Cruising "Essentials"

Because the weather has kept us at the dock for that last MONTH... I have taken it upon myself to daydream about cruising and keep my eyes open for good deals on things that we consider "essential" for cruising.

I saw a Garage Sale sign posted on one of the Port bulletin boards last week.  Garage Sales are very common in our little community and I, as a general rule, avoid them (for obvious lifestyle reasons).  Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted "Offshore/Cruising Gear" - SCORE.

I got to the garage sale right when it opened and I am very excited with the results! 

• Charts from the northeast end of Vancouver Island - counter clockwise around the island to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  19 CHARTS total - that is a retail value of $380 - I got them for a $1/each = $19.

Organizing the charts during nap time.

• Foul Weather Gear:  (For ME!) - I got a full GILL Foul Weather Gear set (bibs/jacket) for $30.  These set retail upwards of $400. 

There is, of course, a lot of other things that we need to get.  I have followed a lot of the advice provided by the S/V Totem Family Blog (link is to their blog posts tagged "Cruising Prep").

Purchases, such as these, make me feel like our family's cruising dream WILL become a reality.