Windy April

What a windy month April has been! We did very little kayaking or boating, but still the days flew by. Now we are back north and guess what? It is windy up here too, only it is 40-50 degrees colder! We have tons of projects to do and are settling in, although we do tire a bit more quickly the past two days since our arrival home. It was a challenging trip back north with traffic delays and more gas stops and slower speeds due to towing the Mini-Cooper (which luckily towed great with the new tires and fixed lights on the dolly). Monday wasn't quite as bad as Tuesday, when it rained to add to the fun. We had taken a different route this time (I 84 to the NYS Thruway from I 81), hoping that the road wouldn't be as rough as I 88, but it was still quite bumpy and had about an hour back up getting onto it due to construction and 5 lanes going into 1, and more 1 lane construction several times along the way. We sure were glad to get home just before dark and all systems are up and running just fine. 

Before we left Jensen Beach, Dave went to one last car show with his friend Bill. It was all European vehicles and called 'Wheels across the Pond', held annually in Jupiter. He said it was absolutely amazing and way better than what he expected with all the brands grouped together, classic British Rock playing on the PA system, and even bagpipers roaming and playing throughout the event. He took lots of photos, but this is a better way to show you, by viewing the video below that he found online...

 https://youtu.be/48PzReXfngE

Now we are looking forward to all sorts of events up here during the spring and summer, starting with our first outboard swap meet plus the Washington County Fairgrounds Antique Flea Market this Saturday. Let the fun begin...with our winter coats on. 😉 

The Extreme Car Auction

Another bucket list event for our friend Bill was going to a Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, and there just happened to be one in Palm Beach a few days ago. He invited his sidekick Dave and off they went. General admission was $25 and that was just to walk around, but there sure was lots to see. It was 90 degrees that day and 89-year-old Bill didn't want to tire too easily, so they tried to rent a golf cart. Unfortunately, they had been reserved and sold out since January.  Leave it to charismatic Bill to convince the vendor to notify him if there were any no-shows (age and $20 helped 😉). A while later the call came, and they were set for the day. Amazingly, Bill also 'convinced' the person at the bidders only auction building, to let them in! What an experience for the guys. Below are some photos of the day including all the eclectic things you could buy outright for your mansion, property, yacht, or vehicle.

Why not add a helicopter to your yacht while you are there?

A 1963 Lamborghini exotic Italian tractor...

Bill contemplated owning a pre-war Rolls Royce limousine. 

This 1958 DeSoto Adventurer signaled the end of the big fin era, powered by a DeSoto Fireflight Hemi.

Bill stood next to a pair of just released Mercury Verado 600 HP V-12s. These are the largest production outboards to date.

The Barrett-Jackson company store where you could take home an expensive souvenir of the event...

The latest edition of the limited production Ford GT-40...

Massive in every way, this converted Ford Excursion was extreme.

More exotic statue art for your Palm Beach home.

Were you in the mood to furnish your man cave? 

This notice speaks for itself...

Here is a rear view of a new McLaren 720S. Look at that price tag!

50-year-old Honda Trail 70s have become a very hot commodity in the collector world. Dave saw a CT 70H cross the gavel for $7700 plus a 12% buyers and sellers fees!

Classic Japanese motorcycles have skyrocketed in value.

There was a custom made audio-video boom golf cart on site, ready for filming the pre-auction staging area.

The drivers who escort the vehicles across the stage in the auction had a meeting before the event.

Inside the auction arena, there are boomed video cameras recording the action and the bidders.

Massive screens kept the bidders informed. Note the currency exchange rates. Each car spent about less than five minutes on the block, from start to finish. Dave and Bill were there on the day that the vehicles sold for less than estimated $50K. Friday's auctions were to $100K and Saturday's were unlimited! There were about 125 vehicles auctioned each day.

The Barrett-Jackson mobile command center...

To sum it all up, the classic rock group Rush said it best..."Big money goes 'round the world!"