Spring time is to Sailors as Christmas is to Kids

When Mark inevitably pooh poohs the last item on my list as being frivolous and unnecessary, I shall remind him of the useless big plastic owl he purchased to chase away birds (his issue is birds, mine is food remains). And the useless metal spider. And the useless platform he built for the useless spider.....

How do I know Spring is here? I can tell the season is upon us by the arrival of vast amounts of catalogs from Defender, Fishery Supply, Jamestown Distributors and West Marine. These things are the size of that ancient artifact the Yellow Pages. Apparently, Spring is to Sailors as Christmas is to little kids. Remember when you were a little kid and the Sears Christmas catalog would come and you would spend hours carefully circling the most coveted of toys in hopes that Santa might bestow one upon you? Its kind of like that, except in Spring and unfortunately the Easter Bunny is not filling my basket with goodies so for the most part, the following is just a wish list. So here's my wish list.

• Leisure Furl in Boom Furling The one thing I covet above all others, the one thing Mark is adamant we will not get. I understand his point. When I checked pricing, I was given an estimate of somewhere upwards of $16,000. That does not include the new sail needed. I did not accidentally add a 1. That is a LOT of cheese. Still, based on the experiences of a few friends who have them and have cruised extensively with one, this is what I dream most about. Being able to reef from the cockpit single handed on any point of sail? Able to use a fully battened main? No need for a sail cover? Emergency ability to drop the sail manually? Yes please! *sigh* Yeah, $16,000. You can buy a whole boat for that. *again with the sighing*
• Harken Battcar System Since a Leisure Furl is out of the question, my second choice is the Harken Battcar System. it solves a lot of the issues that the in boom furling does as far as making it easier to reef, raise and douse the main sail at a much gentler cost. 
• Comfort Seat Yes, we have cockpit cushions but they do not provide back support, like to slip underfoot when sailing and are bulky as all get out to stow. Definitely putting these on the must have list. Sunbrella fabric, 14 reclining positions, carbon steel framen, completely foam encased so you never feel the frame and they don't take up a lot of room when stowed away. Yes, West Marine has a wildly popular seat but they sure are bulky when folded.
• Oceanair Skyscreens We've already decided to get these, just not quite sure how to install them yet. Are they the cheapest option? Nope but for a clean, uncluttered look in the cabin and to not have to yet again find a place to stow other insect nets and shades seems worth it to me. If we had to we could get by with one in the forward cabin and one in the salon but having all out hatches finished with these will keep the ferocity of the sun and bugs out of the boat which when you sail in the subtropics, well lets just say you develop an appreciation for these features.
• Zarcor Companionway Doors I can hear what Captain Perfecto will say "They don't match the teak!". True Captain,  but they prevent you from cringing every time the girls forget how to open our bifold door and smash it into the open position. Plus, no need to wrestle with insect screen when at anchor.
• Cockpit Table No need for super pricey teak tables, we have kids. Plastic is just fine.
• Stern Perch Seats Kind of spendy when you think about what you are actually getting but I have thought about my burning desire to install 2 of these every darned time we go sailing.
• Lewmar Folding Wheel This is on my definitely getting list. We have a small cockpit. We have 4 people. This is a need, not a want.
• Vesta Dshwasher And you thought I was going to put the Splendide washer and dryer on the list. Nope. I will wash clothes by hand with a bucket, plunger and washboard happily but if there is a way for me to avoid washing dishes by hand nonstop I am all for this. I will wash your smelly underpants, I will wash diapers and do head maintenance  more happily than I will touch your food remains. I also have issues with touching raw chicken. Just...eww. You know Mark will never go for this, right? Maybe if I can tell him how little water it uses to get the job done...

There is nothing on here that we need but this isn't about need. We have a budget and as time marches on and the refit expenses grow I am paring WAY down on my wants. All I really want is to go sailing and that is definitely on the YES! list.