Great report Larry!! Not so sure how much my navigation skills improved, though.....I think I just learned to keep my mouth shut and follow the pack! hahaha....and of course it was much easier keeping my mouth shut after I sent the nice FRS radio you loaned me to Davy Jone's locker :-( Just a few of the many things I learned on this trip. (1)not a good way to make a first impression on a new sailing buddy by deep sixing his radio (new one's on the way, thanks for being so understanding). Add to that that if his name is Larry......try not to call him Gary more than 10-12 times a day. (2) Next time I'm getting my butt kicked with a 150 up in WAY too much wind and decide to go forward and hank on a working jib I think I will leave the radio with 'Jo in the cockpit (rather than clipped to my harness). Not sure if I thought I might take some time out on the foredeck with around 100 square feet of sail flogging me to death to just call someone and chit chat or what!! Needless to say (if you weren't there)....I returned to the cockpit...Larry's radio never did. ugh! (3) Don't let the Eissens from Texas sandbag you into thinking that they are not ready for whatever kind of sailing you can throw at them. They are....... and their fixed keel M17......yeah, it's fast. (4) Better pay attention when sailing in the San Juans if you want to get to where you are going. More importantly...if you don't pay attention....don't second guess the guy that IS paying attention!!! hahaha (5) Any kind of sailing is fun. Sailing in the presence of like minded sailors (Monty Folks) is Great Fun. (6) Always use EXTREME caution when screwing the cap back on the holding tank of the Port-A-Pottie to make sure the gasket seals correctly. Don't ask me how I know this, but ......short tacking to windward in 15 knots, heeled 15-20 degrees, in the rain, is not the time you want to hear these words from your spouse who just went below..." Uh, I think something is leaking down here!" Oh yes, and don't spend much money on that nice throw rug for the cabin so you don't feel so bad when you "throw" it out! hahaha. And one more thing to add....After you've gone below and "fixed" the Port-A-Pottie the phrase you want to hear even less would be....."Uh hun?........ummmmm, ....I think it's leaking worse!" (7) Magma propane BBQ's and greasy hamburger meat (which was supposed to be "extra-lean") are not a good combination. In short order,thanks to the burning grease on the hot grill, you have you have turned your hamburgers into charcoal (that you can use to cook something else once you run out of propane). (8) The good news: Macgregor makes a powersailor that can carry up to 50 hp outboard on the back allowing anyone to get out and "sail". The bad news:Macgregor makes a powersailor that can carry up to 50 hp outboard on the back allowing anyone to get out and "sail". The best news: Swoose still has her bow rail and all her fiberglass after a komikazee high speed docking manuever by said powersailor! (9) When a 40' powerboat is attempting to parrallel park between your boat and another in about a 43' space...and the proud wife of the skipper is standing on the dock next to you as he makes his approach and says "Isn't she a beauty, we just got her. This is our first time out and we're not very good at this docking thing". Get ready!, cause things can get exciting REAL FAST!!!! (10) If you are going to tow your boat 1500 miles one way at highway speeds you might want to consider applying contact paper or something to all surfaces that face forwards. Or you can spend two hours like I did cleaning off dead bugs! Yuck! (11) Rick Agrella and his wife Melanie of the M23 Raven are shameless cheaters at Dinghy races and will ram you if necessary! Stay out of their way....they mean business!!!! hahaha (12) Dorothy and Eldor loaned us a book on tape for the trip home. Never listened to one before. It was really cool. Made the three days of driving go by a lot quicker. (13) The group makes the trip. The group makes the trip. The group makes the trip! Sunshine or rain...we enjoyed every minute of interacting with the group. (14) The biggest lesson was this. Yeah, getting ready for this trip seemed like a monumental task. It was worth every minute of prep time. Mark is talking about the possibility of Desolation Sound next year........Not sure if we can make it or not....but you can be sure I've already started saving gas money!! Thanks for all the hard work Larry! Sean and Jo M23 Dauntless
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