Beaulieu Boat Jumble 2014

TAGS: Beaulieu Boatjumble

Mud, mud glorious mud interspersed with glorious sunshine made the 2014 Beaulieu Boatjumble one to remember for bargain hunters and jumble sellers alike.

The sunshine and showers forecast didn’t put off boat owners keen to find a bargain or pick up the odds and ends they needed to improve their boat – more than 7,000 visited the hundreds of stands and Trunk Trader stalls on the day.

Beaulieu events manager Judith Maddox said: ‘The heavy rain of the morning made for a rather slow start to the event, but sailors know how to dress for the weather and spirits remained high.

‘By lunchtime, the fields were busy and visitors were rewarded with blue skies and bursts of warm sunshine during the afternoon, which encouraged them to stay on until show closing time.

‘People seemed intent on buying and exhibitors reported brisk trade. The delivery vehicles were certainly kept busy – more so even than last year – taking purchases back to the car parks.’

Practical Boat Owner was there, along with the almost-finished project boat Hantu Biru, attractively dressed overall at the Boatjumble field entrance.

Hundreds of visitors took the opportunity to see how the PBO team have got on with the Snapdragon 23 restoration, many of them climbing the viewing ramp to have a look inside the boat and unknowingly taking part in a PBO test at the same time.

The ramp was painted in a variety of non-slip deck paints and Boatjumble visitors were helping to see how they coped with a large footfall!

The new Walkabout Auction at the end of the day – buyers could bid for lots that sellers were keen to dispose of – was popular with both exhibitors and visitors.

Bargains ranged from 50p for one box containing a stainless steel sink unit to £13 for another with assorted paraphernalia including an outboard fuel tank, a hardood tiller, a fishing rod, a fender and an oar.

Exhibitor Ben Metcalfe of marine equipment installers Landau UK was delighted with the response from visitors. ‘We’ve made more sales this year and had more ongoing enquiries from a vast range of boat owners,’ he said.