Brothers Only Tip-a-Few: October 2008

[Nota bene: Submission by Blue Stache]

Dateline - Norfolk, VA; 10.10.08
Discussions of the Brotherhood
Chesapeake Bay Table, BOC, USA

Even in the world of this highly disorganized group, adhering to a set of eight Principals, gently treading under the direction of 'The Guide', and bound by a Love of the Sea, interesting discussions of opinions and observations on the minds of the Captain and Crew of the Table are virtually determined to result in “understandings moving forward”. The content of these discussions become totally irrelevant in the company of Brothers – and therefore not repeated here – in the familiar surroundings of O’Sullivan’s Wharf – home of the nachos, wings and ‘golden nectar’.

Interesting to note, but far from unusual, all were in attendance less four, three were on boats of one sort or another, either in-shore or off-shore, on their or others run south for the year, and one was administering to a visit by his mother (who, by the way, has already attended a Table event by sea).

High participation, friendly faces, and great discussions do however lead to understandings of significant import. This Branle-bas was no exception with the most meaningful understanding being that we would all gather again, this time with Captives in hand, at the home of Brother Floater and Sook Jacque on November 22.

4th Annual Labor Day Raft-up

Labor Day...the unofficial end of summer. But in the Chesapeake it usually signals the transition into the last third of the warmer weather sailing season. As in the years before, our goal for this last warm-weather holiday weekend is to get away from the usual short-haul venues of the Hampton Roads areas of the southern Bay. Mobjack Bay is always a nice stop, a moderate distance to travel and four great rivers to choose from. While the East River is favored by many, it is known to have a good deal of boat traffic - fishing, water skiing tubing, jet skis and the like - on holiday weekends. Instead the boats of the Table were directed to Schoolhouse Point on the Severn River. The raft was scheduled to form in mid-afternoon. Most of the boats left the southern Bay at about the same time which started the weekend out as a long convoy.

Over the years the Chesapeake Table Brothers have become expert raft builders; the protocol and dynamics of the boats are well known by all. We can form or break down a raft so quickly that it seems like a magic act to the residents on the shore. Since we do it so often, our raft-ups are more of a community reformation...the same boats put together in slightly different configurations at different anchorages.

This raft-up was no exception. By 4 PM all boats were accounted for and the afternoon appetizers started filling the table on the back of Orza. No one starved: there was enough food and desserts for a transatlantic crossing! Grog in various forms flowed through the late afternoon into the evening which all agreed was occurring far too early. But the sun left behind clear skies and a canopy of stars that can only be appreciated in areas removed from the cities. As the evening wore on, a small party of stargazers gathered on the foredeck of Orza to enjoy the late summer constellations.

On Sunday morning, a communal breakfast was served around 10 AM. Shortly thereafter, the raft broke: it was unfortunate but several of the attendees had to return to home port for other Labor Day commitments. Five of the boats - Fresh Air, Maraj, Papy Jovial, Talisman and Tardis - decided to stay into Monday. The masted boats enjoyed some sailing in Mobjack Bay, proper, before heading over to the East River. We moved well up the river...anchoring north of Put-In Creek to avoid the wakes of the small boats headed to and from the boat ramp slightly into the creel. With Orza gone, Tardis took the honors of anchor boat.

It was another first: Diesel our (chihuahua) grandpuppy was on board Talisman for his first Brotherhood boucan. But having no formal boat training, he still had to be taken to shore for potty duty. Brother Bui offered his dinghy for transportation so, off we went to the boat ramp at Williams Wharf. On the way back, at full plane, his registration plates flipped over and were not readily visible by the local Conservation Officer (formerly known as a Game Warden) who turned on the blue lights and pulled us over. Now many don't understand that the role of the Conservation Officer has changed over the years: they have the same power as a State Trooper. Unfortunately for Bui, his rapid speed had knocked over a can of Miller Light and the distinctive smell was readily detectable. Now, some brothers dispute that Miller Light qualifies as beer but the Conservation Officer was clearly not in that camp. He was concerned about brother Bui's ability to pilot his craft and decided a test of his sobriety was in order. After a stunning, show of dexterity, Bui, Diesel and I were released on our recognizance to return to the raft.

With the excitement of the afternoon past, the raft occupants settled into preparing for another meal. Afterwards, we retired to Tardis' bridge to watch the brilliantly red sunset and partake of the (demon) rhum. Shortly after dark, a anxious power boater, in a hurry to return home, threw up a wake that wreaked havoc with the raft, Brother Bui's molded plastic chair collapsed under him and he hit the back of his head against rail so hard that he lost consciousness. We scrambled to his assistance as soon as we regain our footing. Fortunately, the only damage was a large bump on the back of his head.

Monday, we broke the raft and headed toward the mouth of the river with the promise of enough wind to blow us home. Unfortunately, that promise was broken. We powered home the last half of the trip arriving with enough time to enjoy another nice meal on our water home before heading to our land based home.

Summer Solstice Cruise Week

[Nota Bene - I apologize for the inactivity of the blog in recent months...it owes mostly to new employment. However, everyone in the Chesapeake Table has the ability and is encouraged to make posts to this blog. The following entry is a compendium of two brothers on the Bay in June 2008...]

Summer Solstice Cruise Week (SSCW)! One of the highlights of our sailing season!! It’s an ideal time of the year on the Chesapeake Bay: The storms of spring with their cool northeast winds have almost gone and the heat of the summer hasn’t yet set in. Days are generally pleasant with temperatures in the mid-80's and some wind. Then, too, is the fact that the days are the longest of the year with skies illuminated in the northwest long after the sun has set.

It was against this backdrop that the crews of Talisman and Fresh Air set out to enjoy the lower Chesapeake Bay. It had been a solo trip for June and I until last year when we met up with John and Susan who were cruising with the Broad Bay Sailing Association. At that time John was being considered as an engagé to our table. It turned out to be a good encounter as it gave June and I a good chance to test their sailing mettle. They passed with flying colors and we discovered a couple that likes to cruise as we do: Late to bed & late to rise with no particular agenda other than to relax and get some good sailing in.

Shortly after our return in 2007, John became Jongagé (the engagé). Just a few weeks ago - not quite a year later - he became the Table’s newest brother which meant two flags would be flying during this year’s SSCW. We started out on Saturday with the best intentions to get under way early. As usual, there were too many last minute items left on the list. We left at noon and headed north to Mobjack Bay.

The wind, which had been promising all morning, promptly died once the sails were up. The motor re-engaged the drive shaft as we headed north. Then the change in wind direction and speed came from the southwest: the engine was switched off again. A heavy haze of smoke from wildfires in northeast North Carolina came north with the wind. Visibility dropped as the afternoon progressed and the acrid smoke assaulted our senses. We rendezvoused with Fresh Air on Mobjack Bay’s East River just north of Put-in Creek.This anchorage afforded good protection in all directions...a good place to be for the thunderstorms forecasted for that evening. It became apparent how much smoke had infiltrated the area as the sun fell to the west and revealed a dark red moon high in the sky. The promised thunderstorms developed an hour later. The temperature dropped nicely and ushering the heavy smoke out in a prompt fashion. We were rafted and fully immersed with the cruise.

The sun broke early on Sunday morning. We slept in. No one cared that the other sailboat and trawler that had been at anchor nearby the night before had weighed anchor sometime before we opened our eyes. The front that had pushed through the night before left us with gentle northwest winds. We pulled up the chain after one o’clock and sailed slowly down the river headed to Deltaville’s Jackson Creek. More of the wind was available for the sails as we emerged from the East River and headed southeast toward New Point Comfort. Blue skies, fair winds and a respectable number of crab pots were our lot for the afternoon. At New Point Comfort, we turned to the northeast as the wind started bending in that direction. The wind kept turning until the nose of the boat was into it. The motor took us into the creek for a late anchorage and, that night, a clear, pale moon, waxing gibbous.

Not wanting to waste another day, both boats motored over to Deltaville Marina to fill up on water and fuel. We managed to leave Jackson Creek early - at noon. Good southwest winds were available to sail our course around Stingray and Windmill Points to the Fleets Bay area. We agreed on an afternoon stop at Grog Island, or the feeble sandbar that remains. Only a few dead tree trunks are left of what once was a lush green island at this time of year. Definitely a victim of the storms that ravage the Bay. Tropical Storm Isabell was the downturn for Grog Island in 2004. Rising water levels haven’t helped since then.

Celebrating the life of Grog Island, we spent the late afternoon walking around its small perimeter and swimming off the sand bars that surround it. The haze and smell from the wildfires in North Carolina were again moving into the area, courtesy of the southwest winds. Thunderstorms were forecast for the evening so we pulled up anchors and headed into Poplar Neck Creek, just down Dymer Creek from Grog Island.

Just after setting anchor and forming our two boat raft for the evening, the dark clouds and distant thunder announced the evening’s relief. Wind gusts of 35 to 40 knots tore the anchor loose and we started dragging toward the eastern shore of the creek. The muddy shoals of the creek stopped us about 20 feet from shore where we sat ready to act if necessary. When the storm blew over, we recovered Talisman’s anchor and reset it. As we were settling in for the night, it started raining again. But temperatures were comfortable and the Carolina smoke had, once again, been blown away by the evening’s storms.

The cold front that had caused the evening’s storms ushered in a high pressure system that would dominate the rest of the week. Clear, blue skies and fresh winds from the northwest greeted us in the morning. After cleaning the boats up a bit, we decided to make our way to Tangier Island for the day. It had been a while since we had last seen Milt Parks, a certified character of the Chesapeake Bays and one of her oldest keepers.

Light northwest winds greeted us at the mouth of Dymer Creek. We raised our sails and navigated northeast, towards Tangier. An hour later, the true cold front arrived producing north winds of 15 to 20 knots. Fresh Air reefed her sails while Talisman did not. Both boats had adequate pressure for the passage albeit, Talisman had a little more heel.

As we pulled into the Tangier channel, it was apparent very little had changed since our last visit several years ago. We didn’t call ahead because Milt never monitors VHF channel 16. Occasionally you can call him up on channel 72 but that is also a rarity. His modus operandi is, "We’ll be here when you get here...no need to call." He came out to meet us and help get the boat into the slip. It was still blowing hard from the north so extra lines had to be brought out to avoid chaffing and scrapping as the tide changed. At 76 years old, Milt is still healthy and viable. But his hearing is getting worse. For some reason, he always remembers the women better than the men. June had a good time talking with him about life on the island. She was saddened to hear that her favorite cat, Cry Baby, had perished in an outbreak of feline leukemia that had plagued the island a few years ago. It was late afternoon. Because of a late start no one had eaten lunch. Tangier’s restaurant do most of their business during the afternoon, when the tour boats from Reedville and Crisfield are in port. We decided a late lunch/early dinner was in order. We walked through the door at five o’clock and dined on softshell crabs. We finished around six o’clock as the "closed" signs were being turned outward in the restaurant’s windows. A quick stroll of the island’s main street revealed that reduced tourism had put some of the small shops out of business. The shops still open were displaying the same fashions and designs we had seen five years ago on our last visit. We returned to our boats in time to see a fiery sunset. The winds were tunneling through the channel from the northwest at 20 to 25 knots. Small craft warnings were up until 2:00 AM in the morning. It would be a rocky night.

Another late morning getting out of bed. The girls went in to town for a few nick-nacks while John and I made our boats ready for the cruise to Crisfield, MD. It is a short distance which had to be crossed without benefit of the previous days winds. As we got close to Crisfield, we were beset by horseflies: we were kept busy defending our flesh from these nasty insects as we made the approach to the boat basin. After setting our anchors in Crisfield, we went to town for another soft shelled crab dinner. As the sun set, we toured the wharf area of the town and inspected the new condominiums they have built there. The large structures have been built right on the waterfront and are prominent as you approach from the Bay. However, the economic downturn has seen just a small occupancy. Ice cream cones were purchased by all before a slow walk back to the boat basin. We thought a quiet night would be in order but were called to duty as a nasty thunderstorm developed right over our heads. After torrential rainfalls, the storms moved on and we settled in for the evening.

The next morning, we went back to Crisfield to restock on supplies and ice (John and Susan needed more Miller Lite). We took our time, finally pulling up anchor at 1 PM. The days destination was south to Onancock. Making anchor after 6 PM, we rustled up dinner and stayed on the boats for the evening. In the morning, we took the dinghy into the town docks and walked the shops. Ever the late cruisers, we pulled up the anchor at 1 PM and headed out. A report of a little wind turned out to be true. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to power our boats so the sails stayed furled and we motored across the bay to Milford Haven by way of the Gwen’s Island entrance.

We were on the back side of our cruise week so it was time to start heading south. We decided we would try to navigate the "Hole-in-the-Wall" channel between the Bay and Milford Haven. Not known as a friendly passage for sailboats, we left early - 11 AM - to make the most of high tide to shoot the shallowest portion of the channel. Thankfully, the passage was an easy one for both boats. Chisman Creek was our destination for the day.

It was Saturday so activity on the water was high. This isn’t a problem on the Bay but as soon as you pull into the Poquoson River, power boats and jet skis flourish, throwing wakes everywhere. We moved up to the junction of Chisman and Goose Creeks and made anchor for the night. Because we had left early, we had ample time to deploy the dinghy and explore areas of shallow water.

Sunday, it was - regrettably - time to return to port. During breakfast, we weighed our options of discontinuing our employment to stay out and cruise for the remainder of the summer but, in the final analysis, found this was not an acceptable option. The wind was blowing from the southwest bringing with it the hint of those distant wild fires. It gave us hopes of returning under sail but, alas, it started bending to the south as we made the turn around the Poquoson flats. We reluctantly started the engine, waved goodbye to John and Susan as they headed southwest to Old Point Comfort. Hours later, Talisman’s crew arrived safe and rested. During the week we had passed the Summer Solstice in the company with our Table’s newest brother. We were content with everything except the impending return to work.

Away with Jongagé

The name was fixed and the tee shirt had been ordered. The whole Table had been planning for weeks. Secrecy had been of the highest order: the engagé must not be aware of the proceedings that were pending!

The guidelines of the Table are such that inductions are now only done at sea. Despite howling winds (20 - 25 knts) and imminent thunderstorms, the fleet assembled as commanded by our Captain. Effects of the wind were lessened by anchoring in the lee of the naval base on Willoughby Bay. The boats were lashed together carefully.

The last brother came aboard just before 1400 EDT. The engagé was comfortably numb: completely unaware of the preparations swirling around him. The Captain surveyed his crew and gave the Sponsor the nod. The engagé was asked to stand. He was led away to secure quarters while the crew prepared for the ceremony. Once ready, he was brought before the battle ready crew and presented for full inclusion into the Table. After opening remarks by the Captain, the Sponsor addressed the crew.

"Captain, Brothers and Sooks: It is with privilege that I stand before you and present "Jongagé" to you for consideration as a full Brother of our table. In support of my proposition, I offer the following:

1. He has successfully ingratiated himself to the brothers of the Table during his tenure as engagé.


2. He has integrated well with brothers from other tables.


3. His Captive is of high caliber.


4. He has demonstrated his resilience and tolerance when plied with the demon rhum.

Therefore, pending his successful completion of the Final Test, I ask you now to verbally approve my proposition!"

The crew agreed. The Captain proceeded with the oath and review of the Octalog. But the Final Test still had to be completed before the status of "Brother" could be bestowed upon him. While timid at first, with grit and determination the engagé passed the test. Brother "Bui" (pronounced 'buoy') was then formally introduced to the crew. His smile told everyone of the pleasure in his surprise. His Captive was commanded to attend him so that she could be welcomed by the other Captives of the Table. The couple was hailed by the assembled crew and the celebrations began: cannon fire, copious amounts of (demon) rhum, andanadas and all forms of raucous behavior ensued well into the night.

It is with pride we announce Brother Bui (BotC-US No. 296) to the other Tables of the Brotherhood.

The crew regrets that Brothers Briese-Galets and Floater were unable to attend.

Memorial Day 2008 - Life is Good

For the past few years, we have held a Raft-up for the Memorial Day weekend. That pattern was broken this year as several of the Brothers were out on the high seas for the weekend. Knowing that, Brother Pilot decided to move his sponsored Tip-a-Few to the last weekend of the month when more of the Tables members could meet. So this weekend was ad-hoc: whoever, whenever and wherever!

For my Captive/First Mate/Galley Wench/Wife/Partner (she is all of those things!) and me, the weekend started in the afternoon on Friday as we left the slip headed for Mobjack Bay. Because we expected to meet some others in the fleet on Saturday, we decided to spend Friday night in the Severn River, near Schoolhouse Point. The sun set shortly after we settled the anchor in but, as often happens around the Summer Solstice, the sky stayed lit well after sunset. Only two other boats made anchor near us. One of the two was an express cruiser style motorboat, a type of boat not normally seen at anchor for the night.

We slept late, had a casual breakfast, weighed the anchor and hoisted the sails for a relaxed sail eight or ten miles away in the East River, also off of Mobjack Bay. Along the way, the marine radio cackled with the noise of the weekend cruising crowd hailing each other in anticipation of the holiday anchorage. It seems most of them were also headed for the East River.

As we pulled into the mouth of the river from the west, we fell in behind Pilot & Francine who had just come up from the south. The sleepy river was already active with visiting cruisers. After passing Williams Wharf, it was apparent that the river would be full for the evening. This is no small feat. By early evening four boats from the Chesapeake Table were assembled near Green "17." Some friends who lived on the river stopped to say hello and informed us that they had counted 89 visiting boats at anchor for the night! After the sun set, anchor lights illuminated the river adding another star field to the one above. Food and rhum were plentiful. We all toasted our privilege and our friendship. The beginning of summer was already bearing fruit.

Everyone moved slowly the next morning. There was no need to do otherwise. After consulting the weather oracle, we decided to move the fleet down the Bay while the winds were out of the north. Strong southerly winds were predicted for the Bay on Monday. Everyone felt being closer to home would be advantageous. (Capt.) Rocket Boy would be joining the rest of the fleet for the evening's anchorage in Back River. The wind kicked up from the northeast as we formed the raft. It opposed the current and the resulting chop rocked us until it clocked around to the southeast toward sunset. We felt we could live with it. As usual, a good meal and spirits brought the day to a perfect conclusion.

Sometime during the night, the wind kicked up from the southwest. We all awoke to the boats creaking and rocking with the wind. We were open to a long fetch from the Air Force Base. The wind and current were again in opposition and the ride was bumpy and uncomfortable. We cobbled meals together and made our boats ready. The raft broke down before 10 AM and the happy crews headed toward their home ports. It hadn't been an official Brotherhood event, but we were happy.

Life is good.

Brotherhood Business

Even the hard working, fun loving and somewhat brutal buccaneers of centuries ago had to occasionally stand down to discuss the business of their exploits: what would be the standard booty portion; who would be the Captain, Quartermaster, Boson, and other supervisory positions; what booty portion would they receive; and other questions pertaining to the business at hand - however nefarious that may have been.


Just as then, we have gathered twice in recent weeks to discuss the business of our Table. After the first gathering aboard the good ship ORZA, several of the brothers determined that too much (demon) rum and other spirits had been consumed before the business of the day had been discussed. After sobering, many found themselves unhappy about the decision.

Another meeting was called for May 6th when all the brothers who could, again assembled aboard ORZA. Unlike the first meeting, Brother Limey had returned from his far ranging excursions. His wisdom is revered by the rest of the crew and we welcomed his input to the dilemma at hand. Cruz's gracious Captive, Ann, had again provided a meal fit for hungry marauders! The Captain called everyone's attention to the evils of liquid spirits and implored his crew to subdue their urges until business had been discussed. We talked, we decided and then we drank. It was a good meeting.

April 26th Chesapeake Bay Table Tip-a-Few / Boucan

[nota bene: this entry was written by El Maestro and posted by Upwind]

Friday morning finds El Maestro in the kitchen blending various herbs and spices into a piquant concoction frequently referred to as “Mark’s Magic Butt Rub”, although it does have many other applications such as a hangover therapy poultice and solid rocket motor propellant. After vigorously massaging the butts in question with this spicy mixture they found themselves perched upon a metal grate being gently infused with the smoke of smoldering Hickory for many hours. The following day, in anticipation of consumption by a hearty bunch of sea loving souls, the meat just seemed to fall off of the bones only to be dampened with a flavorful sauce and scooped onto a plate alongside a pasta salad and coleslaw. Oh to be such a beloved butt.

It could not have been a finer day to have a Brotherhood of the Coast gathering. We were thankful for the presence of brothers: Piper, Upwind, Blue Stache & Sook Diana, Cruz & Sook Ann, El Maestro & Sook AJ, as well as guest Dan Scolaro and his lovely bride Jackie. The afternoon sky was clear with a warm breeze blowing across the pond, our local forecast warned of pending afternoon thundershowers but Aeolus was kept at bay until the late evening hours.

We enjoyed wonderful food and fellowship interspersed with a bit of storytelling and frivolity, no doubt inspired by blessings from Hoti, the patron saint of bartenders. We learned of Hoti’s presence from the literature and medallion attached to a bottle of Pyrat XO Reserve, a most wonderful and incredibly smooth cane based beverage that everyone seemed to take pleasure in consuming.

Sadly we missed many of our brothers due to travel and work schedules as well as the annual Trailer Trash Zaf being hosted by our Brothers in Texas. We did however fire a broadside in their honor and sent forth our best wishes and thoughts for them.

Thanks to all who attended, we enjoyed the day tremendously.

ORZA – El Maestro

Texas Trailer Trash Zaf 08

The Texas Trailer Trash Zaf has come and gone, but certainly not to be forgotten as it is most certainly one of the top brotherhood events in the United States. Captain Rocket Boy and brother Brise Galets were representing the Chesapeake Bay table, as one of the two tables (The Sun Coast table was represented by its immediate past Captain, brother The Crab) outside the Texas tables, to take part in this event.

Many aspects of this event make it very special and quite different from most of the other ones.
One of the key ingredients is that visiting brothers are staying not in hotels but in the homes of the local brothers. This allows for a very special quality of the relationship between local and visiting brothers, not to mention the fact that it also makes the event a lot more affordable, since you only have to take care of your transportation.
The other important factor in the success of the event is that it coincides with a major event organised by the city creating the possibility of tagging a boucan onto an existing event, the San Antonio Festival. It makes the whole week-end a very memorable one. Within that festival, the brotherhood has the opportunity to participate in the parade with their own float, and this is a lot of fun with the float quite popular with the crowd.

This year, there was a kind of a warm up, as Brise Galets was coming into town a little earlier than most, arriving on Thursday afternoon. Brother Kilo Pata Barrera, captain of the San Antonio table had organized cocktails and drinks at his Vineyard in Canyon Lake, where part of the San Antonio table have their homes. Brothers Pistolero, Tricky Dick, Borracho, (who brought a guest from San Diego, CA), Jofes, and their captives were able to join Kilo Pata Barrera and Patty to welcome Brise Galets.

The event itself usually starts on Friday night with a welcome dinner at one of the brothers home, and this year was not different. We all gathered at the home of brother Monty Python and his captive Audrey, who by the way is responsible for some of the better pictures taken during the event. This is always a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with brothers that have not met sometime for more than a year. This is also the time to put the final touch in the preparation of the parade in San Antonio next morning and give instructions for those joining the parade.
This year, the table introduced a new improvement in the organisation of the event, by making two vans available for transportation, bearing in mind that the table covers quite a large area, with some of the events taking part near Canyon Lake and others in San Antonio downtown. I was told the the table put on 750 miles between the 2 vans for the week-end. There were certainly very useful and never were idle for long.

Saturday morning is one of the highlights of the week-end with the Parade in downtown San Antonio. It seems that the crowd is eagerly awaiting the Pirates and their loot, and everybody keep asking for the beads. The canon on the float keep blasting away and the crew, led by brother Big Dog tries its best to frighten the crowd with their "aarrrrhhhh!!!".
The pictures available on the photo album of the San Antonio table speak more than words, so no need to say more.

Then comes the main course ! That is where the name of the event shows its meaning !
Everybody gathers at the place where brother Marquis de Sade used to park his trailer. The trailer is still there, but also a huge barn, which will be followed soon by a dream house, and plenty of space for a grrreat party.
Tons of food, including slow cooked chicken and barbecues pork, with Tricky Dick, Baby Bump, Jofes and Kilo Pata Barrera, making sure that there is too much food of top notch quality. I won't mention the drinks, since after 21 years as a brother, I am still to see a dry gathering of brothers. And John provided, as in the previous years, first class entertainment. All of that make that evening truly memorable and enjoyable.

Then, on Sunday morning, it is time to say good bye with Bloody Mary's and cooked breakfast, this year at the home of brother Dr. Jones.

If you were not a participant this year, you now know what you have been missing. See yall in San Antonio next year !

The photos are available in the photo album of the San Antonio table.

The Gathering After the Keys

[nota bene: this entry was written by Blue Stache and posted by Upwind]

The Chesapeake Brothers would not be denied!!!! On February 28th, the monthly Tip-A-Few took place back in old haunts – O’Sullivan’s Wharf. There were 14 Brothers, Sooks, Engage & partners in attendance – 9 of whom had just returned from another fabulous President’s Day Zaf in the Keys – well done down there folks!!!

Limey & Holly were still out putting miles under their keel, Boats & Tricia were ‘toasting' us from St. Martin, Piper was serving the public at the fire station, and Pilot & Francine were most likely suffering jet-lag from their recent travels – they were missed but not forgotten.

With many pitchers of the golden nectar, glasses of wine, trays of nachos, Chesapeake Bay wings, oysters Rockefeller, and warm hushpuppies, it was a great time to ‘catch-up’ with each other – and swap boat plans for the season which appears to be fast approaching. It seems that all of our vessels will be back on the Bay by early summer. When the check came, even that was a pleasant surprise – it was nice to revisit the home of some of this Table’s first Tip-A-Few gatherings. And best yet, it was just good to spend some time with our Brothers.

Our March Tip-A-Few is already scheduled and highly anticipated!!

President's Day Zaf (2008) - Part 3

I started things off well...making daily entries into the blog for the first two days of our excursion to Marathon Key. Then it ended. Perhaps I succumbed to the libations of the event and lost my focus. Maybe I was just too relaxed to care. I suspect it was somewhere in between. In any case, I wanted to return to the blog and complete the weekend before the memories fade into the din of winter memories.

The blessings of a large boat: We were all warmed up and, through the use of strategically placed name tags, refreshed on each others names. The Marathon brothers had an afternoon picnic planned for Saturday afternoon. With the exception of some of the host Table's brothers, transportation was to be by water. There was a slight problem: the Zaf was so well attended that the local brothers didn't have the necessary capacity to transport everyone. Fortunately, Orza, the exceptional power cat from the Chesapeake Table was known to be cruising in the south Florida area and had been confirmed for the weekend. With a small amount of arm twisting - and, I suspect, some libations - the Marathon brothers persuaded Cruz to press his vessel into service for the afternoon. Cruz and Ann were the perfect hosts and everyone enjoyed the ride.

An afternoon picnic (with no beer): With the majority of brothers and captives on Orza three vessels, including Golden I and Tee Time left Marathon headed southwestward to Bahia Honda State Park. When Orza gets weighted down, she can't always get up on a plane. This slows things down considerably. Golden I got out in front of everyone at +30 knots. Tee Time wasn't far behind but Orza was. The smaller boats got to the park's boat basin well ahead of Orza. It was probably better timed that way as they were able to disembark their crews who were able to explore and help set up the reserved pavilions.

Ever the reliable boat, Orza arrived about an hour later. Golden I was pressed into ferry service as the meat hit the grill. The zaf participants gathered lined up for food. Snapper King had a hard time keeping up with demand but, eventually, everyone was fed. Because of park regulations, no beer or alcoholic beverages were allowed in the park. Those of us that arrived on the smaller boats suspected that Orza's late arrival may have been planned to allow everyone aboard to get their fill before arriving. It remains a controversy.

The restriction on alcoholic beverages was about the only negative aspect of the afternoon. Those of us from the northern latitudes were thankful for the breezy summer afternoon. The water was warm and clear; and everyone took some time to enjoy doing nothing but communing with one another. Eventually, we had to leave as there was a dinner event planned for the evening.

Some of the crews changed for the return voyage. Golden I and Tee Time departed on the Gulf side of the Keys. Tee Time made and effort to outpace Golden I but as soon as Sparky caught on to Brillo's strategy, Golden I was given the spurs and cruised on by. Meanwhile, out on the Ocean side, Orza was miraculously able to plane up for the return voyage (remember that controversy I spoke of?). It was mid-Zaf and the brethren were at peace.

[To be continued and improved...]

President's Day Zaf (2008) - Part 2

Oh, the rigors of a brotherhood zaf: we finally got some sleep Thursday night. A deep charge of the personal storage batteries helped get us ready for the first official day of the President’s Day Zaf. With nothing formally planned for the day, some twisted member of our group suggested we go to Key West for the afternoon. "Wait a minute." I thought to myself, "Didn’t we just get back from there last night?" I voiced my question to the group. I was informed that this would be a good day for a Duval Street crawl. I couldn’t deny the pleasurable day that had broken over the Keys: lots of sun, a few clouds, reasonable winds and temperatures in the high 70's. "Alright." I agreed. "But I’m not driving today." The girls assured me that they were fine - even happy - to navigate and pilot the car. We left at 11:30 AM...back on the road, headed south.

We found a place to park and struggled with the cruise ship tourists on Duval Street. They were hungry and the restaurants and bars were hopping. We dined at the Cheese Burger of Key West. The waitress, an ex-cruiser, talked me into a double key lime margurita in a plastic pineapple complete with a slot on the top. The idea was to turn it into a piggy bank to start saving for my next trip to the Keys. But it was the fact that I could bring it back, anytime, and get a double margurita for the price of a single that convinced me to part with the $5.95 cost of the plastic pineapple. Before I left, I had it refilled. It was already paying dividends. I was already feeling its effects.

We made our way back to the west side of Duval Street and spent a few minutes sitting on the seawall, watching the boats and discussing how nice it would be to be down in the keys on our own bottoms. Someday in the future. Hopefully the near future. Back in the car, we headed north. We didn’t want to be late for the Friday night reunion at Steve and Lori’s house.

As we exited the car at Steve and Lori’s, we could hear the revelry of the brothers that had already arrived. Limey and Holly arrived as we did. We had read their accounts of the cruise south but had not seen them in five months. As soon as the door opened, we were welcomed by brothers from near and far. It would be a good night.

Lori was moving rapidly in her kitchen: double time this year as the help she thought she had arranged had not materialized. The food arrived on time but, she did not slow down for most of the evening. After most of the food had been served, she took some time to don her pirate gear to tell us about the costume party she and Steve had recently attended. Her red wig reminded me of Sherry from the night before but there was a difference: her new hair was red AND curly. She was HOT!

I was impressed by the attendance from the newest US Table. The new brothers from the Solomon’s Table were well represented. A stalwart group of rabble raisers from the Chesapeake Bay. I chalked it up to the good living of the Bay and reflected on what a good addition they were to the "‘hood."

We ate and drank well, once again confirming that, unlike the pirates of the late 17th century, no one ever starves at a brotherhood event. Shortly after the briefing on Saturday’s events, people started disappearing as "Marathon Midnight" approached. Our party headed to Orza, tied up behind Snapper King and Margie’s house. It is always the last party of the evening. After a nightcap, we headed home for some rest. Saturday was almost at hand.

President's Day Zaf (2008) - Part 1

"Are you feeling Presidential?” The Email came through from the Marathon Table in early January. My captive and wife, June, asked me that evening what I thought about making the trip in mid-February. We had traveled down to the event for three of the past four years. June has come to enjoy the mid-winter break; the warm tropical weather (although last year it only hit 62 degrees when we went to Key West!) And the clear turquoise waters where the Atlantic meets the Gulf of Mexico. But, I had just started a new job after a few years of unemployment and our cash reserves were running low. How could we scrape this together?

Then there was John (“Jongagé) & Susan Williams. John is the engagé for the Chesapeake Table and we were anxious to have him experience the Brotherhood outside the sphere of our local table. But Susan is in Real Estate and business has been bad. That is to say, their cash reserves were also running low.

June, determined to make this happen, started considering all the possibilities. Bernie & Margie had held one of their rooms for us but had given it up afer we had initially determined that we couldn’t make the trip this year. We called down to the Marathon brothers and found that El Chino still had no one staying in their guest apartment below their house. June booked the room and we formulated a plan for a kamikaze “land cruise” to the keys.

The week of the Zaf rolled around. John & Susan picked us up at our house and we left for lower Florida at 8:30 PM on Wednesday evening. We ran driving shifts through the night and into the next day while those off-shift got a limited amount of shut-eye in the back of the car. With about two hours of collective breaks, we made it to Marathon by 2:30 PM on Thursday. During the last part of our drive, we contacted the Cruz and Ann who were in Key West on Orza. (Capt.) Rocket Boy and Sherry were there with them. Excited to see them, we quickly showered and, refreshed, got back into the car for the hour ride south to Key West. It was still light when we got there but Sheila (Jongagé’s Australian speaking GPS) sent us to the wrong end of Front Street and we were having trouble navigating to the correct marina. With a number of calls, we found our way and reconnected with our other brothers.

As we were walking out to Orza we passed some trashy looking woman who, upon closer examination, turned out to be Ann & Sherry! They were in disguise having purchased wigs earlier in the day. Sherry was sporting a red, shoulder length wig which perfectly matched her skin color. She was HOT! Ann was a blond and, with her blue eyes, looked like Doris Day’s younger sister. They took us the rest of the way to Orza where we reconnected with Cruz and Rocket Boy.

Everyone was hungry so we quickly left for Pepe’s Restaurant, the oldest bar and restaurant in Key West. A faded exterior and sign that is the front of the establishment belayed it’s internal charm. Everyone was relaxed either from road fatigue or all-day drinking. The waitress, Amanda, was struggling to get us to focus on ordering with some consternation. We got through it, enjoyed the evening’s meal, and headed back to Marathon for some much needed rest.

Stay tuned for Part 2...

On a cold winter's evening...

[nota bene: this entry was written by Blue Stache and posted by Upwind]

After a couple week’s recuperation from the start of a New Year, the call came out from Brother Boats that it was indeed time for the brothers and sooks of the Chesapeake Bay Table to gather in celebration of our fraternity.

On Sunday, January 20, 2008, the first Tip-A-Few of the new year convened at the Flagship restaurant on the waterfront of Portsmouth’s Scotts Creek – it was another tremendous turnout. Limey & Holly were not able to attend – as they were continuing their exploration of the southern climes, AJ was missing in action, Piper was off protecting the citizenry from fire (but Maria represented him well), and Brise-Galets was traveling in France. Brother Cruz flew in from Ft. Lauderdale – leaving Ann & Jack to mind ORZA until his return – to join the festivities.

The company was superb as our little group of 19 initiated a new server (she did a great job) with plentiful orders of both food and drink. It is always a special time when sharing the company of our brothers and celebrating the uniqueness of the Brotherhood of the Coast.

February will find time for the Table to reconvene – many at the Keys Table President’s Day Zaf (with at least three on their own bottoms) and the rest of us somewhere locally. And as always, getting together to share in our good fortunes as Brothers will be highly anticipated.

A Brotherhood Year

[Nota bene: I’ve been working on this here and there throughout December and finishing it up in early January (2008). It is meant as a retrospective of the year just gone by...]

Brother Country Boy wrote a song titled "Brotherhood Day" that was featured on the CD published for last June's National Zaf in Norfolk. The song speaks about each of the U.S. tables (with the exception of Solomons Island which was not in existence at the time). It intimates the fabric of the Brotherhood that connects each brother to his table and the tables to each other.

As the year comes to a close, I was reflecting on Country Boy's song the other day. That is when I realized it has been a Brotherhood Year for my captive, June, and myself. Looking through the log of our sailboat, Talisman, it is evident that most of our boating was centered around our relations with the other brothers of the table. With very few exceptions, each excursion from our marina was to meet or anchor with another brother or group of brothers. Then there were all the days and nights the four brothers at Bay Point Marina, of which I am one, spent visiting with each other: Sharing a glass of wine or jigger of rhum at sunset, casual "come-on-over" dinners and, of course, helping out with the inevitable boat projects.

It started out in February with the land cruise to Marathon, Florida, for the President’s Day Zaf: a savage, non-stop excursion with El Maestro & AJ. Eighteen hours later we pulled into Snapper King & Margie’s driveway in need of a nap before the Friday night reception at Sparky & Lori’s beautiful house. The rest of the weekend was a blur. On the return, we broke things up with an overnight in St. Augustine.

All through the winter and spring months, we met constantly to prepare for our sponsorship of the U.S. National Zaf, scheduled to coincide with the Sail Virginia 2007 celebration in early June. Originally assigned to the Hospitality Committee, I spent most of my time as the recording engineer for the CD of songs that was distributed at the Zaf.

Spring arrived late, as usual, owing to the large bodies of water that surround our area and the fierce northeast winds sweeping in off the Atlantic Ocean. We gathered our boats together for the Memorial Day Weekend and initiated Brother Floater into our table and the Brotherhood. June and I finished up the holiday weekend with Passenjero John Williams and his wife, Susan.

Then it was June and time for the National Zaf! Almost one hundred brothers and captives came together to celebrate the Sail Virginia event and the anniversary of the nation's first colony at Jamestown. Almost all of the Chesapeake Bay brothers had their boats in Friday’s Parade of Sail: many of the visiting brothers and captives went along for the ride. Fireworks from the terrace of the Norfolk Marriott capped the event on Saturday night. That weekend also witnessed the passing of the helm of Chesapeake Bay Table from "Captain-for-Life" Blue Stache to Rocket Boy.

After the Zaf, Limey & Holly were making ready for a cruise to the northeast. June, I and some of the other brothers on "C" pier held a splendid bon voyage dinner party for them and hoped we would see them in the autumn as they came through the Chesapeake on their way south. Problems with the motor had them back the next day. Multiple repairs, false starts and at least three more bon voyage parties occurred before they were finally able to depart. But, the repairs took a number of weeks and their window for a northeast cruise had passed. They spent the rest of the summer months cruising the Chesapeake and were able to join everyone in Solomons Island in early August.

June and I spent the week of the summer solstice with (passenjero) John & Susan cruising the middle and northern peninsulas of Virginia. This is where I learned of John’s love of the sea. He had running engine problems but, unlike many sailors, hung in there throughout the week. I also discovered that there is at least one couple in this world that likes to sleep in while cruising.

After the July Fourth weekend, it was the Town Point Yacht Club (TPYC) raft-up. While not directly affiliated with the Brotherhood, many of the Chesapeake Bay brothers are members. Most of the TPYC members with boats are brothers so it looked like a brotherhood raft-up from the shore. It felt like a brotherhood raft-up and we ate as if it were one.

The next week, it was a brotherhood Tip-a-Few on the water (a raft-up) at Willoughby Bay sponsored by (Captain) Rocket Boy & Sherry. We discussed the upcoming trip to meet the passenjeros of the Solomons Table and decided it would be appropriate to promote John Williams to engagé so he could attend the event. Calls were made to get everyone’s approval and by Saturday afternoon, John had become "Jongagé."

The blur of weekend events continued the next weekend with the Crab Regatta at Rebel Marina, where a number of brothers keep their boats. It is one of the premier boating events in the Hampton Roads area and was attended by most of the Chesapeake Bay brothers.

The first week of August brought a road trip to Solomons Island to meet with the eight passenjeros of the forming table and orient them to our fraternity. June and I took Talisman up the Bay on a magical summer night and arrived at the pier of Snapper King & Margie sixteen hours later, in need of a nap (deja vu?). After a day together with the pasenjeros, we discovered they could hold their rhum rations and found them all to be worthy. On our way home, we pulled into Dividing Creek for an overnight raft-up with Cruz & Ann. June and I were thankful for the evening thunderstorms that cooled the heat of the day and for our good friends who fed us after a long day on the water.

The second week of August seemed like the first weekend in a long time that was not scheduled with an event. But Talisman is our home on summer weekends and the weather was fair. I called a few brothers about a local cruise and raft-up and found Jongagé & Susan willing. We spent the evening in Hampton Harbor. Pilot & Francine stopped by the next day on Cat Nap for a short visit before we broke the raft and headed back to our home ports.

Two weeks later found most of the brothers at Bay Creek Marina on the lower Eastern Shore of Virginia for another TPYC event. That event was followed, the next week, by the 3rd annual Labor Day Brotherhood raft-up. This year we held it in Put-In Creek, a small tributary of the East River in Mathews County. This was a joint Tip-a-Few event sponsored by the crews of Talisman and Cat Nap. The high revelry (read: frequent cannon fire) of the event drew some annoyance from the locals who, after Saturday night, asked if we could cease and desist at sundown on Sunday evening.

The warm weather lasts well past Labor Day in the Chesapeake. The annual Bay Days event the following weekend found the crews of Blue Moon, Fresh Air and Talisman rafted together in Hampton Harbor for the event. A few weeks later found the same crews sailing in the vicinity of (the body of water named) Hampton Roads. Via radio, we agreed to an impromptu raft-up in Mill Creek where we shared snacks and liquid refreshments for a few hours before heading home.

The last weekend in September defined another Brotherhood weekend for June and I as we sailed down the Elizabeth River for a raft-up with Rocket Boy & Sherry aboard Blue Moon. We had wanted to spend some time with them as, for the second year in a row, they would not be able to head north with what has become an annual event for us: the autumn cruise up the Chesapeake Bay.

Four days later, Talisman left for points north. Our first stop was, again, the pier of Snapper King & Margie in Solomons Island. Upon arrival, we were informed we had 45 minutes to get ready for an emergency party: Brother Felix was in port with Magic. We were there an hour later along with passenjeros Pete Chabot, Smitty Smith and their wives. We left the next morning for Annapolis and the annual U.S. Sailboat Show. A number of the Chesapeake Bay brothers were in town for the show: Shanty was anchored in the harbor and Rocket Boy & Sherry had driven to the event. They spent the night aboard Talisman before heading home Sunday morning. Country Boy was working the show Sunday and Monday and was our guest Sunday night. Following a brief visit to Galesville, we stopped at Solomons Island and the pier of Snapper King again. This time we were invited to a dinner at the Solomons Island Yacht Club where passenjero Al Redfield and his wife, Cynde, were hosting the dinner that night. Passenjero Sonny Forrst and his wife, Charlene, were also there for the dinner. We left the next day, headed back to the southern end of the Bay and the finish line for the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race which had started that afternoon. Piper and his beautiful schooner, Shanty, were in the race being ably crewed by other brothers of our table. At Portsmouth, many of the brothers in our table gathered for the end-of-the-race celebrations. It had been a Brotherhood cruise.

As October grew older, it was time for another annual event along the Norfolk waterfront: the Festevent Wine Festival. Brother El Maestro had been working on Maraj all summer and was ready to take her to the event. June and I crewed her to the event and spent a great day soaking up the sun and wine. Orza was at the Waterside Marina with Blue Moon and Fresh Air rafted up across the river at the Hospital Point anchorage. June and I spent the night on Blue Moon and finished up yet another Brotherhood weekend with a fine breakfast the next morning.

November rolled around bringing with it cooler temperatures, northerly winds and shorter days. But there was no resting: in mid-month we were visited by the brothers from the Norway table and the magnificent tall ship - the Statsraad Lehmkuhl - they command and crew. Brother Dogwaes had boarded the ship in Bermuda to spend some time with his two sons (brothers from the Bergen Table) who are Captain and Executive Officer. After their departure, a reception was held for Brother Dogwaes and Swedish Navigator (who had traveled from the Florida to pick up Dogwaes) at the home of Rocket Boy.

The next week, the week of Thanksgiving, Heinz and Brigitte Scheel from the Tisch Lübeck - Travemünde Table of Germany came to the lower Chesapeake as part of their U.S. Brotherhood tour. Again, a reception was held at the home of Rocket Boy followed, the next day, by a water tour of the area aboard Orza with a compliment of Chesapeake Bay brothers as crew.

Then, with the full press of the holiday season, our formal gatherings started winding down as everyone pursued the events and errands preceding Christmas. But even then, we continued meeting and enjoying the company of our good friends, all of them brothers, in the lead up to Christmas: the dinner with Rocket Boy & Sherry; dinner and tree decorating at the home of Jongagé & Susan. The day after Christmas is the annual Tip-a-Few/Boxing Day event at the home of Cruz & Ann where we came together for the last time of the year as a group. Finally, Rocket Boy & Sherry, Jongagé & Susan and June & I came together one final time for New Year’s Eve festivities at the marinas of Willoughby Bay.

That is my retrospective of the year 2007. It was truly a Brotherhood year. But more than that, it is the definition of a lifestyle: the brothers of the Chesapeake Bay Table are first and foremost a group of good friends who enjoy each others company. Ultimately, that is the fabric of the Brotherhood - friends who love, admire and support one another through the common bond that is the love of the sea.