In 2007, my buddy James goes out drinking with his best ground crew buddy in the world at Fernandina. He calls me (this is the year I could not attend) and he's, well, berschnickered. Apparently he lost his wallet that night, went to the wrong hotel and lodged a written complaint that he couldn't find his 3rd floor hotel room in their 2 story hotel, and he lost his shoes.

Apparently, in the morning he walks over to the beach to get ready for the start, steps into the street, and steps on his driver's license, and his credit card that were in the middle of the road.

True story.

DVL,

I know the feeling .... last year on Labor Day I had to go to Cape May, NJ to help bring my friends 43' Tri home to Annapolis. So I hopped the CapeMay-Lewes Ferry over to Cape May w/ my foulies, a change of clothes, and my sailing gear bag. I was to meet the "dink" at the dingy dock at the Lobster House ... so there I was walking through the Lobster House's dining room to the schooner "America" ... crossing midships to the far side, to the gangway down to the "dingy dock" ... I was wearing my Gill Offshore Jacket, a lifejacket hanging from my shoulder with my gearbag up on top of my shoulder .... I could feel everyones eyes following me .... and hear the whispers ... "Look at that guy, what's he doing??? Where's he going??? .... I walked proud ... and puffed my chest out ... No-one said a word to me ....

They all would leave by car ... I was leaving by boat ...

HarryMurphey

He didn't find them all in the middle of the road.

Ok so Darryl found them.... I couldn't remember the details.

sort of a dorky story, but I lost my brand new cell phone at Hiram's Haul in 2006. Got a huge ration from my spouse at how irresponsible I was. Called the hotel to check the room and lost & found. Alerted the cell company to put a theft notice on the SIM signal (or whatever they do), blah, blah, blah. Turned the car upside down searching for it, called the phone, etc. etc. ect.

Two years later at the Hiram's event, I'm pulling out my fleece from my plastic tub of sailing gear, and there it sits... DOH!

I had "outsmarted" myself putting it in there, knowing it'd be in the car so it wouldn't get lost in the hotel room.

I don't recall exactly either - but I think, in the presence of inability, Daryl had to sign James' credit card receipt for him and James forgot to get that particular card back from Daryl.

I believe James left a really nice tip as well...involuntarily.

I think it's really neat how James' credit card has that figurine man on top of it. It must be a real pain to fit that in his wallet.

Back when cell phones were like bricks, the bank left one of them with me for business with other time zones at night.
Once I got up very... tired, got dressed, showed up late, and everyone was laughing and pointing the cell phone in my hand. It wasn't the brick, but the wireless phone from home.

Next time it was my wife's hair dryer. I still have the cartoon they made then.

September a few years ago. About 7 pm a cold rain rolls in over our warm little fun sail here in california. We were just starting the pot luck dinner. We all (35 or so) pile into one 34 ft motor home and sit on every surface that could be confused as a seat. 3 hours later everyone is full of food and drink and you couldn't move. Really stress tested the stabilizers that day.

Driving snowstorm... stopped for gas and while pumping it must have put my wallet on the roof of the car. Forgot all about it but at the next stop for gas, reached for the wallet and realized what I had done. I was about 300 miles away, with no money and no cards. Walked around the back of the car to go in the store to talk to the person in charge and there on the back bumper was my wallet. It slid down the window and the trunk and got wedged in the bumper. It was snow/salt/crud covered but everything was still inside. Luckiest I have ever been.

A friend and I went diving in Monterey. He put his wallet on the battery and forgot it. We drove home, about 100 miles, and I dropped him off.

He called a few hours later all freaked out. I looked on the battery. No wallet. He showed up just as I was closing the hood and wanted to look. He found the wallet jammed between the engine and the frame. He went to grab it and it fell on the ground.

If I'd traveled another 100 yards...