Editor’s Note
by Duffy Perkins
The Big Top Comes to Town
A
s you’re holding this issue of PropTalk, I want you to know that all of us around the office are buzzing with preparations for the 2015 U.S. Powerboat Show. The circus of sorts comes to town next month, and if you’ve never been to the Show, you should know it’s essentially Christmas for Boaters. And despite the enthusiasm we have for writing about the Show, we hardly scratch the surface for the amount of excitement it brings to our sleepy little town on the Bay. If you’re a perennial show attendee, then we don’t need to tell you just how great it is to be standing on City Dock during the Boat Shows. But if you’ve never been, maybe we need to twist your arm a little.
Top 10 Reasons to Head to the U.S. Powerboat Show 10 The chance to hang out in 10. downtown Annapolis. It’s a drinking town with a boating problem, that’s for sure. It also has a parking problem, oyster issues, a bad crab pretzel habit, and a family history of historical re-enactors. Highly functional, though. 9. 9 Go back to school for what you really wanted to study: boating. The Cruisers U courses and free seminars that happen throughout the week will make all the time you spend farting around on your boat seem legit to your spouse. 8. 8 Bargains on all the stuff you want and need (and a lot of other stuff). You wouldn’t think you’d want a fish on a pillow, or a prop on a necklace. You wouldn’t think you need a life raft, but there it is, sitting in your garage, too big to fit anywhere on your boat. 18 October 2015 PropTalk.com
7. 7 Finally: a place where it’s mandatory to take off your shoes and walk around. Actually, this is the one thing we really wish we could change. Some of us are meant to wear shoes. 6. 6 Pretend, for once, that your boat’s LOA is 60 feet, and not 16. This is the one weekend where your jon boat gives you a pass, so go ahead and cheat. 5. 5 Ogle PWCs without anyone judging you. We wouldn’t kick a Jet ski out of bed for eating crackers. Let’s just leave it at that. 4. 4 Nutty Buddies, Pit Beef, and Painkillers. These are the three food groups of the Boat Show. Notice that broccoli and kale are not allowed inside the Boat Show gates. There’s a reason for that.
3. 3 Find your horsepower limit. Yes, you do have one. And maybe it’s 1750. That’s for you to decide. 2. 2 Boating is a gateway drug. It leads to better relationships, elevated emotions, and longer life spans. So head to the Boat Show and get your hit. 1. 1 The PropTalk crew will be hanging out at booth F6. We’ll be wearing khakis and drinking Bud, slinging magazines, and popping popcorn. Come hang out and get in on this fun. We’ll see you there.