BB – Annapolis Boat Show

Overview picture of Annapolis Boat Show 2017

UPDATED 9.20.2020

Two very different boat shows

What a difference a year can make.  Ken Krasko, The Man with the Plan at Atlantic Cruising Yachts, Annapolis, summed up our growth in the past year at the Annapolis Boat Show when he said,

Well, you guys have definitely learned about 1000% more than the last time I saw you, but you still have about 1000% left to go.

and he couldn’t be more right.

Ken is Director of Commissioning and Service.  A heavy title and a big job.  He is in charge of building, or equipping, our boat, so we talk extensively, as the decision making process and the knowledge it takes to manage building a new boat is quite substantial.  You seriously have no idea the magnitude.

Highway Sign to Annapolis, Maryland

We first met Ken at the Annapolis Boat Show 2016, and yes, we were definitely a tad bit green.  We hadn’t been sailing all that long and were still connecting those last bits of basic terms and concepts.

Basically, all we had was a goal.  A plan was forming around this goal… but the project was growing (and growing) around this plan.  So what Ken said really made an impact on us at the time.  It really made us feel like champs!

Our growth had been exponential!  Let’s keep it real though.  He basically said we only grew 50%, ouch.  Although the volume of that 50% has the depth of 1000% bits of information, and we had felt great about that and how far we had come….

we still have 1000% to go.

Thanks Ken! 😛

UUUGGGHHH!

Anyway….

Two very different outlooks

Last year, it was all about the boats and making sure we made the right decision on the boat.  (We still think we got it right, btw, no regrets.)  We walked past nearly every booth.   Partly, we just assumed they were the normal sales junkies peddling their stuff…  just walk by, nod approvingly, and smile…

…but really we just didn’t know how important everything was yet and/or how it applied to us, like to us specifically.  We weren’t making the connection to application.  Wind generators, winches, sails, anchors, hardware, lines, electronics, fabrics, propellers, filter systems, etc, etc, etc… we had none of it.  News flash, we are going to need an anchor.  Daaah!

Needless to say, the Annapolis Boat Show was very different for us this year.  This year was all about the equipment and we weren’t messin’ around.  We stopped at nearly every booth this year, lol.

Yeah, the people are selling their products, but this was different.  Not only were there the brands that sailors know and love like Garmin/Raymarine, North Sails, and Gill, etc., there were also innovators.  Individuals, sailors, who saw a need and are giving it a try.  Sailing stuff companies that have been around for ages, family companies, selling what they have come to know from all these years in the sailing world.

Listen and learn

So we walked up to a booth and asked a question, then sat back and just listened and listened… and listened ;o) to what they had to say.  Even though we are still lacking 1000%, e-heh e-hem, at least we had enough under our belts to ask the appropriate questions.  It was totally great, a bit humbling, and definitely overwhelming but absolutely no complaints.

We gathered so much literature and brochures that it took the entire plane ride home, 6 hours, to just put it all in yes and no piles and make some notes.  It was honestly the fastest trip back ever, didn’t even realize it was time to land, well almost.  We made many contacts and are actually going through with several of them.  By attending the show, not only do we feel we are making well informed decisions, we also saved thousands.

So far we are going with:

So we’ll see what happens and do a post on what else we do and how it all worked out.

Some party pics n’such:

(click on the tabs)

Troublemakers
Photo booth pic at the Jeanneau Party in Annapolis
Party Crash!!
Boatyard
when you see it, our boat card
When you see it…
Band at the Boatyard in Annapolis
Find her! Best band ever – forgot the name – whoop, whoop!
Key West Koozie
Steps on how to make a koozie called Key West Koozie
DIY koozie.  It works.  Try it!
Feeling Exposed
Matt in an all glass shower on a boat
All glass showers in these boats. Whaaa!

Rain Clouds?
Rain clouds in Annapolis boat show
Yep, them are rain clouds.

Psst, Annapolis is a drinkin’ society town

Jean Francois Fountaine Saba 50 in Annapolis, Salina 4
Salina 4, Jean Francois Fountaine’s Saba 50. Looks like we picked the right one!

Don’t get me wrong, life isn’t just about the boat show.  We found time to party our asses off, too.  Every day started and ended with a ‘Painkiller,’ Annapolis’s signature drink made from Pusser’s Rum.

As you probably know, Annapolis is an infamous sailing town with deep historical roots.  It’s also known for its partying.  A known saying is:  Annapolis is a sailing town with a drinking problem.  We were told by the locals the real saying is Annapolis is a drinking town… with a sailing problem.  The locals always know.  Super fun!  Partied!

Every night we had something to do.  We even met the Mayor of La Rochelle, France, and Ex-Owner of Fountaine Pajot, Jean Francois Fountaine at the FP party.  We got our picture taken together but it turned out pretty awful.  OMG.  Annapolis was having record high humidity levels that day and everyone was just dripping wet with sweat.  We all looked like a mess, just terrible.  It’s hilarious how bad actually.  Check it out here.  Why you are there, like our page, stay connected!!

Friends…

We saw sailing friends, Happy Together ~ Randy and Lennie and Tasha ~ Chase the Story/Turf to Surf (websites are down), always a pleasure.  Let me just interrupt a sec and say, it is great to see people out there that you know.  Not just these great people, but all the people we have come to meet and know.  We were all the way across the country at the Annapolis Boat Show and we were already surrounded by friends.  It really makes you feel good.  It’s just exciting to see friendly, familiar faces in the crowd.

I can just imagine how it will feel after sailing for a while and then seeing a friend.  Omg, how appreciative we will be to see them, hahaha.

Anyway, we met Mike and Lauren ~ Un-Spoke-N, super great folks, so nice, totally legit.  Coincidently, we just met a couple the next town over, Stephane and Holly, the week prior and they wound up buying a boat that weekend, a Saona 47, at the boat show!!  How crazy it was to find out we all were heading to the same show, same brokers, from the same town-ish.  Life!  So Cool!

We met so, so, so many other people just starting or planning to.  It’s exciting to think we may see all these people out there somewhere.  Think about it, that means… hey, they made it… and we did too!!  Ahhhh!  Exciting!!!

If you are looking for more real-life adventurers…  Check out the links above.  All of them have fabulous YouTube channels.  They are all doing great stuff and living large!!

A cool-lage from the Annapolis Boat Show in 2016

Ann Boat Show Collage
When we had our camera and took loads of pics and videos.

Click around.  There are fun links and informative links… Let us know what you think.

You know what they say... Sharing is caring! ;o)

Comments

  1. Lennie says:

    Great post Matt and Emily! It was awesome to hang out with you at the show!

    1. Emily says:

      Thanks Lennie! and likewise! Hope you guys are doing great! Cheers (wine glass emoji)!

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