The Sailing Club weekend trips have a familiar agenda, however this trip had a few twists to keep it interesting. We started with the pre-board on Friday evening, finding the boats at Haven Charters in Rock Hall clean, fit and ready for loading.   After the Skippers and First Mates checked the boats, all crew members loaded provisions and personal gear. We then had our last land-based meal of the weekend. Reservations were made at the Harbour Shack which allowed a choice spot on the deck with a view overlooking the marina and the benefit of a live band around the corner on the far side of the deck. The weather was delightful with clear skies and moderate temperatures which fortunately set the precedent for the entire weekend.

Saturday morning provided a day of sunny skies and mild winds. Skippers and First Mates did the boat check-outs with Haven Charters.   During Bob’s checkout of Legacy, Larry discovered a minor issue on Winnefox and asked Jackie if he could borrow her for a few minutes to help resolve this. Jackie, showing diplomacy, asked Bob if it was OK to interrupt the checkout for a few minutes and Bob agreed but jokingly added that he was a little concerned because Larry sometimes doesn’t return what he borrows.   Of course this was not based on any facts, just providing a little humor. Jackie showed her sense of humor when she returned stating: “Larry wants you to note that he has returned me”.

Since this trip was planned for sailing, there was no fixed destination for the overnight raft up. The Skippers met and discussed several alternatives, the choice being Bodkin Creek, just across the bay to the West. While the winds were light, the short distance allowed boats to beat or beam reach to get the best enjoyment out of the wind. Legacy did hit a lull just past lunch and when considering whether to drop sail and go for a quick swim, the wind picked up to about 8 knots and allowed us to get some more sailing in. Mia and the crew of Bay Poet discovered what happens when your boat has the best ground tackle for anchoring… you get to anchor first. This allows crews to prove to an audience not all ground is receptive to anchors and sometimes an alternative cove must be chosen.   Not a problem, Skipper and crew handled it quickly and found a great spot. After all boats were rafted and secure, most people decided to go for a swim to refresh before the evenings’ Hell’s Galley competition. We had a group of swimmers that after debating an attempt at a synchronized swim performance, decided that a singing swim would be more effective. Those remaining in the cockpits were “treated” to a swimming performance of Little Bunny FooFoo.

Hell’s Galley – Saturday evening

The Hell’s Galley challenge was to prepare a meal for six using a known main ingredient (chicken breasts) and some unknown quantity of various other ingredients and to plate the finished product within 90 minutes for judging.

After raft-up and a quick swim to refresh body and soul of each boat, the HG Pantry was set up on Bay Poet (center of raft).    The chefs from each boat each drew a card to determine the order of the choice from the pantry. Highest card drew first on the first round. The 2^nd round of choice was led by the lowest card and alternated likewise for the 6 picks. The pantry contained side dish possibilities, along with additions to the main entrée ingredient. Ingredients were limited and varied from asparagus to zucchini, making last minute adjustments to recipe ideas necessary.

At 5:20 pm all choices had been made and the chefs and crews headed to their galleys. The three judges were elected by their crews, as were the chefs. The judges Linda Baker, Jim Bruni & Steve Krakauer, were entertained on the bow of Bay Poet during the meal preparations. The amount of laughter coming from galleys indicated all crews not only participated, but had a good time! Three simple plates were provided to each chef and at 6:50 the finish bell was rung. Plates were presented to the judges identified only as meal A, B or C and each dish was introduced by notes taken by the ATL from inquiries made with each chef.

All the meals were inventive and beautifully plated. Judging was based upon Flavor, Presentation and Ease of preparation.

Winnefox Chef Julie Zuk, assisted by grill master, Ray Gray, presented a fantastic grilled chicken seasoned with cilantro and garlic, along with grilled asparagus & red peppers and sautéed shredded carrots.

Bay Poet Chef Randy Cooke, assisted by Sous Chef extraordinaire, Mia McCroskey, presented a French inspired meal (complete with menu in French) of an inspired salad of tomatoes & fresh zucchini with a champagne vinaigrette, potatoes aux Bay Poet, and chicken in a delicate orange sauce.

Legacy Chef Carole Daniels, assisted by Sous Chef and Muse, Anne McCormick, presented chicken sautéed with a zesty Caribbean cream sauce, a rice medley punctuated by the color of chopped vegetables and a spinach salad.

After what seemed like hours of tasting and discussion, the three judges chose Legacy’s entry as the winner and the prize of two bottles of good wine was presented to Chef Daniels. All crews then settled into the REAL main event of the evening…………enjoying a wonderful dinner topside with good company, while the sun sank in the west. Fortunately, there were some good tunes playing on the sound systems to help people forget about Little Bunny FooFoo hopping through the forest, scooping up the field mice and bopping them on the head!

Sunday began with a leisurely breakfast, swim and some sunning. Mia on Bay Poet rigged her traditional hammock.  On Legacy, the small problem of a clogged galley sink was quickly turned into a non-issue when Mary Ann stopped by and suggested using a wide ‘dip’ container as a plunger; the wide flat bottom flexed to provide the “action”. It worked instantaneously… that is one to remember as it is sure to come in handy again.   The forecast did not call for any great winds on Sunday so 2 of the boats took the opportunity to motor up Main Creek and view the houses. Once again the plan for the day was to pick a destination that was close enough to allow us to sail the bay on courses that provided the best sailing for the wind conditions. We were pleasantly surprised to find some great wind, from the southwest at 10 to 15 knots! Since we were going south to the Magothy River, this worked quite nicely. We did run into some lighter winds, but Bob on Legacy revealed his secret to wind control using common ingredients: peanut M&Ms. Merely toss the appropriate color over the transom to obtain results.   Yellow: moderate winds, Orange: strong winds, Red: NEVER use the RED!!! Green: calming… not certain if that works, Brown: finding land. Legacy had great success and had good winds on the entire trip to the Magothy River. Our raft-up once again was a success with dining consisting of appetizers like: hot wings, fine cheeses, shrimp cocktail, piña colatas, etc.    Most of the other boats at the anchorage cleared out on Sunday evening, leaving our 3 boats with a very picturesque Sunday evening and Monday morning. Someone described it as: a classic location, the best of both worlds, woods and wetlands behind us with a Tara-like horse farm in front – complete with white fences and a huge American flag!

The rain on Sunday night did not cause any concern and in fact, the skies cleared for Monday morning’s breakfast. The leisurely schedule provided plenty of time for some culinary delights and enough coffee was available to make sure everyone was sufficiently caffeinated. Alas, Monday is the return trip to Rock Hall and the beginning of the end.   The pace didn’t let up and we had another great day of sailing with mostly 15 knot winds. After the boats were returned and tidied up, several of us met at Durding’s Ice Cream Parlor – self rated as “Rock Hall’s best” thereby providing sustenance for the drive home!