January 1 - 16 -- New York Boat Show and One Work Day

This was a really crappy boat show, for sailors -- not even one sailing dinghy! It was purely a power boat show and even the large vendors of electronics and other chandlery supplies had given this show a pass. But the Club manned a booth. Like most clubs, we need new members and use the show to strike up conversations, invite the prospects to an open house and permit the Club, with it's great location, it's facilities and its friendly members to sell itself. Last winter I was in Florida  and not able to help. So I volunteered for a double shift - noon to nine. I used New York City's newest, one month old, extension of the number 7 line from Grand Central Station to get to a new station, a block from the Javits Convention Center -- at Eleventh Avenue and 34th Street. The show was not in the large southern pavilion of the Center as in the past, but in its central pavilion.

Peter, our Rear Commodore, who has a ton of leadership ability and energy, worked with me the first half, replaced by Phillip, our Race Chairman and Jill at around 4:30.  In these shows we always have more than one person at our booth so everyone an get relief periods to eat and explore the show a bit. PC Art was working on the other side of the hall, selling power yachts, but came over to say hello, and Bill, our Board Member responsible for the Restaurant and Bar, helped for a while too.

                                Bill, me, Jill and Phillip at the booth.
And while there was a long line of folks waiting to be let in at noon, the crowd had thinned so I was released at 8 p.m.

One of the only two things I did for ILENE at the show was to figure out how to send our EPIRB out for a battery replacement, after five years in readiness - which I call use. This being the toy that alerts the Coast Guard to come rescue us, we are fortunate not to have actually "used" it. And it's the kind of thing you want to have a nice strong battery, in case. I have to send it off in time to get it back before we leave for Nova Scotia in June. The other thing was to contract for the installation of a faux teak deck to be measured, cut and installed on the swim platform. This area is quite small and rather ratty looking and I figured out how to install it by removing the folding retractable swim ladder and reinstalling it atop the new decking.

The reasons for only one day of boat work during this period were first that my back had gone out a bit and second that winter has indeed finally arrived in New York. But the one warm day I worked with mechanic Ed, for six hours. That's twelve man hours. The results: both it ILENE's two large "primary" winches were disassembled, all parts had all old grease scraped off and then scrubbed with a toothbrush in a bucket with paint thinner to get what couldn't be scraped. Once clean, the parts were dried, regreased and reassembled. The book says this should be done annually! After 17 years, the last five with heavy use, these workhorses were overdue for the TLC they got. The other two winches that I'm going to do are those on the coach roof. (I don't think I have to do the fifth winch, the one on the mast, because it gets so very little use.) The next two are smaller and with the benefit of our learning curve, should not take as long.  Having learned a lot from watching Ed, I'm thinking of trying to do these myself, taking off the parts and cleaning them in an indoor location. Then will come the steering and some electrical work, with Ed.
And here is a picture of ILENE's mate, just cause I like looking at her.

An Invitation From Halifax

The following intriguing comment was posted in response to the most recent posting on this blog:

    "Hi. I am a long time reader of your blog and enjoy it very much.
      I see you are planning to visit Nova Scotia this year and would
      like to invite you to visit Armdale YC in Halifax NS. Anonymous"

Well:
Ahoy Dear Mr. or Ms. Anonymous,
          First, I am grateful for your readership and your praise. I am always interested in how people discover my blog and what they like about it -- and dislike.
          Lene and I are pleased to accept your invitation. (The kitties have no say in the matter.) I looked at the Armdale's website and it looks like a very nice club.
We would like to meet you, because the best part of such an invitation would be the opportunity to speak with real Canadians, especially ones who sail.
           I'm trying to figure out how we can get in communications beforehand without one or the other of us posting his or phone number or email in the blog. Here is my plan: I could send an email to someone on the Committee of Management of your Club, who you would designate by his title.I would send my information to this individual at his or her club email address, not personal email address. You would alert that officials to expect such and ask him to forward it to you. Sound like a plan? Or you could send your info to secretary@hyc.org asking her to forward it to Roger.
         Our current plans would get us to Halifax sometime in July and I will have a better fix on the date as it gets closer.
         We visited your city for a day from a big 2000 passenger cruise line (it was simultaneous with the destruction of New Orleans by hurricane) and saw the maritime museum and the big fort atop the hill. We learned of the history of your city and the aid it gave to survivors of the Titanic and the explosion. This was before I had started the blog.
Best wishes,
Roger