I dreamed of having my own boat for years before I could finally afford one. And, as my family will attest, after becoming a skipper, I have spent considerable amounts of time and money on pampering the succession of boats I’ve owned over the past 15 years or so.
The royal barge Gloriana, presented to the Queen as a gift to mark her Diamond Jubillee by Lord Sterling and others, has been seeking a permanent home ever since she led the river pageant during the jubilee celebrations in 2012.
I always know when the boating season has really got under way because I head down to Lord Montagu’s lovely little pad at Beaulieu in Hampshire to take part in what has become the biggest boatjumble in Europe.
