boot 19

The 50th boat is over now. This year we have chosen the first weekend. As our departure date is getting closer and closer, we had to buy some missing equipment. The list was endlessly long and to be honest I had the feeling after the fair that it hadn't necessarily become shorter.
Like last year we were there for two days. This time we arrived by plane, which gave us a more relaxed journey home than last year, especially after the fair. Beside water maker, wind generator and life raft, to name only the most important things, we decided to apply Antifouling Coppercoat. Yes, I know, the antifouling of a ship is very controversially discussed in most forums. Everyone has their own philosophy. At least I am a very lazy person, at least when it comes to painting, and of course I hope that the stuff keeps what it promises. But so the two days went by with clarifying, ordering, sleeping another night over it, ordering again etc., time flies.
But the boot is not only a sales fair for us, you can also maintain your network here very well. Not that ours is huge at the moment, we are just at the beginning of our project, nevertheless or precisely because of that it is important for us to learn from the "old hares". Excuse the "old hares", in the sailor's language I think that means salt hump, however, the conversations were super great again. Of course the visit of the stand of our club was the most interesting one. At the Trans Ocean one is always warmly welcomed and one takes time for his members. Bert Frisch from the HEIMKEHR also asked immediately where and where from and so one always immediately gets into conversation. Katie and Johannes Erdmann from the MAVERICK joined our little coffee round which was offered to us by Rita Eichardt. I have already seen so much of them from their Youtube channel. Nice to have seen them live. We were especially happy to meet Anne and Peter from CAT TIKI. The first contacts we had were on Facebook and we arranged to meet spontaneously on the day of arrival after we found out that we were on the boat the same weekend. It was a wonderful evening and also here you have of course always the interesting topic long trip, which needs little or no starting time and is very dangerous, it lets you forget the time quickly. At least these meetings showed us that we are on the right way, that our decision was the right one to exchange our life for what lies ahead of us. We are well aware that not everything will go smoothly, that mighty challenges will face us and that some tears will flow. Surely these will not only be tears of joy. But if you look, and now I'm back at the "salt humps", at the people and feel their calmness, then I think it's all worth it. In this sense always a hand's breadth.