Interesting, isn't it? It's the sailing capitol of the world as long as your boat only has one hull. Dinghies and keelboats are what's up around here. The only dealership that had Hobie parts in Annapolis pulled them all and moved them to the Va location you mentioned. It was pretty painful dealing with either location, nothing useful was ever in stock and special order was excruciating - it always seemed that everything was always on back order. But, enough rant. I've found that there are dealers in other areas that are more than willing to take up the slack with service and a kind word. Mail order from these places is often quicker and more satisfying than trying to go over the shelve around here. Not to run afoul of the Ad Police, some of my favorites are Murrays, Sail and Ski connection (Myrtle Beach, SC), Performance Sail and Sport (Melbourne, FL), and Sailing Pro Shop. Ocean City has a Performance dealership, but that's a drive too. Fortunately, a lot of the nuts and bolts type stuff is available at the local stores - just don't expect to much from the help with cat info. Annapolis Performance Sailing is helpful, but again their forte is dinghies.<br><br>Keith Chapman, Annapolis, Md.
<br>H-18
<br>Northstar 500 (monoslug)
<br>WRCRA - www.wrcra.org