Guess who’s coming to dinner?

It’s Friday morning, very early actually as it isn’t even 06:00 and I woke up thinking about all the details that need to happen to prepare for the upcoming SSCA Summer Solstice Gam coming up here in Essex in just a few weeks.  In case you are interested in participating and haven’t yet signed up, I urge you to check out this link for the latest itinerary.  It’s our third year and it’s going to be terrific.

My partner in this event George and I are very excited about how it’s shaping up and expect that it will be very well received by attendees and our best yet.   Well, I do hope that those attending the event enjoy themselves as much as I will.  I have been involved in planning many events over the years but none have been as fun to work on as this one has been.

In particular, I feel like we have a “dream team” in place for this year’s presenters. I say that it’s a “dream team” because it includes folks that I personally want to get in a room together.  Actually, it’s this sort of outcome that makes me want to organize events.  They say that “if you want something done right, do it yourself” and I have.

Chris Parker, the weather router, who’s name has probably appeared in this blog more times than anyone but Brenda will be flying up from FL to speak and Monty and Sarah Lewis, the authors of the Bahamas Explorer Guides will also be joining us.   I expect that these three have helped more cruisers successfully visit to the Bahamas than anyone else over the years.

And, speaking of “helping”,  Bill and Maureen of Kalunamoo who are in their second season cruising the Caribbean and are currently on the hard in Trinidad as well as Melinda and Harry of Sea Schell, who are freshly back from a two year “circumnavigation” of the Caribbean, will also be in Essex.   It was these two couples who took us “under their wing” and showed us the ropes on our first run south just three years ago.  Maureen made a point of keeping me in check “down boy, down”, but in the nicest possible way, to be sure that I didn’t overwhelm Brenda, a self described “cream puff”, on our first run south.   And the ever enthusiastic, and very “salty” Melinda, was our own personal “cheer leader” as we dipped our toe in the water as newly anointed “snow birds”.

It was the four of them that helped make the most out of Brenda’s birthday that year in FT Lauderdale when they hosted a celebration for her.  She was feeling more than a little homesick that day.   We had such a fun time.   This is the post that I wrote about that great day and our prep for our first Gulf Stream crossing. 

“So, how does this all fit with the title of this post Bob?”  Thanks for asking.  I’ll tell you.

Well, one might say that it’s this very group, the 7 of them, that helped make our run south and to the Bahamas as memorable as it has turned out to be for me and Brenda.  And, as we begin to think about what we will do this coming winter it seems fitting to bring them together for a sort of “celebrity dinner” at our home while they are in town for the Gam later this month.

And, to fill out the roster, I will also be inviting the senior editor of Sail Magazine, Chris White as well as he’s going to be moderating a roundtable on the ICW at the event.

So, there you have it.  Along with the Gam, the dinner will be a great “event” and just makes my point that if you plan events you can make sure that they are just the way you want them to be.   And now you can see why I am so excited about what’s in store.

So, now you know who’s coming to dinner.  It’s it just so great?  Yes it is.

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