Boot Dusseldorf

January’s never been the same since the London Boat Show disappeared from our diaries… but boot Dusseldorf is bigger, better, and easy to get to from the East Coast – take the car ferry from Harwich and make a nice winter break of it!

Every type of boating and watersport is represented in the 17 halls here – you really do need more than a day to get around it all – and tickets are sensibly priced; register for boot.club membership (it’s free) and you’ll save even more money.

One of the delights of this event is the opportunity it provides to spend time aboard a lot of shiny new boats – there will be brands you’ve never heard of! – though at busy times it’s necessary to book a viewing slot in advance. If you’re not in the market for a new vessel there are lots of more affordable shopping opportunities – it’s not unusual to see cars departing the parking area laden down with the resulting purchases.