After the cancelation from last weekend due to bad storms, we had seven boats tack their way up wind to Blakesley’s Anchorage off North Stradbroke Island for the amazing Hawaiian Progressive Diner – Cruising Style.

We started the day off on the beach for some Hawaiian cocktails and nibbles and Hawaiian beach games:  The Mai Tai make by Karen Howell was a huge success as well as the Blue Hawaiian.  (too successful some would say!  – Ed).  This was followed by a hilarious “Tacky Tourist” relay race – were the boys took on the girls in dressing up as tacky (Hawaiian) tourists and ran down the beach and back strip off so the next person could do the same. The boys were not playing fairly and knocked over one of the the girls’ team, but the girls won in the end!

Then we tried our hands at hula-hoops – this was quite interesting to watch we all had trouble keeping the hoop up off the ground.   This was won by Karen from (Kaihanu).  The last game we played was a piñata made by my daughter in a shape of a pineapple it was made so strong it took quite a few beatings to break into it to find it filled with a sorted chocolate and liqueur chocolates.  (Yum!)

The dinner was in three courses on different boats with two boats making each course (and increasingly erratic dinghy driving as the evening wore on! – Ed)

• • 1630 we all headed back to ours boats to do the final preparation for the main event of the progressive dinner. 
  • 1730 the first was hosted by Congo and Chantelle IV. Congo made chicken kebabs and Chantelle IV made lomi-lomi salmon and chicken pineapple
  • Mains were with Aqua Therapy (who made pork ribs baby potatoes, green beans and teriyaki chicken) and Kaihanu who made a pork casserole
  • Desserts were on board Scarlett and Sante`. Scarlett made a layered pineapple cake and Santé made a pineapple turnover cake

It was great to see everyone dressed in the finniest Hawaiian clothes and to see all the solon dressed up, and choosing the best dressed couple and saloons proved difficult as they were all so good.  We awarded the best dressed to Craig and Kerry. (Scarlett) The best dressed saloon went to Greg and Joy (Chantelle IV) and the best Hula hoop went to Karen form (Kaihanu)

Thanks everyone who joined in the fun!  (See photos below!)

Geoff and Rae Boyd (Auspicious)