Emily, Joel, and Kacey arrived a couple of days ago; partly to attend the Annapolis Boat Show and partly to see what it is really like to live on a boat. Unfortunately they arrived just at as a day's long rain moved in. We carried on anyway, spending Thursday and Friday at the boat show with the rest of their visit to be spent helping us make final preparations and (maybe - hopefully) getting a shake down cruise in.
The boat show was a mixed event for us this year. Deb did some first class shopping and Kintala now sports a new VHF with AIS capability at the nav station and a remote VHF (with AIS info) at the helm. She will also has a new (small) GPS / Chart plotter at the helm while the old one went to the nav station as a back-up. With old and new GPS / Chart plotter, Two iPads with Navionics, two laptops with Nav capability, one with downloaded NOAA charts in PDF format, a stack of Cruising Guides, two smart phones (they show charts too) and a new VHF to call for help ... add the Wind Vane with an auto tiller (soon to be installed as well) and this 'ol jet driver is feeling pretty good. If I get lost now just take me to an old folks home, tuck me in, and let me be.
On the other hand the show had and air of condescension and hostility lying just under the glitz, banners, and pretty hostesses. Just inside the main gate a 90 foot Catamaran sat; it is available for lease at $45,000 per week for 8 guests. (According to the info, "The kids will love the pirate cabin". ) There was a 90 foot Swan, some monster Amel complete with gang plank, an apartment sized Nordhaven, A Gunboat Cat that looked like a parking lot, the Oyster one could get lost in, and so many 50 foot Cats that a flung dead one would be bound to land on a tramp ...
I know "yachts" are play toys of the rich; and I don't really begrudge them a "show". Maybe it the government shut down (brought to you by politicians bought and paid for by the owner of America3), maybe its that we have had to work so hard to get our modest (and old) little boat ready to sail, maybe its that the Tartan 4300 costs $635,000, but this show had a "rub your nose in it" quality I missed the other years we were here. I guess if no one bought new boats there would be no old boats for the rest of us to live on and enjoy, but I'll be in no hurry to attend another Annapolis show.
So back in more modest digs we are in the final stages of getting Kintala ready to so. She will not draw any attention from the 1%, but with her we live light and mobile on the planet, moving with a community that is unassuming and modest while being self sufficient and competent. I can't help but think if the government responded to this (majority) things might be working better. But that is far beyond this newbie sailor. Our next challenge is to get off the dock and on our way; and that is good enough.
The boat show was a mixed event for us this year. Deb did some first class shopping and Kintala now sports a new VHF with AIS capability at the nav station and a remote VHF (with AIS info) at the helm. She will also has a new (small) GPS / Chart plotter at the helm while the old one went to the nav station as a back-up. With old and new GPS / Chart plotter, Two iPads with Navionics, two laptops with Nav capability, one with downloaded NOAA charts in PDF format, a stack of Cruising Guides, two smart phones (they show charts too) and a new VHF to call for help ... add the Wind Vane with an auto tiller (soon to be installed as well) and this 'ol jet driver is feeling pretty good. If I get lost now just take me to an old folks home, tuck me in, and let me be.
On the other hand the show had and air of condescension and hostility lying just under the glitz, banners, and pretty hostesses. Just inside the main gate a 90 foot Catamaran sat; it is available for lease at $45,000 per week for 8 guests. (According to the info, "The kids will love the pirate cabin". ) There was a 90 foot Swan, some monster Amel complete with gang plank, an apartment sized Nordhaven, A Gunboat Cat that looked like a parking lot, the Oyster one could get lost in, and so many 50 foot Cats that a flung dead one would be bound to land on a tramp ...
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| Kacey is happy - he gets to play with tools :) |
I know "yachts" are play toys of the rich; and I don't really begrudge them a "show". Maybe it the government shut down (brought to you by politicians bought and paid for by the owner of America3), maybe its that we have had to work so hard to get our modest (and old) little boat ready to sail, maybe its that the Tartan 4300 costs $635,000, but this show had a "rub your nose in it" quality I missed the other years we were here. I guess if no one bought new boats there would be no old boats for the rest of us to live on and enjoy, but I'll be in no hurry to attend another Annapolis show.
So back in more modest digs we are in the final stages of getting Kintala ready to so. She will not draw any attention from the 1%, but with her we live light and mobile on the planet, moving with a community that is unassuming and modest while being self sufficient and competent. I can't help but think if the government responded to this (majority) things might be working better. But that is far beyond this newbie sailor. Our next challenge is to get off the dock and on our way; and that is good enough.
3 comments:
I agree with you on the boat show. The boats get bigger and totally out of reach for us non wall street types. No desire to go anymore unless the tents get more gear and better deals.
I'm impressed with Deb's shopping. Looks like some good stuff.
Tim, don't begrudge the "rich". They bought the planes that you love so much to fly. Someone paid full price for your Kintala. And I'm just relishing in the thought that someone will pay $635k for a boat that I'll pay $60k a few years down the road.
Get going South quickly. You need some warm air and no projects for a few weeks. Sail on D&T!
John, I try to keep politics out of the blog, not always with complete success. I also try not to paint any group with too broad a brush; and again not always with complete success.
I paid 10c on the dollar for a rich guy’s boat; getting it back in shape has almost done us in. I am living on a boat partly from choice, and partly because the last group of rich I worked for decided they could be just that little bit richer if they tossed me out on the street. (This last being the fifth time that has happened in my career.)
Begrudge? Maybe. After nearly three months of endless 12 hour days just trying to survive I am not a fan of the privileged few; or their 90 foot, $43,000 A WEEK catamarans.
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