The Pleasure Bent Trophy is awarded to the member deemed to have committed the greatest "booboo" during the year. It was created shortly after the Squadron's founding in 1964. One of the Squadron's founding members, Bill Couch, designed the trophy. Names suggested included 'Snafu' and 'Lahkawatah'.

 

The Pleasure Bent Trophy was first presented at the Graduation of 1966 to Bob Dodd, a founding member who later (1969) became Squadron Commander. Many other Squadron Commanders have been the 'lucky' recipients of this award, including its inventor, Bill Couch, in 1970. Bill remained a member for many years until his passing in the late 1980's.

 

It is the responsibility of the Executive officer to solicit the aid of "snitches" in order to select the most deserving member to receive the trophy, which is traditionally presented at the Christmas Party. Below is an example of an award well earned, with the names of the participants removed to protect the guilty:

 

 

Living aboard your boat is something that you grow into. It's not like being on holiday all the time, it is actually where you live, and as such you end up surrounded by many of the normal accoutrements of life, TV, VCR, DVD player, computer, electric blankets, electric kettle, fridge, electric frying pan, etc. All of this requires a good strong hookup to shore power. And if you have an electric water heater as well, (and why shouldn't you?), you may have to have a second, good strong hookup to shore power. When you stop and think about it I suppose it's a bit like having extra mooring lines.

 

In the Basic Boating course we like to bring up the subject of teamwork, and I will bring it up here. Teamwork is an essential component of dealing with mooring lines. Nobody knows this better than a team consisting of two Boating Instructors. Well nobody that is, other than a team comprised of two Boating Instructors with many years of experience under their transom, so many years in fact that the vessel in question actually has the right to wear TWO of those funny burgees with all those spikes, you know, past-commander burgees.

 

Our team of TWO Past Commanders, (lets call them the PC's), are in the habit of taking a long sabbatical in the Islands each summer. It's a treat for all of the Novice Dock People (let's call them the NDP), to watch the seamanlike and professional way in which the vessel is readied. Tanks are filled, last little maintenance jobs taken care of, even a lick of new paint if the weather allows. The dinghy is cleaned and hoisted onto it's cradle, and ground tackle is carefully checked. The two Big, Blue engines have been thoroughly gone over in the preceding days, and they are up to peak performance, ready to pull anything. At last, all loose items are tucked away, computer navigation system (and paper charts) are made ready, and the extra mooring lines common to boaters who live aboard during the winter have been removed and safely stowed. The Big Blue engines are nicely warmed up, and all that remains is a final check of the e-mail, and then off into the wild blue yonder!

 

E-mail checked, (there wasn't anything much), phone line out and coiled away, last of the mooring lines off, ease her back gently. One PC at the helm, one PC on the stern looking out. Stern's clear of the slip, hey there's just a little cross current. Ease open the throttles, the Big Blue engines growl a little louder, impatient to be unleashed. Stern straightens up, no traffic behind us, all is well, here we go.

 

CREEEAK, CREEEAK, SCREEEEEECH, SNAP, SNAP, SPLASH !!!!!!

 

WHAT THE HELL ....???? (From the stern PC)

 

BZZZZ, BZZZZZ, BZZZZZ, ZAAAAPP!!!!

 

What Happened ?? (From the stern PC)
I don't know but the TV went off and the shore power voltmeter reads Zero.
What's that in the water in front of us ???
By golly, I think it's the shore power service panel.
Didn't you unplug it?
No, didn't you?
No, I thought you were the electrical bod around here.

(Here's where the teamwork comes in)
What do we do now? (From the stern PC)
I can't stop now, go get the copper mooring lines off and someone on the dock will have to fish the box out for us.

 

Just goes to show...
The PC's can drag it down, but it takes the NDP to pull the plug. Meanwhile, Big Blue just keeps on rolling.

 

My nomination for the Pleasure bent Trophy goes to PC's (names withheld) for their attempt to stretch their shore power cables from Ladner to Sydney Spit.