Detroit Yacht Club Officers' Ball

Keith and I had a big weekend.  We were invited to the Detroit Yacht Club Officers' Ball by good friend and fellow boater Ray Batt.  Ray was sworn in as the new commodore of the club and we were honored to attend as his guests.
                                 
                                    View out our window at the downtown Marriott from the 34th floor.
                                                           That is ice on the Detroit River folks.

The history of the club  is very interesting.  It was founded in 1868 by Detroit sailing enthusiasts.  Over the years many very prominent citizens of the area were members, and the clubhouse had several locations.  The present day clubhouse was built in 1923 by George Mason on Belle Island for a little over 1 million dollars.  The club is 93,000 square feet and the largest facility in the world dedicated to a yacht club, an honor it still holds today.

The first DYC Officers' Ball honored the second Commodore of the Club, Samuel Cowan.  It was a black tie affair with cocktails and a formal sit-down dinner.    The dinner was followed by a Grand March led by the Officers of the Club and then a Receiving Line to greet attendees.  Dancing ensued into the wee hours of the morning.  This tradition continues today and this year is the DYC's 150th anniversary.

                                                   Program and commemorative wine glasses

                                     View of the staircase coming up to the Grand Ballroom.

                                                       

                                                      Grand Ballroom from the balcony.

                                                 Looking into the dinning room.

                                                          Seating for the Officers and spouses.

                       
                                                                     Ice sculpture

The evening was spectacular with over 400 guests in attendance.  The Detroit Yacht Club is a beautiful place steeped in rich history and the members are her spirit.  They are wonderful, welcoming, and friendly people and we cannot say enough about them.  Keith and I are also so excited for Ray to step into the role of Commodore and know he will do a phenomenal job for the club. 

                   Commodore Ray Batt and Lady Lisa third and fourth from right in the Grand March

Commodore Ray Batt

Marineland Florida

Hey everyone.  Long time, no posting.  Keith and I have been trying to stay warm the last several weeks.  It has been the coldest winter here in Florida in the last 7 years according to the local news.  Of course this has put a bit of a crimp in the activities for us.

This weekend however we were able to take a little trip with Southern Style.  Saturday morning we left Hammock Beach Marina for the short 1 hour trip (trawler speed) north to Marineland, FL which is both the name of the town as well as the dolphin interactive tourist facility across the street.  We toured Marineland dolphin center on Sunday.
                                                 
                                                    Dolphin pools at Marineland.

Marineland opened in 1938 as Marine Studios.  The original vision for the facility was to give the public an opportunity to view and learn about the bottlenose dolphin.  It was also designed for Hollywood film-makers to shoot underwater footage for motion pictures.  Marine Studios was the world's first oceanarium and the home of "Spray" the first dolphin successfully born in captivity.                         

During the 1950s and 1960s Marine Studios became Marineland of Florida and was a top attraction with 500,000 guests per year.  At the turn of the millenium the facility underwent changes and updating.  In 2006 it became known as Marineland Dolphin Adventure.  Today along with passive viewing and education; there are interactive activities that visitors can have in the water with the dolphins.

One of the most famous ambassadors was "Nellie" the dolphin.  Born at Marineland in February of 1953, Nellie stared in several TV shows and commercials filmed on site and was a local celebrity.  She inspired thousands of guests during her long life.  After 61 years at Marineland she passed away in April of 2014 as the world's oldest dolphin in human care.  Dolphins in the wild often live only 13 to 20 years and even in captivity usually do not live past about 40-50 years.
                                             
                                                Trainer interacting with one of the dolphin.

         Talking with some dolphin friends we made during the behind the scenes tour we took.

                                           
                                               Dolphin having playtime with a boat fender.

                         There are also several types of sea turtles at Marineland.
                                                       Loggerhead turtle

Kemp's Ridley sea turtle

Across the street from Marineland is the Georgia Aquarium Conservation Field Station.  This field station responds to sick, injured, or stranded dolphins and small whales in the area.  There was a concert there that Keith and I attended Saturday evening.  Great guitar pickers and folk singers.  We both really enjoyed it.

So it was really nice to get out and about a bit with the boat.  Next weekend we are heading to Detroit.  Yes, you read that right, Detroit, Michigan in freak'n January.  It will be a big formal party for our good friend Ray Batt as he becomes the commodore of his yacht club.  Tune in next week to see pictures of Keith and I you will rarely see (the two of us dressed in formal attire).

What the Heck is Happening

What the Heck is going on with the weather?  I know all of you following us on the east coast are in the deep freeze, but this weather for Florida is crazy.  For the last 2 days it has been blowing like stink and raining.  View out of Southern Style toward ICW Wednesday

                                                               
   Pengi Wednesday morning.  That is the temperature, not the depth. 
                                            

Today (Thursday) the sun finally came out, but it was in the 20's last night and the breaker for the heat keeps tripping.  Pengi doesn't understand what all the fuss is about as he thinks the temps are no big deal.  It has been so cold I had to break out Pengi's cousins, "Mutt and Jeff", the racoon twins to keep my feet warm.

Our poor friends, Dave and Paula, are heading south on their boat, Sequel, toward St. Augustine have been running in the snow and ice.  That is "Just Nuts".

So needless to say Keith and I have been doing indoor activities.  We had a nice yet brief visit from our good friend Dr. Mike Tuesday and into Wednesday.  He was on his way south to Miami to see his daughter.  The three of us ate at a cool spot just down the road from the marina called JT's Seafood Shack; casual and great food.  You can't beat that.  Unfortunately, because the weather was terrible, the guys did not get a chance to do any golfing.  That will have to be some other time.

It looks like after this weekend we should get some sun and better temps in the low 70's.  I am getting anxious to attempt my teak repair, so maybe next week that can be my project.  Until then we hope that all of our friends on the east coast stay warm.  We are all in the same boat right now (pun intended).