Red Tabby Cruising Committee Meets

The first Meeting of the Red Tabby Cruising Committee has adjourned… and it was fantastic! There were free drinks for everyone, three course meals, cupcakes to frolic in… 

Well, possibly not free for everyone – but for beloved guests of honour… absolutely. (The First Mate‘s strangled choking noises behind me are a tad reminiscent of when he was trying to bift me off the cupcake pile last night. But frankly if I heeded all of the Can Opener’s gasping and in articulate overreacting I would never get anything done. And certainly the cupcake count of my life would be dramatically lower.)

The First Mate spent the better part of this morning with Cruising Committee work: drafting emails to Cruising Section Members to publicise upcoming club cruising events this Spring. Tomorrow he’ll be compiling the updated Section contact list. Moaning and aching all day, he was. As if he were the only one frenetically employed…

At times, I do find the Can Opener has little regard for real effort – I have been busy all morning filing the leftover patisserie I looted. Filed according to colour, culinary heritage and tastiness… (Oi! WHERE did these come from, Fuzzbucket?? I thought I completely emptied your dreadful sac à main last night! My dear First Mate, that delightful Red Tabby chef absolutely pressed them upon me when I told him I could get him Dee Cafari‘s autograph. She still remembers me…)

Quality control is my forté. 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Cruising Committee

The Cruising Committee meeting cake… of the The Cruising Kitty’s dreams

News flash:
The Can Opener has been invited to join the Cruising Committee at the Red Tabby Yacht Club!

What does it mean? Well… actually we don’t know.

They said we just had to show up for 6 dinner meetings in 2013 and maybe do some other committee type stuff. Like research and organising for upcoming events and event planning. 

Sounds pretty ominous to me.

I immediately volunteered to take care of the dinner–eating end of things and the Can Opener can do the research and organising end of the stick. We like to help the First Mate out wherever possible. Especially in the specialist area of desserts.

And we’ll get to meet a lot of other cruising cats which should be great! I wonder if Pussy Galore has signed up…

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Regatta Report

 

After the events of this past weekend, the Can Opener and I are now firm believers in ‘cruising’ regattas.

We arrived on the Friday at the host clubhouse (the Rompin’ Yowlers Squadroon) for relaxed evening drinks to open the festivities with our fellow participants. A jovial team-building dinner followed, a delightful ship-board sleep, and early next morning, away we sailed to the designated round up point.

In fact, the Saturday ‘race’ was more of a stroll round the cans in company. More than one helmsman had one hand on the wheel while the other brandished a streaming cup of tea. 

We anchored en mass for a leisurely 2 hour lunch, and then pulled up anchor to round the cans again in the afternoon with renewed vigor and topped up tea mugs.

Very civilized.

On the first leg, the Can Opener had been non-plussed and seemed determined to press his racing luffing rights – as one normally does. But the cheerful lift of the next yacht’s tea mug and an ‘After yooou, dear boy…’ confirmed our growing suspicion that an entirely new and intriguing game was afoot. 

‘Not at all, after you, dear Sir,’ I replied. 

The Can Opener grinned a sheepish grin, handed the helm back to me, and trotted down to the galley to make up steaming cups of brew for our own dear team.

We are liking this take on the cruising life.

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Cocktails at St James’s Palace

Photo by ahisgett

A Red Tabby Yacht Club event in my honour… A fine event to welcome this tired but jubilant voyager home…

(Errm, it was actually a pre-regatta event, Furrball, welcoming visiting international racers to the club who will be hard at it this weekend out on the race course…)

…cocktails in a lush wine-red room with gold appointments…
And somewhere in the palace, my 7x-great grandmother was born… her father, of course, was Gentlecat of the Chamber. That’s what it says in one of my family history books at the archives. 

(When have you ever mentioned this?? Modesty prevails, my dear Can Opener… Uh huh. And exactly when has modesty ever prevailed for you before?? Will it ever prevail again??)

My beloved bar buddy and songster, ‘Prince A’, even showed up and made a speech to the assembled crowd.

Not a bad event either – though the Can Opener (and a few disrespectful security guards) did become nearly apoplectic when I tested out that big gold chair in the adjoining throne room. 

The red velvet and tassels on it were fabulous for sharpening the nails.

And pretty comfortable it was too though I don’t see how we’d fit in on the boat.

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Sailing Season Begins!

The regular Sailing Season Begins!

As we celebrate the opening of yet another sailing season with a tasty gourmand event at the Red Tabby, it’s also a signal that the delightful winter season of feasts is winding down.

Last week, I escorted the Can Opener to a wholesome meal at the club trough.  

We dined in cheerful company and were treated to a diminutive though sturdy admiral’s oration detailing a lifetime of achievement.

An admirable admiral, though sadly lacking in any sort of catnip about his person or pockets.

I know. I checked*.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can opener)

* Stealthy check executed during dessert course – a quick reconnoitre by means of scaling the admiral’s leg, inserting an exploratory paw in his pocket and abseiling back to ground is but the work of a moment for a nimble feline such as myself. 

Though initially unsuccessful – not to worry. Upon seeing my disappointment, Prince ‘A’ secretly slipped me some of his own stock from his silken purse, and I high-hoed it back from the Head Table to the Can Opener (who it must be noted, upon closer inspection appeared rigid with shock).

The Red Tabby Yacht Club
Previously:  It’s Official!

It’s Official!

The paperwork’s done and it’s official – we’re now full members of the Red Tabby Yacht Club!

We joined in October as temporary members and loved the sailing events, opportunities and Welcome Cocktail Party. It’s certainly a friendly crowd round here, full of enthusiasm and those who love sailing as much as we do. 

There’s something about a mutual love of boats that really brings folks together.

I’m glad we joined (as I recall Furrball, at the time you emphatically expressed your doubts – something about how many smoked oysters the club fees could alternatively be spent on… No, dear Can Opener, your memory is flawed). 

In fact, I think I feel a song coming on. My rock ‘n’ roll duet mate, Prince ‘A’, would approve. I think he said he’d be in town next week… Must practice before we debut it to fans fawning about us at the club bar.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can opener)

The Red Tabby Yacht Club

Next: Sailing Season Begins!
Previously:  MORE Cocktails!

Study Time

Captain Cat: What d’ya mean, another sailing dinner this week? You’ve been cocktailing and dining up a storm at the Red Tabby! 

When are you going to hunker down and start reviewing tide and current calculations? Apparent wind? Charts and plotting? Distances from dock to the local exotic fish market?

Can Opener: Pretty hard to miss the Team Racing Dinner, Furrball, but… I was thinking the same thing meself…

Captain Cat: (shocked silence)…

Captain Cat: (continued shock)…

Captain Cat: (more shock)…

Captain Cat:  …Right. So… next week’s a study week? You can study while I practice my karate moves on you – all the karate chops across your back’ll be like a luxury massage…

Can Opener: That sounds incredibly painful.

Captain Cat: I’ll only screech ‘Haaaaiiiiiiiiii-YAh!’ and karate chop you when you get an answer wrong.

Can Opener: Hm………  Righty-ho.

 –transcribed by the Can Opener

MORE Cocktails!

More Cocktails at the Red Tabby!

Another swell evening was had by all. Naturally. It was a party to give longtime club members a chance to honour the new member… me! (There were actually quite a few other new members being welcomed to the club there last night, Furrball.)

However, as I’m of the feline persuasion and hence a habitual teetotaler, I was more than bemused at the bizarre choice of lubricants on offer. (Yep, bud, they were honouring you, but topping me and so many others up with the bubbly. Pretty mysterious, huh?) 

I did note with regret the absence of my old friend and singing companion, Prince A. (And you cared not a mote for the non-appearance of Pussy Galore as you told me, oh, I don’t know, about two hundred times…) 

No matter. The lovely Mia Meow was a feast for the eyes and I got to hang out with Eksil, my new buddy from Sweden. Eksil can hold a fair tune too. (Your combined prowess did not go unnoticed…)

All in all, a great night.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

The Red Tabby Yacht Club
Next: It’s Official!

Previously: Cruising Crew!