What I learned at the Annapolis Boat Show

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by JulieMor

Another one:
17. Electric winches, while really awesome, just seem wrong! Are you really sailing when you just have to push a button to trim the sails?

Personally I think if you are using winches you aren't really sailing. What ever happened to using block and tackle to trim sails.

On the other hand we just added an electric halyard winch. It makes day sailing a breeze. Much less work, so I don't mind going sailing for shorter periods of time... Anything that means I get to have more time on the water is a good thing in my world.

[SchockT]

I don't get it! Electric halyard winch? Seems like a waste of money to me! Hoisting sail is far easier than grinding in a genoa, and you only have to do it once! The only thing I ever use the halyard winch for is tensioning!

I guess it might be different on a 50 footer, but if you are under 40' and you need a winch to hoist your mainsail, you've got some friction to deal with!

[SchockT]

Originally Posted by Marcel D

Julie we went to a boat show just last year and came home with a nice new Beneteau 34. We were not planing to buy a new boat but it happened. Quite happy with our purchase as we were on a Beneteau First 285, a little cramped with me and my wife and a 3 and 5 year old on her. This was a great year for cruising we had heat off the dock refrigeration and an anchor windlass. Not to mention all of that extra room, we played board games with the kids, hosted dinner parties and the rest. Buying a new boat is an exiciting time enjoy it.

Yes boat shows would definitely be more fun if I had a wad of cash to spend on a new boat! As it is, I just get depressed looking at all the beautiful boats that I can't have!

[PalmettoSailor]

Originally Posted by SchockT

Yes boat shows would definitely be more fun if I had a wad of cash to spend on a new boat! As it is, I just get depressed looking at all the beautiful boats that I can't have!

I decided the boat show would only depress me since we currently don't have cash to spare for so much as a boathook.

We stayed home and worked on some projects around the house. I'm now almost done with our spring home maintenance checklist.

What? -- Spring is long gone? Well, I guess home chores tend to get deferred when you have a sailboat. Rather than look at how far behind I am, I choose to just look at it as being ahead of the game for next spring.

[JulieMor]

When we went out on the Hylas and the crew trimmed the genny by pushing a button, it was really weird to me. All those years I spent cranking winches by hand, all those calories burned, and all you have to do today is push a button? But I instantly knew that I'd never complain if I had that on my boat.

Back in my racing days, a rather inexperienced crew member wanted to take the helm and then proceeded to tack about every 100 yards. Finally I had to tell him to stop, so exhausted from cranking the winches I could barely catch my breath. I thought about that when I saw the crew first push that button. I think I could get used to that.

Back home, I'm finding a renewed enthusiasm to fulfill my dream of buying a boat. But I can't get back in the groove here to get my house ready for putting it on the market. My body may be back home but my heart and mind are still on the water.

[misfits]

Originally Posted by JulieMor

I forgot:

16. Electronic navigation is wonderful but I wonder how many sailors know paper chart navigation or how to use a sextant? To me, the latter is like having a hand pump in the bilge.

That is a very good observation. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

[rockDAWG]

Originally Posted by JulieMor

Back in my racing days, a rather inexperienced crew member wanted to take the helm and then proceeded to tack about every 100 yards. Finally I had to tell him to stop, so exhausted from cranking the winches I could barely catch my breath. I thought about that when I saw the crew first push that button. I think I could get used to that.

Haha, I can relate that.

Once in the middle of the Ocean a few hundred NM from land in the middle of the night under the moon lit sky, the captain called for tack. We ended up tacking every 10 mins. After the fifth time, I asked what we were doing. He said he tried to avoid the passing shower. It made the matter worse, a few times the jib got caught on the staysail that I had to get out there to fix it. .

May be that is why sailing solo is the best. There is "Nobody to blame except yourself and whatever happens in the boat stays in the boat.... Shhhhh
hahahah

[boz86]

Originally Posted by JulieMor

2. If you are shopping for a boat, pay the little extra and go on VIP day on Thursday. The Friday crowds seemed about double what they were on Thursday and we got to see practically every boat we wanted to see.

Saturday's crowds were worse than Friday's.

I noticed new boats looked nice, but we like having not having a boat payment. OTOH, it's either money or labor, all about choices :-)

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by JulieMor

16. Electronic navigation is wonderful but I wonder how many sailors know paper chart navigation or how to use a sextant? To me, the latter is like having a hand pump in the bilge.

I don't find using paper charts really any different than a plotter, just far less convenient.

As to sextants, I used to think that way - it would be crazy to go offshore without one - but two things changed my mind. First was the Pardey's writing about their 45 day trip from Japan to Victoria, B.C. They only got two questionable sights through overcast the whole way. The second was a friend who sailed from here to S.F. - they NEVER got a sight. They had to dead reckon the whole trip, including when the owner didn't bother to keep a log on his shifts.

Both of them hit their goals pretty well dead on. My friend said he'd go with a good plotter and backup handhelds and I think he has a point.

[Serendipitous]

I concur with number 4!! I also agree that Saturday was more crowded than Friday. And it also had a lot more children.