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Click this link if you want to start at the beginning of our trip from
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If you want to see the story of our 2 1/2 year project getting
Blowin' Bubbles ready for our life on board click here:
FIRST "REFIT" BLOG ENTRY - March 2011

If you want to start at the beginning of our trip:
START OF TRIP - July 2014
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Eastern Seaboard Holiday...

A few days ago we left to have a little family vacation, but in agreeing to the vacation I had an ulterior motive, which was to check out the abundance of marine supply places in and around Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.  What a wonderfully interesting place...  We stopped at Defender Industries where we met some really helpful people.  While there we picked up some odds and ends but we also connected with an "outfitting" department who will set up a discount if you are purchasing enough product.  The discount varies and is based on the margin that they are making... Every little bit helps...  We then went to a place called Jamestown Distributors but had a terrible experience!  We spend almost an hour with a nice young man who was VERY helpful.  But when it came time to close an order worth more than $1200, they found no way to budge on their prices even though I had placed an order a few months ago that included a 5% discount on my next order!  In the end we walked out and I wrote to the president of the company who thus far has ignored my concerns so we placed the order with another company called Bargain Boat Parts.com, who, it urns out, were less expensive and had no problem agreeing to a deal... needless to say, I was really disappointed with Jamestown Distributors, but found another company willing to help out... it just goes to show, persistence pays off...



The really cool part of the trip though has been finding 3 consignment places who are FILLED with wonderful used boat parts at VERY reasonable prices!  The names of these places are: Mystic Marine Consignment, Wickford Marine Consignment and Newport Marine and Consignment. (you can find these places on the net) WOW, what great, friendly people who who clearly want to help you out.  They were able to find many of the things I wanted (needed) at prices that blow regular retailers out of the water!  While I realize some things need to be bought new, MANY things are just as good used! And that saved us a TON of MONEY!  Not to mention just exploring their stores was really fun!

We hope to return home next Wednesday so I can really get to work on the boat for the next few weeks while I am still on vacation.  I will be at the boat every day, so if any of you find yourselves with nothing to do and want to help out, give me a call, there is lots to do...  More later as I am now on "Vacation" with Kelly and Shelley in Boston exploring a part of the USA with an incredible history.  Yesterday we explored the USS Constitution, WOW what a boat! Too bad they wouldn't let me take any parts...  Cheers!

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