The January 17th meeting of the NTXBG turned out to be more of a “bust” than the battle we had originally planned. Despite the conditions, three hardy souls—Jeff Burns, Mike Butts, and Mike Newell—braved the elements at the pond.
The Conditions Upon arrival at the McInnish Sports Complex, we were met with 15–20 mph winds blowing straight out of the north. With temperatures hovering around 37–38°F, the pond was active with white caps. While it wasn’t a full-on gale, it was certainly enough to give us pause.
The Window of Opportunity We spent the morning engaged in busy work and conversation while we waited for a break in the weather. Around 11:00 AM, the wind finally died down and the waters calmed, leading to the decision to put boats on the water. We began charging CO2 cylinders and testing the guns, but the ships seemed to have their own ideas:
- Jeff’s Dallas: Encountered an issue with the forward turrets failing to respond to firing commands.
- Mike’s Victory: Continued to report under-performing battery capacity.
The Retreat During the 30 minutes spent addressing these technical hurdles, the wind picked back up, returning the pond to an unnavigable state. By noon, the consensus was unanimous: it was time to pack it in and find a warm restaurant with hot coffee.
It wasn’t the day of combat we hoped for, but the camaraderie was top-notch. Surely February will bring better weather?