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23' mini-trawler
by Schucker

Janice aboard Seaweed,
living the good life afloat...

Trawler life on a nickel budget is possible.
I'm doing it and you can too.

Janice Marois, nautical journalist.
Accredited member of Boat Writers International.

Thanks to those who chose to make purchases through my Amazon links found at the upper left corner of each page. This costs you nothing and does help fund decadence aboard my Seaweed. Plus, I appreciate it loads!!!

My mailing address is: Post Office Box 8284, Madeira Beach, FL 33738
or
15019 Madeira Way, Box 8284, Madeira Beach, FL  33708

Date: 17 January 2024. 2024 St. Pete Boat Show Weekend.

© janice142
 

The new year has arrived and life is once again looking better for me. This weekend the St. Pete Boat Show is the place to be. I have been attending for several years, starting back in 2008 when a whole bunch of us came down to outfit a 40' sailboat for an around the world adventure. Boat show bargains were found in abundance. As always I am interested in new products coming onto the market. Viewing the boats for sale is quite illuminating too.
 

St. Pete Boat Show dates: Thursday 18 January
2024 through Sunday 21 January 2024.
 

This picture was taken last year. There are a variety of boats and motors for sale. You will see go-fast speed boats for the fishermen and divers, center console boats, cabin cruisers, trawlers, motor yachts and lots of sailboats too.


Goslings, the red building on the left side of this
photo offers adult beverages. It is quite popular.
 

A few years back Bob Bitchin of Cruising Outpost
was hosting pizza parties at Goslings. That was fun!

 

For me one of the best parts besides admiring the great boats and gear are the seminars found on this page:

 https://www.stpeteboatshow.com/en/experience/seminars.html

I am hoping to attend one of the Gadgets
seminars by Bill Cullen of Sail Magazine fame.
 

One year I attended a seminar about cruising the Bahamas by
Pam Wall. She was there a dozen or so years after my folks and I.

 

 

In previous years I have seen some
amazing boats and equipment for sale:

 

Ranger Tugs are beautiful vessels. They
are far bigger inside than many would imagine.
 

This boat had four 425hp outboards.
 

Visiting with Greg of Mantus Anchors is always fun. In switching currents having the Mantus swivel is in my view a good idea. It is a powerful connection and far sturdier than the "normal" swivels sold. Definitely check those out. I also utilize the snubber gizmo.

 

Al invented the
Arid Bilge pump system.
 

Rick Rhodes was offering his cruising guides.
 

The Cutwater 30 is one of the nicest boats I have seen in the sub-35' category. A lot of living can be done aboard one of these vessels.

 


Jody of Cruising Outpost
(formerly Latitudesand Attitudes) is a gem. I like her!

 

Revisiting friends and meeting new people is a natural at a good boat show. I look forward to seeing both old friends and making new ones this year.

 
Relaxing spots are available for when I want to rest for a bit.
 


The final three months of 2023 can best be described as not-so-great. Just 20 minutes after one of the fellows said "be careful or you'll break your phone" I dropped said iPhone7 and shattered the screen. I could not open it again and consequently I lost almost all of my phone numbers.
 


 

Message for SV Grace: I lost your phone number when my phone broke, thus do not have an address to mail your Christmas card and star. Text me please (the real number ending in 8509) so I can actually write your stuff down. And thank you.

P.S. - I am still enjoying the Inverter Friendly Pancake Griddle incidentally. Thank you!

 


S/V Grace

Please don't forget to text me your mailing address.


Then for several months I have been dock-bound...
Seaweed has not left the pier for over three months!!!


When the whole fiasco with the virus occurred I dodged that bullet and was totally healthy. Finally in October of 2023 I managed to get infected. Recovery was quick. Long covid struck however. That had me sleeping 14 hours a day. After this many trips around the sun I have learned to listen to my body. It needed rest so I slept. zzzzzzzzzz.



 

It is good to be back functioning
 again. I believe the rest helped.
 

One of the many things I enjoyed last year was a sausage sub
sold at the boat show by one of the food vendors. It was perfect.

The Italian sausage with grilled onions and green peppers
was totally delicious. I ate the onions and grilled peppers first.
 

The St. Pete Boat Show looks to be great this year too. I will definitely be there on Friday. Say hello if you see me. It is possible I might also attend Saturday or Sunday.
 

Thank you so much for being a part of my world. Thanks too for reading.
 

Comments welcome and encouraged on the 2024 St. Pete Boat Show Weekend page.

Categories: Boats, Characters, Locations,
 

Announcement: Folks who want to be notified when I post are welcome to become subscribers. I email readers every time a new article goes up. That's usually once or twice per week. If you'd like to be included via BCC* simply drop me a line to janice@janice142.com and I'll add you. It's free.

*BCC - Blind Carbon Copy. Basically no one but me will have your email address and the list of subscribers is not available.

Now this is not fancy. Basically I copy off the top three items in my Archive file. That way you can catch up if life gets in the way of your reading fun.

Secret: If you want to know what's what, start in the Archive. It offers you the title, first paragraph and topics (Categories) covered in each article published on my website.

 

 

Something a new reader might not realize: Almost every picture on this website can be clicked. The photo will get larger when clicked. Do that a second time and the picture should be full size. Enjoy...


My Cruising Kitty earns money each time you buy on Amazon through my links found in the upper left corner of every page. This is a tangible way to support me and is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your support, and heck, just for being here. I appreciate that more than you can imagine.

Paypal Tablet link:  *CRUISING KITTY
*for those who wish to donate direct to me via paypal.


Pet of the Week: Patches
on S/V Manatee

Submit your pet's photo.
Please email pictures of your crew!

More canine, feline and feathered crew members can be found on the The First Mate Gallery page.


Archive

The Archive holds a chronological list of every item published on my website. It includes a brief synopsis (not just the title) along with the topics covered in each article.

Click on the title and voila: you're there. Enjoy!




Skipper, First Mate extraordinaire


Of course every boat needs a Deck Swabbie. Mine, born in 2008, is a papillon mix. She weighs in at five pounds.


Coming soon ...


 


Topics of Interest:
You can achieve a simple satisfying life




Oh, a wondrous bird is the pelican!
His bill holds more than his belican.
He can take in his beak enough food for a week.
But I'm darned if I know how the helican.
(Poem by Dixon Lanier Merritt, 1879-1972.)


Aphorisms

For years I've been collecting short pithy statements otherwise known as aphorisms. If you're like me and enjoy the weird, go ahead and CLICK!

These are previously posted at the bottom of each article -- for new, you'll have to come visit again.




Seaweed is in St. Pete right now.
 

The above chart (#411) can be a wish book of sorts as you look over your domain and wonder where to go next. And yes, I do have the originals (sans red arrow) as jpeg's for download should you desire your own for closer perusal. Enjoy!


The Writer's Block

It's my belief that other folks who boat are some of the most interesting in the world. Inside every boater is a story. Let yours out! I'd love to post short stories, vignettes, or even longer articles that focus on some aspect of our life on or near the water. Suggested topics include:

1. I Remember When...
2. My First Boat
3. Who inspired you to be a boater?
4. Fishing Trips or Tricks
5. Or another subject of your choosing

For the novice, here's how to write: Simply pretend you're sending a letter to a friend. Tell about an event or a memory from years ago that you still recall.

Life has changed so much on the water since I was born aboard. Personally I'd love to hear your memories of life when you were younger. Boats were smaller, narrower, and much slower. Kids were kids and our families often shaped the adult we have become. Here are my two aboard the tow boat my dad ran for a time:
 


Your pictures would be wonderful too. I posted one of Boot Key Harbor taken in 2001 that has gotten quite a few downloads and really, that's not so terribly long ago... Do you have any photos to share? Email me.
 


Do you want to help out?
 

Often an article for the website will be completely written yet lack photographs. I like pictures and am looking for some for up-coming pieces:

  • Pets afloat (include pet and boat name please)

  • Any picture of boats underway or at anchor

  • Photos of people enjoying life in or on the water

Size: a minimum of 1000 pixels across please. If that doesn't make sense think bigger versus resized for emailing. I prefer the full-size version. Also, the name you'd like me to use when I add the copyright stuff to your picture. And thanks bunches!

My email address is janice@janice142.com

Thanks for visiting. If you happen to see my boat along the
waterways, give a call on Channel 16. I'm always listening.


click picture to enlarge

My home is not fancy by any means, however you cannot imagine how wonderful it is to come back to her after an expedition on shore.

If I can live this life, why not you too?


Skipper, First Mate
extraordinaire

Aphorism Alert: Begin doing what you want to now. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand, and melting like a snowflake. Marie Beyon Ray.

Contributions to my Cruising Kitty via
 
are always appreciated.

Every gift helps.

The Cruising Kitty is what boaters refer to as spending money. There's never enough aboard Seaweed!
 


I am also an Amazon Affiliate.

 

  
My Buddy, and his girlfriend...

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