Well, I successfully got through my first gig as cruise leader, now I simply need to write a seaworthy cruise report. Shouldn't be too difficult. There seemed to be reportable stuff happening all the time this weekend. Typical TMCA group!  I was however pleased with the turnout. Being the weekend after Labor Day, when quite a few people had cruised to Galveston, and perhaps other points, I had earlier feared (unreasonably, of course) that I could possibly end up circling marker #2 alone at the usual 0930 hour while everyone else slept late!  Not so, as we shall see.

Silhouette pulled out of her Marina Del Sol slip into a hazy, windless, already hot Saturday morning at around 0840. Deftly making her way out of the shallow MDS channel without touching bottom, she was followed closely by Robin's Nest, and then, a little later on, Spirit Horse. The motoring across Clear Lake was uneventful, and not at all unpleasant once we got the air moving by us. Robin's Nest even put up a sail, although without much apparent benefit.

Just barely having cleared restaurant row, to my port side I then noticed a strange site. There were several small fishing craft in the area of markers 7/8, but there was also a "fishing PWC" with a fisherperson aboard. Very peculiar I thought, until it suddenly dawned on me who this particular fisherperson might be, and then it didn't seem so peculiar after all! Well, fellow cruisers, it was none other than Captain Andy aboard his wave runner, tender to Manana. We waved of course, but not knowing quite how else to respond, just kept on going.

Continuing onward toward marker #2, we were joined by Le Grand Jour, and then soon met up with Nellie Belle, already circling around the rendezvous area waiting for "leadership" (pun intended) to arrive. This was apparently the first cruise in quite some time for these long-time members, and they
had never been to Bayland Park. OK cruise leader...do your stuff!

Our little flotilla veered off towards the north end of the bay, with those sails which had been hoisted mostly fluttering in a zephyr that just barely ruffled the water's surface. Checking in soon thereafter were AnnTicipation and Shorty VI. I of course didn't in any way need to lead those folks to where we were going, and it was nice to soon thereafter see them cruising on by off to our port. Actually, Shorty VI came within hailing distance, and I mean hailing without a hailer!  Captain Ed just wanted to see how we were all doing, and it was good knowing that he would soon be up there and assuming his dockhand duties helping to tie up us slowpokes.

We all negotiated the Bayland channel without incident, notwithstanding the askew markers. Claude the Harbormaster assured me later that these are about to be repaired. He didn't get into where the funding is coming from, but perhaps part of it will come from the $20 fee that Le Grand Jour was charged for a pump-out on their way in. Anyhow, we all got tied up, plugged-in, buttoned-up, and sun-shaded while awaiting the arrival of additional cruisers. They soon arrived and included Remedy and 24 Karat, and sometime after them, Granola II and Dreamboat. The crew of 24 Karat, Neil and Leona Pleasant are not yet members, but I hope enjoyed themselves enough to become so.

While Jay and Linda (Spirit Horse) took a long, and sweaty, walk (I don't think that they will do that again!) others paid slip fees and waited patiently for "Happy Hour" (sing it, Gary!) to start. And start it did, aboard AnnTicipation, thanks to the graciousness of Don and Ann Thompson. This generosity at least saved Silhouette from a possible sinking under the weight of a couple dozen celebrants. Thanks Don and Ann!
 

This might as well have been a recruit-a-new-member cruise!  Carlos and Amy, liveaboards on Amelia out of South Shore Harbor, had cruised up just for drinks and dinner, not even planning to stay over. I quickly convinced them that it was foolish to pay for margaritas at Ninfa'swhen you could join the crowd and get them for free aboard Anticipation. They quickly got the idea, declared that this was "their kind of group" and look like they will join our ranks immediately. Kerry, crewing aboard Silhouette, is another who is now convinced that TMCA socializing and sailing are a lot of fun and will be ordering a name tag at Friday's meeting.

Several land-yachters joined us in time for Happy Hour, including Sunday's Child, Patience, and White Lightning (sing it, Gary!). And later, during dinner, also Sola. Laura's guest, Andy, is a U.S. Navy captain, and our other guest, Udell (aboard Robin's Nest) is also a licensed captain.

We did have one more TMCA boat in attendance...well, sort of. As Happy Hour was winding down, L Sterling (that's "Pound") sailed into the harbor, did a couple of 360's, and sailed back out again!  Chris tried to hail them on Don's handheld, but to no avail. What was this all about Luke...practicing
penalty turns for the start of Harvest Moon???

Dinner was enjoyable as always and relatively uneventful with the exception of Ed's (that's Dreamboat's Ed!) (don't want to malign the other Ed's...) "chair incident."  I won't go into details here...you can ask him about it on your own. Suffice it to say Ed, that it seemed to be a pretty shameless way to get copious quantities of free margaritas out of Ninfa's!

"Mudslides on Remedy!"  What a nice ring that has. And we're all sure going to miss it, and them, and Remedy's crew when they leave for points east and north next month. Thanks Ed and Marion!
 

Sunday dawned still hazy, but with a breeze!  Yeah!  Who cares if it is out of the southeast!!  Some crews shared some breakfast, and most everyone watched Sue Knippa for awhile as she, hands inside baggies, dabbed white paint into the hull seams of Granola II. And Hank...never saw him!  Guess it is the captain's prerogative not to do "paint." Another morning exercise was done by a committee helping Le Grand Jour retrieve their shore power plug from a cannibal dock socket. It's nice when you have people aroung to help! Back on the water, with everyone scattering across the bay!  I did hear a conversation between Linda (£ Sterling) and Sue (Le Grand Jour) with Linda trying to explain their ghostlike appearance the night before. They had given up the cruise to entertain house guests, but the entertainment included a run to Bayland and back.

Silhouette motored as far as Red Bluff point before raising sails and spending the rest of the afternoon on the bay, regaling the crew with salty stories of TMCA events past, reflecting upon what a nice cruise this weekend had been, and generally thoroughly enjoying the wind and the water. I'm pretty sure that we were the last boat back to it's slip. Anyhow, thanks to all for being there, and for making my first cruise leader's job look easy. I look forward to the next one!