Well it wasn't an outright invitation but even I can spot a good opportunity. The email said "I was thinking of making spaghetti with clam sauce....hoped we'd be rafting up.....we'll bring the beer.....we could plan to share dinner."
The electrons could not travel fast enough over the internet. Yes, as my younger friends say, I'm up with that.
This was from Dawn, aka Sandybottom, and Paul, DanceswithSandyBottom, our travel companions for the Tag Team 200. Above you see Bruce, left, on Spartina as we rafted up with Paul and Dawn, at right, on Dawn Patrol in Bonner Bay on Day 2 of that really fun cruise.
I'll be heading down to North Carolina for a few days of sailing later this week. I've built up some comp time and need to use it. I had read that Dawn was talking about an Octoberfest out of Hobucken, NC for her kayak club. I shamelessly asked how I could invite myself to that. "Paddle a kayak" Dawn said, "I'll loan you one of mine." I'm not a kayaker so I, again shamelessly, asked Paul to get Dawn to invite some sailboats down for the weekend. Well OK, I heard, sailboats were welcome.
As it turns out the kayaking plans never worked out, but I decided to go for a weekend sail anyway and the crew of Dawn Patrol is going to join me for a couple of days. I can't wait!
We had great fun on the Tag Team 200. This will be a nice relaxing sail where we'll get to do something we were too busy to do on the last sail - take each other out for a ride on our sailboats. I can't wait to sail on Dawn Patrol - I spent a lot of time watching her sail on the last trip, my view was mostly of her stern. And of course I'll take Paul and Dawn for a sail on Spartina, something I've been trying to do since we connected back in the fall of 2009.
The only one missing will be Bruce. Last I heard he was somewhere on the other side of the world. I guess he'll have to hear about it after he gets home.
One thing I'm learning is the obvious - prepping for a long weekend trip is the same as prepping for a week-long trip. The only difference is the amount of food/supplies. But that's ok. It gets easier each time I pack the boat.
And the weather looks nice. A cool front should come through Thursday, then nice weather for the rest of the weekend.
The idea of being down on the sounds and bays of NC in the cool fall weather, with some good friends, sounds like a lot of fun.
steve
You suck.
ReplyDeleteI mean that in the best, friendliest way possible.
Seriously though, you've done more sailing in the past few weeks than I've done in the past several months. And you're going out again??
Sheesh.
I was out in the Chesapeake on Sunday, right off Stingray Point. No wind. Finally around 2:30 we got a little wind, and we ghosted back into the mouth of the Piankatank before the wind died again and I had to fire up the iron genny to get back.
Here's hoping for this weekend!