WEST COAST SAILBOAT SHOW

[Bill]

* Strong sales and strong attendance marked the 9th annual Pacific Sail
Expo (PSE), the largest sailboat show on the West Coast that concluded
Sunday, April 18 at Oakland's Jack London Square. Some 13,000 people
attended the five-day event, which represents a 7% increase over last
year's attendance. This crowd also proved to be a buying public: several
exhibitors left the show with sales that set a new company record. PSE 2004
drew an international group of over 300 exhibitors. -
http://www.sailamerica.com/press/pse-042104.cfm

[ebb]

They must all have arrived on the weekend because it was pretty empty when I was there.   13,000, is that a lot of people?   Corse I was a gawker this year,  the guvmint having cleaned me out.


On a happier note....
On researching Portabotes,  a couple of cruisers who had chosen the 8 footer as their tender had some complaints.   The most serious was that the narrow and sloping entry  made the bow dig in in a chop.   It was hard to row and didn't sail worth a damn.   I do not know if Practical Sailor has tested the  PortaBote in it's newest shape.

Something you have to test is how easy is a folding boat to set up - how much deck space do you need.   There was an hilarious 'World's Funniest Videos' that had this old geezer attempting to get the thing to stay open but had it suddenly shut like a giant clam and swallow him up!

There is,  I think,  an English firm still around that makes a really nice salty folding sailing pram out of marine ply.   Styled on the Optimist class pram.   There used to be two or three.   If anybody is interested I'll try to look it up.

[mrgnstrn]

yes, interested.

Maybe better than my current notional plan, which is to build a plywood pram, like an "Itty-Bitty" something like it, only build it in two halves (front, back) so that the two can be stacked inside one-another, for on deck storage.  then you put the two together for use.
still working out the sizes and mechanics of it all, but like I said, notional.

[ebb]

Capt mrgmstm'
You will be pleased,  but I'm out of here.

To be fair to PortaBote:  both of the cruisers mentioned above also decided to continue using their folding botes as their tender.  You can't beat their tuffness or the package they fold into.   One could easily be rigged to the cabin-side on an Ariel. ??

[c_amos]

FOLDABLE BOAT UNSINKABLE FACTORY SECOND

I came upon this auction on E-bay, and thought of this thread.



I am looking for a tender, but can not see a 10' folded boat on my deck so I am going to pass on it.

In case anyone else can, here is a link.  


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15266&item=3676065012&rd=1


I have nothing to do with this auction, or the porta-boat co.

[commanderpete]

Nice, but the dinghy I built out of scrap lumber is working out real well.

She don't row so good, but she'll carry 40 cases of beer....easy.