It’s that time of year again where the London Boat Show sails into ExCeL London. Having spent many years living just down the road from this venue, I’ve often spotted monster sized convoys in the early hours transporting gigantic boats to and from the show.
Last Christmas, one of J’s most eagerly anticipated presents on her Santa list was a LEGO Friends Dolphin Cruiser, a 612 piece, 2-storey yacht, complete with waterslide. With the £60 LEGO set assembled by lunch-time on a dismal January afternoon, I thought it only fitting to celebrate with a trip to the London Boat Show for a rare chance to get up close to some real-life yachts…that and of course to prolong the novelty of the Dolphin Cruiser.
I hadn’t counted on just how inspirational the boat show would be for J, or me for that matter.
The first thing that struck me was the sheer scale of the show. I’ve been to many events at ExCeL, and this was the first time I’ve seen in person the convention space being fully utilised end-to-end. Even during the Olympics the venue was split up into several different segments.
The Boat Show spans the entire length of ExCeL, from East to West, also sprawling outside onto the water. On display, you’ll find rubber dinghy’s up to some of the world’s most luxurious super yachts, with just about everything else in-between. The logistics that must be involved in putting on a show like this is incredible.
For the most part, you can venture aboard the boats. In the middle of the show lies a giant water pool where kids can register for various watersports like kayaking and zorbing. Be sure to put your name down early, as spaces fill up fast.
In my view, perhaps one of the most impressive aspects of the show is the Sunseeker International ‘stand’ which welcomes everyone to come along and sample the luxury across it’s sprawling display. It’s more of an experience than a stand, and by the time you leave you genuinely feel you’ve been shopping for a yacht. One would expect a little snobbery when it comes to letting Joe Public climb on-board extravagant yachts to wander around to their heart’s content. Especially with excitable children in tow, grabbing at the controls of toys worth 10’s of £millions. Surprisingly though, the promo team we met were full of delightful smiles, and more than happy to talk about the plush vessels, or tour the features to anyone interested enough to ask questions.
We met a friendly Captain aboard one of yachts owned by Sunseeker Charters. He enthusiastically answered all the questions we bombarded him with, giving a warm insight into this inspiring world, despite the fact it was probably his 100th time answering the same questions that day. There aren’t many opportunities for a little girl, innocently bursting with dreams and aspirations, to experience sitting along side the Captain at the helm of a lavish yacht, as he asks her where in the world she would sail to if she had the choice (her answer was ‘Rio’). He also casually revealed that the yacht we were on costs around £55,000 to charter for ONE week, but more surprisingly most charters come from Brits and not Russia or the Middle East as one might have expected.
Another gem from the show was a sweet gentleman from the Greenwich Yacht Club who I quizzed about opportunities in London for little ones to get into boating. He explained that they welcome all ages from beginners right the way up. He proudly described in great detail the culture and activities available at the club such as sailing, regattas,boating trips and pantomime socials. He lovingly described the family friendly atmosphere within the club, and membership is definitely something I would be exploring further when J’s swimming improves.
The show is running until the 12th January 2014 at London ExCeL. There are masses of parking spaces available at the ExCeL but the price is £15 flat fee for 24 hours, which is staggering for a few hours at a purpose built venue in this part of town on a Weekend.
The venue is easily accessible via the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), or what better excuse to make your day more adventurous, than to head over to North Greenwich via the Jubilee line and ride the new Emirates Skyline right to the doorstep of the ExCeL.
Photo Credit – Instagram: ITALY CUSTOMIZED
If you’re heading to the boat show this weekend you should also check out the London Ice Sculpting Festival just down the road at Canary Wharf. It’s on from 10-12th Jan.
For me the London Boat Show provides a truly unique opportunity to inspire children. It’s proof that the sunset lifestyle needn’t be a thing confined to dreams. It gives children a real opportunity to feel that luxury of this magnitude can one day be within reach should they choose to pursue it. And not just for the lucky few. After all, the underlying purpose of these shows is to sell boats, and there must be enough potential buyers out there to justify the investment in a show of this size.
Either way, there’s no doubt J will now view her Dolphin Cruiser from a more interesting perspective. Oh to be 8 years-old again.
London Dads 