First Race of the 2008 Season

On Friday, July 18th we finally mustered a crew and made it to the race course. The course for the night was our middle distance race, from a start just north of the Main Gap to the South Shore Bell Buoy and back. The conditions for the race were iffy from shore as there was no wind and it was hot, as soon as we motored through the North Gap, we found a cool SSE wind blowing at about 10 knots and calm seas. We had a good start, third over the line and held our way during the race and maintained a second place position in our division until the moment when we were about 1/2 mile from the finish and the wind stopped! We bobbed on the lake for about 30 minutes with the other boats, not making any headway and watching our masthead fly going around in circles trying to catch any semblence of a puff or breeze with no success. We finally decided to start up the iron genny and crossed the finish line under power to at least say that we finished the race. Shortly after, the committee called the race and all boats that were stuck in the calm (along with the B'haven), were awarded DNF's for the night. Still, a night on the lake beats a day at work anytime! Thanks to the crew of Katlyn, Hayden, and Dave for making the night a success.

For your enjoyment

From "What's A Hoy?" by Cap'n Drew Brown
Ten Boating Phrases That Sound Dirty, But Really Aren't1. "You really should see his Johnson"2. "She'll always bring you home"3. "I'm having a party down below"4. "She just let fly"5. "Pull this"6. "She gives a pretty bumpy ride"7. "Reach underneath and see what you feel"8. "She rides great when she lays down flat"9. "I think there's a problem with my lower unit"10. "She's holding a lot of water lately"

Newest B'haven racing crew member!

Congratulations to Laura and Jeff and the birth of the newest crew member to the B'haven racing team, Jackson Jon Stollenwerk. Jackson was born this morning and mom and dad and little Jackson are doing great.

April 29, 2008

It has been awhile since my last post and the time has been spent waiting for good weather to get the B'haven ready for launch. The weather has been our typical Wisconsin weather, upper 70's one day and then back into the 30's the next. In spite of this, I have been able to get the boat ready. The hull is waxed; the bottom has a new coat of VC-17; and the topsides have been cleaned of the winter grime from being on the hard. We rigged the sails on Sunday and set the dodger to keep the cold winds away and are ready for May 1st. That glorious day when we technically enter into another boating season and launch the B'haven. Of course, being in the water does not necessarily mean boating season has begun, especially for any of you that have or currently live in the great state of Wisconsin. It is only a hint of what is to come.....

Ode to a new season

The Vernal Equinox will take place on Thursday, March 20th at 12:48 AM CDST, which means it is now time to burn your socks! The tradition of sock burning dates back to the mid 1980's when Bob Turner, manager of Annapolis Boat Yard, became tired of the winter Blahs. He would spend the whole season working on other people's boats and would wear the same socks each day and by the end of the season, well you can imagine. On the first day of Spring one year, he took off his socks, through them in a paint tray, doused with lighter fluid, and toasted Spring with a bottle of beer while they burned.

Technically, us die hard boaters wear deck shoes sans socks from the vernal equinox until winter arrives, or in the case of my son, he never wears socks (but that's another story) . This tradition has been commemorated in verse by Jefferson Holland, the Poet Laureate of Eastport in 1995:

Ode to Sock Burners

Them Eastport boys got an odd tradition
When the sun swings to its Equinoxical position,
They build a little fire down along the docks,
They doff their shoes and they burn their winter socks.

Yes they burn their socks at the Equinox;
You might think that's peculiar, but I think it's not,
See, they're the same socks they put on last fall,
And they never took 'em off to wash 'em, not at all.

So they burn their socks at the Equinox
In a little ol' fire burning nice and hot,.
Some think incineration is the only solution,
'Cause washin' 'em contributes to the Chesapeake's pollution.

Through the spring and the summer and into the fall,
They go around not wearin' any socks at all,
Just stinky bare feet stuck in old deck shoes,
Whether out on the water or sippin' on a brew.

So if you sail into the Harbor on the 21st of March,
And you smell a smell like Limburger sauteed with laundry starch,
You'll know you're downwind of the Eastport docks
Where they're burning their socks for the Equinox.

In case you are in the area, the Annapolis Maritime Museum will host its seventh annual Sock Burning ceremony to herald the first day of spring today, March 19th at 5:30 PM EDST. http://www.annapolismaritimemuseum.org/socks.html

A New Era?

Well it is official, Brett Favre has retired and the sun did rise in Wisconsin this morning, so all is well. We wish Brett the best of times in whatever he chooses to do and now we must look to the future. We have seen that Aaron Rodgers has the skills and the ability to deliver, now we will see if he can get it done! You never want to be the guy that replaces the GUY, but Aaron we wish you the best of luck and we will be cheering for you come next season.

Packer Nation

Today is a low day in Packer Nation as Brett Favre announces his retirement after 17 years in the NFL! We all knew this day would come but have been dreading it for the last few years. We wish Brett the best of luck in whatever he chooses to do and it has been a great run for one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.