I went to Strictly Sail West a couple weeks ago. Lots of candy and lots of expensive plastic. It seems there is no limit to what a person can spend if he has the bankroll or the desire to do it.
But, there were two really nice highlights for me there.
I went to a seminar given by the owner of MAS epoxy products. The guy was very informative about fiberglass construction and repair. He wasn't there to sell his product, but in the course of describing some of the problems encountered in fiberglass and epoxy construction, it was necessary to talk about strength and some of the things to consider when making repairs. I will definitely be using his products in the future, not only because he was so informative, but because in describing epoxy products it became obvious that he has overcome many of the problems with his product.
The other encounter that made my trip worthwhile was a visit with Lin and Larry Pardey, and a tour of their boat, Taliesin. In the midst of all that expensive gear and all the expensive fiberglass production boats, it was refreshing to find a modest and beautiful boat that does it all. The only word I could come up with was 'economy'. No waste there. They have one battery aboard. The charging system is a flexible solar panel that Lin says they just move around on deck to catch the rays. What they run with that is a satellite radio and a couple reading lights. (I'm using electrical as an example of the many things aboard that are done with 'economy')
In short, it was inspiring to see what can be done on a modest boat with a modest budget and some imagination. Like most of the stuff I see on this forum.
Everything on board is well thought out and executed.
Thats all
Strictly Sail West
Strictly Sail West
Dave