Ocean Crusing Club Fall Dinner Annapolis MD USA

The OCC Annapolis Fall Dinner is an annual event which coincides with the start of the Annapolis Sailboat Show.  Once again it was organised by OCC Regional Rear Commodores for SE USA, Bill and Lydia Strickland (Dragon Run), and took place at the Philip Merrill Environmental Centre, the Headquarters of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Philip Merrill Environmental Centre, the Headquarters of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Photo from their website)

Reception area from the stairway
up to one of the office floors
(Photo from Foundation’s website)

The Foundation should be close to the heart of anyone who sails the Chesapeake Bay.  It’s the largest independent conservation organization dedicated to saving the Bay and its watershed [Ed:  A total area of 64,000sq mi (in 6 states) which is home to 18 million people and 3000 plant and animal species] from damaging levels of pollution.  The Foundation’s internationally acclaimed HQ building is equally audacious and is a model for energy efficiency and water conservation. There are plenty of interesting eco-features but the most obvious are the arrays of solar panels, the large rainwater catchment tanks (to feed the wash-hand basins) and the composting toilets. Perfect for a long-distance cruising sailors’ event!

Eyes front for the pre-dinner announcements by the organisers.  Photo by D Wogaman (Southern Cross)

And so back to the event…. Drinks had been due to start at 1800hrs but so many people arrived beforehand that the bar opened early. But getting people to drift through from their cosy groups in the entrance hall still wasn’t easy. Which pretty much set the scene for the evening – one of reunion, fun and trying to catch up with far too many friends in the available time. The function attracted a capacity crowd, 110 in total. There were several OCC Port Officers from around the Bay and from as far afield as Washington DC and Beaufort, NC. Also in attendance were a number of Roving Rear Commodores (including us!) and the crews of 17 non-US-flagged boats (also including us!). It was a fabulous opportunity to catch up with friends old and new whilst drinking in the views across the Bay – and drinking some great wine too.

Lydia (R) presenting Dianne Tetreault (L) with her award

The external caterers provided the bar, the starters and main courses but dessert was definitely the star of the meal. And that was all thanks to Lydia who, keen to keep costs to a minimum, baked 240 chocolate brownies and 157 choc chip cookies. She even wondered if she had baked sufficient for 110 hungry sailors! So, gorging on these, we applauded loudly as Dianne Tetreault (Beaufort, NC) was presented with her Port Officer’s Award.

Pete Goss captivated our attention as the after-dinner speaker

Us captured with Pete Goss by D Wogaman (Southern Cross)

We all then listened agog as Pete Goss (Pearl of Penzance) told of his epic rescue of Raphael Dinelli in the 1996/7 Vendee Globe Race [Ed: for which he was awarded an MBE and the top valour award in France, theLégion d'Honneur]. All too soon it was over and we had to make a move homewards. It was a fabulous evening and we could easily have stayed for hours longer to spend more time with friends. We’ll certainly have a marker in the diary for next year’s event.

Annapolis, Maryland, USA