In the late 1970s, Margaret and I enlisted Austin married couple, Lela Jane Akin and Bob Tinsman, as crew. We joined other Flying Scot skippers to charter 30-foot sloops and cruise the Grecian Islands.
Because Greece and Turkey were at odds, the charter company proscribed that we sail similar routes that ended each night at the same dock. A Greek restaurant was always located near the pier. We were invited to their kitchens to see how they cooked, mostly lamb, before dinner. Our female crews loved the tavernas. They never had to cook dinner.
When the cruise ended, there was a good-bye amateur night. Bob wrote some lyrics, we put shawls over our heads, borrowed some female garb to impersonate our female crew and performed. You can sing along if you know the tune “Manana” that Peggy Lee made famous back in those Frank Sinatra days.
We came to the Grecian Islands in the Sporades to sail.
We learned to scrub the bloody decks. And pull the Genoa’s tail.
We cleaned the heads and sleeping bags were spread by Katie’s book.
But we declared a mutiny and flat refused to Cook.
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