Saturday’s sailout started with heavy thunderstorms rolling across the entire Coastal Bend region early in the morning. Normally that would have been enough to keep most sane people at home, but the Weather Channel insisted the storms would clear offshore by around 9:00 AM. Against all odds—and perhaps against better judgment—we loaded up the gear and headed out in anticipation of that magical break in the weather.
Surprisingly, the weatherman was actually correct.
By the time we arrived, the skies were opening up and we began setting up for the day. Setup turned into a solid two-hour one-man operation. We hauled out the popup tent, tables, grilling gear, ice chest, and all the extra equipment we normally don’t bring. I sure missed having “Boom-Vang” along to help, but he’s tied up studying for finals. He usually makes short work of lifting heavy gear and pumping up the chase boat.
Joining us on the water were Commodore Mike Causey, William Ramlo, and making a welcome return, Jim Johnson. One of the highlights of the day was seeing Jim’s daughter and family come out to visit while Jim sailed with his grandchild nearby. That was genuinely great to see and exactly the kind of thing that makes these sailouts worthwhile.
Mike and I fired up the grill and cooked hamburgers and hotdogs—or perhaps more accurately, “burned” hamburgers and hotdogs. Either way, they tasted excellent to us. Food always seems better when you’re sitting near the water, under the shade, talking sailing and enjoying the afternoon with friends.
The water stayed absolutely glassy until around 11:30 AM when an entirely unforecasted west wind suddenly appeared. From there the wind spent the day slowly clocking around the compass. By about 3:30 PM it finally settled into the promised southeast direction which, from our location, creates nearly perfect windward-leeward sailing perpendicular to the bank. When that happens, the L Head becomes pure magic.
We never did get around to formal racing. Honestly, I was far too lazy to keep paddling around moving buoys every time the wind shifted. That’s a lot of chase boat work. Where was Boom-Vang when we needed him? 
Conditions started as light A-rig weather around noon, but by 1:00 PM everyone had settled into B-rigs, and that’s where we stayed for the rest of the afternoon as the breeze slowly built.
By the end of the day, Mike and I both agreed the popup tent was absolutely worth bringing. The shade made a tremendous difference and justified the extra setup effort. The grilling operation, while fun, may have been a little ambitious. Next time we may simplify things with sandwiches or tacos.
One final note of humor from the afternoon:
Mike brought out some very nice new folding chairs and quietly set them up beneath the tent. I took one look at those firm flat seats and built-in side trays sitting next to my old sagging bag chair and immediately began “temporarily” placing important items on his chair tray—phone, drink, keys, etc.—strictly for organizational purposes of course.
Then, while Mike walked off to launch his boat, I casually tested the chair.
Big mistake.
The thing was unbelievably comfortable.
At some point I became so absorbed in sailing and conversation that I completely forgot to give the chair back. I suspect a trip to Mike’s store for upgraded seating may now be inevitable.
All in all, despite the storms, shifting winds, and slightly over-charred cuisine, it turned into a fantastic day on the water with good company, good sailing, and plenty of laughs.
That’s what club sailing is supposed to be.