Fairhope AL, 2

Ambler Isle
V and S
Fri 17 Jun 2011 14:22
June 16, 2011
Went to yacht club office this morning to sign in and present our Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club burgee as a gift.  This yacht club extends membership benefits to people from other yacht clubs, including free dock, low cost meals and drinks, and the pool.  This is called reciprocity.  Pat, the office manager offered us the use of her car for the day. We could run errands in the town.  Stopping to chat with members who were already milling around the club at 10:30am, we passed a little time.  On the way back down our dock, we saw Taffy and Louis, a couple we met last night.  They were coming for a boat tour of Amber Isle.   Soon Jackie appeared for her tour.  While they were visiting, the Napa Store told Valt the Shell Rotella T engine oil he'd ordered did not come in.  Due for an oil change, we needed this oil.  Louis offered to drive us to Mobile to pick up oil from a supplier he knew.  We called Pat to tell her we would not need the car today.  Then we piled into his van and went to Mingo Energy Co.  A tugboat supplier of oils and fuel, they signed us up as customers and we could buy these product from them at their dock.  At tugboat rates.  After we got the oil, Louis gave us a tour of the area.  It is an old, historic town, with beautiful old homes on streets lined with ancient oak trees and Magnolia trees.  Fairhope has an odd history as a Single Tax Colony, something to do with the land being leased to the homeowner, but really owned in common by all?  Two by two we carted the 5 gallon pails of oil down the dock, then hoisted them aboard.  We'd reverse the procedure tomorrow with the used oil, which we would take to an oil recycler.  Valt began the lengthy job right away.  At about the halfway point he stopped to clean up for dinner. 
We took our benefactors to the Yacht Club for dinner, and as before were caught up in the conversation in the bar.  We met Paul Ring who had created a bronze sculpture of Otto Wadewitz, founder of the club in 1944.  He also made a wooden model of Otto's boat.  All were on display in a beautiful glass case.  Before we knew it, Taffy had arranged a tour of the boat with 4 fellow members.  We tromped back down the dock to the boat and spent a while showing the boat, and the engine room.  Again we nearly missed the dinner service, but they seated us and dined us as if they had nothing else in the world they wanted to do. Redfish was the fresh catch special of the day and was delicious.   We came back to the boat and called it a day.
 
Flash, flash, flash!  When we explained to the  Mailasail folks that we had not completed our trip, but my subscription was due to expire, they generously agreed to extend a month.  Ordinarily they only offer 6 month or 12 month terms.  So, Amber Isle will be able to take you home with us as we cruise the Tombigbee and then the Tennessee River.  Yipee!
 
Also, regarding my prior warning about the hacked email problem.  Please let me know if you receive any emails from us with a website link included.  As we told you, such an email is not from us and may be a bad spam/worm scheme.  Thanks.