The Harem Crew rocks

Ahem…..

…….

…Ahhhemm! 

Which one is the squash? (hint - none of them, its a carved Halloween melon
Ask Barb)

.........

Testing…testing one, two, three….. four.

Hmmm, well it still seems to work….

……

Well, Hello!

Some of you may have been wondering where is Cress's voice in all of this on the blog. Where is the Captain!?

Indeed, maybe you haven't noticed, and that's okay, but I certainly have been wondering!

You see, I am the lone man on a boat load of four. All three of our crew are, shall we say, 'mature' women, each quite practiced in being in command all on their own. And taken together on a boat? Well, they practically don't even need a captain!

Ellen, Barb, Irena, left to right

They are impressive. They show up for watch at every ungodly hour and in every kind of weather, on time and in good spirits, dressed sensibly no less. Like a trio of Broncos they hang on and steer without complaint while the salt water runs down the back of their jackets and the boat bounces through the short Mediterranean chop. They take sailing orders without complaint or question, and learn quickly which of the endless ropes to cleat, release, pull, wrap, coil, etc… And -- this is what separates them from the more macho crew we have had the pleasure of - they also clean, tidy and organize below until the boat is in Bristol shape. And each meal from their galley is a feast fit for any time or place. They plan and shop up all the food, organize it in our fridge and freezer, and serve it up each meal with wine and we practically eat off white table cloths, almost.

And they get along. They stand watch together, cook together, clean together, do their toe nails together, talk, talk, talk, even sleep together (well not in that way of course, but you know how much more comfortable women are bunking in together). They flow. Doubtless you have pondered how seamlessly a school of fish cohere and move as a singularity, or the wondered at the way a flock of birds fly together, as if a single intelligence. And so we have it on Conversations. I suppose it helps that Irena and Barb are sisters, and that Ellen and Barb go way, way back, and that all three then share a common life history of Winnipeg winters and Whiteshell Lake cottage summers.  They practically finish one another's sentences! And, they are, perhaps, the best crew I have ever had!

Can one man manage?

Wuat's a guy to do?

So boys, a new standard has been set. Lyle, Mitch, Willie, the bar is high. The challenge formidable. When we go from an all-woman crew to an all-male crew to sail across the Atlantic in December from the Canaries

Irena will be there to witness our glory or our ignominy. Let’s show them how men!