Huge south wind, adding some interest to the process of haulilng the boat; main and mizzen sails removed, but the big jib left for a calmer day as it would have become unruly, unmanageable, and destructive.

Another boat, a 32-foot Catalina, was hauled just before us, and we had the opportunity of watching a fascinating display of boating incompetence. As we were walking to Heliotrope they were trying to get out of their slip. Unused to wind apparently, they got the boat crosswise, nearly wedged between two finger docks. Lots of running back and forth and pushing this way and that finally got them free of the dock, but then the first mate threw the bow line into the water. "That can't be good," I said, sotto voce. "I wonder how they will handle things when that line wraps around the prop?" All of which just shows how little I know—the boat never went forward. The skipper seemed to much prefer reverse, and somehow backed all the way to the gas dock, where a number of on-shore helpers worked valiantly to minimize the crash. I met the couple later, on the hard, and they seemed absolutely nonchalant and quite confident in their seamanship, wanting to chat about this and that.

Packing up tonight for tomorrow's drive to Wisconsin.