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NEW WAGGONER EVERY YEAR?
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September 13, 2004. Here's an exchange of e-mails that addresses the importance of buying a new Waggoner every year.
--Bob Hale
Good evening, do you have an updated list of those marinas that have switched to VHF 66A? We are finding that our latest Waggoner has a lot of the marinas at 73, 78, etc., when actually they are on 66A.
Thank you in advance for your time.
Regards,
Tracy
Response
Hi, Tracy,
Good question. I believe our 2004 Waggoner has the correct channel for each marina. I contacted every one of them to confirm their channel. In many cases the marinas were unaware of Industry Canada's channel change effective January 1, 2004 and I had to explain it to them.
Do you have the 2004 Waggoner? If so, which marinas are incorrect?
Regards,
Bob Hale
Response
My apologies, our version is 2003 and we were wondering if you had a printout of those VHF stations that had changed in the 2004 issue. We hear that some of the marinas have not switched over and didn't want to purchase the 2004 issue when there will be more changes again for the 2005 issue.
Regards,
Tracy
Response
Hi, Tracy,
No, we don't have that information, except in the book.
People sometimes don't realize how many, many changes, updates and improvements are in each year's edition. At this moment I'm in the process of folding all my notes and other information into the upcoming 2005 edition. The hours and days go by, and there's still a long way to go.
Two quick examples: First, there's a nice new marina now operating in Desolation Sound. I've visited the marina and just finished a long conversation with the owner. Second, a popular Gulf Islands marina (with excellent dining) has almost completed replacing its old docks with new, tripling the amount of dock space. While much of the new space will be taken up with permanent boats, the guest space will be expanded considerably. Oh, heck, a third example: A longtime historic landmark marina up north has gone into foreclosure and its future is unknown. My notebook is thick with information, as it is each year, and there's another file folder filled with additional information.
These things go on and on and on. Compared with just about anything else on the boat, a new Waggoner really isn't very expensive ($19.95U.S.; $28.95Cdn), and it certainly pays to have the best information available.
People sometimes don't consider the commitment needed to produce an updated book every year. It's a 12-month project, reading everything in sight, attending meetings, visiting locations by car, including weeklong trips with motels, meals, ferry fares and so forth. Then there are the 8-12 weeks every year on the boat, visiting places that are unreachable by car. Boats, as we quickly learn, can be expensive to own and operate. Finally, there's the mid-five-figure (U.S.) print bill. To get the benefits of all that knowledge, effort and investment for $20-30 is one of the best bargains of the year.
Regards,
Bob Hale
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