Ensign News – November 2006

Also appears in Motor and Mast

By Bob Anschuetz

Social Chairman Minshall continues at the center of Ensign activities. Last month, he was the caption of the “Love Boat” (aka “Chip Ship”). For her grand entrance for a wedding ceremony performed on the patio in front of the Edgewater clubhouse, Jessica Schoreder arrived on the foredeck of the aforementioned “Love Boat” bound for the Caribbean, no doubt. Shortly thereafter, the Goodtime III recorded a celestial sighting. But that is another story.

On the last scheduled day of fleet racing, Chip Minshall and the PHRF fleet had returned to port because of high winds and building seas. Intrepid skipper that he is, Chip returned to the water on his sturdy Ensign with Peter Machlup and another crew. Instead of the “Love Boat", this vessel would have to be the Law Boat with attorney Minshall and aspiring law student Machlup. Peter was demonstrating the right way and wrong way to do tings to a neophyte crew. In what he estimated to be 22 knots of wind, he hiked out to flatten the boat, which is the right thing to do. He also demonstrated the wrong thing to do, which in this case was not to hook onto the hiking strap. Peter promptly went for an unauthorized swim. Luckily, he did grab onto a portion of the mainsheet, which was in the water. He was quickly pulled back on the boat, and reported that, “Importantly, I did not lose my sunglasses”. Those attorneys certainly have their priorities. He also pointed out that at the time the water was warmer than the air, but he didn’t not plan to use that as justification for his unauthorized swim. Ensign, skipper and crew safely returned to port.