After much anticipation and email planning, we’re heading to Desolation Sound for a week of sailing with friends. One is an experienced captain, so we’ve bravely signed up for a bare boat charter. (He’s also a former crab fisherman!)
Compiling our shopping and “must bring” lists has been an adventure in its own right.
We’re foodies, so the generic provisions stocked by the charter company don’t appeal to us. Instead everyone will bring food and special ingredients from home, supplementing them with fresh meats and vegetables purchased locally. Or crabs we catch while sailing offshore.
Some of us don’t sail on a regular basis, so we’ve had to shop for non-marking boat shoes. In the process we’ve learned that the boating apparel industry focuses primarily on men, with few real choices for women. What’s promoted for women as boat shoes, more often than not, are moccasins designed for fashion rather than function. Finding and then buying grippy boat shoes (rather than fashion moccasins) on short notice has been a challenge.
We face a 30-degree temperature range in British Columbia, from highs around 80° to lows in the 40’s or 50’s. With weather that spans late summer to fall, from sunshine to rain protection, packing lightly is almost impossible.
We’re techies, so our electronics list is daunting. Beside DSLR cameras, binoculars and marine specialty items, we’re bringing:
- Solar battery chargers
- Sine wave inverters (for DC to AC conversion)
- Smartphones and e‑readers
- Chargers for multiple devices
- Bluetooth keyboards
- Garmin GPS navigation devices to get us to the marina in time for our map briefing
For leisure activities we’re also bringing:
- Yoga mats
- Snorkeling gear
- Kayaking gear
- Birdwatching resources
And foul weather gear, just in case.
Wish us luck!
Sadly, my new deck shoes are fuchsia. Not my preference, but the only grippy boat shoes available online in my size. Why is it that male-oriented brands default to offering women’s versions in pink? When will brand managers wise up to the fact that women are more nuanced and sophisticated than little girls?