On Sat, 29 Oct 2005 13:45:44 -0400, "Bart Senior" .@. wrote:

Brother in law talked me into crewing in a meaningless club race for
one of his customers. Boat was a new Ericson 29. Race was a 12 mile
straight run from Biloxi to Gulfport, no turns or marks. about ten
boats in the race. 12 miles of beam reach on a port tack. Milk run
right? just watch your trim and your course and the fastest boat (or
the one with the most favorable rating) gets the cup.

About half way the wind died to nothing as often happens in the middle
of the summer down here. absolutely nothing. one by one the boats
threw in the towel and either motored up and went home or went into
the Broadwater Marina (we were passing it when the wind died) for a
drink at the bar. The skipper saw everyone quitting and figured all
he had to do to win was finish. And finish we did at 3AM (race
started at 1PM. No committee boat but his understanding is since
there was no time limit on the race he just had to cross on the right
side of the sea buoy that made up one half of the line.

Now I can see this for an important race, but a meaningless pick up
club race.

While bobbing around out there, this fool had us doing all kinds of
idiotic things to get the boat moving. For instance he had read in a
dead calm if you ease forward and then run briskly aft you will make
the boat move. He actually wanted us to do that.

Most race skippers will provision their boats for the crew. He did
not and told us when we found out before the race that we did not have
time to get some food and beer.

The only reason I didn't pitch him overboard was because of the
Brother in Law.

Who was your worst skipper? What made it
intolerable?

"Frank Boettcher" wrote

I've crewed for others as much as I've skippered. There are a few I
would never go back with.