Note:  Doubleclick enlarges most pics.  Don’t know if I should keep saying this.

5:25 this morning . . . Buono Beach in Rosebank was the appropriate place to be on a Memorial Day weekend as well as the opportune spot to watch the big event on Blue Marlin; the  motley crew of photographers sat and talked, excitement tempered by

threats of a fog bank creeping in.

A few miles to the north at Miller’s Launch, conditions still looked auspicious.  Here Susan Miller with Curtis, almost invisible Dean on the portside…

while  Freddie K Miller had John, soon to add Janice Ann on starboard.

But by 6:30 as cargo began arriving, fog had already obscured the Rosebank anchorage, visibility  . . . half mile or so.

Note Catherine C Miller here with Maverick.

By 6:45, we saw this as a farwell portrait;  we talked about the money shot . .  sans fog . .  we hoped . . ..  all five tugs and seven (?) barges, nowhere to be seen yet, raised high and dry.

Maverick would be first, and she moved toward her cradle while

the “docking crew” positioned themselves atop at the portside winches.

Line was paid out, and

made fast.  Photographers on shore were accompanied by

photographers aboard Dace, the best seat in the bay.

7:15 . . .just when we thought Maverick was in her cradle,

Murphy’s Law applied itself:  something went awry and mission was suspended.

Freddy K headed back to the yard with John and Janice, and

the rest of the cargo and assist vessels followed.

Winch crew descended and boarded the small boat to get back to

Blue Marlin‘s bow.   The semisubmerged portions re-emerged.  Too bad my spy seagull has not  reported back on conversations aboard the ship . . .

Back in the yard, Susan and Curtis and all the others wait for the next attempt.

For a very good video version of part of the morning, click on stewwfinch’s YouTube here.

This is getting better than Groundhog Day (the movie);  maybe we need a sequel called  . . .”blue marlin day.”  All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who may put up better versions of some of these fotos tomorrow.