It's January, so time to go to the Boat Show and assist Swallow Boats with the sales campaign by stunning potential customers with my tales of sailing with Vagabond. Also to pick up a small container of gel coat to repair a few blemishes on Vagabonds hull.......but that will have to wait for some warmer weather.
Having spent the 3 months before Christmas with my head down in text books, writing mediocre academic essays and (after Christmas) preparing for my first academic examination for about 47 years*, it was a welcome break (or reconnection with reality, depending on your point of view) to spend two days talking boats and drinking coffee.
Swallow Boats had a BRE 20 and 4 models on the stand. Not the type of model that has just been banned from page 3 (topical tip) but 3D printed scale models of the current Swallow Fleet. Customers and potential customers visited the stand, small boys climbed in an out of the cabin and (as I understand) an order or two was taken.
Matt and I were both intrigued by the hydrojet powered canoe (http://www.hydraride.com/jet-propelled-watercrafts/). I wonder if you could fit one of the pump motor combinations in the outboard well?
I was also intrigued by the video that Swallow have of a BC23 running down wind with a sort of spinnaker / cruising chute https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4AY49ChHN4
More research required.
Meanwhile, it's head down for the MSc course again for the next 3 months.
* In case my reader has forgotten (or perhaps I didn't tell you), I've resorted to more education to keep Alzhiemers at bay. I was going to attempt the MSc on a full time basis but, on looking at the required work load, have opted to "do" it over two years. I can't read fast enough to do it in one!
