16th Annual West Palm Beach Marine Flea Market . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

When I lived in south Florida, I would go every year to the Dania Marine Flea Market, to get stuff that I couldn't otherwise afford.
Yesterday, was the first time I went to the West Palm Beach Marine Flea Market and Seafood Festival.
It was bigger in terms of more booths, tents and vendors, but smaller, in terms of guys who actually had marine parts.
This is one of three block-long aisles:
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Don't know what Pearl drums have to do with all things nautical, but, Hey! I'm a Ludwig guy, so I didn't care! 
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Tons of fishing gear vendors. There was literally, a forest of fishing rods.
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They also had boats for sale, both new and used.
Made me wonder, though: 
Who goes to a Flea Market, with 30 or 40 thousand bucks in their hip pocket?!? 
Oh, right. 
It's West Palm Beach.   
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Dirty Little Secret of the tackle industry: They LOVE these shows, because they can sell un-taxed tackle.
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I was struck by the PVC tubes in the milk crate. Very clever.
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As if a marine flea market wasn't hectic enough, they also had a car show and a cheer leading competition going on at the same time, on the same grounds. 
'53 Studebaker Hawk and one of my favorite 50's cars.
They are rare, since so many of them ended up at stock car tracks, back then.
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There was a bunch of old cars.  Interestingly, most of them also sported "For Sale" signs.
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I need bow nav lights for the SCAMP, but I figured that dual light set would probably trim the boat down by the bow, significantly!   
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I have no idea what these things were.
Charcuterie boards, maybe?
High end fish filet cutting boards?
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I also need blocks for the SCAMP, but these are bigger than what I had in mind.
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SCAMP bling bronze port lights for a 5" glass and a 7" flange sell for 500 bucks; a little out of my price range.
So I was looking for antique bronze port lights, whose owners didn't know how much they cost.
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FOUND ONE!!    Unfortunately, it is big enough and weighs enough, to give the SCAMP a permanent list to port! 
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A bunch of big, heavy, anchors for sale.
Having to deal with big, heavy, anchors is one of the things that is causing me to have to down-size to a SCAMP in the first place! 
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I was also looking for a bulkhead compass; these were a little bigger than what I had in mind.
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And the SCAMP WILL have a compass! Heck, even my KAYAK has a compass!   
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Two more giant bronze port lights.
Mount these on the SCAMP and it would look like it was permanently on the verge of going down, bow first.
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They also had a Seafood Festival going on, as part of the event.
In all honesty, I would estimate only 1 out of every 10 food trucks, (out of like, 50) was selling sea food.
Since I was practically down in south Florida again, I thought I would get me some conch fritters.  (Nearly non-existent, in Gainesville.)
Last time I had some conch fritters, they were rather less than the 5 bucks per fritter these guys wanted, so I demurred and instead, got a lobster roll, for less money than an order of conch fritters cost.
Is the World going CRAZY?!?!?   

So why drive all the way from Gainesville to West Palm Beach and back?   
At these marine flea markets, they usually have booths that sell off-cuts of line and cordage.
I got ALL the lines the SCAMP needs (except for the lazy jack lines) for roughly 18 - 25 cents on the dollar.
I also got a good deal on 16/2 electrical marine wiring. It was the end of a spool and was 40 feet, which is exactly how much I need, and at 29 cents on the dollar from West Marine or Boat Owners Warehouse.
Best of all, I found a vendor selling used mahogany boards . . . . . . by the POUND.
Friends and neighbors, there are NO exotic woods within 2 hours of Gainesville, Florida, so I was happy to see some.
4 bucks a pound, mahogany. 
I got future gunwhale rub rails, anchor line rub strips and cabin top hand-holds for 15 bucks, and all they need is a little sanding and sawing to fit.
I had previously priced out the necessary wood, at roughly 85 dollars.

Also just missed some equally spectacular deals. 
I will eventually need about 500 bucks worth of storage hatches. for bulkhead 3 (2 large hatches) and the 2 cockpit bench seats.
I saw one large and one regular hatch being sold for a song, but I needed two of each and there was only one of each and I didn't want to risk not being able to match them with a later purchase.

Factor in fuel costs and the 10 dollar admission and I STILL averaged 35 - 50 cents on the dollar, having to buy that stuff at West Marine or Amazon.
Worth the trip, methinks.

Charles Brennan

[Krusen]

Enjoyed the pictorial tour of the venue.

Nice clean Northhill anchor in that anchor pile.  I had three of those over the years.  Good ones with clean galvanize are rare up here.

Gave one to my friend for his 29 foot cruising boat.

Sold one with my Mac 22.

Broke off the rode trying to break one out after setting it well.  Failed to circle it several times to catch the upper fluke before brute force from directly above with 12 hp diesel.

Taking careful account of impending wind direction and tidal action, I have never failed to hook bottom quickly, or break out while at anchor.

KRUSE'N, boatless now.

[Norm L.]

Grand tour as usual. I guess flea markets don't draw nubiles in Daisy Duke shorts so no perv pics.

That hinged wooden block is pretty rare and a collector would probably pay around $175. My other marine stuff I would pass on to you but it would give you some stability problems. I've given most to a maritime museum in Providence but still have a few things too heavy to ship. In 2022 I drove up an SUV full of heavy stuff.

BUT, if you are interested I have a Richie Helmsman HB-741 bracket mount 3.75" still in the box that is available for you at a TSBB discount.

49 and 61 at Gee mail.

[Timm R Oday25]

Oh boy ... Charles my pockets would have been significantly lighter after just passing a few vendors .. We go to some rather large car show / swap meets every year. I walk the aisles ..because you just never know .. Thanks for bringing us  along