Date: 29 December 2015. St. Pete boat
show 2015 (part 2)
© janice142
Thursday I
went to the boat show with a fellow who owns a boat docked near my
Seaweed. It is always fun to go with a friend. We discussed new items
and shared perspectives on products seen. Several tempted me however I
resisted for the most part. On Saturday I was better prepared.
As a side
note, the bathroom facilities were clean and air-conditioned. These
were nice even at the end of the day. The ladies room seldom had a
line. It is a little thing however I was impressed.
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Island
Time on her mooring
Fred and Cheryl from the next
island south picked me up for a ride over to the boat show on Saturday morning.
It is a lot more fun to be a passenger especially when traffic
congestion is high. The Christmas parade with streets blocked
off simply added to the hoopla. I did not have to deal with
boat-show parking either. Being a passenger is tiptop! All
thanks to Fred and Cheryl who own a Schucker named Island Time and
brought me with them.
We
ended up with a wonderful parking spot. It was close to the
Media Entrance. That was great for me. The main entrance was
near by. |
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This time I was a bit smarter
than on my initial visit. I had tucked three Cuties into my purse.
Cuties is one brand of seedless sweet oranges. They are easy to
peel. They also are refreshing and quench my thirst. At $3 and more
for a bottle of water at the show I wanted an inexpensive option.
The small oranges served that purpose very well.
Side Note:
Halos is another brand of similar oranges. Basically they are
perfect, sweet, seedless and easy to peel. While in season I always have a
bag on hand. You cannot have too many of the little treats.
On entering
the tent the nicest thing happened. A fellow came up and asked "Are
you Janice?" Marty reads my website. That was so neat. No one else "on
the street" has ever recognized me and I was thrilled. My First, and I do
thank both Marty and his Janice (nice name incidentally) for the
warm greeting.
Meet Janice
and Marty:
Later that afternoon I told my daughter about being
recognized.
Kidlet promptly asked for my autograph!
Proceeding
into the tent I once again visited the
Mantus
Anchors display.
I was interested particularly
in Greg's chain hook for a snubber. Also I wanted a fresh look at his
anchor swivel. The 45 pound Mantus sure would look pretty on the
bottom holding my Seaweed. I simply could not lift it without the
windlass so regretfully left it for the next boater.
Greg owns
Mantus
Anchors and was at the show.
The
metalwork on the Mantus swivel reminded me of a Garhauer. [Sailors know
Garhauer Marine as the Premium company for well-made stainless
hardware.] I've lusted after a pair of their fine triple blocks for
literally years. Yes, Garhauer was at the 2015 St. Pete boat show
too.
Another
owner/inventer at the boat show was Al of
Arid
Bilge.
I find it very helpful to have the guy who invented the product at
hand. The
Arid
Bilge system was fascinating. For those
with yachts it is a product worth investigating.
Later I stopped by a booth selling glues.
Ma-Bri offers an amazing line of glues. These products adhere
anything including StarBoard. That was news to me. I thought the
only way to connect StarBoard was via nuts and bolts. This item is
definitely something I will keep in mind.
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While I was at the
Ma-Bri booth a gent brought by a glass fish with a fin
that had broken off. In less than five minutes the item was
repaired. Best of all the fix was invisible. These glues
certainly did a better and neater job than my old stand-by
Gorilla Glue.
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One fin perfectly attached and strong enough
to support the weight of the fish almost immediately. I could
definitely see the
Ma-Bri glues as a part of
Seaweed ship's stores. |
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After wandering inside for a time I stepped out for some fresh
air. Just outside the first tent I met Rick Rhodes. He's written
cruising guides. His
Cruising Guide to Florida's Big Bend is quite popular
among those planning a trip to the Gulf coast. Found on many Great Looper
boats is
The Ohio River, Voyaging On Today's River - A Boating Guide
also by Rick.
Captain Rick Rhodes at the boat
show.
After chatting with the
Captain I relaxed on a nearby bench overlooking the marina. Sitting
back and enjoying one of my refreshing oranges was just the rest I
needed to rejuvenate myself. After a few minutes I was again ready
to peruse.
The next
stop was
Uniquely Nautical. Owned by Mary and Paul Warren, looking at
their wonderful offerings was great. I liked that the items were quality products. Paul was very kind. The display was done with
quite an artistic touch. It was definitely enticing.
Paul is holding one of his trays, this one featuring
the Virgin Islands.
Like me Paul is a member of
Boat Writers International. The
items displayed were varied and all tempted me. I look forward to doing
bad things to my waterline via
Uniquely Nautical. Thanks Paul! It was fun meeting both you and
Mary.
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Eye Candy
for Ranger Tugs fans |
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There was a new-to-me gem at the boat show that struck my fancy. It
was a
Cutwater and wow. I was given a tour. Their shower curtain
runner certainly tickled my fancy. I would love one just like it for
Seaweed!
This is the bimini shaded cockpit of a Cutwater:
The Cutwater boats look comfortable. All had tuna doors which is a
particular desire of mine. Climbing over the transom simply is not
fun. That will not get any easier as I get older either. Someday...
well, someday I would love to have a nice little opening like you see in
the above picture.
More information can be found at
http://cutwaterboats.com
While wandering the boat show Cheryl (S/V Island Time) sent a text
inviting me to attend Pam Wall's seminar on the Bahamas. What a
treat that was! Pam, her Andy and their kids are sailors and
experienced gunk-holers. They have been around the world and found the
Bahamas just about perfect.
Pam's lecture group grew. Folks kept coming and by near the end the
tent was filled with seats. I liked that she was well-organized and
kept things flowing along. Questions were answered, clarifications
made and avenues explored. She was most Excellent.
Pam Wall
was with West Marine for years and became their Outfitting Manager
for the whole company. She now offers one-on-one consultations for
those desiring this life afloat. Advice from folks who have actually
cruised is superior to any other. It is not just theory when you are
far from port and something breaks. Pam's your girl.
Pam's website is
http://pamwall.com
After the
talk I stayed around to visit with Pam. She was gracious.
It was nice to relax with Pam after the seminar while she waited for
a friend. I feel like I have the start to a boat friendship and look
forward to meeting her along the waterways in 2016. Oh, and Pam: I
am the lady with the Schucker miniature trawler. (waving)
All in all,
the 2015 St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show was great. Boat
shows allow folks to see what is new as well as the tried and true.
I always like going. This time because there was no time schedule it
was even more enjoyable.
I keep my
oranges under the galley sink in a net. It is cooler there and away
from the hull.
In
retrospect the Cuties oranges were a great idea. I could have a
refreshing and healthy treat at will. There were lots of garbage cans
at the show. Finding a place to dispose of the peels was easy.
There was a
good variety of foods at the boat show along with beer if you are so
inclined. I had a sausage and green pepper sausage sub the first
day. Saturday found me eating a soft pretzel and pizza. The chicken
looked good and a soft serve ice cream cone tempted me too. Hotdogs
were everywhere. You will not go hungry at a boat show.
Meeting
Marty and Janice was terrific. Being recognized was spiffy I must
admit. Thanks! Keep an eye out for Seaweed and give a call on VHF
Channel 16 should you see her near you. I am always listening.
Did you attend the St. Petersburg Power & Sailboat Show?
What day or days did you go and what did you buy?
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