I couldn't help it.

[Fortis]

So there we were, the boat meeting.
Not my boat, just one I crew on.

The skipper is a wonderful guy, but still kind of new and finding his way in terms of which desicions are not democratic in nature.

We all know the maintenance and improvment budget for the season and he relies on our suggestions based on what we notice not working in our areas.

But since it is his money...after a while the suggestions just need to be taken on board and he needs to make desicions. This is still not coming naturally to him. So meetings sometimes run long.

Now someone outside the regular crew has been whispering in his ear about carbon fibre masts. He is all enthuised and excited by the notion. Since we need to change the standing rigging anyway, swapping out the mast for carbon would not be utterly ruinous. Besides, I am already booked to weld up some stress cracks near the mast's base where some holes were not properly dealt with and this is on "the list" for when the mast comes off and the boat comes out of the water.

So as discussion of the topic rolled around to me I said somthing to the effect that we could take it or leave it. The carbon mast is not going to turn us into ABM AMRO1, and that the best go fast tool we could add would be more crew training and practice. But, that if he did want a carbon mast anyway, now would be the cheapest time to do it, both in terms of not needing to redo the shrouds and stays again, and in terms of this being the best time of year to get a deal on mast stock. So it was all a matter of how important it was to him. I could fix the old one or happily play with the new one.

Then the next crew member spoke up and so on around the table. Then it went round the table again...it was like a victory lap without any victory. At some point make a desicion or say you will take it under advisement...but lets move on and then get out of here!

So it got to me again, and I said I was still fine with either option....

Like a nightmare...we began to go around for a third lap. At this point no one was adding anything new and I thought I might nod off, except that I suspected it was already all a bad dream.

It came back round to me and I just couldn't help it. I made sure I had everyone's attention and announced, plaintively, "Gentlemen, all I know is that we have been mast debating for hours now and its making me sleepy."


The meeting kind of broke up at that point...what with all the threats of violence if I should continue making puns like that.


Alex.
:)

[oded kishony]

took me minute, but I finally got it.  :D

~OK

[Pixie Dust]

LOL!!!

[s/v Faith]

Did they get it?

_{(the pun, not the mast)....}


    ;D :D ;D :D

Thanks for the laugh this AM.

[Captain Smollett]

LOL...took me a minute, too, but LOL.

[AdriftAtSea]

that's a terrible pun.... lol... ;D

[CapnK]

Guh-roan...  ;D

[mudnut]

Fortis,Iv'e heard about it,but haven't seen to many people addmitting it.The debating seemed LONGER in the meeting then in real life :-X ;D Mudnut.