October 1 – 8, 2012
Our time spent in Annapolis was a whirlwind of fun and activity. This was our first year spending time at the Annapolis Boat Show as cruisers. In past years, we had visited the show as future boat buyers, and then as pre-cruising boat owners. This year we were getting to see the show, not only from the cruising perspective, but also as a working participant.
As luck would have it, the same people who knew Wil’s mom (Matt & Mary Elizabeth of Kokoi) also had job connections with the boat show. Matt hooked Wil up with a boat detailing job on boats that would be on display at the show. On most days, Wil worked all day, everyday (except for one day of rain), starting the Monday before the show opened, all the way through the sailboat portion of the show. Every morning before sun up, I would dinghy Wil ashore, and then most days Matt would bring him back to the boat at the end of the day. In preparation for the boat show, Wil detailed six catamarans, as well as several powerboats. Once the show was underway, and every morning before the show gates opened, he would help wash down boats until they were pristine and ready for display.
On shows days, Wil was free from work once the gates opened to the public. As an employee, he had a pass that allowed him to freely come and go from the show. Since we were still having generator issues, he would visit the Westerbeke vendor, get some troubleshooting input, and then return to the boat to give it a try. Eventually, after all these months, the generator is finally fixed! It was just a bad diode. Wil also visited various vendors, gathering research for other things needed onboard.
statue of author Alex Haley reading to children
For the first part of the week, while Wil was working, the kids did their daily schooling. Once the boat show opened to the public, the kids set up shop outside the show gates, selling their jewelry inventory to passerbys. Colin figured out how to stand around the corner with his sign and grab the attention of possible buyers. Justine would stand with the merchandise and make the sales. They made a great team and returned to the boat a little richer.
ready for potential customers
presenting the display of jewelry
As we found our niche on Spa Creek and in Annapolis, it was as though we were at home in a neighborhood. A neighborhood full of kids for that matter! Wil would go to work, the kids would do school, we would have chores or errands, and then we could have play time in the afternoons and evenings. If neighboring cruisers needed a hand, we gave each other a hand. When someone had a birthday, there was a party. By the end of the week, our kids had a total of 7 cruising playmates on the creek! It was a special place to be.
Cruisers we got to spend time with in Annapolis: Anything Goes, Cat, Patronus, Escape Velocity, What If, Kokoi, and Flight Plan. Blog sites for Anything Goes and Patronus both have photos of some of our activities.
