MV WILD GOOSE II: Day 12 FR 6-18 Payback In The Morning

You might have guessed we'd be sleeping in this morning and not to mention, dragging ass. Our heads felt as big as the huge white bumpers on the front deck. We get ourselves showered, talked some more to Big John who really wants us to stay another day or two for their big festival. We might have stayed had we not been able to get into The Buffalo Yacht Club for that night.

We left Dunkirk NY watching the musicians and restaurant vendors setting up their equipment on the pier next to us. Big John mentioned that there was to be chicken wing eating contests, tastings, and voting for the "best buffalo wings" on Saturday and that live music would fill the harbor over the weekend. He noted that last year he ate the most wings (garlic, Parmesan cheese flavored) and I could visualize it on the spot. He's a big guy who wears bib overalls and a straw hat that covers his white pony tailed hair. His laugh is contagious. I love wings and really wanted to stay.

We called BYC and they could take us for one night and we did not want to pass up the opportunity. Memories of the last official Lake Erie Race from this club to NCYC were very close to my heart. I will forever be in-debted to Tim and Joanne Kemper as well as Jerry Porter.

At 2:50PM we were at R2 harbour entrance buoy to Buffalo and we decided to pump out and fuel up before reaching BYC. Will, a nice young man working on getting into nursing, assisted us at the fuel dock of Erie Basin Marina.. We decided that we would make reservations for the next evening when we would have to leave BYC. BYC only has one guest dock and it was booked for Sat. and Sunday. Good thing we did. It was the last available dock. Thanks Will!

Arrived at Buffalo Yacht Club around 4:20PM and easily tied up to the low floating dock. Ron and I wandered up to the clubhouse to check in and make a dinner reservation but found out that there was a wedding party on the top floor and that the main dining room was booked full. Ross (the bartender) told us and that we could probably eat in the dining room around 9PM. He suggested that we might want to go outside to the patio with a cocktail and hang out there until 5:30PM when dinner service officially started. Tables out there are "first come, first serve" and dinner is served out there. The porch had a wonderful view and a nice breeze. I think eating outside would have been our preference if we had a choice. Two tables were left when we sat down. We had conversation with persons on either side of our table and got lot's of well wishes after chatting about our plans. Very friendly offers to "take us to town" if we needed anything are starting to come on a regular basis. The boating community is so cool in this way.

There were so many boats out sailing while we ate dinner we both thought that there was a race going on.