the 2004 Midwinters
the trip down: Oakville, ON to South Carolina
photos by Marc Bennett and Uncle Al

On the Tuesday before our planned departure on the evening of the 29th ...
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... the Toronto area had just finished with a blizzard.
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Sunshine on the Wednesday, but -10ºC. After liberating the mast from his back yard,
Uncle Al's knee-high sailing boots were filled to the brim with snow.
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By Wednesday afternoon, SHADES was in the driveway just like pre-departure for any other regatta - almost.
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Marc arrived chez Schonborn from work just after 6 p.m., and half an hour later, we were on the road in overcast -5ºC but on dry roads towards the Peace Bridge and Buffalo. Just before we reached Buffalo, Uncle Al remembered the first item he had forgotten: our spinnaker. Having decided we would try to borrow rather than go back or ask Julia to FedEx, we could concentrate on Job 1: getting into the US (which Marc feared might take up to 12 hours with his Jamaican passport despite his many trips to the US Embassy in T.O. and numerous expensive minutes on the phone). Our fears proved groundless as we were greeted and checked out in a most thorough yet friendly and helpful manner by  the U.S. Immigration people. Less than 15 minutes later, we were on our way to the NY Thruway westbound, and  Erie, PA which we planned to make our first stop. Not having to be anywhere until Saturday night for our date with Bill Waller (W923)  in St. Marys, Georgia on Cumberland Sound, we could relax.

Sporting smiles from ear to ear, we checked into the Days Inn off I-90 in Erie and went for a late supper at Doc Holliday's Saloon next door. The Saloon proved to be a lovely place with cute waitresses who brought eminently edible food, a fine live country and western band and wall-to-wall people who were unanimously having fun. As Marc pointed out: "I've never been in a bar where everyone looked so happy!"

After a serve-yourself breakfast in the hotel, we were on the road towards our tentative Friday night destination of New Bern, NC on the Atlantic Ocean (more or less). Despite some morning snow  as we crossed Pennsylvania and Maryland, we made good time. Our only sign of impatience was Marc eagerly waiting for that magic moment when there would be no snow to be seen as far as the eye could reach.

In the late afternoon, we got lost trying to follow a State Road towards New Bern. Not being sure how much would be open there during the off-season, Marc suggested getting back onto I-95 and aiming for Wilmington which looked more promising as a hotel and dinner stop. By 9 p.m., we were showered and eating a fine dinner in Wilmington - with no snow to be seen anywhere!!
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By 0700, we had checked out, were on the road south and located - halleluia!! -
a coffee shop with good coffee for us coffee snobs!
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The plan was to follow SR 17 more or less along the ocean until after Charleston,
then angle out to I-95 and hit St. Marys by early afternoon.
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Somewhere south of Wilmington, around 0830 hrs, Marc decided he could wait no longer to see his beloved Atlantic Ocean. In temperatures around 40ºF, none of the hoped for ocean-side bars were open. "No ocean-side beer just yet," Uncle Al complained to Marc who merely grinned, reached into his jacket pockets and produced the beverages shown above.
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Uncle Al enjoys his beer and smoke break.
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A lovely spot...
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... but totally deserted ...
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... except for one hungry gull.
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A quick side trip off 17 led us into Georgetown where we "moored" SHADES ...
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... appropriately, across from our favourite ...
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... a book store!!
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2004 Midwinters
results
report
the trip down: Oakville to North Carolina
the trip down: St. Marys, GA to Eustis
pre-Midwinters fun - 1
pre-Midwinters fun - 2
Friday: pre-race
Friday: race 1
Friday: race 2, part 1
Friday: race 2, part 2
Friday: race 2, part 3
Friday: race 3, part 1
Friday: race 3, part 2
Saturday - 1
Saturday - 2
Sunday
the trip home: Eustis - Charlotte - Outer Banks
the trip home: Outer Banks
the trip home: Outer Banks - Maryland - home