Ever since I started reading my first sailing magazine, I have read about the Annapolis boat show and how it is the largest and old on the water boat show in the world. Well we finally made it to the show. Can't say I was terribly impressed by the show. The Miami show had much better facilities for the vendors and seminars and the number of boats at the show were way down this year according to the regulars. This still did not stop me from spending more money that was available for boat upgrades. We bought a new handheld GPS, AIS, and a portable generator. Cary also managed to get some shopping in as well.
At the show, we met up with Chris and Paul from the boat Jeorgia, now on their new boat Georgia and Outbound 44. We have not seen them since Block Island when they were bringing their new boat south from Cape Breton. Chris and Paul both managed to find jobs at the boat show to help fill in the cruising kitty. It is always great to catch up with old friends.
While we were in Annapolis, we took time to watch the midshipmen at the academy do their formation for lunch. This is a spectacle that they put on twice a day as they form up before going into the dining hall. This was two days before the Air Force-Navy football game. Just as they were about to start marching in, before the Navy band could play, some of the Air Force cadets that had transferred in to the Naval Academy, blasted the Air Force anthem over loudspeakers from a dorm room. To their credit, not one midshipman even flinched at the insult. In the end, Navy extracted their revenge with a 28-21 win over Air Force.
Also while we were there, we rented a car and toured Washington DC. The first day in we walked through the Lincoln, Jefferson, FDR and MLK memorials as well as the Vietnam Memorial. We also managed to get into the National Archives just before closing to see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The second day, we returned to see the Smithsonian Castle, toured around Georgetown.