First Real Day of the Season 2006

This was an auspicious weekend! In fact, it was the 99th Going Into Commission Party for the City Island Yacht Club. It was great! Good food, good music, and of course, good company. It was a bit strange, however, getting dressed on the boat and stepping into the launch in a suit and tie.

Suits are not my thing. Really. Everyone who knows me knows that. So it was really unusual for me to wear it. But it was worth it.

This also meant there'd be 24 hour launch service for the season! And that, my friends, is terrific. No more buzz-kills swimming or kyacking back to the boat after an evening of heavy drink! No sirree, just saunter along the dock (nice and wide, new decking for the vertically challenged), wake up the launch driver, and try to tell them where your boat is without looking too foolish.

What a pleasure!

So after the party, I took the launch (did I mention, I could have taken it at 3:00am? Pick a time - I could take it!) to Inertia, and settled down for a wonderful sleep. The wind and water were just right, the temperature exquisite, all snuggly in my sleeping bag.

When I arose around 9:30, I noodled around, made some coffee, added a splash of solar powered refrigerated half and half, and listened to NPR. Around lunchtime, I closed up the boat, summoned the launch, and toddled off to the club for a bite of lunch.

After a terrific hamburger, I decided to go home to start work on Laura's dodger - I'm replacing the eisenglas on the sides and adding a new through-window port for her preventer. I've got most of the idea down, but am working on a way to prevent the preventer from wearing through the protector again and allow a flap to seal the hole when the preventer isn't rigged.

We'll see how successful I am. What I need is a bigger sewing machine, but I'll tax this one (a Kenmore) for a little longer.

Pictures when done!

The Memorial Day Weekend is shaping up nicely. Friends at different ports - should be fun! I'll probably go to the boat Friday and maybe sail to Connecticut to meet them.

Pictures when done, and more adventures!

See you on the water!