The commander, pulling a dock cart poses as 'Pseudo-Dock Boy'.

“There was this patch you could download for ‘Tomb Raider’ that turned it into ‘Nude Raider’” the commander said as we headed north to Kemah on Friday night “I liked that one” he continued as the twins and Savannah the elder played video games, which included the latest Laura Croft adventure in the back of the van.

We arrived in Kemah around 2300, and immediately found a dock cart to offload the crew of Olivia’s stuff and haul it down to Sean’s Pearson 365 (nee Full Moon). After stowing the gear and cracking open a couple of cold ones, lights were out by 0100 Saturday morning.

Saturday proper dawned warm and somewhat overcast with the occasional downpour that the Houston area is famous for, and after a great breakfast at Skippers with Sean, Pam, Richard and the ‘Senior Citizen’ (Ken), we hit the boat stores buying much needed items for ‘Div. New low stretch double braid for halyards and topping lifts, a new soft bosn’s chair, a dodger, a new jib bag (thanks Richard!) and various and sundry other stuff. We even went to a Barnes and Noble bookstore (Not all Barnes and Nobles were created equal) where I spent a great deal of time (and money) in the nautical section.

It was like Olivia’s birthday or something, and now I have a lot of work to accomplish. So much so that I should probably take a couple of days off and just do boat things… some things just take precedence.

Splitting our time between lots of folks, new friends were made including Troy and Deana on Different Drummer, a 37’ Morgan Out Island that I literally fell in love with. Immaculately and lovingly maintained, the boat is roomy as a cavern, with enough room to dance down below. Sean knows them as former neighbors when his 32 Choy Lee, Sea Pearl was moored at the now defunct Blue Dolphin Marina. I have linked their site in the side bar, so check it out.

An actual intention for the trip was to check out a 34 Columbia that one of Capt Seans friend is wanting to sell. Thinking that a deal might be had based on pictures that he sent me, and having actually seen the boat (albeit on a moments glance) I was curious. Photos can either hide flaws or they don’t do justice to the subject, in this case the former.

The engine was a mess, an old Yanmar of indeterminate age and hour, obscured in a filth of oil and leaking coolant from the heat exchanger that looked about ready to rust off, and that’s just the start of the litany of problems I observed in my short walk over. Soft decks, haphazardly repaired with bondo, scarred and cracked gelcoat, and who knows when the fuel tank has been cleaned out or whether there are blisters under the long overdue bottom paint. So rather disappointedly, I dismissed this vessel as another big project that I just wouldn’t have the time for.

Saturday evening we got together with the commander and crew, Gene and Kim’s brother Mike at the Kemah Boardwalk, pigging out at Joes Crab Shack watching boats exit into Galveston bay, afterward taking the kids to ride the roller coaster and other attractions.

Because Saturday night had been sort of a B-I-G time, I was rather taquache (for you non-Spanish speakers out there that’s pronounced tah-qwa-chay. A taquache is an opossum), and so it was almost eleven before we caught up with Sean again for breakfast. I left a pretty intact bottle of Ron Zacapa behind, aboard the Pearson in appreciation of his kindness, along with the following note:

WARNING! It is a violation of ancient law to mix this 23 year old rum with anything. If it is done, the Mayan god Quet’zal will appear and escort the offending individual to an obscure jungle Quek-chee pyramid where their heart will summarily be removed with a dull obsidian knife.

 Later I helped the commander with his hard dodger project aboard Ciclon. Sean, Pam, Ken and Richard had taken the Pearson out for a stroll when the phone rang.

“We have an onboard emergency out here!” Sean’s voice crackled over the phone “Ken accidentally mixed the Ron Zacapa with ice cubes before reading the note, and he’s real worried something might happen.”

I assured him that ice cubes probably do not qualify as an adulterant, but cautioned him to tell the senior citizen to drink the elixir before they melted and could be considered so…..

Leaving Kemah after a great lunch at the Beer Garden, we headed directly back to Latitude 26, arriving around 2200.

On the drive home I called to let Sean know that we had arrived OK and to get a sail report from his maiden voyage of the Pearson. It seems that a good time was had by all, especially by the senior citizen, who fell under the trance of Ron Zacapa and almost had to be escorted back to his Choy Lee. But that’s another story.