The summer holidays are over, and the busy Autumn boat buying (and selling) season is finally here! Whether you are ordering a new boat at Southampton International Boat Show or hunting out a great deal on a previously enjoyed one, now is a great time to find your boat for 2026.
If you are visiting Southampton come along to our stand B028 and get answers to all your marine finance questions in person. We love to meet our customers, hear your adventures, and chat about all things ‘boating’, so pop along and say hi!
If you are looking to secure a boat at the show you can see quotes online and apply now for pre-approval, or book an appointment to discuss your application at the show. At Promarine Finance, we’re here to help you act quickly and confidently. With fast, friendly, and personal marine finance, we will help make sure you don’t miss the boat.
This will also be the first boat show since we re-vamped our finance for refits and upgrades! If you are considering investing in high value upgrades for your existing boat and would like to find out how we can help please come and chat to our team at the show, or get in touch before to book an appointment to discuss an application.
It’s also not too late to get discounted tickets to Southampton International Boat Show 2025!
CLICK HERE, enter our exclusive discount code PROMARFINAN, and buy your discounted single day tickets at the special rate shown in the Promotions box.
We’re excited to be heading back to the Crick Boat Show from 24th–26th May!
Crick Boat Show is held at Crick Marina, and is the UK’s largest inland waterways event. It is one of our favourite events of the year, as it provides us with a great opportunity to meet customers new and old, and chat about all things ‘boat’. This year the increasing focus on sustainability features heavily, with cutting-edge green technology and innovative designs like electric propulsion solutions and even HDPE plastic narrowboats on display.
What makes Crick unmissable?
It’s a dog friendly, family friendly event so everyone can come along and see the wide range of boats and equipment on display. As well as seeing amazing boats and the latest equipment, there is a jam-packed schedule of informative seminars, masterclasses, beginner’s courses, boat handling sessions, and even free boat trips on offer too! We recommend planning beforehand as some need to be booked in advance, but with so much on offer you are bound to have a great time, and maybe learn something new.
It isn’t all about boats though, you will be well catered for with a real ale and cider festival, a wide variety of delicious food stalls and vendors, and live music available across the weekend. Saturday evening sees the award-winning ‘Abba Revival’ hit the stage, and on Sunday evening Dan Budd performing as Robbie Williams will be waiting to ‘entertain you’!
Thanks to its central location Crick is easily accessed via both car and public transport (see the visitor info here), and if you want an extended experience you can book in and enjoy camping and mooring options. If you would prefer to visit when it’s less busy and focus on finding the right boat for you, Preview Day tickets for Friday 23rd are now available, but be quick as these are strictly limited to 1,000 pre-booked visitors only. Whether you are coming for the day or staying for the weekend our top tips are wear comfortable shoes, bring sun cream, and pack a waterproof or umbrella and wellies so you can enjoy your visit come rain or shine!
Meet the team on our stand V-BW9
Stuart, Liza, Aaron, and Kathryn will be on hand to chat boats and answer your marine finance questions, so please come and say hello, we love meeting new and existing customers at the show.
Stuart Austin – Director:
Stuart’s lifetime love of boats led him to create Promarine Finance in 2010. When he isn’t busy at the Promarine helm he enjoys sailing, cycling, and long-distance running (as much as anyone can!).
Liza Austin – Director:
As co-director and wife, Liza makes sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes, and helps customers along their boat buying journey. Like Stuart, Liza loves sailing (particularly in the sun!) and running, but prefers horse riding to cycling.
Aaron French – Sales and Marketing Manager:
Often described as a ‘boat geek’ by friends and fellow marine trade professionals, Aaron is a serial boat owner with a practical background, and loves to chat about all things boat related! Hobbies include fixing things that weren’t entirely broken and riding old mountain bikes slowly.
Kathryn Price – Business Development
Kathryn is highly experienced in the world of marine finance, in both leisure and commercial portfolio management. Despite not sailing herself, she loves being on the water, cruising the oceans and seeing the world.
See you there!
We can’t wait for Crick Boat Show 2025, so whether you’re an experienced boat owner, or looking to buy your first boat, we look forward to seeing you there!
Please help us reach our target for CRT fund raising.
Over the August bank holiday, myself and Liza took on the CRT Canalathon challenge. The Canalathon was set up by the CRT for runners to run a marathon distance over June. As regular runners, we decided this was a good opportunity to combine some training and fundraising for the CRT, but August would be the earliest time we could undertake this.
We don’t live near any canals so we thought it would be a good idea to revisit Crick and run to visit three of our regular broker partners, Aquavista, ABNB, and Whilton Marina.
Mark at Aquavista was most welcoming permitting us to park near the facilities block. This was the first time we have visited Crick outside of the annual boat show and it is a beautiful, incredibly well-maintained, serene marina.
We had a meal in Crick town at the Wheatsheaf with Justin and Emma of ABNB who also manage Crick Wharf. The food was good, the beer was plentiful, and more calorie-building than nutritionists would consider ideal preparation.
It rained all of Friday night and most of Saturday morning. So eventually we had no option but to set out in the drizzle.
Heading north on the Grand Union we found regular sections of reeds choking the navigation only allowing boats to pass in single file. Some think this will be impassable unless work is undertaken soon. The towpath is also overgrown in places and care needs to be taken where holes/subsidence has occurred. There was a section that was closed for repairs so obviously maintenance is being undertaken.
After 12 miles and about 30 bridges, we made it to ABNB and were grateful for a warm dry seat, a chance to dry our feet and, a hot cup of tea with added sugar for energy.
We had made a picnic of sorts so ate this here.
To be honest I was a little anxious about running 12 miles back but we got started and the cruising boats and their decoration and adornments helped ignore my aching legs. I was almost grateful for the bridges as they gave me an excuse to walk. Liza was a machine but admitted it was more painful to walk than run – I am afraid I felt the opposite, which is normal I think.
We made it back to Crick at around 6pm in the warm evening sunshine and had a cup of tea overlooking the marina. My legs were shot, particularly my hamstrings after covering 23.72 miles in 5 hrs 21 mins.
Day 2
Sunday was a much better day with sunshine and quite a strong breeze. The start of our journey south took us through Crick town to get around the tunnel.
When we rejoined the canal we found it much wider and in better condition than yesterday. There were more boats and people about.
We encountered Watford Locks with several boats queuing to up. We were told those at the back would be waiting 2 ½ hrs.
7 miles in and we arrived at Whilton Marina where Ian and Dave were working.
We had a hot drink and sausage roll in the café before starting our way back to Crick. It wasn’t very long before we sat on a bench and ate our picnic lunch.
Surprisingly my legs felt better than I was expecting – they were tired obviously but not rigid. Liza was still the strongest of the two of us and didn’t complain when I said I needed to walk.
As we came into Crick we saw Emma and Justin painting their boat. It was threatening rain so they stopped and made us a cup of tea.
We were back at Aquavista 14.31 miles in 3 hrs 19 mins with legs like jelly and finally Liza had to walk the last ½ mile – thank goodness. To my surprise, I found running on the flat much harder than I expected and my legs hurt in different places to where they normally do on our more usual hilly terrain.
Our inland waterways are underfunded but like many resources these days, there is not enough money to meet their needs. We saw a lot of boaters, some people walking, one runner and one cyclist.
Our business is strongly connected to inland boating and so our Canalathon is our way of giving something back.
Setting up at Crick was manageable, but it was hard to ignore the signs of water-logging in the show field…if only we knew what was to come.
Friday was Trade and VIP day which commenced with a welcome breakfast courtesy of Haven Knox-Johnston, followed by British Marine members drinks and exhibitor drinks thanks to Leesan.
It’s safe to say that our newest member of the team, Marc Griffin was thrown in at the deep end.
Saturday was a standout day for us, enjoying not just gorgeous weather, but also a record number of visitors to our stand. It was great to see so many new and existing customers flowing through our stand, and we were very grateful for Pauline’s presence over the weekend which allowed us to keep on top of everything.
And then came Sunday…
What started off as a damp morning gave way to heaven’s opening, and washing us away. Water came from everywhere, leaving the base of each item of furniture submerged.
Amazingly visitors were still splashing around and spirits were not dampened.
Whilst the weather may have been a disappointment, the exhibitor’s Kayak race was not, with Stuart and Marc reaching the semi-finals losing to Waterways World who in the final tied in a dead heat with Kingsround.
We were slightly quieter on Monday than we were over the weekend, however, we still managed to meet plenty of boating enthusiasts, as well as visiting a number of boats.
Our visitor numbers were up 37% over last year, and we managed to issue six finance offers, with the hopes of seeing several more over the coming weeks.
Thank you again to Crick Boat Show for keeping things moving in the face of challenging conditions, to the Promarine Team for giving it their all over the weekend, and to the customers and visitors who helped to make the show a truly memorable event.
You’re invited to join us as we explore the inland waterways at the Crick Boat Show 2024! Promarine Finance leads the way, ready to navigate the event’s excitement and opportunities. With our dedication to providing customised finance solutions for boat enthusiasts, we are well-prepared to make a significant impact at Britain’s largest inland waterways festival.
When and Where to Find Us at Crick Boat Show 2024
Join us at Crick Marina in Northampton from May 25 to May 27, when the waters will be teeming with opportunities and joy. The Promarine Finance staff will be there at Stand BW5, ready to assist you in your journey of finding, and financing, the right boat.
About Crick Boat Show 2024
The Crick Boat Show 2024 is an experience unlike anything else, not merely an event. With a focus on trade and a preview day on Friday, May 24, this well-known event honours the charm of inland waterways and draws enthusiasts from all over the world from Saturday, May 25 to Monday, May 27. Crick Boat Show, the largest inland waterways event in Britain, promises an exciting mix of exhibitors, seminars, and activities. There’s something for every boater at this prestigious event, no matter your level of experience.
Meet the Promarine Finance Team at Stand BW5
Meet the people behind Promarine Finance by dropping anchor at Stand BW5. Our committed employees are ready to impart their knowledge and love of all things boating. Allow us to introduce
Stuart Austin – Director:
Stuart’s lifetime love of boats led him to create Promarine Finance in 2010.
Stuart enjoys long-distance running, cycling, and sailing wide waters when he’s not mapping out financial routes.
Liza Austin – Director:
Liza is Stuart’s life and business partner, and she makes sure everything runs smoothly and that customers are taken care of.
Outside of the boardroom, Liza leads a busy life that includes competitive running, horseback riding, and culinary excursions.
Marc Griffin – Inland Waterways Specialist:
Marc brings a wealth of enthusiasm and experience from his career in the inland waterways industry to Promarine Finance.
When he’s not navigating the financial seas, Marc can be found behind a drum kit in a small band that performs around Herefordshire.
Booth Highlights
You can count on nothing less than perfection at the Promarine Finance booth. Our experts will be available to provide knowledgeable counsel and customised financing options for liveaboards, inland boats, and ocean-going vessels. Enjoy a drink of beer created by Ludlow Brewery while you’re here and immerse yourself in the boating lifestyle.
As Stuart Austin, Director of Promarine Finance, aptly puts it, “We’re passionate about helping more people get out on the water with our marine finance services and connecting them with the boat of their dreams in the most affordable way. Join us at Crick Boat Show 2024!”
Get in touch with Promarine Finance
Reach out to Promarine Finance today to initiate your boating journey. Our team is dedicated to assisting you every step of the way, whether you have inquiries regarding financing options or seek personalised guidance.
Request a quote or schedule a call back through our website – let’s capitalise on these opportunities together. We eagerly await the Crick Boat Show 2024, and now is the ideal moment to explore the myriad of possibilities that await you on the water – whether you’re an experienced or novice boater, Promarine Finance has something tailored for you. We look forward to seeing you at the world’s most exhilarating boat show in 2024.
