Boat Show 2013 - A Win/Lose thing

OK, so I was dead set on NOT going to the boat show in Toronto this year. For starters, its $18 to get in . I can think of a lot more exciting ways to drop Twenny-bucks. Then there's Toronto traffic, lines, and parking. Usually I go to the show, enjoy myself for half an hour, and then come away empty handed, and tired and grumpy after having walked for 3 hours looking at things I will never buy.

I wasn't about to do that again this year. Staying home with my feet up was a much better plan. I even ordered the parts I wanted online through a friend in the southern states so I would have no reason to go.

Then my neighbour showed up with free tickets.

Then a night opened up with no plans.

Next thing you know I was fighting Toronto traffic down the Don Valley Parkway en route to the boat show. Parking was $11 this year. I backed out of the kiosk and drove a block to find free parking at Ontario Place.

Ha! Take that bloodsucking bastiges.

I got in the hall and the place was empty. Not just a little bit slow, but totally empty. It was like someone had announced free tickets to a Leafs game and the entire boat show crowd had up and left for the Air Canada Centre or something. I nosed around the sailing area but very little caught my eye. Apparently my favourite sail loft has moved to Lunenburg Nova Scotia and joined forces with some other loft out there. I got an Ontario Sailing sticker to slap on the Thunderbuggy (my new-to-me old Suburban) and I asked the folks at GAM on Yachting to stop running the Cradleguys ad I placed about 5 years ago since I was no longer set up to run cradles around.

Then I made my way to the Garhauer booth. This is where the Win/Lose continuum is a little convoluted. See, the new sheetleads that I got from Florida were here. They were reduced to almost the same price I had paid. I got an extra pair so that when we do sail changes I don't have to swap out the sheets. And I got a docking cleat. And then I sauntered over to the Rigging Shoppe's booth and picked up a Lifesling. All of a sudden my free trip to the boat show was getting pricey.

I did the smart thing and got outta there in a hurry. Which means I never toured any of the big boats or checked out crap I had no interest in buying, and I got out before I got miserable and tired. So I think I won, but my wallet lost. I think?

Anyway for a free trip, the boat show ended up a little pricey.