The winter of some content

Ready, aye, ready. Yes, only 5.5 hours on the meter. It is a sailboat, after all.

 A brief update to prove I haven't been lost in a blizzard or in a salesman's spiel at the almost miserable Toronto International Boat Show. Almost because I attended some interesting lectures conducted by the Shards, Andy Schell and Mia Karlsson, and Lee Chesneau, the 500 mb Guy. I didn't bother to even board the scanty collection of production boats available to see and complain about this year. Usually, I'm up for that, but as I've been watching the build of Robert Perry's latest carbon fibre classic done (in my opinion) correctly on Facebook, I really don't have the time for what an accountant considers fit for purpose and/or seaworthy beyond a sheltered dock.

I did speak to tank fabricators, electronics sellers,  and guys who could make me a companionway door to my design for $2,000-$3,000. So I think I'll try it myself for about a tenth of that. McMaster-Carr, here I come. They also make the nylon bushings I want to reattach my pilothouse roof without dissimilar metal contact. I've also decided on batteries. My goodness, I think I've sussed why I haven't posted much...too busy!

A welcome sight in winter's icy clutches: a fully charged starter battery

Anyway, after yet more excitable, if fruitless, boat showings, I've listed Valiente with a broker. Expect a higher priced listing to emerge shortly, as I've completed the requested paperwork. Is it possible to be distressed emotionally and bored at the same time? So it has proven in this wretched process of selling a beloved first boat.

I've had to take a series of measurements (and I just learned I forgot to take "internal round sail track diameter"....argh...) for the Tides Marine sailtrack project. No pictures; it was too cold and fiddly trying to measure things on a mast rack, but I'm nearly there. The gear will be trans-shipped to Triton Sails in the hopes I can hoist a new, ocean-grade main right after launch.

It turns out that when contemplating Canada's current currency woes, the best thing I could have done in the past was to bank a small pile of U.S. dollars when the Canadian dollar was last worth more. That U.S. dollar Visa will shortly get a workout. Most things to do with boats cost a lot, but a 30% depreciation would sting overmuch. More to come shortly.