That’s a wrap! Boat Shows 2021

We came...we worked...we smiled...we shopped!

We worked every single day of the Annapolis Power and Sailboat Shows over the past two weeks, pre-opening to close each day! The Skipper even stayed on an extra day to help with show break-down. How was it? Well, having not worked a paying job together in nearly 20 years we are happy to report that both of us are alive and still speaking to each other! It’s been two years since these shows were held and you could feel the excitement! The booth we worked in this year was a combo of retail safety gear from Fawcett Boat Supplies and boats/motors from their other company, Annapolis Inflatables. It ended up being a great mix for us as we know a few things about dinghies after over a decade aboard and we actually personally use many of the safety items that were being sold! Though the days were usually crazy busy, it was quite fun and we enjoyed working with the FBS/AI team and reps from Highfield Boats, AB Inflatables, ACR, Viking, Gill, Mustang, and Tohatsu. We also managed to see old Navy buddies, college friends, old and new marina friends, cruising pals from our seasons in Bahamas, and cruising/homeschooling moms that I’d only previously “met” online, and we met TONS of new boaters and cruisers that we look forward to sharing an anchorage with in the future! And in addition to our tradition of boat show Painkillers I introduced Frank to pre-show Bloody Mary’s and bagels. He was a fan!

We worked nine full show days...we earned those Painkillers and Bloody Mary's!

YouTube channels and influencers featured more heavily at the boat show this year and while the Skipper still can’t pick any of them out of a crowd except for the two we shared an anchorage and hiking trails with in Maine last year, it was interesting to see the crowds flocking to meet & greets and getting excited about sailing and cruising! Frank even spent a solid 15 minutes talking about RIBs with one popular YouTuber and had no clue who he was (though figured he was “someone” when a guy ran up to him and gushed over him briefly), but I was happy to say hello to Carolyn Shearlock of “The Boat Galley” book fame and thank her for sharing her knowledge over the years. For the most part all the influencers we interacted with around the shows were really nice, genuine, and funny (one super popular one thought they had been left off of our meet & greet schedule poster, but was actually at the wrong booth…we had a good laugh together!), but…like with any group there may be some people you could do without. One influencer approached our team…needed to get photos with the boats at the request of the brand, but “my partner doesn’t want to spring for the ticket to get in.” My manager got the rest of their group into the show (for free), but since I know they cruise on a $1M+ boat I was a little disgusted…tickets are $20 folks. Another (who I didn’t recognize as a YouTuber initially) asked me all about one of our popular products then said, “you want to give me one?” I said, “sure, I can ring you up right over here,” to which he replied, “oh no, that’s not how it works for us.” Um…that’s how it works for your fellow cruisers and pretty sure A-list folks hit up marketing teams and managers for free stuff, not bottom-rung, cruising cashiers. So I’m happy that they inspire others and I love free stuff (who doesn’t), but I can’t get onboard with the begging for/expecting freebies at every turn. Just not my thing. To keep it truthful here we actually did get freebies/swag/lunch from some of the vendors we worked with over the shows…we never asked for it but were offered it in thanks for our work on behalf of their brands—that, IMO, is how it should work and we were humbled by their appreciation.

So…SHOPPING! We actually didn’t have a huge list of “needs” for the boat this year…just some spare parts, cleaning supplies, a little bit of line, etc. But one “want” has been on our list for years and much to our surprise, Fawcett’s had it in stock so we didn’t have to order and ship it! That’s right, we scored a 42” Lewmar Folding Wheel!!!! I can’t wait to enjoy more freedom of movement in the cockpit while we are at anchor. 

Trent was a SUPER shopping helper! And I am in love with the new wheel!

Will we do it again next year? If we are in the country and they need/want us we will! It’s just fun hanging out with so many like-minded folks and getting paid!

~Jo, 1st Mate

Back to work at the Annapolis Boat Shows

After spending the summer at a dock and having all sorts of fun visiting family and friends, we are finally on the move! And the Skipper and 1st Mate are heading back to work for the first time in two years! We are now just south of Annapolis and ready for our job for the next two weeks at the Annapolis Boat Shows. We are working with local retailer Fawcett Boat Supplies in their Boats & Motors booth and are super excited to share great gear with fellow boaters! I mean we get paid to talk about boats, boating, and boat gear, we get to go to the shows every day, and we get a discount on some gear we need for our continued cruising. Winning!

His and hers work uniforms...can't wait to share great gear!

We have settled into a nice slip at Skipper's Pier in Galesville that isn't breaking the bank while we work and as it was a 42nm run from our slip at Pax River the boys were able to move the boat while I took care of some errands and moved the car. It's also close enough to friends from our old home marina in Herring Bay that we can see friends when we aren't working. Hope to head south shortly after the show!

All snugged up at Pirate's Cove!

~ Jo, 1st Mate

At home on the Chesapeake

We’ve been back on the Bay for a few weeks and have had all the excitement of a visit “home.”

We spent the first week on a mooring ball in Annapolis. The weekly rate basically gives you a free day, the showers are pretty good, and the boat-watching can’t be beat! A friend delivered our car to us so we were able to hit the local marine chandlers and head off-boat to visit family for a few days. I even got to spend a day hitting the marine stores with a fellow cruising mom—it was fun!

We ended up spending the next week in and around our old marina, Herrington Harbour South. It was great to see old friends and neighbors, and we even tied up to a dock for a few nights—hello, power and water! The kids got to go to a paintball park with Frank, so they were happy! We knocked out a few boat chores/projects while there including installation of a new nav light, a new shower drain pump guard, and a holding tank vent filter; gave the boat a good bath; cleaned the bilge; re-sealed the teak seats; blew out the air conditioning lines with fresh water; deep-cleaned the composting head and refit it for a larger liquids tank; and applied fabric guard to all of the canvas. We almost thought we were going to have a big project on our hands—the charger/inverter wasn’t working when we got back to the boat last night, but after reading up on it the Captain got it reset and working!

Work

Play

I really highly recommend Herrington Harbour South for transiting cruisers. The facilities are immaculate, the staff is wonderful, and the adjacent restaurant and market are really good!

More work, some play in Annapolis

While we were still in Herring Bay we knocked out one more project—move the jerry can storage. We had cans port and starboard back aft by the cockpit. While it was convenient to have the fuel near where we would use it, I got sick of trying to wedge my foot between the cans and the cabin top and they didn’t make for the nicest view either. We also had too much weight back aft and on the port side. Moving the boards forward and putting most of the cans on the starboard side would help. While this was in no way a “must do” project, I’m thrilled with the result. While we now have boards forward on both sides, all of our cans fit on the starboard board so we are going to try them out there. It’s where we need the weight and it keeps them clear of the genoa.

So much tidier on deck now!

With a part for the engine on its way to Annapolis, we headed there, too! We picked up a mooring ball right off of Bert Jabin’s Yacht Yard for a few nights and enjoyed gawking at the yard operation, making a small dinghy repair, walking to marine and grocery stores, and paddle boarding on Back Creek. When the part came in, a quick dinghy ride saw it delivered and install of the new engine coolant lines began immediately. While wrapping up that project we were surprised with a visit from the crew of S/V Traveler whom we had met in George Town, Exuma! It was great to see them again and was yet another reminder of how small the ocean and cruising community can be.

Hot work, but the fuel line has been repaired!

I told them it was a STAND UP paddle board!

Mid-project. It went back together! (Whew!)

With all the work done we decided to shift to the main Annapolis mooring field for one last night so we could relax, walk around town, and get ice cream and Painkillers. Pro tip: you can get a half gallon of Painkillers to-go from Pusser’s for $40! It was a great way to officially wrap up this work period!

NYE 2014

It's really become quite the tradition for our family--freeze your booty off to get the best view of NYE fireworks on the Bay!  This year did not disappoint!  I love the peace of being on the water, darn near alone.  This year we mixed it up a little, joining our dock neighbor on Compromise for dinner and the first round of fireworks.  And once again, the show was awesome!  I am definitely going to miss this next year.

Happy New Year!

We mixed it up a little this year by asking our friends Beth and David and their family to join us for our sail up to Annapolis for New Year's Eve.  Our dock neighbors on Nirvana also headed up on their boat.  We had a brisk sail up, and the chop got to one of the littlest passengers, but all in all it was a beautiful, cold day on the bay!

It was bitterly cold with the wind, but we still headed in to town for snacks, face painting, music, and a little time at the park.  But dang, it was cold!

Why do I love Annapolis so much for NYE?  Kid-friendly schedules!  The first round of fireworks went off at 7:30 and they were great!  All the kiddos got to enjoy them before getting to bed at a reasonable hour.

Somehow all four kids slept in one bed. Somehow we got back today in very choppy seas without anyone actually getting sick!  I had so much fun (did I mention it was cold?)!  I loved the craziness of having four adults and four kids under the age of 7 on a 39' boat!  I loved being one of only two boats in the entire mooring field.  I loved having all our Christmas lights glowing while we were hanging out in the harbor.  I loved having the hydronic heater humming away all night. I loved sharing one of our little family traditions with our very brave friends.  :)

Happy New Year, everyone.  Can't wait to see what 2014 brings!

Annapolis...adult style!

The kids are in Illinois right now and while we miss them terribly, we decided to take the opportunity to do some things we just don't/can't do while they are here.

We left the dock just before 6pm Friday night for a beautiful evening of sailing.  Perfect breeze, comfy temps, and a gorgeous sunset.  There was no vacancy in the mooring field so we just dropped the hook off USNA.  

Saturday morning we were about to drop the dinghy to head into town when a quick scan with the binos revealed an open mooring ball.  With a possibility of storms that night, we swooped in to claim it.  And then began a lazy day in Annapolis!  We started our gastronomic tour at Sofi's Crepes--yum!  A quick stop at Shades on the Bay, with some fabulous customer service, and the Captain was outfitted with new shades!  We lazily walked the lesser known streets away from the crowds.  I scored a few new hats at Hats in the Belfry before we took a long dinghy cruise up Spa Creek.  Aaahhhhh...  Back in town I got dumped on by a bird!  Oh well!  Joss Sushi Cafe provided a perfect, light lunch before we spent the afternoon reading, sunning, and swimming back at the boat.  

For dinner we got all dressed up and headed to Harry Browne's for dinner.  We found it via Groupon (and got $50 off dinner!) and it was awesome.  We had so much food--spinach Gorgonzola ravioli, grilled watermelon and feta salad, fried green tomato caprese, lamb, scallops and shrimp, wines, and lemon cake--and it was all really good!  The service was great, too.  We were so stuffed that all we could manage after dinner was a little dinghy ride.  Such a perfect night!  

 

The start of a fabulous 4th

We kicked off our Independence Day celebration on the 3rd, goofing off at the beach, grilling with the neighbors, and taking in the spectacular HHS fireworks from the upper deck of Renaissance Lady.

A nice sail up the bay put us in Annapolis for their show on the 4th.  One word--crowded!  I always love hanging out in a busy anchorage in 15kt breezes with folks who have never used their tiny anchor and nylon rode outside of a protected cove!  The highlights...not-so-discreetly pulling out the fenders as a small runabout tried to anchor on our starboard side, saying in a rather conversational tone "excuse me, but I think you're dragging" to two guys in the cockpit of a sailboat mere feet from our bow, and the winner--the guy with a petite wife and two kids in a Grady White, who dropped the anchor with his good arm that wasn't in a sling and then assured us he would keep an eye on our rode ~5' from his prop, which he kept engaging since he was dragging.  Despite all that "fun" the show was great!    

Spring has sprung!

The forecast for this weekend called for temps in the upper 50's. Not much wind, but after 2 months at the pier it was time to get underway! We had a few cobwebs to shake off, but after a quick water fill it was an easy evolution. What better place to start the season than Annapolis?!?! Dinghy rides, the park, yummy crepes...

Christmas Eve Eve

Well we started the day at the Chesapeake Beach Resort for an awesome breakfast with Santa before getting underway on a cold, crisp day to head to Annapolis. Frank's mom is with us for a few days and had never been there. We had a nice walk around and the kids got to play tag and run around their favorite park. It's a cold night, right around freezing, but it's toasty on the boat! After a few errands in town tomorrow we'll head to a quiet anchorage to start tracking Santa!

Shelter in Annapolis

Frank did some great sailing in somewhat shifty winds to get us to Annapolis in 3 hrs and 15 mins--pretty sweet considering we gybed our way up the bay! We made it with a few hours to spare before the weather was due to go south so we picked up a mooring (thankfully there were plenty available!) and headed into town for lunch, shopping, playing, and ice cream. I took a quick dip in the water when we got back and then we sat and watched the front roll in. It was pretty intense for about 15 minutes--lots of rain and gusts that hit 36kts. We spent the rainy evening inside, watching movies and playing cards. Now it is a beautiful night! Looking forward to a nice sail home tomorrow.