The Southampton International Boat Show opened on Friday 16th September with wooden and classic boats on display afloat and ashore.
The show has a dedicated “zone” for wooden boats, largely populated by the Wooden Boat Builders Trade Association, whose most recently built small craft are attracting much interest from visitors.
At the center of this area is the beautiful Jubilee, pictured above, one of 17 Deben Cherubs designed and built – and now on display – by Woodbridge Boatyard on the River Deben in Suffolk.
This one dates from 1935, the year of King George V’s Silver Jubilee, hence its name, which added poignancy this week.
Woodbridge is testing biocide-free antifouling on this boat and other boats it handles, and meanwhile Jubilee’s topsides are coated with organic linseed oil paint, tinted with natural pigment for a custom color. It is an environmentally friendly and low maintenance way to coat the boat.
A century ago a Deben Cherub would have cost you £160. The yard has other Cherubs and similar dayboats and small cruisers, waiting for the right owner to come along and start a refit.
Here is another beautiful Woodbridge boat at the show, proudly displayed by her owner Vicki, who commissioned her for the lines of a clinker dinghy that was once built by Everson & Son, the famous yard from which Woodbridge grew.
Vicki said, “Owning a canoe like this is a childhood dream come true.”
Willow Bay Boats are a regular exhibitor at the show – their fine range of traditional watercraft, built in Lyme Regis, are always a delight to behold.
This is the Mystery 14, built over the summer by Colin Evans of Evans Boatwork in Pembrokeshire, Wales. A highly desirable dayboat from an experienced yard.
A welcome sight at any boat show in 2022!
Lowestoft’s International Boat Building College was fielding inquiries after a well-attended demonstration of how to steam bend a piece of oak.
IBTC Lowestoft also has this wonderful boat for sale – yours for £9,000. We know what you want.
Just across the bridge and also promoting its practical boat building courses is the Dorset-based Boat Building Academy. Pictured is Principal Will Reed with the first student-built boat at BBA which was also designed by a student. The strip-plank speedboat is joined at the BBA stand by a traditional clapboard boat.
And also by examples of what BBA students have achieved in CEGEP furniture making courses. This chair was produced over a five day course, starting with a log, using traditional tools, and no experience is necessary.
Classic Boat readers will be familiar with the award-winning work of Win Knoops, pictured left with colleague Olly, and the yard’s Bristol 6.0, an electric dayboat we featured in Classic Boat earlier this year.
Win’s highly respected yard, Star Yachts, is based in Bristol.
At the marina, Spirit Yachts continues to lead the industry in sustainable boat building with the all-electric Spirit 44CR and Spirit 30 on display. The Spirit team will be at the boat show from Friday 16th to Sunday 25th September at quays M340 and M346, or email sales@spirityachts.com to book a private appointment. Worth seeing aboard a Spirit!
Does this classify as Spirit of Tradition? Bentley has entered the boat show.
Back on the marina and almost dubbed a ‘classic’, the Nicholson 31 attracted a steady stream of visitors. The class association brought two boats to the show and their more traditional design can only be a thought-provoking sight among the spacious, modern yachts that populate the rest of the marina.
No wonder the tall ship Morgenster is a highlight of the 2022 show. You can come aboard and book a ride yourself if you feel like it.
Finally, this Dale launch has a distinct classic pedigree. Dale is one of the big names in the British Isles Navy, still producing some head-turning boats in 2022.
For our boat show hub page, containing all the basic information, including links to ticket prices and more, go here. The show runs until Sunday, September 24 with one day closed, Monday, the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
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