A Glass of the 98 to you all

[Vagabond]

Well chaps, I've been an irregular visitor here but have enjoyed every minute of it. Having just returned from a month in Ireland I'm sorry to hear that the ship will go down sooner than the end of the month, because I'd planned a weeks worth of intensive reading and saving before she sank.
C'est la vie as they say in the French Navy.

I have just posted my last action based on the 2016 Campaign, "The Blockade", from the photo dates I played this back in Jan 23 and it's taken this long to write the story of the glorious French Navies famous victory over the over cooked Rostebifs. Of course Capitaine Jean le Vagabond played the leading role in this famous victory that will now disappear down the plug hole of history, but it's my last tribute to a site that truly inspired me.

My big regret is that I wasn't around to participate in the campaigns as they happened, there are some really fun AAR's and innovative Scenarios, and it's a shame that the AAR's will go down with the ship. I have saved the campaign scenarios and and I know Rob has them secure as well, yesterday I unearthed my ships from the dark cupboard they have been resident in for a year and a half. Fortunately Teredo Worm hasn't gotten under the copper plating of the British Ships and the French ones were too well built in the first place to succumb to these pests. I still hope to finish these scenarios although if the stories will ever surface remains to be seen only time will tell.

So I'd like to offer a round of the 98 to you all, and as some of you know it's in short supply so this is a huge compliment to my fellow sailors here, may the wind be always Force 4 to 5, 6 if you're in a large ship, aft of the mast, your powder always be dry and the 98 never run out.

Cheers
Capitaine Jean Le Vagabond

Hip hip hooray or whatever the French equivalent is. Bon Voyage.

[ShadowDragon]

Cheers to you, John.

Fair winds and following seas for us all.

[flash]

Cheers, John and welcome home.
Hopefully once the 'drome is back up and running there'll be berths for all you Boaty chaps, your sails and tall tales.

[Stumptonian]

Cheers, John.
Hope to see you gallivanting on the new site soon.

[James Wilmore]

Looking forward to seing you all in our future home!

[Baxter]

Will there be a house warming party

[Capn Duff]

I thank you for the glass of very weak port..... the 98 is a type of French Port is it not ?

[Vagabond]

I thank you for the glass of very weak port..... the 98 is a type of French Port is it not ?

Capn Duff, the 98 is a famous vintage brandy from the Charente region of France served at a very high price, in Martine's Bar, up a steep hill somewhere in Provence in the mid 1800's. It is NOT a weak Port.
Most of her sales are to Baptiste and sometimes his daughter Hermione, they are purchased almost exclusively for consumption by a well known French sailor, Jean le Vagabond, who, according to himself, defeated the Rosbif Navy singlehandedly. Baptiste would prefer to buy the cheaper Brandy's or maybe even your weak Port but his daughter forbids it because it would be injurious to the health and well being of the said Vagabond.
So gird up your loins and prepare to cough a little as you drink a glass of the 98, you may then return to your weak Port if you prefer.

And to everyone else - Bon Voyage....or did I already say that, can't remember, maybe the 98 is going to my head again.

[Cochrane]

Cheers John - Agree with all of those sentiments. Here's to you and the eventual return of Capitaine Jean le Vagabond

[ShadowDragon]

Many thanks for the glass of 98, John.

Let us enjoy the beauty of the moon together.

[Vagabond]

Many thanks for the glass of 98, John.

Let us enjoy the beauty of the moon together.

Well it's not a happy thought As an ex sailor of a small ship I've had 2 occasions where she was sinking and on both of them I was far more concerned with staying afloat or if that wasn't possible then getting as close to shore before stepping into the life raft. Never once did I consider going down with my boat.
However I'm more than happy to share the beauty of the moon on dry land.

I should probably clarify sinking, that is taking on water and I didn't know where the water was coming from, on both occasions once Mrs V started on the bilge pump the water level started to drop so I didn't feel too much in peril. Mind you that's easy to say now, bit I don't think that's what I thought at the time.
Cheers

[Dobbs]

I've had that sinking feeling twice too! The first was on our shakedown cruise after selling everything we owned. The evening was coming on, Suzanne was setting the anchor while I was at the helm. I glanced down the darkening companionway and saw weird reflections on
the carpet. 8 inches of water above the floorboards!

The second was Suzanne's first night of work on a commercial dredging operation. As we ran a crew out to the dredge in horrible conditions, the flooding alarm started to blare. That'll help you settle in to your first night's work.

Stuffing box issues both times.

[ShadowDragon]

Got caught in a squall sailing a Laser 2 type sailboat. With a sudden gust, the sailboat capsized. We got it upright and to shore, but the experienced showed me how quickly something like that will drain your energy.

So, not happy thoughts, John. The pending closure of the Anchorage, can't be that, but at least it can be poignant and we can "enjoy the moon" in the last moments of this place - and when SoG is reborn, it WILL have air cover!!!!

[flash]

Sudden gusts are nasty beggars, scared the wotsit out of me when we were knocked onto our beam ends in my mates boat (similar to that in Dobb's pic), I was just selecting where to jump ship past the rigging when she righted.