Our first "GAM"

It's again been several days since my last post.  We arrived in Eau Gallie for the Seven Seas GAM (there really isn't a solid meaning behind that term) and there was a bustle of activity with boats arriving steadily.

The weekend was great with lots of seminars, activities and parties.  There were new people to meet and boats to visit.  Happy hour Thursday, seminars and cocktail party Friday, CSY owners (that's us!) breakfast, more seminars and a big dinner event Saturday and a flea market with final wrap up roundtables on Sunday.  It was busy and fun . . .

We met lots of great folks!  Rick whose same model boat as Moonshadow is outfitted with every bell and whistle and system imaginable.  (Rob was taking notes!)  And there's Jim and DJ who both are single handing their boats.  There's Dave and Trish on a CSY 37, a model we hadn't seen before, and Rick and Pam aboard another 44 CSY like ours.  We saw Jack and Nicole (with Marietta and little Jack in tow), our friends from Charleston and met our new dear friend Kenna who we hope to see again soon!  We even met a couple in the Nassau area who will let us use their dock when our son comes to visit in January!

There were hundreds of sailors on hand having experience ranging from buying their boat this very weekend to living aboard for countless years.  There were reports of close or distant shores - so many people who had crossed one to all of the world's ocean bodies!   We heard stories and tips and warnings and methods.  We had encounters on the dock, in town and at meals and parties.  We played silly games with raffle tickets, wandered the streets of the town during a holiday craft market, shopped around and compared boating experiences and lessons.

That's the thing about sailors.  There isn't a stranger in the crowd!  No matter where we show up, no matter who we meet - we all have this one crazy thing in common and it makes introductions barely necessary as the stories start to be told.  Once again, another good time was had by all!

Note . . . I've run out of picture space and don't know how to fix it!  Pics coming . . .