What a neat job! Of all the crazy gigs I've had over the past half-century, this had to be one of the best jobs ever. Everyone enjoyed the music, lots of dancing, the champagne flowed, margarettas were sipped, the food was incredible, the atmosphere almost beyond description.

The wedding took place upon the bride's 50-foot houseboat, the music and ceremonies took place on the sundeck (roof). Down below, in the main salon, the food was served and everywhere you looked there was a booze bucket, which was a colorfully decorated 5-gallon plastic bucket filled with ice and booze. Finger food snacks were placed at a half dozen strategic locations, and a second houseboat was rafted up to the port side of the main boat, which proved for lots more space for the 45 guests.















Normally, my policy is to not do weddings unless both the bride and groom are over 55 years of age. In this case I made an exception. Michael, the groom, is 47 and Linda is 50. Michael is an interesting individual who sailed his homemade sailboat from Germany to England, then to the Canary Islands, and finally to the Bohemia River in the Chesapeake Bay's upper reaches, where he met Linda. She worked at one of the marinas in that river.

A few months prior to them getting married, Michael had to sail to Bermuda, spend a day, then sailed back to the Bohemia River. His visa was running out and the only way to renew it was to go to another country, then reenter the U.S.. Michael sails a homemade 33-foot sailboat that he constructed himself from a bare hull he found in Germany. He made that trans-Atlantic voyage unassisted, no crew, just him and his two cats. When asked if he was scared at any time during the trip, with his mixed German/British accent he said "Yes, there were times when the wind died and the boat just sat there in the middle of the ocean. Then there were times when sailing the Atlantic was like sailing in a bloody wash machine." He is a very talented and interesting person and I'm glad I can call him a friend.

Cheers,

Gary