Well then, I guess it's time to figure out where we've been and where we go next.
The shed project moved along nicely. Quite, in fact. Conduit was run in that trench from the last post, and a little while after, the electrical permit was passed. From there, I added a floating plywood desk to work from, which then led to drywall, a laminate floor, and a TV mounted on the wall with futon to watch from. And so I didn't freeze during the winter months while working from home, a mini-split AC?heat pump that has been able to keep up nicely, as long as I had a supplemental electric heater for when it was below zero. Next up, is the drywall compound, but still a bit of waiting until the outside temps creep up enough. After having fully loaded the shed up, a security system will be going in this weekend for extra peace of mind.
There's also one more piece of neat gear that I did end up with, which could hopefully translate to boat things.
Ah, the boat things. Now, I will fully admit that I have no idea if my boat is still even standing after this winter, but since the marina hasn't called to say otherwise, I'm just going on that. Granted, it's under new ownership (more on that in a bit), so who knows what that actually says - or doesn't.
I've told myself that this is the year I sell the boat. I fully tell myself, that I'll get it in the water for the season, and put it up for sale halfway through, I might be able to even get close to what I paid for it. Honestly, I'm sure with some effort, I could double my money, but that takes effort. I did pull my Raspberry Pi 4 chartplotter out, along with the 24" monitor it was hooked to. The Pi literally just plugs in, so that doesn't take any effort, and I'm sure I could probably just output it to a cheap screen for this year instead of taking that whole monitor back up. I'd like to get a replacement fixed VHF to put in place for it though, and maybe clean up some of the cut countertops, and things like that.
I did just purchase a used Mainsail and cover, that came from a Newport 28 MKII, which mine isn't. As mine is a late 70s model, it puts it in the original, or MK I, designation. The nice part is that the rigging never changed - the MKII models updated the topsides, new portlights, and a redesign of the fin keel that kept the ballast the same but dipped it to a draft of 5' 2", versus the original 4' 6" keel that I get to enjoy. And anyone that thinks that eight inches doesn't mean anything, well... I'll just leave that alone.
The reason for the purchase dates back to the purchase. I never had a chance to examine the sails, so imagine my surprise when I hoisted the main for the first time, back in May of 2018 - wow, so almost 4 years now - it was a main from a Newport 27S. The cut of the 27S is a bit different so that hoisted on my 28's Mast, the boom hangs down quite a bit over the cockpit. Now normally under sail, there's enough tension to kind of pull the boom back upwards, unless there's no wind. Oh, and it's almost twenty square feet smaller overall. So even knowing that I'm hoping to put the boat up for sail, I decided it was a purchase worth making. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow, actually.
I mentioned the sale of the marina to a different ownership group. That happened at the end of last season, and rather unexpectedly. The marina and attached campground had been owned by a couple for quite a few years, and I have no idea the reasons behind the sale, but we basically got an e-mail with a month or two left in the season saying effectively "We sold Fair Point, thanks!" and.. then left to question what on Earth happens next. Unfortunately, the answer was predictably obvious. Rates were instantly raised for this upcoming season, the deposit required was increased, and it was all held off until the last possible minute where it really felt like members had zero choice. You cannot store your boat for the winter if you aren't paying for a slip the following year, that was a new rule that went into effect the last year to avoid turning into a boat graveyard, and to free up space for additional camping spots. However we never were given any information regarding the winter fees or anything until it was effectively too late for any of the boaters to search for an alternative - basically meaning we had no choice but to pay the increased rates and, for lack of a better phrase, deal with it.
See, Fair Point has always been one of, if not the most affordable marina in the region, and selling out of every slip every year. So it stood to reason that the new owners - a corporation/group/whathaveyou - would decide well hey, if the other marinas can charge X dollars, why are we only charging Y? We can charge X too, make more money instantly, and there's still gonna be plenty of demand anyway so anyone that does leave will be replaced. Real feel-good vibes coming from that place. Oh, and they put into a place immediately upon sale, restrictions on the campers allowed in the campground. Basically if was older than a certain age, you were gone, regardless of how long that they have been a customer there. In order to stay, it basically had to be a flawlessly, spotlessly kept camper, and you had to appeal for a review, and at the end still be at their whim. Think.. campground HOA.
As you can imagine, my original plans to sell the boat someday seemed to make a lot more sense given the state of the marina life there. I do love the area, it's a great marina, but if the ownership is that completely uncaring towards the customers that support it, it means nothing to me in the end. My goal is to look for the next boat, perhaps even in a different location. Sure I won't be able to go every weekend perhaps, but maybe once a month or so? And if it's in a more temperate climate, heck, maybe I can go year round!
Oh, and that new toy I mentioned at the beginning? I have a StarLink dish that arrived for my shed (which is currently fiber fed, the StarLink is to play with). What are the odds it works on the boat? We might just have to find out before I hand over the figurative keys to the next owner this year.
