WC Fall Gathering - Final Details

[cdavisdb]

A great time, thanks to all and the weather was just fine.


Friday night? What a food blowout! Fresh tuna, fresh clams, somebody had some fabulous smoked fish dip. Thank you Bill and Carla for hosting. Carla, you make outstanding salsa.

Saturday: beach food blowout plus. Moose brought the cooker, clams and some fresh grouper, cooked to perfection. No way you could get as good a meal in the best of restaurants, and the cooker even warmed thin blooded me up. To top it off, Sandy shows up with beef Wellington, with CSC carved into it.. Now, I'd heard the name, but never experienced such a fancy dish. On the beach? You got to be puling my leg. . . . Truly fine.

Could not talk Terry into taking the 21 offshore. I was very curious to see how it rides when it is bumpy. Heck, it was only 6 ft plus Sunday morning. Can't figure what the problem was. Anyway, had an opportunity to watch as the 21 ran in chop, across Moose's wake, etc. Very sweet, wait till you see the video. I was trying to take pics, so couldn't really watch the boat, but did see it cross the wake once. Very interesting. Most boats lift up and over a wake. The 21 pretty much goes straight through it. Next gathering, I think I'll steal the 21, get Melissa to drive and take it offshore.

Saturday was also diving. I got to go with Moose, a real pleasure to dive with someone of that caliber. And something that most folks don't know. The most important person on a dive boat is the driver. Its a lot harder than it looks, even when it calm. When its rough, with the wind blowing like stink and the seas getting into the 5 ft range, its 100 times harder. Add two divers with completely different styles(freediving and scuba) and it is harder still. Didn't seem to bother Moose (he knew who was driving) but made me a bit nervous and I was checking the position of the boat regularly. Every time, Melissa had the boat in exactly the right place, close enough to get to a diver immediately but out of the way, not too close. You have no idea how comforting that is when you basicly alone in the water, twenty miles from shore and know from bad experience how easy it is to screw up. Thank you Melissa.