Monday, November 10, 2008

Our Next Last-Weekend-on-the-Boat-Before-the-Cold-Comes

Every year at this time, I wonder if this weekend on the boat will be our last before the cold weather comes. Last weekend I wondered…this weekend I wondered. But while I wondered, I enjoyed it as if it were.

Mark and Brenda invited us to a BYC “raft up” in Shamrock Cove. We took our time getting over there in the light winds. Finally we had the perfect downwind breeze for Bruce to use the spinnaker he had purchased back in May of this year. We flew it for the first time on Saturday. He was so excited to finally see it in action. I was so excited to bank a bit more sun to be used chasing away the winter blues.

We had a great sail over to Shamrock and were the 5th boat to arrive. There were 9 boats in all in the cove by nightfall. While we were waiting for SeaFlight to get there, Nancy and John from Turning Point dinghied over to invite us to “happy hour” on their boat at 5pm. We took a dinghy ride ourselves to check out the fishing possibilities but not enough was going on to keep Bruce entertained. Mark and Brenda sailed in just as we were preparing to go over to Turning Point.

We had a gift waiting for them. Bruce and I had personalized welcome mat towels with their boat name on them as a “Thank You’ for the Harvest Moon Regatta. I couldn’t wait to give them their gift, which or course, they loved. I hastily made up an offering of chips and dip for the Happy Hour and off we went.
We had a great time meeting new sailors (most of the time we’ve already met them somewhere…sometime…but my befuddled mind doesn’t remember).

Dinghies were parked at the transom and we were all piled into the cockpit and main saloon. We ate and drank a lot. It’s always fun sharing cruising stories with people who “get it”.

After we left Nancy and John, we had dinner aboard Sea Flight while watching the Texas Tech/OSU ballgame. Brenda prayed that Tech would lose putting UT back into the running for the national championship. (I have no Idea what that all means…Bruce is feeding me words)

Morning in Shamrock is always a special treat. Sunday was no different. Bruce pushed me out of bed in the cold so that I wouldn’t miss the sunrise. I was not disappointed. I bundled up on the deck with my “First Mate” coffee cup full of chicory coffee from New Orleans with a boost of Bailey’s Irish Cream. Aaahhh… my favorite thing to do.

When everyone else roused, we all migrated to Sea Flight for a morning “social”. Mark was the Host-with-the-Most… handing up an endless supply of Mimosas for the ladies and Bloody Marys for the men. Some boats had already left the cove as the weather was forecast to turn windy and everyone wished to make it home before the worst came. We broke up soon and saw the boats off one-by-one. We were the last to leave Shamrock as most of our sail would be in the protected waters of the Ship Channel.

Our sail back to Port A was rough at first as the forecast winds came on early in the day. Once we reached the calm waters of the ship channel, however all was fine. We doused the sails and motored as the wind was on our nose. We had an uneventful trip back punctuated only by a dolphin show as a tanker came slowly up the channel to overtake and pass us. You’ve just got to get a lift watching the sheer joy exhibited by the dolphins leaping before the bow wake of the huge ships. This was a perfect end to our “next last weekend before the cold comes”.

1 comment:

  1. Mom, I swear, you are a great writer. Your pictures always compliment your story so well. I have tried to emmulate that on my blog. I am just starting out, but I think it will get better with time. Once again, I find myself learning from you. Thanks for everything, Love Melissa.
    http://mel-thebestyearever.blogspot.com/

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