Wood, Water and Wild Places: The Wooden Boat Adventures for all

Wooden Boat Stage Skills Talk © Southampton International Boat Show

Four leading UK wooden-boat adventure providers to take part in a special panel at Southampton Boat Show on the Wooden Boat Stage — 1500 - 20th September

Forget the idea that sailing holidays are only for experienced sailors. A new generation of adventure holidays is opening up the world of traditional wooden boats to everyone — from complete beginners and families to seasoned adventurers looking for a more unusual way to travel.

Four of the UK's most exciting providers of wooden and traditional boat adventures will come together on the Wooden Boat Stage at Southampton Boat Show on Sunday 20 September at 3pm, for a special panel discussion hosted by Belinda Joslin.

"Adventure Holidays in Wooden Boats" will explore how travellers can experience Britain's coastline, rivers and waters in boats that are not simply beautiful pieces of maritime heritage, but working vessels offering memorable, hands-on adventures.

The panel brings together:

• Henry Chamberlain, founder of the Coastal Exploration Company, offering traditional sailing and coastal exploration from the North Norfolk coast.

• Jess Clay, Business Operations Coordinator at Classic Sailing, the UK's leading specialist in traditional sailing holidays, connecting travellers with historic and traditionally rigged vessels around the world.

• Neville Khambatta, who runs Hunter's Yard and the Norfolk Heritage Fleet Trust, home to the last remaining fleet of traditional gaff-rigged hire yachts on the Norfolk Broads.

• Conrad Humphreys, professional sailor, adventurer and storyteller, offering day trips and wild-camping experiences around Plymouth Sound and beyond aboard a replica of the boat used for his Channel 4 series Mutiny - Bounty and Hope.

Adventures for non-sailors

A key message of the panel is that you don't have to know how to sail to have a wooden boat adventure.

For travellers who have never stepped aboard a traditional boat, these experiences offer an accessible first step into sailing. Options range from a couple of hours with a skipper to multi-day adventures, wild camping and voyages aboard historic vessels.

The settings are equally varied: peaceful waterways on the Norfolk Broads, Britain's spectacular coastline, the waters around Plymouth and, for those looking further afield, traditional sailing voyages around the world — including adventures in the Antarctic.

With experienced skippers, safe cruising grounds and a focus on participation rather than simply being a passenger, these holidays offer a different kind of travel experience: slower, closer to nature and deeply connected to place.

More than a holiday

For the people behind these adventures, getting travellers afloat also helps keep traditional boats alive.

Many wooden and traditionally rigged vessels require specialist skills, care and investment to remain in use. By choosing a holiday aboard one of these boats, travellers are directly supporting the operators, craftspeople and communities keeping this maritime heritage alive.

Jess Clay of Classic Sailing says the challenge is to ensure traditional boats remain "living, working places where people can learn, belong and be inspired", rather than becoming static museum pieces.

Accessibility is another common theme across the panel. Hunter's Yard works with schools and youth groups to introduce young people to the water, while Conrad Humphreys works with underprivileged children in Plymouth and is passionate about making adventure sailing opportunities accessible to a wider audience.

A new kind of adventure travel

The panel comes at a time when travellers are increasingly seeking experiences rather than conventional holidays — and wooden boats offer an unusual combination of adventure, nature, heritage and participation.

You don't necessarily need a week off, specialist equipment or years of sailing experience. A first experience could be as simple as a few hours on the water with a skipper.

And for those who discover they love it, there are opportunities to progress from short trips to longer voyages and increasingly ambitious adventures.

Belinda Joslin, who will host the panel, says: "Wooden boats offer such a wonderful way into adventure. They are beautiful, they have stories, and they take you places at a pace that allows you to really experience the landscape around you. You don't need to be a sailor to start — you just need to be curious."

Find out more at www.southamptonboatshow.com/the-wooden-boat-stage

Wooden Boat Stage Team and Supporters - photo © Southampton International Boat Show