The PSP International Boat Show is always a fantastic marine extravaganza and a favourite for Boatshed, a long time supporter of this key industry event. Over 112,000 visitors attended the show and were treated to an awesome spectacle of all things boaty and 10 days of glorious weather! We talked to thousands of visitors at the show about why Boatshed is the best option for selling and buying boats - statistics demonstrate that we sell boats twice as fast as other brokers!

Selling boats faster

Selling boats faster, helping to make boating cheaper and giving the best possible view and quality of information about the boats we have for sale is at the heart of everything we do at Boatshed and we are always looking to improve what we offer. At this year’s show we launched IPAs and The Preferred Partners Scheme, which are reported elsewhere. One of our new ideas for promoting boats, that was extremely well received by owners at the show, is Aerial Photography and Video.

Aerial Photography and Video

We already include up to 80 photographs and video of each boat that we list but recent technological advances mean that aerial photography and video is also now achievable. We were not at all surprised at the huge interest the drones (remote controlled camera helicopters) that were displayed on the Boatshed stand attracted. Joining us on the stand was Matt Wild (aerial photography expert) explaining the technology and how aerial photography and video can be a fantastic addition to a boat listing. We plan to introduce aerial photographs and videos for boats we sell, shortly - which will be another innovation unique to Boatshed!

Stand Up and Paddle

During the show Boatshed ran a competition to win a Stand Up Paddle Board worth £800. Stand Up Paddle Boarding is the fastest growing marine sport in the UK. It is great exercise and a host of 'A List' celebrities love it, including Rhianna, Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. Even former James Bond star, Pierce Brosnan is a huge fan.

To enter the competition, entrants had to answer a few simple questions about Boatshed:

  • How many registered customers are there on Boatshed.com? Answer - Over 600,000!
  • How many boats did Boatshed sell last year? Answer - Over 1000!
  • How much quicker do Boatshed sell boats? - Answer twice as quick!

We had hundreds of entries and the lucky winner was .... Nick Barlow from Hampshire!! Nick, a keen racing sailor, has received his paddle board and, he tells us, is absolutely delighted with it.

fizz@five

Each afternoon we hosted our popular Fizz@Five event. When Boatshed's antique ship's foghorn bellows, visitors flock to our stand to chat with our brokers and enjoy a glass of fizz or two. A total of 2700 glasses were poured throughout the 10 days to bustling crowds of show visitors.

Boatshed were proud to sponsor a fizz event on the Solent University Stand to launch ‘Solent Whisper’ - a 5.9 m sailing catamaran with a cutting edge hydrofoil system. Geoff Holt, the first quadriplegic sailor to sail solo across the Atlantic, unveiled the University’s latest exciting technological development. The craft’s easy and stable sailing style also means it could prove popular and accessible for disabled sailors.

Bart's Bash

Boatshed Brokers at the show also took part in Bart's Bash on 21st September, the charity event in memory of Olympic yachtsman Andrew Simpson, which has so far raised approximately £300,000.

If you have never visited the PSP Southampton Boat Show, it is a great event for young and old; weathered ocean sailor to inland canal boater; cruisers or racers alike. It doesn't matter if you have £50 to spend or £5,000,000, there is something for everyone. The traders at the show reported an increase in sales and the overall figures were extremely encouraging. We hope to see you next year!!