Glorious sunshine and a packed schedule of maritime fun helped make the inaugural Plymouth Boat Fest a huge success, as thousands of visitors gathered at Plymouth Yacht Haven; the city’s largest and busiest marina, to celebrate the region’s rich marine heritage and industry.
With over 50 exhibitors and more than 30 boats on display, the event showcased the broad spectrum of the marine industry, ranging from leisure boating to commercial vessels and state-of-the-art marine technology.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better day for the inaugural event”, commented Steve Cox, marina manager at Plymouth Yacht Haven, the event organiser. “It has been fantastic to see so many families, boating enthusiasts, and newcomers on-site, discovering everything our marine industry has to offer. Plymouth Boat Fest truly brought Britain’s Ocean City together.”
Marine skills and careers
An underlying theme of the event was careers within the marine sector and introducing young people to the diverse range of employers and roles within the industry. This was showcased at the start of the day, with Cattewater Harbour Commissioners Chair Alan Nichols alongside harbour apprentice Josh Wright officially opening the event. Seventeen year old Josh is currently undertaking his Marine Boat Work apprenticeship with the harbour in partnership with SeaRegs Training, a local marine specialist educational provider.
Alan commented: “The whole day was a testament to the wide range of businesses, people and stakeholders who work within the maritime sector right here in Plymouth, and many within Cattewater Harbour. We had three of our fleet (multi-role port service vessel, Plym Catte [in the Yacht Haven shed coinciding with her five yearly special survey], tug Prince Rock and pilot vessel Stamford) at the event, open for members of the public to explore and ask questions of myself and the team, and to find out more about the work we do day in day out on the Cattewater and the wider Dockyard Port of Plymouth with our pilotage service. Having vessel movements in and out of the harbour on the day, as well as a cruise ship at anchor in the Sound only added to the experience for those attending Boat Fest.”
A showcase for the marine industry
The festival began with a community beach clean at Mount Batten Beach organised by Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.
Exhibitors ranged from leading boat brokers such as Ancasta, Red Ensign, and Princess Motor Yacht Sales, to local businesses including Hemisphere Rigging, Nathan Bone Yacht Services, and Wolf Rock Boat Company. Groups including the Ocean Conservation Trust and the SHIPS Project highlighted Plymouth’s ongoing commitment to maritime history and sustainability, with the Plymouth RNLI lifeboats, Devon & Cornwall Police Dive Boat and Fire Boat, and National Coastwatch Institute displaying their organisations emergency responses.
The show also included a Marine Technology zone highlighting the city’s growing stature in marine autonomy. Exhibitors included Thales, Fugro, Marine AI, MSubs, SEA-KIT, ACUA Ocean and the University of Plymouth who allowed visitors to try their underwater robotic vessels. Marine AI were one of several companies who offered live demonstrations on the water, showcasing their remote controlled vessel technology.
The Island Trust displayed their 96ft tallship schooner ‘Johanna Lucretia’, offering tours and marine life talks, coinciding with the vessel’s 80th birthday.
The event was supported by Plymouth Waterfront Partnership and Towergate Boat Insurance.
Looking Ahead
After the success of this inaugural event, organisers say the aim is to make Plymouth Boat Fest a repeat fixture for the city.
“We’ve shown what Plymouth and Britain’s Ocean City has to offer,” Steve Cox added. “The response from exhibitors, the public, and the wider marine sector has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re already looking ahead to the next event.”
