What We Do On a Friday Night
11 February 2014 | Tenacatita Bay
Ellen
Photo: The Friday night raft up also known as the Mayor's raft up.
In Tenacatita Bay it has long been a tradition that on Friday evening any boat anchored in the bay who so wishes, can bring the dingy in to Good Dog Beach and tie up to all the others who are attending. One or two of the dingy's drop an anchor to hold the raft up in position and everyone just ties on as they arrive.
We have a 'Mayor' here in Tenacatita. I don't know how Robert from the boat Harmony became the mayor but he is and has been for many years. He organizes various daily activities like playing Bacchi Ball on the beach, swimming in to the beach with an escort, playing dominoes or cards and of course the Raft Up.
Everyone brings an appetizer to share as well as your own drink of choice. Once it seems everyone is there the appies get passed from dingy to dingy and you end up with a mighty nice selection of things to munch on. All kinds of good food is there with salads, fruit salads, wraps, rolls, veggie plates, chips and salsa, lots of various cakes and cookies etc. It really is a meal especially when there are 20 to 30 dingy's in attendance.
Robert usually gives a short talk and then he sometimes asks a question and we go around the group with everyone giving their various answers to said question. Not yes and no questions but things like 'how did you get into cruising', or 'what is your best/worst experience with cruising'. It's a nice way to pass the evening and meet new people and get to know them a little bit better.
By the time the sun has set and it's starting to get dark the group breaks up for the evening. We are all a little fuller, a little happier and a lot richer in life experiences as we have shared our lives with others and them with us.
Many thanks to Robert the 'Mayor' and his lovely wife Virginia for their input into making life in Tenacatita just that much more interesting.