My Fellow CD Captains...Each year we have a Flotilla in early December to celebrate the holidays and entertain the onlookers in our Christmas-by-the-Sea fesitival. Then the boats stay ablaze with their decorations and lights through to New Years day in what we call a "SitStilla". With icicle lights draped full around the boat on the lifelines and pulpits, and red, white, and blue lights strung fore and aft to the 32" star raised to the top of the mast for a patriotic Christmas tree, MADNESS III "Sat Still" in her slip until the appointed day....1/1/2002 (a very frustrating experience considering the weather we've been having the past few weeks)! So the main halyard was lowered, star and lights secured & bagged, heater & shore power disconnected, the engine started and checklist completed, verification that the good "Captain Morgan" was aboard, and set sails for a good yet "brisk" 2 1/2 hour sail in the mouth of the Cape Fear river, joined by 5 other boats of sail. This is the tradition here in Southport - "We start the year as we wish to spend it"....SAILING! I must admit that the new larger dodger we had recently installed was much appreciated by my first mate & partner, Miss Dale Hampton, along with crew member Tom Pentescu! But we were on the water, and IN NO WAY SARCASTIC....I was thinking of all of you up north who must put her "on the hard" for the winter and wishing I could have taken each of you with us! Yes, we are expecting snow accumulation here in Southport today, and yes, I believe it's going to be a cold winter, but on every day of sunshine and semi-warmth...we'll be out the On-the-Water. Dale and I wish "your winter be short, your spring early and warm, and your hulls wet soon" in this New Year of 2002!
(p.s. If I can figure out how to do it, I will try to post a few pics of the boats during the SitStilla in the next couple of days.)
Full Sails and Calm Seas,
Chris Schnell & Dale Hampton
s/v MADNESS III, CD30 #235
Southport, NC
swabbie@compaq.net
Southport Tradition and New Years Message
Moderator: Jim Walsh