October 17, 2011.

The Annapolis Powerboat Show has come and gone. Several vendors brought their trailer-able boat to us to be put into the water for the show.

There were some pretty good looking little runabouts but nothing that really made me say “Wow”. Although I did see some pretty shoddy workmanship that did have some Wow factor. More like Wow, unbelievable, what crap.

On Saturday afternoon it was blowing between 20 and 30 knots while Christy & I sanded our brightwork. We're right at the waters edge and had front row seat for some nautical mayhem.

One of the nearby brokers was taking a pair of prospective buyers out for what he probably thought would be a rollicking good day of sailing. As they cleared the protection of the fairway and the wind hit them on the port bow things went seriously amiss. Or I guess it might have all gone according to plan if the brokers plan included hitting 2 other boats and more than a half dozen pilings.

My attention was drawn by the extended screaming of the Bavaria’s bowthruster. The bowthruster was completely overpowered and the boat was pushed across the fairway to the leeward side. I watched in disbelief as the Bavaria sideswiped and was pinned to one of the big Leopard catamarans tied to our dock. This particular Leopard has just completed the commissioning process and was due to be picked up by the new owners on Monday. Oops.

Christy grabbed the camera while I got down off the boat and ran down to the Leopard and jumped aboard to start trying to fend the Bavaria away. Once clear of the Leopard the broker opted to skip the daysail and retraced his route and backed down the fairway towards the slip they had just departed from. Except that on the return trip he bounced and whacked off every piling on the leeward side of the fairway.

Since they didn't successfully get out of the fairway there was no sail. And I'll bet that since they didn't successfully get out of the fairway there was no sale.

Still waiting for our propeller.