The Crick Boat Show & Waterways Festival is an event that has been held annually at Crick Marina in Northamptonshire, England, since its inception in 2000.
The show was first held in 2000, when it was organised by British Waterways, and has been held every year since then. Responsibility for its organisation was passed to Waterways World Magazine in 2011, where it has remained ever since in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Marina. The event is the focal point of the inland boating calendar and provides the opportunity for boat-builders and sellers to promote new and second-hand boats to visitors considering buying a boat. Every conceivable type of product and service for canal boats is represented by the exhibitors, ranging from equipment to finance and insurance. In a dedicated lecture theatre, a series of free seminars are held throughout the event, covering such topics as boat maintenance, living afloat and boat-buying on a budget. Free boat-trips along the Grand Union Canal are provided – but must be booked upon arrival at the show – and boat-handling courses are available for an additional fee. The event is also billed as a 'Waterways Festival', with continuous live music, a large beer festival with up to 40 real ales, food and crafts stalls and a range of children's activities broadening its appeal. The live music has included headline performances by recording artists such as Toyah Wilcox, Hazel O’Connor and Tom Robinson. But also features well-known tribute acts such as T-Rextasy and Abba Revival. The 2017 show was attended by 27,000-plus people and included around 40 'boats on show' among nearly 200 exhibitors.
Favourite Boat in Show Award
A well established tradition of the event is the 'Favourite Boat in Show' award, which is voted for by show visitors and presented to the winner on the Monday. In 2017 the scheme was updated to include separate categories for narrowboats and wide-beam craft. The winner of that year's 'Favourite Narrowboat in Show' was Bourne Boat Builders with its 60 ft luxury craft, Threpence Ha'penny, while Elton Moss Boatbuilders was presented with the 'Favourite Wide-beam in Show' accolade for its 65 ft by 12 ft Kingsley Barge. Previous winners are as follows: 2016 Boating Leisure Services – Silver Melody: a 58 ft semi-trad narrowboat with a bright interior. 2015 Boating Leisure Services – Columbus: a 60 ft Josher tug-style traditional narrowboat with an oak interior. 2014 Boating Leisure Services – Shackleton: a 58 ft semi-trad narrowboat contrasting a fairly traditional exterior with a bright modern interior. 2013 Navigations Narrowboats – Emily: a 58 ft tug-style narrowboat with a Tyler Wilson shell. 2012 MGM Boats – Snail’s Pace: a 58 ft cruiser-stern, reverse layout narrowboat that had been custom built for its owners.
