The vanagon’s maiden voyage!
We’re heading to Oakland for the Strictly Sail Pacific Show this weekend at Jack London Square. I know, Oakland isn’t exactly a camper’s paradise, but we’ll drive over to the coast at night and find a little spot to overnight Saturday and Sunday. And we’re going to the boat show!
We attended the same show last April, but of course were still only in the dreaming phase of our cruising plans. With not much tying us to land anymore, the search is getting a lot more serious. Attending a show is a fantastic way to experience lots of different floor plans and really get a feel for the space with all the different brands in one place for four days.
But first I digress, back to the bus.
Diego’s been channeling his boat lust into the van for the last month now. Ironically, he didn’t want to purchase the bus when I first found it on craigslist. We actually experienced a little marital discord over the decision (imagine that!) during our final week in Barcelona.
I argued we would be able to drive ourselves from the airport when we landed back in California and fit all of our luggage, no problem. We would have to rent a van if we didn’t get something. He argued we were looking for a boat, not a van! I countered that having a vanagon would give us a home to go searching for a boat, then we could sell it once we found what we were looking for.
Clearly my logic paid off, and now, whenever I haven’t seen him in a few hours, it’s almost guaranteed I’ll find him fussing with some little detail of the bus. Hilarious. I call it his new girlfriend. (He did later concede, he loves this bus, and it will make our trips to survey boats actually fun. Hmmm, mmm. I know dear. I’m so glad he came up with this great idea to buy the bus.)
Check out his labor of love.
Sewing the new canvas for the pop-up tent (by hand!)
Pretty sure this little fella went to Burning Man.
This looks like only the kind of grime
you can find in the Black Rock Desert, doesn’t it?
Stripped down to clean out ALL the dust (or maybe he was hoping to find a secret stash of something?!)
All ready for action. We leave Friday.
If you’re in the bay area this weekend, here’s the details for the show.
2015 Strictly Sail Pacific at Jack London Square, April 9 – 12
This is the West Coast’s largest all-sail boat show, it starts Thursday, April 9 and runs through Sunday, April 12th. This four-day event features new sailboats, gear, accessories, hardware, more than 90 free seminars, hands-on workshops, free boat rides and more.
The 2015 Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show is produced by Sail America, the trade association for the U.S. sailing industry dedicated to promoting the health and growth of sailing. Established in 1990, Sail America now has more than 200 members representing all segments of the sailing market. For more information, visit www.sailamerica.com.
The show will take place at Jack London Square, 70 Washington Street (the foot of Broadway and Embarcadero), in Oakland, California. The City of Oakland and neighboring Alameda house some of the best sailing facilities, schools, yacht clubs and charter operations and more than 20 miles of nearby shoreline along the San Francisco Bay makes Oakland the perfect host destination for all that is sailing. For more information on where to eat, stay and play in Oakland, visit www.visitoakland.org. Show hours are Thursday, April 9 and Friday, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, April 11, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, April 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 one-day adult, $25 two-day adult, and $45 four-day adult pass. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paid adult. To purchase advance tickets visit www.strictlysailpacific.com.
See you there!
