October 14-15, 2006 Marin Yacht Club Cruise

(If you like, you can skip down through the prose and go straight to the pictures below!)

Cloudy skies Saturday morning gave way to a sunny and warm October afternoon in Marin. The Marin Yacht Club is a great place to gather - after carefully staying in the arrow-straight, but shallow - two-mile entrance channel. But everyone made it without touching bottom, and eleven Islanders nestled into slips for a great weekend. With the addition of land yacht arrivals Ron & Karen Damsen, the fleet was an even dozen. Here's the list.

Also cruising in were the power fleets from Sacramento and Pittsburg, and we all joined forces for cocktails and Bocce Ball along the canal in the afternoon sun. Power boaters also know how to cruise in style, and the hors de oeuvres table was loaded with goodies. Kids, dogs and fun ringed the Bocce Ball court as players, "coaches" and onlookers cheered their favorites.

Marin YC is renowned for their BBQ pit which is almost a room to itself. firing up only one quarter of it was enough for all of us, and the steaks, shrimp, kabobs, and even mushrooms sizzled over the coals. What with lights and counter-height tile, there was even a place to set down a glass of wine while dinner cooked. One of the Sacramento members cooked up a whole bunch of steaks, then shared tender and juicy slices served with onions and blue cheese -- to die for!!!

Dinner was enjoyed on the glass patio, with a buffet table that seemed to stretch indefinitely. Dips, salads, pasta, veggies and entrees spread in profusion, hardly leaving room for the great desserts. Commodore Shea exercised his cooking school skills (a birthday present from Rhonda) by donning blue gloves (probably not part of the culinary training) and making pizzas on the grill from scratch. All who got a taste raved about them.

But it cooled quickly as the sun went down, and while some headed straight for their bunks, a hearty band gathered on Vanishing Animal for a traditional game of Uno. Newcomers to the game included Jim Higdon and Stephanie, plus (somehow!) Barb Henderson. Old timers Rick & Sandy Van Mell, plus John & Nanci Melton and Art Fowler quickly taught them how to play. Even though the guys won three rounds, the gals managed to beat the guys by winning just two rounds, the first and the last.

Even with all this play, Teak got her last walk and everyone turned in before 2230 for a sound night's sleep. A clam and cloudy Sunday morning saw boats leaving at high tide between 0845 and 1030.

Many, many thanks to Smokey and Laurie Stover for once again organizing a great weekend. And, a great season of cruises too. While these all seem to come off so easily, there are phone calls to be made and problems to solve in getting dock fees and meal plans sorted out in advance. We've been very lucky to have Smokey and Laurie, and their Cruise Coordinators do this work for us all year - it's really appreciated.

Pictures by Bill Higdon, Barb Henderson & Rick Van Mell. Click on images to enlarge, click "Back" to return.

Blockbustrer heads north...	Stephanie, Bill & Jim	Nice breeze	Here comes ...
Blockbuster	Vanishing Animal	Approaching Marin	Channel Entrance
Blockbuster & Zenith lead power	Sandy & Teak are happy	Front range marker	Marin YC ...
Nanci welcomes us to ...	Marin Yacht Club ...	and sign # 2	and flag.
sightseers	big boats	Dock ends	I-36 flags
Stephanie & Jim with Sandy & Teak	Vanishing Animal	Freedom Won	Blockbuster
Kindred Spirits ...	ready to party	Smokey & Laurie	Miss Kryptonite
Luna Sea & Evanescence	Up close	Dan Knox & Art Fowler	Tranquility
Miss Kryptonite is child ready	Lean Times ...	& smiling Commodore Shea	Zenith looks great
Flag flying	Tammy & Paige	Art Fowler & sister Bev	Dock crowd
The party grew!	Teak is mellow	Ophira arrives	Followed by Mischief ...
Kathryn & ...	Charles	Gary watches	Ophira tucked in.
Still there!	Rees, Laurie & Paige	Cocktail Hour ...	Great view, ...
including San Rafael Bridge	Marina view	Steve tends a BooBoo for Paige	Happy smiles
Bocce Ball time ...	Paige tries it ...	Stephanie & Jim watch ...	Kathryn has style ...
Rolls close.	Nanci's turn	(John Coaches!!!)	Stephanie's not sure
Happy dogs ...	OK, enough for a while	Wonderful dishes ...	and good conversations ...
hardly time to eat	Barb takes a sip of ...	Canadian rendezvous treasure	Karen's on the ball
with Tammy Kent	Charles & Art	What's for me?	Rhonda & Tim
Good scene ...	with flags	Great BBQ ...	Lots to cook ...
Betsy does shrimp ...	flambe!	We'll drink to that!	Getting done ...
A flip here ...	a peek there ...	Hummmmmm ....	Cheeseburgers coming up
Kabobs	Onions & Blue Cheese - yum	A terrific chef!	Happy Kents!
And Pat too	Table of bounty ...	and quantity	and variety
right to dessert	doesn't get any better	Karen & Ron's burgers arrive	Here to you all!
Gordon and Maureen Howard	and Barb Henderson	Tammy Kent	Commodore "Blue Hands" Shea
makes pizza on the grill	Ian & Rhonda enjoy it.	"Delicious," says Betsy	Smokey gets dessert
Rick teaches Uno ...	and the gals win!	Zenith departs	Freedom Won heads ...
for home ...	from a great weekend.