I am sorry that I am so tardy in posting an update. Since we returned with the boat from Nanaimo, we have been busy getting ready for the Seattle Boats Afloat Show on Lake Union and working hard to finish hull 2.
Jan and I took Nor’wester down to Seattle a couple of weeks ago in preparation for the show. The weather was clear, cold and quite windy but the winds were from the North so the trip was smooth and uneventful. On the way down, while sitting in the sun filled, toasty warm pilothouse we chuckled as we remembered why we now love trawlers. We reminisced about the decision to move to trawlers that was made on our trip back from Princess Louisa back in 2001. I still remember how cold and miserable we were.
We had no sooner positioned Nor’wester for the show when both Jan and I started to come down with the flu. The Monday and Tuesday prior to the show’s Thursday opening found me wishing someone would just shoot me. I don’t think I have felt that bad in many years. We managed to survive but as I write this, I still have a lingering cough.
Our slot at the show could not have been better. We were on a corner where people could see the boat from all angles.
The weather this year at the show was horrid. The cold wind blew so hard that the docks started to come apart. The boat show crew was great but they had to constantly monitor the situation so that no boats got damaged or people injured. I think that some days the winds blew more than 30knots. We had rain wind and snow. Below is a picture taken shortly before the show opened one morning.
This was certainly a far cry from La Paz. (take me back…..please)
While attendance was off by over 20% compared to last year, we were very busy. At times we had more than a dozen people aboard to see Nor’wester. I spent most of the show on the boat and I don’t think there was any time during the day that there wasn’t someone aboard. We now have our fingers crossed that the enthusiasm showed by our visitors will turn into boat sales. The economy is not good right now, but our clients don’t seem to be too affected. Ten days is a long boat show and while I do enjoy shows, it was great to get home and unwind.