Earthed, wind and fire

Close, but not quite. Annoying, this.

This is a replacement solar panel for the one that fell off the boat a couple of winters ago. It's from the same maker, Kyocera, and it is the same form factor as the other three, but the flange to which the "rivnuts" (or "swage nuts", the terminology seems inexact) are mounted is about one-half inch more narrow than the older panels. The panel is otherwise identical, save that it delivers at peak output five more watts. Of course, the custom-built solar arch has hard-to-drill 1/8" stainless steel mounting tabs welded to the pipes, so I have been presented with a dilemma.

The old bits of tape were used to indicate where the two backstays transit through the arch.

Luckily, the man who is doing other fabrication jobs aboard, was aboard, and suggested we secure the outboard side with rivnuts as planned, and simply make up an aluminum 1/4" thick "tab on a tab" throughbolted to the existing stainless, and then rivnutted (that doesn't look right) from aluminum tab to aluminum frame. Pretty sure I can handle that job, and the galvanic isolation it probably wants doing.

There can be many versions, and I left a phone message today with a couple of further refinement suggestions.

Andrew was visiting the boat for an "as social as possible under the circumstances" reason, as well as further discussion on the fabrication of a pole for the Air-X wind generator I am finally installing to complete our renewable energy scheme, at least from the "watt creating" side.

You don't have to put out the red light...

Speaking of wind, I installed a Caframo "Maestro" 12 VDC fan in the galley. This involved drilling, wire-stripping, crimping, heat-shrinking and circuit-chasing, this time in the galley's DC subpanel. The fan has a bright white LED and a dim, red one, good for evenings, and its speed is controlled by a simple rheostat that clicks off.

I put in a little rocker switch, seen to the left of the pair of wires. The mounting plate of the propane sensor with necessary 3/4" hole for the mass of its leads is below.

Unfortunately, the rheostat appears cacked...it worked on the test run, in which I provisionally wire together the circuit to check for flaws before I dog down everything and drill multiple holes, and the light switch works fine, but it's "always on full" when attached to the terminal strips. I mean, I could turn it off, along with all the cabin lights forward, from the main DC panel, but that's just awkward. So I put in a little rocker switch from A1 Electronics on North Queen (25 cents, probably) and it works fine now. Still full on, but now with added off.

Yes, it works. I have a propane torch nearby for test purposes.

Mounting the new propane sniffer/alarm was a touch more involved as it required a hole through the cabinet (and cutting down some trim pieces and a hole through the bottom of the cabinet so that the sensor lead could go down to the front of the stove near foot level, where propane is likely to "flow" if we had a leak of it. Those wires will be cleaned up and mounted neatly later.

It's becoming a busy time. Eight days until it's home again.

Cloth and copper

Lee cloths on sail. Also seen is the small but intense future forepeak vacuum.

Part of the preparation to move back aboard is in the attempt to make living aboard in actual sea conditions safer. That's why Mrs. Alchemy is sewing up lee cloths for our respective bunks. There's nothing dramatically difficult about this: you cut them, hem them and put in grommets for the light line to secure them overhead. They keep sleepers from rolling out of their berths in a seaway when the boat might heel enough to impart motion.

This was donated from the Genco Marine loft. A small boat owner never picked it up years ago and it was sitting in a bag, unloved and unused. Well, now it will (after the plague recedes) get to go on a nice trip snuggling sailors.

Mordor on the Lake.

The dark and stormy nature of the day didn't deter me, although snow down the forepeak hatch was a little chilly. I completed (for now) the paralleling of the two Group 27 batteries dedicated for the windlass on deck. They are now charging as one bigger battery, and it will therefore be easier to keep them healthier longer.

Wire of this gauge (2 ga.) is more than is strictly necessary for battery interconnects, but I have a fair bit of it and the rest of the forepeak windlass and battery bank setup is comprised of it. I can't abide line loss, I guess.

As previously discussed, paralleling similar batteries is pretty straightforward: link pos to pos and neg to neg with same-sized "patch cords", and then put the charging wires on the positive of one battery and the negative of the other.  Both batteries are pretty new and should charge similarly over time and taking care to keep the electrolyte monitored.

Not marine-grade, but a nice addition to the forepeak in that if I ever have a problem with inverting the main bank, I can run a power tool forward if I wish.

My late sister did not know much about sailing or the gear involved, but she did give us some thoughtful presents over the years, and I've finally installed this one. It's a 2000W inverter meant to allow a car (presumably with its engine running) to supply inverted AC power to, say, a small, intense vacuum cleaner or other tool or string of LED lights when a regular outlet is not available. I'm under no illusions that this is marine-grade gear; for one, it's a modified sine wave inverter and probably not super-efficient, like, for instance, our Victron inverter for the main bank. But it's comparatively sheltered and can use the windlass bank in a pinch to do quick jobs when we're on the hook and I don't care to fire up one of the Hondas. Besides, with three AC outlets and a USB slot, it's "nice to have".

The great cover-up

The heaviest snowfall to date (January 11, 2020) was two months ago. We've had nothing like it since.

The last post described the decision to stay in the water over this winter here in Toronto to get a jump, if a cold one, on next season's sailing, which we hope will see us get to Nova Scotia for a bottom-paint job and a redo of our mast's standing rigging. In the meantime, however, there's a number of jobs aboard to complete before we toddle off down the St. Lawrence River, and our insurance firm informed us that "in-water storage required a boat cover, tarp or enclosure."

The reason for this is (reportedly) to avoid ice and snow buildup on deck that could a) melt, flood and freeze the interior, causing damage and b) cause the boat to become top-heavy and unstable. Presumably, c) would involve slipping off an icy deck and smashing through the ice, but who knows? We were obliged to extend the policy.

Good news: the pilothouse roof hatch gasketing doesn't leak!

As discussed previously, while I had had a frame and a waxed canvas cover for Valiente, our now-sold 33-footer, I had not worked with shrinkwrap and fellow steel boat owners,  along with the practised liveaboard community at Marina Quay West, were generous with their advice. I was able to exchange, in the time-hallowed manner, six-packs of Moosehead for a propane-burning torch that was both dangerous and useful. 

Mrs. Alchemy on the job clearing the sidedecks.

But first we had to build the thing. The need for it was obvious: November 12 is pretty early here for a big snowfall, so getting the frame together became a matter of some urgency. We took measurements, passed them to our friends on a bigger boat for vetting, and my father-in-law kindly drove me to a Home Depot to acquire the necessary lumber, PVC bits and screws, tape, etc. The tab was about $500.

Hole saws get a lot of use on a boat with upgraded plumbing and wiring.

The general idea was to cut PVC pipe hoops over much of the deck (about 30 feet out of 40 total, or from the windlass forward to the end of the boom aft). These would be seated in wooden "feet" consisting of a block of wood screwed to a second block in which a hole matching the diameter of the PVC pipe. Said pipe would be stuffed in the hole and cable-tied to the pipe stanchions welded to the deck. The block would stabilize the pipe and keep it from damaging the paint.

Early stages, before the suppprting frame for the door was put in.

 Once lashed to the stanchions port and starboard, the PVC pipe could be bent to fit into a coupler piece at the center, forming an arc or hoop. The forward and aftmost hoops had a T-fitting coupler in order to run a straight pipe as a ridgepole, which itself was lashed to the mast.

The doorframe and its supports, screwed to a sort of collar

The ridgepole was cable-tied and "anti-chafed" with bubble wrap and tape so that the plastic sheet cover would fit smoothly.

Layer 1 of the "tarp battens".

The next job was (on a calm day) circling the boat in a tender to screw on just above the gunwales (the "toerail" where the deck meets the hull) a series of 1 x 2 inch little lengths of planking to which the plastic cover would be stapled. This took two runs to achieve as a second length of batten was screwed over the first, making a secure "sandwich"; staples alone would soon see the plastic fret and tear free.

Before...

..and after.

The job took about three afternoons to complete. The idea was to get a moderately snug fit over the hoops and framing and then to "shrink" the plastic to a more aerodynamic tautness. Had we proposed to live aboard, I would have done a better job, particularly as I was coming up with improvements to the process while I was doing it. But really, this is slightly half-arsed as I'm just appeasing my insurer and avoiding shovelling. I've never covered Alchemy on the cradle, and she's had a metre of snow on her decks at times with no ill effects.

Oh, dear...

Alas, two 45-knot gales in the same week "sprung" a couple of hoops and poked holes (or widened the necessary ones, as in the gaps for the stays and shrouds) and repairs had to be made.

The hoop ends could've poked bigger holes, but didn't, which was nice.

I drilled holes in the couplings at the apex of the hoop "arches" and used small screws on the underside to better keep them in places. The rest was mostly "the red tape of shame", as Rob Lamb, who came up with this methodology of covering, calls it. I can live with shame.

People living aboard tend to go to greater lengths than we did.

The young couple living aboard in front of us did a more elaborate job of tarping their unusual 50-foot steel powerboat, which actually acts as a partial windbreak to ours, and we are rarely the smaller vessel. Also seen in this shot is the 100 foot 5/8" "lock and tidal" line, one of four, we now carry, going forward to a dock opposite from our starboard bow bollard.

The agitator at rest is hung from a convenient spot. The left side is tied to the stern and both lines have anti-chafe.

Another factor to consider when overwintering in-water in Toronto is that the lake may freeze around the boat, possibly to the point of damaging it. While this is less a problem for a steel boat such as ours is, we still have a transom-hung rudder and a hydraulic ram off the stern that could be damaged by ice pans, so the solution is to suspend an "ice-eater", a small electric motor turning a plastic propellor, beneath the boat.

Whee!

The draw of these agitators is about seven amps continuous, but with a capacitor-mediated surge at start-up. I'm drawing 30 amps (24 amps of which are "useful", according to the marina), meaning that I can still keep my battery bank charging all winter and a couple of lights on when needed.

Those large fenders would actually save the rudder were the dock lines to part.

I took some time to tweak the positioning of the agitator to direct the above-zero water from the depths (which is how the ice is kept away from the hull) both at the stern and down the starboard chine of the hull. There's a single protrusion there amidships for the FLS tranducer, and while it would be a very ambitious chunk of ice to get that far down, I might as well keep the area ice-free. To date, there's been little more than a "skin" of ice in the marina basin, however, and there's not the immediate sense of a week-long deep freeze in the next week or so, so all this prep has not been tested as of yet. The marina insisted on me having one of these, strangely, and not the insurance company.

Barely visible in the above shot (and please ignore the rubbish in the winterized sinks) is the vast, empty expanse of the galley bulkhead. We lack proper storage space for dishes, a means to dry them underway and a place to put a small microwave. So I designed something...

My father-in-law, Dave McMurray, worked building boats in the 1980s and has maintained some friendships from that time. He suggested a man named Fred Blair, who is building us this design in marine ply with a formica-like veneer. Fred came down to the boat and asked a lot of questions, as did we. We are expecting results better than I can do, meaning I can assemble strong, but fall short on pretty. We've taken down the slats covering the steel behind this side in the pilothouse and will mount it on four M10 bolts and load-spreading fender washers. I will likely bolt on a handhold on the companionway stair side to increase stability in motion.

Behold, the new bar.

Creating this galley stowage cabinet will allow several good things to happen: 1) the dishes will be stowed where they can dry, but not easily move; 2) less accessible lockers currently holding small pans can migrate closer to the centerline; 3) much of the cabinet over the stove can be liberated from loose things such as cutlery, funnels and cups; and 4) the former microwave cabinet can be used for bottle storage, freeing up a large shelf on the starboard side for various foodstuffs.

Dry is good.

Behold the deepest bilge, aft of the diesel and beneath the thrust-bearing yoke of the Aquadrive. Keen eyes can just make out the absence of any ingress of water, as one would hope with something called "dripless" on the shaft. I need to service the Rule 3700 bilge pump and will be changing to a beefier hose. In addition, I am considering getting a second 3700 and float switch just to have it handy as a spare at the upcoming Boat Show. More on the Boat Show in a future post.

Lastly in this round of winter prep came The Running of the Genset. This Honda 2000 is about 12 years old, but likely has less than 100 hours of running on it, and is still trouble-free. So I believe I will drain it and stow it in Trenton for future land-side use as they certainly seem to hold their value. It's getting upgraded to two Honda eu2200i models, one of which will be the "Companion" version and which can be hooked together to form a 3600 w continuous genset which will run (combined) for about 2.5 hours on a litre of gasoline. That's enough to weld with on a minor basis, and exceeds what I can produce with the Victron inverter already in play. Total weight will be about 40 kilos for the pair and they can be stowed under cover on deck or in the forepeak down low.

A brief review of our power provisions aboard Alchemy: We have a large battery bank of six L-16 6 VDC batteries wired in series-parallel to provide 1185 Ah at 12 VDC. We also have a 400 w wind generator and four fixed 135W solar panels. Lastly, there's the stock 75 amp alternator that we plan to upgrade to 150-200 amps for quick charges AND to make water while motoring with our on-order watermaker. So if all these systems fail, we'll have the means to replicate shore power. More importantly from our point of view is the reduction in time spent inverting power from DC to AC, which is a somewhat wasteful transformation to run "house power" from DC batteries. If we want to vacuum the boat, for instance, at anchor, or to use a terrestrial power tool with a six-amp draw, it's more logical to use a genset for 15 minutes than to invert power from the ship's batteries. The same can be said for charging the forepeak windlass battery bank (two Group 27 12 VDC deep cycle batteries): an hour on the Honda can put them to 100% and "cost" a teacup of gasoline, which we carry in any case in small amounts for the Honda outboard motor. In addition, if we want to make friends in distant places, lugging one or both Hondas in one or both tenders to, say, fix a lagoon-side structure is generally considered a friendly act.

More to come shortly, as there is more to tell.

The one with the boat show

Small boat or large driver? Hardly matters in a pool.

WARNING: Graphics-heavy supersized post follows! The annual Toronto boat show is an odd event for me. It's been years since I went solely to check out new boats, and the kind I prefer (sailboats) have become increasingly rare over the years as the nature of the boating community has, as we shall shortly learn, shifted away from wind-powered fun to one predicated on fossil fuels.

A HobiePhat? Inflatable, portable pontoon thingie.

But as we own a diesel-driven motorsailer, I risk hypocrisy here, even though we try to motor very selectively and have kept the hours low. But it's a definite trend at the boat show: I have never seen a greater variety of powered fishing boats, runabouts, outboards and cabin cruisers in one place. So...much...chrome...And so much for carbon taxes, eh?

On the other hand, this is the Canadian-approved Honda eu2200i and "companion" pair of gensets, a way to get about 3600 watts of 120 VAC, or 30 amps (continuous) in two approximately 20 kilo "luggables". Now, for us, this is an attractive alternative to having a small diesel genset aboard as it is portable (as either one or both in operation) and needs little gas to run for several hours (which we would carry for the small outboard we're bringing) and allows us to run pretty serious standard power tools without engaging the inverter off the battery bank, which is generally considered "lossy". In addition, a pair of these can themselves charge the house bank or to power the watermaker, should the renewables and the alternator be out of commission. Another option is to bring them ashore if we need to do work (or help locals) on distant beaches. Lastly, they can be fit in existing compartments and lashed in place for safe stowage. I've had the predecessor model, the eu2000i, for some 10 years and the Hondas are reliable and well-built. And yes, I know not to run them at the bow when anchored.

I will point out that the speed limit in Toronto Harbour is six knots.

Overcompensating, Skip?

The Honda 2.3 HP aircooled outboards now out are not to my mind worth the upgrade from my simple, 12 kilo Honda 2, and while propane-powered outboards abound (which I don't entirely understand, given the energy density of propane versus gasoline or diesel, although I'm willing to stand corrected), there is seemingly no other air-cooled outboard option.

Because I would go for a 3 or a 3.5 HP one of those, thanks to the weight savings and mechanical simplicity of an air-cooled four-stroke outboard...and yes, they are noisy little buggers, but you can refill them from a water bottle if you want. Well, a water bottle capable of holding gas safely.

There's a 2.5 HP Yamaha, but it's water-cooled and about four kilos heavier than the one we own.

So...many...fishing boats.

...but enough fish?

Now, powered boats of all kinds have always dominated the Toronto boat show, and given the thousands of small lakes and rivers within 500 km. of here, that's not surprising. But the floor space devoted to sailboats has declined precipitiously in recent years and appeared to be at a new low, to judge by the shoved-off-into-one-corner appearance of the few Hanses, Dufours and Beneteaus present.

So, maybe 10 sailboats?

A new approach to making bow thrusters accessible?

Rectangular portlights...ugh. The grey hull is nice, however.

I usually prefer the Dufours, but they've gotten as "samey-samey" as most other production boats at these price points.

More on Boat Show sailboats (and powerboats) a little later, but the changes at the show arguably reflect more than reinforce changes in the marketplace demographics of boating, its costs and indeed, its likely future form. I had the good opportunity to sit down and talk boats with Wallace and Sharon Gouk, the survey/yacht delivery team responsible for Port Credit Marine Surveys.

Fits the driveway, doesn't need the dock.

Veterans of the local boating scene and long-time liveaboards, neither is short of opinions on the changes in boating in southern Ontario and elsewhere over the years; indeed, Gouk posts on the popular Cruisers' Forum website. I asked him to speak as a surveyor to note some of the major changes he and his wife have seen in recreational boating over the last few decades. Wallace replied that, in terms of the demographics of the sort of boats with which he is involved, mainly "cruiser-type boats, whether power or sail", boating mirrors society. "People are getting older," Gouk says. "The demographics of [boaters] are getting older, too." He adds that "boating is becoming more complex, extremely expensive and it's hard for younger people to get into in until they collect the inheritance from the boomers."

The companionway is a little shallower, meaning there's extra stowage in front of the engine here. Clever? Depends how hot it gets, but that's decent access to critical stuff for a production boat.

But Gouk does not see money as the only obstacle to the continuance of a thriving recreational marine scene. "I don't think the interest is there among the young people" he says. "There's a bit of a different attitude that goes way beyond boating. Kids are coming out of school with [significant] debt. That changes their attitudes about everything. The ones that have an interest are looking at smaller, trailerable boats, or at chartering, but for a young family to lay out $200,000 for a good used cruising boat, that's not going to happen."

One pair of winches on a 41 footer? Huh. I'm going to three this spring.

Gouk sees a decline in sailboats of the cruising type, but also sees a fallback in sales of the larger cabin cruisers and powerboats. "Nobody's doing very well [on new boats]." But the outlook is perhaps even worse for used boats. The surveying couple, who also do the appraisals on seized boats for Port Credit Harbour Marina, part of which is a "graveyard" for abandoned boats, sees more 'classic plastic' as unsellable at any price and destined to be cut up for scrap. 

"That particular problem I see as mushrooming over the next five to 10 years," says Gouk. "The shell of the boat, the part that's going to last forever, that's the cheapest part of the boat. It's the systems inside of the boat that are really expensive. People buy a 32-foot sailboat? I can take you to 50 of them right now you can get for $500. People go into this with the dream of 'I can fix that up' ...well, maybe, but it's going to cost you $3,500 per year to store the boat while you're fixing it up."

Hmm. Why boating's in decline is no mystery.

Gouk does not see, in his work as a surveyor, the level of competence he would hope to see in restored boats, noting that "marine electrical work is different from that done on land". Your correspondent can agree with the assertion. Nonetheless, the skilled amateur wanting a cheap boat has not got long to wait. "In the used boat market, the prices are dropping simply because boomers are dying off," says Gouk. "The biggest tip-off is in the demographic make-up of the yacht clubs. The younger kids have an entirely different outlook on life. They're not coming in at the bottom of the market to pick up an old boat."

The man I sold Valiente too is in his (quite fit) 70s...I have to concur.

This realistic assessment may extend to even the more popular brands of "good old boat". Gouk, who has been inside hundreds of them in a near-forensic assessment of their qualities, is emphatic: "There are no 'good old boats'" he says. "You get into those older boats, and there's gate valves, solid-core household-grade AC systems, and sloppy construction techniques. And yet some of them are still very expensive on the used boat market."

Having had a '70s boat, which, besides its fine sailing qualities, was more or less a ready-to-sink firetrap when I bought it, I can only concur. A special thank you to the Gouks for spending time with me and I encourage a visit to their interesting and comprehensive website for some great resources (and some horror stories!) from deep inside the world of boats. 

These lads were doing fine work for an underappreciated cause that could render a lot of fishing, save for carp, unlikely.

But back to the show. The numbers support Gouk's assertion of a shrinking market for boat owners of all types. According to show management,

"the 2019 Show attendance totalled 73,464, down 5% from 2018, having experienced 8 out of the 10 days with major snowfall, ice and extreme cold across the province effecting travel for show-goers. The closing weekend had over 1,800 e-tickets unredeemed, likely due to weather conditions."

Likely, sure, but a lot of clubs in the Toronto area also have empty docks, and as noted, the demographics of people who might enjoy boating of any type are getting longer in the tooth...how are you going to get a 24-year-old into a Shark when Netflix is streaming?

This looked to be popular, but as we sail pantless offshore, it would be rather inappropriate for our lifestyle choices.

That said, sales were apparently reasonable enough to keep vendors happy; Mrs. Alchemy worked a few shifts for Genco Marine, which we have personally enriched this winter with multiple purchases I'll outline in a later blog post. Anyway, my co-skipper reports that sales appeared to be strong this year (the incentivizing discounts no doubt played a role), and other vendors with whom I spoke gave the impression that the trade was "fewer, but better". May this continue. The boat show is a big regional draw, and irrespective of my attendance, or indeed our presence in Canada, a lot of people would still clearly miss it.

More square windows? Have they never heard of the Comet jetliner?

I often go not to see the boats...I mean, we have a boat...but to see the innovation. With a steel pilothouse cutter that will plow more than glide through the waves, "slick" isn't a priority. Advances in control gear, safety gear and the "working the boat" elements are, and I like to quiz various vendors, especially at the less-frequented booths, about lingering, obscure questions I might have. Pro-tip? Go on a Monday or Tuesday of the show, because the mornings are sparsely attended and you'll have the marine industry pro's attention more easily than on a weekend.

This pro must have been on break.

For instance, I had a particular issue in that want to weld on studs for hull anodes this year. Without going into detail at this stage, I have to change over from freshwater-sutiable magnesium anodes to ones capable of providing protection to our steel boat in brackish and salt water, at least until we get our hull recoated. We are going out to the sea via the St. Lawrence this summer, and it had been recommended to me that I switch to aluminum anodes for the hull, rudder (aluminum, too, but of a different grade) and prop. I could source them, but I could only find zinc anodes to fit my DF-107 model VariProp. Well, they exist and I found that out at the show. Fizzing averted.

Found out some details about EPIRB registration here, as well.

Along with the multitude of free and paid educational seminars available (although Paul and Sheryl Shard and Andy Schell and Mia Karlsson were not present this year, both of whom I count as friendly acquaintances and at whom I enjoy throwing impertinent questions, the show remains a great place to pick up knowledge without actually getting wet in the process. I think in the rush to promote big, shiny things, this aspect of the show is somewhat underplayed, but as we are about a thousand miles from the ocean...and it's winter...time spent learning from sailors on break from full-time lives aboard (or people like forecasters or delivery skippers) is of great utility and interest.

This firm makes a Travelift not made by Travelift, which tends to monopolize locally the boat picking-up business.

A couple of last points: The commercial marine business is not well-represented at the boat show, and perhaps it should be. It is very difficult to convince Canadian youth to take trades-type jobs these days, but perhaps if they knew more about them, there'd been some attraction, interest and uptake. This booth, for Georgian College's marine trades courses, saw very little action and was tucked away in a presumably cheaper corner.

Didn't help that I couldn't attract this guy's attention to speak with him, so absorbed was he in his screens.

Perhaps that's the wrong approach for a labour-starved field to take.

I also noticed that some popular booths were not in attendance, particularly Garhauer Marine and Ontario Battery, both of whom from which I've bought significant amounts of gear in the past. I also noticed that Ray of Ray's Marine didn't have his usual double booth, or indeed any booth, another surprise and another vendor I've spent money with. While I can still find multiple outlets for pepperoni, hammocks, miracle waxes and Sperry shoes, it's the more "hardware" places I miss.

Holland Marine Products: I patronize them and will again.

Knowing our plans to depart this summer, I spent more time at the show than I had in years, and appreciated, I think, its rhythms and emphases. It's a circus, sure, and it's not necessarily even a place to score bargains (although I did pretty well in that regard this year, probably because I was keen to "finish" certain necessary areas on the boat). But it remains a great place to window-shop, to pick up well-priced "sundries" (every third person seemed to have a fender, foulie jacket or boat hook to hand) and to think of the warmer months to come.

I am surprised, but perhaps shouldn't be, at how many people I know, or run into, at the boat show.

Got a fresh 2019 almanac and confirmed we can order the charts for our big trek to Nova Scotia at The Nautical Mind.

Finally, like all boat clubs these days, our strong racing and junior sailing programs protect my own National Yacht Club from the march of time and division of attention that so strongly suggests boating 20 years hence will be even more niche an activity than it is now. However, it's not all gloom: the NYC booth attracted a lot of favourable attention, and the cadre of  over 30 friendly and informative club members acting as "ambassadors" garnered around 150 serious enquiries from people contemplating a club from which to enjoy life on the water.

Good. I'm rather fond of the place myself.

Sure, the location's great, but the people are pleasant, too.