Update on Alizee's forestay incident...

As we reported in "Last leg to St. Petersburg" in April, we experienced what the Dophins Cruising Club calls an "inconvenient floundering folly" when Alizee's roller-furling forestay came loose at the foot on our sail from Key West to Florida's west coast.

In July, the Dolphins put out a call for candidates for the WIFF Award, given annually to the boater experiencing the worst folly of the sailing season.  As a newly joined member, I thought it would be fun to submit something, so I wrote up our forestay adventure.

We went off to Scotland and later France on summer travels, and I was stunned when at their opening-of-the-season potluck and general meeting -- the very first Dolphins event I had attended -- the WIFF Award was presented to me by John Lenhart, last year's award winner.  I was called upon to tell the story of our adventure, and then write it up again for the newsletter.  Wow, what a way to be introduced as a new member to a club of a couple of hundred sailors.

Penelope had decided not to drive over to St. Pete for the gathering, since we had just returned from France a couple of days before and she was too jet-lagged.  I chose to go because I had to flush the water maker on Alizee anyway, and it was a good chance to meet some Dolphins members.  But, I think Penelope was doubly glad not to have gone when I returned home with the trophy, which now has a proud place on our porch!