HINGHAM, MA - 9/6/12 - Despite having to reschedule this fall's Mini-Cruise due to the forecast, Bruce and Leanne Dyson reported that the Mini-Cruise to Hingham last weekend was a great time.  Perfect sailing conditions on the way to Hingham on Saturday and on the way home on Sunday were just the beginning of the good times had by the crews of the four boats that made the cruise.  Here's the full report:

The postponed late Summer 2012 Mini Cruise was a rousing success.  Although we only had four boats including Maia, Rival, HighC and Pleione - the fun factor was off the scale.  We left Marblehead about noon (except for a late departure of Maia) wind was 15 to 20, beam reach all the way to Boston Harbor Islands.  Speedos were seeing numbers as high as 8 knots, seas were almost flat with the Northwest wind, you couldn't ask for anything better.  We entered the Harbor Islands thru the West Channell and snaked our way through the islands into Hingham bay.  That was just the beginning of the fun. 

Pleione was the first to get on a mooring with Rival rafting to port and High C's to starboard.  Maia  arrived  about 45minutes later and rafted alongside Rival, so our four boat flotilla was connected on one hopefully stong mooring.  Appetizers were being prepared in all four galleys soon to find their  way to the cockpit of Pleione.  Good wine, great conversation, great friends, you couldn't ask for a better time.  An hour before sunset Commodore Williams and Vice Commodore Wehner and their wives arrived in one of the Hingham Yacht Club launches (they both have launch driver licenses) and the launch was rafted to High C's for the next couple of hours with more wine and more appetizers arriving with the Commodore's. Shortly after that a cake in the shape of an Eastern Yacht Club burgee arrived supplied by Gretchen Curtis.  There were 14 people congregated in the cockpit of Pleione and the stern was just a little bit low. 

The sunset cannon sounded, colors came down and unfortunately we had to break up the raft because four  boats on  one mooring would probably not work overnight.  The cake burgee was cut in four pieces and distributed and folks went of to separate moorings for dinner. 

Incoming Commodore John Wehner helped us arrange for free moorings and launch service  and   is very enthusiastic about having the Hingham Yacht Club visit the Eastern .   We  exchanged burgees and  have also   discussed  the possability of  a joint cruise early Summer to maybe Provincetown. 

The sail home on Sunday morning was equally as pleasant as the sail down on Saturday - 10-15 knots, beam reach, with speeds touching 8 knots again.  You couldn't ask for much better. 

It was a little disappointing that we only had four participants but schedules and circumstance certainly took its toll.  With the success of this Mini Cruise, I am sure the Mini Cruise format will only grow in popularity. 

Bruce and Leanne Dyson