Party of 40

I'm reminded of Lord Ronald in Stephen Leacock's story.

But unlike Lord Ronald, who flung himself upon his horse, 40 or so cottagers fling themselves into their boats and drive madly off in all directions. Not because they’re angry, but because they’re hungry.

It happens once a year, every summer, in one of the most complicated dinner parties imaginable. Everybody attends and virtually everybody hosts, which means everybody has to navigate the perilous shoals of this water-access Georgian Bay community near MacTier, Ont. I grab my PFD and jump in the boat that’s been assigned to take me to the next stop on the watery route: Appetizers, part two, the second of four stages.

Appetizers, part one has already happened, co-hosted by Richard Crouch and Jamie Crichton at Jamie and Beth Hartung’s cottage. More than a dozen boats crowded in, rafting off one another. This is always the starting point—at 4 p.m. sharp—and the only place where everyone will come together. Richard watches the arrival from the big front deck. He’s the architect of the Woods Bay Travelling Mystery Dinner, but