Here's the story:

    Well, a new level has been set for Latitudes & Attitudes Cruising
Parties.  It’s going to be hard (but fun!) trying to top the Northwest Cruisers’ Party which took place this year on Coronet Bay in Deception Pass, San Juan Islands.  Our hosts for this debauchery were Krazy Mike, who created the NW Party, along with John Aydelotte and his family.

    John and his wife, Trish, run Vessel Assist Northwest there in Coronet
Bay, and they opened up their hospitality to invite cruisers from as far away as Portland Oregon and British Columbia to sail in and enjoy the party

By Friday evening, the docks in Coronet Bay were full, and people were
starting to side-tie.  In the morning, the dock was packed and the anchorage as well.  An estimated 60 boats sailed in for the party, and over 200 people!  There are a couple of detached docks floating in the bay, and boats tied to them, and dinghy’d in to the main dock for the party.

    All day Saturday, the crowd was entertained by local boating singer Scott Bryan, and Eric Stone who flew in from Florida for this event.  The crowd got so big during mid-day that the docks actually sank, and the local Smokies had to come down and try to get them floating again.  They also started to mention something about open containers on the dock, but I think they may have been a little shy about coming down to stop people from partying.

    Just after mid-day on Saturday the music was interrupted for a drawing.  Vessel Assist NW gave a 1 year free membership to the folks who had sailed the farthest for the party (They had sailed from Portland, Oregon, over the bar of the Columbia River, just for the party).  There were also smaller prizes given out, and the grand prize was a one-week charter in the Caribbean from Sunsail Charters, our newest co-host.  The winner was Thomas McIntyre from Seattle, who lives aboard his Island Packet.

    All day long, there was a pot-luck meal being served on the dock.  From one end to the other there were plates of food, four barbeques and plenty to eat and drink.  The folks who brew Scuttlebutt beer & ale gave us a great deal on kegs of the cold golden stuff, and they kept pouring all through the day and night.

    Big John and Trish have a great old houseboat there at the docks, which we set up as a little Ship’s Store, and this was the first party where the official “I Survived the Latitudes & Attitudes Cruisers’ Party” T-shirts were introduced.  They will only be available at our events, and won’t be on the website, so people grabbed them up pretty fast.  We figured there were right at 200 people in attendance, and 197 shirts we’re sold.  We just wanna know who the three cheapskates were!

    When the sun set, a giant bonfire was started on the beach, and some local fiddlers and singers, including Big John's son, Sinbad, started playing.  It is hard to imagine a better venue for a party then the beach there by Deception Pass.  Standing there talking about cruising, looking up at a trillion stars and a big, bright moon was about as good as it gets.

    These parties wouldn’t be possible without the help and sponsorship of our partners. Steve Henry from HRO Watermakers came up and helped out at the party, and the folks at Sunsail Charters donated a free one week charter in the Caribbean that was given away.  Essex Financial Services and PocketMail also joined in to help make this a picture perfect party.  They not only contribute to the cost, but participate in them and make special deals for L&A readers.

    Like I said, the bar has been raised.  I don’t know how we are going to be able to top this party, but I gotta tell ya, try we will!