A boat show state of mind.

By Mike Jastrzebski

This week the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show takes place. We've lived here for four years now, and this is the first year I've been excited about the show. In fact, the only reason we attended last year is because we had free tickets. So what's changed?

This year we're getting ready to go cruising. We need some things, and we want some others. We need a new dinghy. Our old dink is fifteen years old and has developed some leaks. I've patched and re-patched, and finally have to admit that if the dinghy were an American flag, we'd be burning it right now. (According to the USA Flag site the US Flag code title 4, Chapter 1, Sec. 8(k) states: When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.) This reminds me, I think we need a new flag.

I'm also considering a chart plotter, but since I'm planning to buy an Ipad as a backup to my computer for writing, I may just purchase the navigation software available for the Ipad. This will not be the ideal solution since I will have to keep the Ipad in a plastic cover while it's outside, but we don't have unlimited funds.

We also want to get an EPIRB before we leave. If we go to the Bahamas like we plan, and then shoot along the Gulf Stream to the Chesapeake, we'll be far enough away from shore for a long enough period that we'll feel better with the EPIRB.

The final major items we want to buy before we leave are solar panels. A wind generator would be nice, but after living at a mooring for three months in Key West, we feel solar panels are a necessity.

Then there are the things we like to look at that we may buy in the future. A watermaker would be nice, and a dedicated life raft. It's getting close to that time when we need to replace the mattress, but not this year.

So what about you? What items would you need before you went cruising?