Just a few Boat Bucks

The term "Boat Bucks" is commonly used around the sailing life. One boat buck = $1,000. I think it was created by a husband who didn't want to alarm his wife about how much his boat was costing. "Oh, its just a few boat bucks honey".

We spent a few boat bucks at the Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show the other day, but it was on gear we absolutely needed to have. Offshore harnesses/life jackets for the kids (they already have life jackets, but the new ones are to be used for off-shore and attach to a jackline tether), personal EPIRBS with AIS for all of us, foulie gear, etc.

We left home around 7 am in order to arrive in time for the boat show to open and meet our friends. Traffic is always a bit heavy when heading into the San Francisco area. We arrived around 9:45 am and met our friends on the way inside the show. Once inside, it was all business. We explored the exhibitor area and the kids did an amazing job, despite being a little bored waiting around for us to finish up what we needed to do. They patiently tried on harnesses, tested anchors, and were treated to a bunch of candy from the exhibitors. This made the whole process that much easier. =)

After a couple of hours, we ate lunch at Assemble restaurant and then walked over to the marina where all the boats were located. The kids played frisbee along the way and enjoyed reading the historical signage.

 

There was a sailing club demonstrating their little remote sailboats, which was the kids' favorite part of the day. They are convinced we now need to bring one aboard our boat.

After touring a couple of the new Lagoons (mainly so the kids could look at the storage options in their cabins), we headed back to the exhibitor hall to pick up our purchases and head back home. Our friends decided to stay and tour more of the boats, so we said our "see ya laters" and parted ways.





As far as the BIG purchase (our boat)? We have a friend in Croatia right now, who is looking at boats for us, with the guidance of our boat broker. Hoping to hear something soon! =)

Strictly Sail Pacific

Can't believe that a year ago this month, I was writing about our trip to this very same boat show. Except this year, we are making some major purchases! New PFDs, harnesses, and other equipment for the boat.

We are meeting another boat family at the show which will add to the fun. Updated post with pics to come soon!

MUST HAVE Boat Essentials!

Here's my growing list of MUST HAVE sailing gear for living aboard as a family.

1. Turkish Towels are amazing! They are super lightweight, wick moisture away quickly, and dry even faster! They are large enough to wrap around as a light blanket if needed and fold up very small = super storage saver (and on a boat, that means a lot)! The fact that we can use these several times before washing is fantastic and saves this mama loads of laundry in the long run! I even took it a step further and tested these babies on our BVI trip last year. I never needed to use any of the towels the charter company provided. I cant' recommend these towels enough as I just LOVE them! In action in the BVI pic:

2. Biodegradable sunscreen is just a no-brainer. Protect your skin while protecting the environment at the same time. Here is one we used in the BVI:Biodegradable, Reef Safe Sunscreen  

There are quite a few others out there on Amazon.

3. Besides sunscreen, some other items to provide protection from the sun: 

Hats (preferably with a strap incase the wind picks up) These are what the kids have.  

Polarized sunglasses with a floating strap (no more lost sunglasses). I recommend the straps that float. These are the ones we have, but there are lots of other options out there. 

Long-sleeved rash guards are also a good idea. They help keep your skin protected while out in the water, as well as from stings from jellies.

4. Dry bags (waterproof storage): These help keep everything dry whether you are traveling from shore to the boat or just sightseeing in the dingy.

Dry Pack duffle bag

Dry Bag Backpack

Universal Waterproof Case

5. Boat toys:

SUPs: We got three stand-up paddle boards on sale at Costco last year and they are an awesome way to get around! Watch for their end of summer sales. We got ours for about $100 each, marked down from $400! We are bringing these with us, as well as a couple of surf boards (also purchased on sale at Costco).

Swing: We have a swing that can hang from the boom or one of the shrouds. Ours is similar to this one.

Hammock: We like to hang ours from the boom!

Beach Mat: This one is awesome! The sand just falls through to the bottom. We also have the tote that is made from the same material. No more bringing sand back on board!

That is the top of our list for now. We will add more as we go!

Piles, Paint, Patience, and a party!

        My awesome friend, Krista, hosted the sale at her home, as she has a great location in town!

Piles...
Well, we are down to our last two yard sales. This Saturday we are having a gigantic one! Our front room has piles and piles of stuff! If it doesn't sell, the Goodwill truck will come pick it all up at the end of the day. Whew!

We will have our last yard sale in May, when we sell off the beds, table, and all the other stuff we are presently using until we leave.

Paint...
I cant' say we can put down the paint brushes just yet, but we are almost done with painting everything inside and out!

Patience...
It requires a lot at this stage in our lives. We just want to hurry up and go, already! We are waiting on some more stone and sod to be delivered before we can list the house. We are tearing out the old concrete driveway and installing nice pavers and a walkway. Also, a shout-out to our blog followers. We hear you loud and clear; you want updates! We have just been so crazy-busy with prepping the house, working, and just life, that the blog is pushed to the back burner. =)

Jared and I walked along the beach during lunchtime last week. Can't wait to anchor out in water like this soon!

Party...
Oh, and we are going to have one epic party to celebrate all this hard work as soon as everything is completed. Sort of like a "sailing away" party and "buy our house and/or furniture" party rolled into one. Can't wait! If we can sell it without using a realtor, we save on the commission fees and add more to the cruising kitty.