A SWAP MEET IS A SWAP MEET... is a swap meet is a swap meet, right? Right, for the most part. You're likely to find great kid clothes and dishware and old vinyl albums and other interesting day-to-day life stuff. But swap meets don't all arrive in one flavor, and definitely not when they reflect their region or environment. Ski swap meets are probably few in Phoenix, Arizona, and big trade-'em-up sales reflecting a wide-open pursuit, say horseback riding, aren't going to happen in the heart of a metropolis. So you can probably guess where a swap meet dealing with all things oceanic might take place: Next to the water. Here in California that water is the Pacific, and Santa Barbara Harbor happens to host a happening swap meet each year that focuses on the pleasures and necessities of boating. The swap meet happens just as the weather is nicing-up, and sailors are thinking of venturing out. If this is you, and you need gear, then set sail -- or drive in the land vehicle of your choice -- for the harbor, and Marina 3 parking lot, on Saturday, May 10.
THE NAUTICAL SWAP MEET: Called a "unique and popular event," this to-do, which is organized by the City of Santa Barbara's Waterfront Department and the Harbor Merchants Association, is on its eighth yearly outing. It for sure stays so popular because, in large part, a lot of sea-nice stuff can be found for songs. Think kayaks, boat parts, fishing gear, outboard motors, and just about anything needed to festoon a floating vessel or make it work better.
AND THE PRICE OF ADMISSION? Free. More money for you to score something nifty and needed for your own boat. Weather's getting finer, so time to ready for those pretty afternoons out on the Pacific.
