the 2009 Wayfarer Chesapeake Cruise
as recalled by Richard Watterson - 1
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André works on his pump as Brandon watches.  While testing the pump, André discovered that the screw that attaches the handle to the diaphragm had come loose and that he had to tear it apart.  He got it fixed but had to work a bit with his mounting system to get it all back together in the boat.
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I'm afraid I will have to be a little critical here of André's use of 2x4 segments
with mismatched colors for his pump mount.  He gets good marks for ingenuity but low style points.

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We launched at Crisfield and as Uncle Al has pointed out elsewhere, our trysail technique left a little to be desired.  As we set up in the parking lot, I noticed with apprehension the high winds and had visions of smashing into the dock at the Marina on the sail over.  I thought this would be an excellent time to try out my trysail.  I took the storm jib and attached the head to a slug that I purchased from (the now defunct) Annapolis Performance Sailing.  The eye strap was too big for my mast track so I had to put a smaller one on and drill and tap the slug for smaller screws.  The head of the trysail attaches to the strap and the halyard which raises the whole thing on the mast.  The problem is that the high winds pull quite a bit on the sail and the slug and make it hard to raise the sail.  Since I had never actually sailed with this rig before, Brandon and I dry sailed it in the parking lot and decided that we really did need a boom.  I attached the clew to the normal leech reef line but found that this was too wishy-washy to be effective.  I then decided to tie a short line around the boom to hold the clew line down at a point further forward on the boom (see the picture).  This seemed to work OK in the parking lot sailing test.  I planned on sailing with trysail alone over to the marina but as André and Al observed, it didn't start well.  As we moved away from the dock I tried to head up but couldn't because the centerboard was up and we had no lateral resistance.
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We got the centerboard down but could not point so I brought out the genoa and we seemed to do OK.  We practiced a bit in the harbor before making a run for the dock.  In a scene repeated throughout the cruise we approached the dock and finding our approach unsatisfactory I fell off and circled for another try.  We were trying to come around the rear of Jim and Linda H's Osprey and found some swirling winds that left us unable to make progress toward the dock.  After three abortive approaches we finally made it in with the aid of some last-minute sculling.  Whatever it takes!  Al's point about getting speed then heading up is well taken.  I also think that running with the jib up front and the genoa as the trysail might have worked better. 
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After getting settled in at Somers Cove Marina we headed over to The Cove restaurant to get the party started.
A round of drinks were delivered and the lively conversation was started.
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What are these things?  Torture devices for poorly performing crew?  It was finally revealed that Dick used these
to aid in holding down the boom tent when no other system of velcro or snaps were available.
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"You know, back when I started sailing, the sails were poor and we couldn't point very well;
we kept slaves in the hold with oars to start pulling when we had to go upwind or the winds were light."
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André is still making his point.

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Yes Dick. Bad joke, I know.
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A toast to a successful upcoming cruise!
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The Hat Ceremony takes place. Gary had given all cruise participants Chesapeake Cruise hats at Tony and Mary's the evening before.
Cruisers will have one star on their hat for each Chesapeake cruise completed.  Dick was presented with his hat at this time. 

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Next Dick was given his present by Gary.  This present was for all the work Dick has done
to promote the Wayfarer cruising over the years.
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André delivers a thoughtful testimonial to Dick.
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OK, Dick, time to put your hat on!

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After André's kind words, Dick gave us some highlights from his years of cruising Wayfarers.

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Now it was time for Dick to open his present ...
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It's a rigging knife.  What a thoughtful thing for Gary to do on behalf of the cruisers!
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The whole group, starting with Dick, and to his left Robert, Tony, Jim, Gary, Gary's son Brian, Jim's wife Linda, André,
Brandon (our newcomer to Wayfarers from San Francisco), Steve, and Jane.

- click here for full-size pic
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Some planning was done for next day's sail using the handy placemats at The Cove.

- click here for full-size pic
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Is André about to moon the group?
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No! He is displaying the words to the Wayfarer song so the group can sing along. 
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