It was a year ago this month that “Dock Lines …,” the journal, was conceived.  I did not actually start the journal until April because I was much too busy in March to implement my ideas for my journal and get it all set up and working.  It was not just a case of procrastination, I now realize.  March is a busy month for me.  However, here we are once again and, busy as I’ve been, I feel it’s time to pause and catch this journal up with what’s been going on in my life.

 

Trenton has moved to Oregon to rejoin his mother and father.  In the last post that I talked of Trenton, I made a huge error when I typed that he would leave March 22.  I should have typed February 22.  I did not go back and correct it as I did not realize the mistake until days later.

 

We have heard from Trenton several times since the move and he is fine and enjoying new friends and his new home.  His mom and dad are doing well, he assures us, and he is happy.  He is well ahead of the other children in his new class I am told, so his new school is not too hard of an adjustment.

 

His departure took quite an emotional toll on our household.  It took a few weeks to get used to a routine that did not revolve around a seven year old.  We have adjusted now and are doing fine.  I am sure Trenton will let us know if he needs us in the future and all any of us can do now is pray that the little guy has a good life ahead of him.  But, yes!  We miss him dearly!

 

A new season approaches at the marina and there has been much doings getting ready for it.  We are in the process of dredging out the marina to make it deeper.  I’ll fill you in on that project in an upcoming post.  This week I want to share with you the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Deep South Regatta that was held at our marina this past weekend.

 

This regatta is for Lightning sailboats only.  They are nineteen feet long and are manned by a crew of three persons during a race.  It is called a one-design race meaning every boat entered is of the same design.  This is the first stop on the annual Lightning race circuit each year and we try and kick off their racing season in a big way for them.  We are told continually that we are the best stop for them each year offering the finest facility and friendliest staff on the entire circuit.

 

Just to give you some idea of the circuit, the teams are from all over the United States, and one team even comes each year fromChile.  After Savannah, they drive down to Miami for a series of races the following weekend.  They travel up and down the East Coast each weekend for the remainder of the series each year stopping in places like St. Petersburg, Fl, Daytona, Fl, Charleston, SC, and Wilmington, NC.

 

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the event and we were expecting a larger than normal fleet of boats.  We were not disappointed.  A typical year will see thirty to thirty-five boats entered.  This year fifty-two boats crossed the starting line and our facilities were pushed to the max.  We handled it in stride, though, and the event went off flawlessly.  We were also blessed with some of the best sailing weather this event has ever seen.  Here is what the parking lot looked like as I arrived at work on Saturday morning.

 

 

Here is another shot taken from the docks looking back up at the staging area and flag pole.

 

 

By the way, if you go to the Lightning 19 Racing Association web site, you may see some of the same pictures on there.  The director of the association saw a CD of all of my pictures lying on a desk in the office and took it without asking.  I had transferred my pictures to a CD as a favor for the racing committee so that they could play them back on a big screen like a slide show during the cocktail party in the evening after the races.  The next day I was told no one could locate the CD I had left and I had to make another copy for them.  We later found out that the president of the racing association had seen it in the office and took it for the purpose of using the pictures on their web site. He commented that he had wondered why no pictures had been shown the evening before.   Grrrr…….

 

There is always a good hearted rivalry at the marina between the maintenance department and the docks department. Each year the maintenance personnel chip in along with our director of security to man one of the sailboat hoists at the marina.  We have two hoists, one is a one-ton hoist out on the end of a pier, and the other is a two-ton hoist at the edge of the sea-wall.  The maintenance folks do a great job each year and enjoy doing it.  Here is a picture of them in action.  Now, remember, this is the smaller hoist.

 

 

Notice how many maintenance people are required to man this station.

 

 

My crew is tied up at our power boat hoist and the fuel docks.  Look who mans the huge two-ton hoist each year by himself.

 

 

 

Yes, that is yours truly in much need of a diet running that giant hoist all by himself.  He, he, he…  I think I just got the last word in on that rivalry thing, LOL!

 

I put together this collage showing some of the teams prepping their boats.

 

 

 

I took way too many pictures to show here, but I want you to get a feel for the event.  After we launched all the boats, I hopped on a power boat and went out to join up with the fleet during the racing to get more shots.  I’m just going to end this entry by posting several of the shots I’ve chosen to share with you.  I hope you enjoy these.  I’ll be back soon to tell you all about the dredging project at the marina. In the meantime, take care!