Fresh from sailing around the south coast of England for ITV1’s All At Sea series screened in May, TV Presenter, Dawn Porter and gameshow host, Nick Hancock will be sailing in to officially mark the opening of the PSP Southampton Boat Show in Mayflower Park on Friday 10 September.

The two presenters will arrive separately into the Show’s marina by an original World War Two Royal Navy gun boat and a World War Two RAF high speed rescue launch to kick off the celebrations

Look out for PBO’s Boat Show preview in the September issue of PBO on sale 20 August

About the boats
Motor Gunboat 81 is a 71½ foot long fast motor launch with a top speed of 40 knots which saw action in the Channel and in the North Sea. She was involved in countering the German E boat raids on allied shipping and attacking German convoys. After the war she had a slightly checkered history, being arrested 1958 whilst involved in smuggling. She was then used variously as a houseboat and an accommodation barge for a sailing club until she was spotted in 1988 and the long process of restoration to her former glory was begun.

High Speed Launch 102 is a 64 foot long fast motor launch with a top speed of 39 knots and was operated by the RAF during World War Two. HSL-102 was used firstly as a rescue launch, recovering countless pilots forced to bail out into the sea during the battle of Britain, before being relegated to target towing duties as faster boats became available. HSL-102 was also involved in operation Dynamo, rescuing Allied troops from Dunkirk. Little is known of her post war journey, until she was spotted being used as a houseboat in Dartmouth in 1993 and purchased for restoration.

Today, both MGB-81 and HSL-102 are operated by the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust, and are available for charter.

Please note, both MGB-81 and HSL-102 will be at the show on Friday 10th of September, with HSL – 102 remaining until Wednesday 15th, and MGB-81 returning on Thursday 16th and staying until the end of the show on Sunday 19th of Spetember.

All at sea
All At Sea, which aired from mid-May on ITV1 for three weeks, saw Dawn
and Nick make the journey from Cornwall to Kent by sea in a variety of
different vessels, stopping off to see the sights along the way. Guided
by each boat’s crew, they experienced life at sea aboard a luxury
yacht, a 1930s motor torpedo boat, a pirate ship and a fishing trawler
taking in the hidden gems of the English coast, which can only be
appreciated from the sea.