Brilliant's Log 11-09


Annapolis Boat Show 28 September - 25 October 2009


We spent the next month working the boat show for the second time. The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. BUT we have such a great time being involved in something that is so much a part of the American sailing scene.

As you can see from the picture our commute to work was a very short dinghy ride. Once again during the set up, Pete worked on the crew that built the temporary flooring for the vendors, Stephanie worked as Security and traffic control. During the show Pete worked at the gates taking tickets while Stephanie worked in the ticket booth selling them. For some reason both the crews of "Equinox" and "Lucky Bird" decided to give it a try and were also hired. Surprisingly, both crews were still talking to us at the end of the show!

The weather was beautiful for the Sailboat Show, but turned cold, wet and nasty for the Powerboat Show. We had to wear four layers under our foul weather gear to try and stay warm as we took care of the gates.

One of the bonus' of working the show is that during set up, turn over, and take down we are given free meals at a local Italian restaurant. The food is excellent and Pete figures that if he's working like an 18 year old, he can eat like one... and does. During the shows we have to fend for ourselves and grab a quick bite at one of the vendors or charity food booths that surround the show. That hot Jumbo on the cold, wet days was a very big hit.

On the bright side we did make a few good purchases at the show. They included new charts, an electronic chartplotter (that lets us see electronic charts for navigation at the helm) and an Automatic Identification System (AIS). Here is the Wikipedia explanation of AIS:

AIS is an automated tracking system used on ships and by Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) for identifying and locating Vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships and VTS stations. AIS information supplements marine radar, which continues to be the primary method of collision avoidance for water transportation. An AIS equipped system onboard a ship presents the bearing and distance of nearby vessels in a radar-like display format. Information provided by AIS equipment, such as unique identification, position, course, and speed, can be displayed on a screen or an ECDIS. AIS is intended to assist a vessel's watchstanding officers and allow maritime authorities to track and monitor vessel movements. AIS integrates a standardized VHF transceiver with a positioning system such as a LORAN-C or GPS receiver, with other electronic navigation sensors, such as a gyrocompass or rate of turn indicator. Ships outside AIS radio range can be tracked with the Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system with less frequent transmission.

That said, what it really does is keep us safer at sea and help us avoid collisions. We see the signals from the other ships that are transmitting AIS and they can see our signals. All good and it makes night passages much less stressful!

Working the show is fun for a known limited time and we'll probably do it again if the opportunity presents itself.

Log 0 NM