september cruise: the rendezvous
Dates: September 24 to 26, 2015
Roche Harbor Resort and Marina, San Juan Island
It's Rendezvous time for Ranger Tugs and Cutwater boats! Things are getting underway for three days of activities, socializing, and food and drink! With the guest docks at Roche Harbor filled with our boats (some 140 or so!), the conversations are non-stop.
Roche Harbor Resort and Marina, San Juan Island
It's Rendezvous time for Ranger Tugs and Cutwater boats! Things are getting underway for three days of activities, socializing, and food and drink! With the guest docks at Roche Harbor filled with our boats (some 140 or so!), the conversations are non-stop.
Mardi Gras is the theme this year, and boats get decorated in creative ways. We see everything from masks and balloons to mermaids and pirates. One boat even brought their own dock-side hot tub. We decorate North Star with Mardi Gras flags.
The blindfold dinghy race takes place on a cool gray morning. We do our part and manage to finish the course, not last, but close to it! Our dockmates, Sharon and Pat, do us proud and finish in first place. They take home a bright yellow inflatable kayak for their efforts.
Fun and games continue. There is a poker run where we collect five cards from various vendors in the resort. I win a prize for lowest hand (a tie with another boater!). A cornhole toss tournament lasts for two days. The winners? Sharon and Pat! We have the luckiest dock and dockmates! There is also a fishing derby, and some nice salmon are caught.
On the serious side, we have seminars to attend to learn about our Volvo engines. Another one offers tips on catching fish. Representatives from Volvo and Garmin visit our boats to update our software and answer questions. Our outstanding service team from Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats is on the job, helping resolve any issues we may have. And, the Coast Guard Auxiliary performs safety inspections of our boats. Of course, we all pass! (Our own Anne Cox is one of the inspectors.)
On the serious side, we have seminars to attend to learn about our Volvo engines. Another one offers tips on catching fish. Representatives from Volvo and Garmin visit our boats to update our software and answer questions. Our outstanding service team from Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats is on the job, helping resolve any issues we may have. And, the Coast Guard Auxiliary performs safety inspections of our boats. Of course, we all pass! (Our own Anne Cox is one of the inspectors.)
We visit with our dockmates, old friends, new friends, sharing stories and ideas and having a great time. Evenings bring social times for happy hour and dinner. The food is terrific, all of the menus revolving around the Mardi Gras theme. No rendezvous is complete without Bob's margaritas. We get to visit other parts of the resort for some of the events. The final gathering is the chance to don masks and costumes and dance to a really good band. (Thanks, Celtic Sun, for the masked dance photos!)
Before the final evening events, we all gather for the annual Rendezvous photo. The docks tilt a bit as we all line up along the edges! What a group! Can't wait to see the official photo! ( It won't look a bit like these.)
Roche Harbor is such a lovely place for the rendezvous. The setting just can't be beat, by day or night it sparkles.
Thanks, Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats, rendezvous committee, and Roche Harbor. It has been a stellar rendezvous. We don't want to miss next year's gathering!