The Mayor's Raft Up, BahiaTenacatita

Tradition has it that all everyone anchored in Bahia Tenacatita on a Friday night is invited to a dinghy raft up hosted by the presiding Mayor of the anchorage.  At promptly 5:00 p.m., the Mayor anchors his dinghy off of Good Dog Beach and all other dinghies tie off to him and each other forming a circle or rectangle or some such form, depending upon the number that motor over.  The purpose of the event is to ‘meet and greet’.  Some cruisers may have been playing bocce ball and/or volleyball on the beach for days or even weeks, while others may have arrived that very afternoon.  Hors d’oeuvres are passed, introductions are made and conversation ensues until dusk when the bugs come out in force and everyone retreats to the safety of their cockpits and mosquito coils. 

 

In our last port, I came across some fresh basil and made pesto.  I decided to use it on a pizza with artichoke hearts, diced tomatoes, sliced olives and freshly shredded parmesan.  I made the dough in the morning, let is rise and placed it in the refrigerator to chill during my afternoon swim.  Upon my return, I stood in the cockpit and counted 38 boats, more than twice the number that were here in early January when we stopped on our way south.  I did the math.  If half came to the raft up there would be 19 dinghies and at least 38 people.  Serving a crowd of that size from one pizza made in my 13” x 17” oven was daunting. 

Then I remembered Patty, on Oogachucka, who fed 400 people with one bag of Costco meatballs.  No kidding.  The Baja Ha-Ha fleet arrived at our first anchorage, Bahia de Tortugas, and our first potluck. There she was standing at the head of the buffet table.  “Would you like a meatball?” she asked producing her hostess smile. If the answer was “yes”, she gently placed one toothpick-speared meatball on the plate. 

“The bounty looks slim”, I said to Ken as I examined the white expanse of my plate not covered by the meatball.  It was not an auspicious beginning.  Just beyond Patty, however, the potluck began in earnest with every appetizer, main course, side dish and dessert imaginable contributed by all 118 boats.  Fresh fish had been caught and was generously shared on the grill.  It was a hearty, fulfilling meal.

To this day, Patty's feeding of 400 is nothing less than a miracle.  Inspired by her, I arranged the ingredients into 45 bite-size pieces on the risen dough and baked it.  Homemade pizza is a treat for cruisers and there was enough for everyone.