, followed by the canalside pub at ExCeL (apparently National Boat Shows (NBS) still has this in store) something of a distant memory.
But one might ask what has happened to the display of canal craft moored outside in the dock; a concept first promoted by the enterprising Ed Rimmer, who is probably by now administrating a shared ownership cell scheme for his fellow prison inmates.
When you found this year’s narrowboat it did turn out to be a good example of the breed, the shiny blue finish competing with the GRP on the coachroof of the latest in aluminium alloy construction from Sea Otter, exhibited on the stand of agents Tingdene Marinas.
Elliptical stern
Despite its moderate 32ft length, the new design of elliptical stern, high-standard of fit-out – including Vetus diesel engine, bow thruster and inverter – made it well worth the standard model price tag of £59,740 (inc VAT).
There were, of course, many superb motor cruisers, the Haines 400 being one, that would travel some distance up our wide rivers, such as the Thames, but looking at the ones - not necessarily narrow beam - that were suitable for fairly long distance waterway cruising there were few to be seen that were both practical and moderately priced.
In this category Viking Mouldings and Shetland Boats both showed a good range of smaller cruisers and those exhibited by Thames based yards such as Val Wyatt Marine and Walton Marine were of quality interest to river users.
Details of where to moor at a range of inland sites could be found on MDL Marinas and Tingdene stands and on a particularly impressive Which Marina exhibit from The Yacht Harbours Association (TYHA). This British Marine Federation (BMF) group was promoting the relaunch of its Gold Anchor quality rating scheme in which a number of inland marina members are now participating.
Main source
But the main source of practical information about Britain’s rivers and canals was, as usual, the Inland Waterways Association stand. But a criticism of the IWA exhibit could be the almost dearth of display photographs of inland boating: after all, it is a boat show.
The association should take a leaf from the RYA campaign, of which inland waterways constitutes just a part, but which had an excellent stand combining both the promotion of boating and membership, along with environmental concerns.
There was a real dearth of waterway holiday information except from Le Boat, which has hire boats mainly based in France, Holland, Germany and Italy. But in the British Isles it does have boats based on the Caledonian Canal, Ireland’s River Shannon, the Thames and the Broads, with a new base on that network at Somerleyton opening this year.
Information on Scotland’s waterways could be found on the Sail Scotland stand; also even an experienced member of British Waterways (Scotland) staff; a lone representative of a navigation authority. Even Waterway Ireland didn’t make it this year; perhaps a sign of this EU member’s financial problems? But certainly missed by the journalists for the craik and friendly faces.
The British Marine Federation, and its National Boat Shows (NBS) arm, needs a serious re-appraisal of the representation and promoting of its inland waterway member’s interests at London and other show venues.
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