Day 271 Back to the show

We went back to the Seattle Boat show again yesterday.  There were several presentations we wanted to attend.  Information of downwind sailing, sailing to Tahiti from Mexico and the Baja Ha Ha(a group of people that sail from San Diego to Cabo St. Lucas in the fall), plus others.  We had hoped to attend one by the Canadian State Parks but it was cancelled after they had budget cutbacks--a sign of the times unfortunately.  

We have just a few more things that we may need before we set out later this Spring.  One of the last is self steering equipment that will do exactly what it says it will do.  As you sail across the ocean, it maintains a course for you so you don't have to be at the wheel all the time.  Many cruisers use them as basically an extra crew member.  There are electric autopilots(already have one)that use your precious amps(great for when the engine is running), and ones that hang off the stern of the boat that connect to your steering system.  The ones that hang off the sterns many times use lines strung across your deck to the wheel or tiller.  Hydrovane does not.  It has its own rudder that steers the boat.  One of its biggest pluses is that it doesn't need to be mounted at the center of the stern(where our ladder is).  There is no power involved and it will run for as long as you have it engaged.  It's not a cheap thing but for most cruisers, it is a necessity.  I expect we will bite the bullet on Thursday and get one on order.  It takes a few months to be made(very popular) so we would have it by about the time we are ready to leave.  I expect we will have to have Zephyr pulled again so I can get it installed.  It would give us one last time to check everything on the bottom.

We took the Bainbridge Island Ferry yesterday to see if it was any faster getting to Seattle.  Not really as it's a 40 minute drive and then a 35 minute sail.  The Bremerton is only about a 20 minute drive and a 60 minute sail.  Not a big trade off.  We just use less gas getting to the Bremerton Ferry.  We missed the ferry by two minutes and had to wait for the next--65 minutes later.  No big deal.

This time we took the bus to the show--it's chilly out there.  We did walk back to the ferry at the end of the day--missed the bus.  We needed the exercise.

Lots of people in attendance.  The talk on the Baja Ha Ha was packed with people standing all around the sides of the room.  This is the talk on how to sail from San Diego to Cabo St. Lucas.  A very popular get together in the fall.  You shouldn't sail to Mexico before the first of November as hurricanes are still blowing up down there and that is one of the last things you want to run into when you're out there.

We were home just after 9 with rain and snow going on around us.  Luckily, it decided to stop.  I really don't want to have to shovel snow off our decks.

Today, read all the literature and work on IRS forms that have to still go out.  We didn't own the business long this year, but there are still things that have to be sent out.  I don't want to upset the IRS.

Have a great day and stay warm.