Southampton Boat Show – A Different Perspective
On Saturday 27th September, we attended the Southampton International Boat Show, accompanied by our dear friends Ian and Dave. Unlike the inland waterway events we usually frequent, Southampton is renowned as one of the largest showcases for yachting, cruising, and sea-going craft. It is not, by any means, an event targeted at the narrowboat community. Yet, for us, this was the fourth and final boat show of our year – and we had very specific reasons for being there.
Why Attend a Sea-Going Boat Show as Narrowboaters?
At first glance, it may seem unusual for committed inland waterway enthusiasts to spend a day among gleaming ocean cruisers and luxury yachts. Our motivation, however, was clear: inspiration for interiors.
As we prepare for our own narrowboat project – a boat that we plan to live aboard full-time, continually cruising the UK’s waterways – we are conscious that the interior must balance classic narrowboat charm with a modern twist. We want our home afloat to feel stylish, practical, and above all, comfortable. Living aboard full-time demands careful attention to storage, energy use, and sustainable solutions, while also providing a touch of luxury.
The Southampton Boat Show, with its focus on high-end design and innovative technology, was the perfect place to explore how those principles are applied outside the narrowboat world.
What We Were Looking For
Walking through the exhibition halls and climbing aboard vessels of all shapes and sizes, our attention was not drawn to the sea-keeping ability of the boats but to the details that might translate into our own plans:
Interior Styling: Soft furnishings, modern wood finishes, lighting schemes, and space-saving furniture that bring a sense of contemporary luxury.
Practical Storage: Clever solutions hidden within compact spaces – something yacht designers excel at and narrowboaters can always learn from.
Desk and Work Spaces: As we will be spending extended time on board, a functional yet stylish desk area is essential. Seeing how larger yachts incorporate such spaces gave us new ideas.
Sustainability & Power: Energy efficiency is a priority. Solar, hybrid systems, and innovative battery technology featured heavily at the show, providing food for thought on how we can future-proof our own setup.
Inspiration Taken Away
By the end of the day, we left Southampton with notebooks full of ideas and a renewed sense of possibility. While the boats themselves may never fit onto the inland waterways, the concepts of design, comfort, and innovation most certainly can.
This show, though different in nature from the Crick or other inland events, gave us a broader view of what a liveaboard space can be. It reaffirmed our goal: to design a narrowboat interior that feels not just functional, but also refined – a classic narrowboat with a modern twist, blending heritage with a touch of luxury.
And so, our boat show season closes. Four shows, countless ideas, and one very clear vision for the home we will create on the water.