Gremlins in the Snow
Last week, I managed to get a number of gremlins (inaccuracies) in the announcements, for which I apologise. The snow must have affected the brain cell! (If you don't know what I am referring to, I must have got away with it!)
This Weekend's
Club Programme
The club is open tonight (Friday) from 6 pm for the usual Friday gang and any others who would like to join them.
Big screen rugby dominates tomorrow (Saturday), with France v Scotland at 3 pm and 'The Big One' - Wales v England at 5.30 pm. The bar will be open throughout, together with food if you speak nicely to Graham between the key runs of play!
Valentine's Day Lunch
Despite rumours/reports to the contrary, the special Valentine's lunch will be served this Sunday (February 15), 12.30 for 1 pm, so you can extend your passion for an extra day. At the time of writing, some places are still available. Please book with May on 813595.
This will be followed by the Italy v Ireland game on the big screen at 2.30 pm and it is to be hoped that the Italian scrum-half play does not provide indigestion and apoplexy as in their last match! (Bergamasco sounds like a foreign spicy sauce to me). The bar will be open throughout.
News from Abroad
SSC member Tricia Crew reports from Cardiff Bay that there were 11 cruisers out last Sunday - "a brilliant sight with the snow covered hills in the background". (The picture quality reflects the conditions). My fingers have gone dead at the thought of it!
RYA Dinghy Show 2009
This show, which has been running for over 50 years, will now be known as The RYA Volvo Dinghy Show, in association with Yachts and Yachting and Suzuki. It takes place at Alexandra Palace, London, on Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8. We have always found this a good outing and well worth the trip, even though the venue is not the best to get to from here.
The website trailer for the event includes a comment from the ex-Fireball world champion and top coach, Adam Bowers, that a quiet boat is a slow boat! Is this a licence for helm to shout at crew I wonder? Perhaps the 'bluer' the airwaves, the faster you go! Can any SSC crews endorse this?
Nautical Nips
Following on from last week's nautical terms, Trevor has provided the origins of the much used expression 'shipshape and Bristol fashion' which refers to the fact that boats moored in the old Bristol docks used to dry out on an uneven bottom and thus if things were not stowed correctly they would finish up all over the place - not a safe prospect.
This reminded me of the first time we moored our long keel cruiser against the wall in Saundersfoot in a position (unbeknown to us) previously occupied by a much larger boat whose keel had left a trench into which we gracefully tipped when the tide went out!
Luckily, we refloated before daybreak, so our ignominious position was not seen by all - but our night's sleep 'on edge' was not the best!
Nip for this week is an aquatic poser rather than a nautical one, but still quite intriguing - what is unusual about a dipper -assuming you know what a dipper is? Cinclus Cinclus is a clue - hurrgh! some clue!
Skipper's Mate