Chesapeake Light Craft St Petersburg 2015

Sailing HideAway

If you've seen any of our Sailing HideAway cruising videos (and you should, you know) you've noticed our wooden dink happily following the HideAway on our cruises along the West coast of Florida.  

What you may not know is that our pram is a kit boat from Chesapeake Light Craft.  I had great fun building it in our garage over a decade ago.  It's been towed and rowed hundreds of miles and has the scars to prove it. Although it needs some TLC it has held up well over the years.

When winters up north gets bad enough CLC takes a road trip to sunny Florida with many of their kayaks and boats in tow.  This next weekend, 2/07/15 from 10-4pm. they will be along the Gandy Bridge near St Petersburg, Fl. (southwest portion of the Gandy Bridge St Petersburg side.)   You can't miss it - Its where all the smiles are   

Even better, all you need is a life jacket and you can try out any boat you wish.  It's the perfect way to get acquainted with your dream boat.  

 Don't forget to sail the East Port prams - You'll be hooked fast! 



Anclote Key Florida 



SMALL BOATS ROCK!

The Pelican and the Fish Head

Pelican Sick and the Fish Head

I didn’t see the pelican, honest.  Mr E and I were busy warping the HideAway backwards around C Dock.  We had been out on a day sail with family visiting from Alaska along with our daughter and beau from Chili.  It was a beautiful day on our favorite bay, however as the wind grew, conversation became difficult.  Stories of moose, bear and Chilean culture became lost amid growling commands to come about or gybe amid fervent discussion of reefing or heading to port.  The decision was to port and Mr E, our gasoholic, out board was happy to take us there. 

I suppose it should be noted here that one questionable feature of the Gulfport Fl channel is a fish cleaning station and its proximity that is closer to our destination than desired.  Fishermen, or fisherpersons if you are of that persuasion, clean their catch throwing the fishy remains to the flock of various birds gathered in the channel for a handout. 

The Pelicans Of Gulfport Florida Channel

Our pelican was one of the beggars.  Proving it was not choosey; the pelican received a fish head of epic dimensions then retired to the unattended C dock for rumination and other biological contemplations.

A loud, strangled squawk hung in the heavy air after the pelican flew to avoid the HideAway after lightening his load depositing said fish head on C dock.  The fish head fell to the dock at the precise point where a sailor person would stand to warp a boat around the dock. 

The Fustiest Fish Head This Side of the Universe

A Fusty Fish Head

Or at least southeast Gulfport 

waited the foot of an unsuspecting sailor.

Have you seen the latest boat shoe fad?  Toe Pocket Shoes have toe pockets for each of your little piggys, a sort of glove for your feet as it were.  While their looks describe discomfort, they are quite comfortable I’m told.  All those free toes provide unparalleled ground feedback, the need of which is hard to visualize while trouping about on a fusty fish head.    

A sliding kick knocked the offending head off the dock providing some reeking relief and served to contaminate innocent toe pockets causing olfactory hallucinations lasting months.  

The much flaunted barefoot shoes were put into a plastic bag and thrown into the automobile’s back seat for transport.  This solution was as short lived as the odor was foul. Shorty, the malodorous toe gear was wrestled in a sealed container then relegated to the murky depths of a car trunk owned by our resident double Iron Man competitor.

The offending collection of toe pockets is still soaking in chemistry of unknown composition and probably has given birth to some kind of mutant creature that will likely become an elected official or at least smell like one.

And all of my gloating over the 110 degree temperature difference between Fairbanks, Alaska and Gulfport, Florida hung in the air like the fevering aroma of a fetid fish head.   

SMALL BOATS ROCK!

        

2014 BCYC Christmas Lighted Boat Parade Gulfport Fl

Boca Ciega Yacht Club will hold its 29th Annual Lighted Christmas Boat Parade  Saturday December 13th starting around 6 pm.  

The best viewing is along the Gulfport channel, downtown Gulfport and the neighborhoods.  The course below has not changed for this year.  

Here's a video of a past year's parade - it's a bit long but has a nice ending: BCYC LIGHTED BOAT PARADE VIDEO  

SV HideAway All Decked out for Christmas

One of the finer traditions here in the south is the annual Christmas Lighted Boat Parades.  The season swings into action in mid December all along the Gulf Coast.  Our favorite, of course, is sponsored by Boca Ciega Yacht Club on Boca Ciega Bay near Gulfport, FL.  You do not have to be a member to enter the parade but it helps if you have a boat.  To enter call the number on the chart below or follow this link 

2013 BCYC Christmas Boat Parade Route Gulfport Fl

This year's parade is December 14, 2013 starting around 6 pm, touring first the Gulfport Marina then out into Boca Ciega Bay towards downtown, the beach and the Gulfport Pier then on to Town Shores, Pasadena and a long course across the bay to Isla del Sol.  A party for participants follows at Boca Ciega Yacht Club.

Here's a video of last year's parade I shot while standing, and at one point falling, off  a ladder- HO! HO! HO! OW!

SMALL BOATS ROCK!!

2013 St Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show

 DECEMBER 5th - 8th  

St Petersburg Fl Power and Sailboat Show

You know when fall arrives in the south-the boat shows bloom just across the street from melting clocks and the surreal world of the Dali Museum in downtown St Petersburg FL.  Somehow it all comes together in harmony.  After all, surrealism and sailing, at least on HideAway, are often the same. 

 Sea Pearl and the Dali Museum

  Not to be out done, our very own sailing club, Boca Ciega Yacht Club of Gulfport Florida will be at Booth 133 in Tent 1 near the large fountain which is fortunately outside.  

Boca Ciega Yacht Club St Petersburg Sailboat Show

Here you can watch videos and learn all about  the many BCYC programs from a whole fleet of happy sailors.

Cruising, Racing, Youth and Adult Sailing Classes, Oh my!

Bruce Bingham visits with the SV HideAway Admiral

Be There or Be Keel-Hauled!

SMALL BOATS ROCK!

   

Leading a Sailor to Water Garmin GPSmap 640

Garmin GPSmap 640 on SV HideAway

We were navigating to my son's house in Tampa last weekend using the road mode of our new Garmin GPSmap 640 in an effort to become better acquainted with the high tech device. 

I was growing more upset with it because it was taking us the long way to our destination along all sorts of back streets that were not of our choosing instead of a more direct route using major roads.  

I was about to mention my concerns to the lady in the GPS when all of a sudden she told me to turn right and we found ourselves at a beautiful park right on the Hillsborough River.  

All is forgiven, my son's house was nearby.  

A GPS that knows how to lead a sailor to water is OK in my book.  

Sailing HideAway  anchored near Honeymoon Island FL

Thoughts On Sailing Home

Sailing HideAway

In the failing light the HideAways headed up, dropped sail, and urged our aged outboard to consciousness.

Linda worked the sails into their resting places while I, unable to see through the downed sails, stood on the stern bridge deck steering a course to the channel the tiller at my side. 

Bruised, battered, soaked and tattered the HideAways crept into the Gulfport Channel with a fairly well shredded main sail and a dingy splintered. 

Gulfport Florida Channel

As HideAway, a Com-Pac 23, surged home running before the swells I stood taller than the bimini watching our little craft below. 

The outboard  gurgling as it pushed us along, a Fish Hawk cried, the splash of a fish somewhere, the roil of a wave. I sensed a sailor’s connection with the mariners of the ancient world.

I Could See for a Thousand  Years

 The boat rolling now, homeward bound, as the wind reached her broadsides running free my tiredness vanished. 

All was at peace –

Only the sea, the wind, and we.

I slowed the engine to idle…

Exploring The Caribbean Rum Smoothie

After our son and family absconded to the Dominican Republic on vacation leaving Bella, our grand dog, with us a bottle of Ron Bacelo rum appeared at our door.  

Mr. Bacelo’s rum made its appearance on a steamy hot summer day at the exact time in the afternoon when something cold and refreshing would be most yearned for. 

As welcome as it was unexpected, we found ourselves lacking in the proper mixing materials until in a moment of reckless inspiration a bag of frozen fruit and a blender were found.   Thus the Carribbean Rum Smoothie was born.

Caribbean Rum Smoothies

Cool, Quick & Easy

1-1lb bag of frozen fruit-strawberries, peaches, pineapple, & red grapes

10 oz-Rum-Ron Barcelo -37.5 % alc.

1/3 cup  pineapple  juice

Blend frozen fruit & pineapple juice till smooth. Add rum & blend till mixed & serve in insulated glasses.

Great with Any & All Hot Summer days!

Boat Renaming Ceremony

According to legend the Roman King of the Sea, Neptune, in partnership with the Greek Ruler of the Sea, Poseidon, maintain a data base of all vessels that have ever sailed the seas of the world.  

 Any updates to the Ledger of the Deep, such as renaming a vessel, must be made using proper protocols to prevent enforcement of stiff penalties.  Neptune and Poseidon, both of whom live in underwater palaces for apparent tax reasons, are said to have considerable influence over the weather and seas, not to mention Lady Luck.  For instance, the mere mention of the old boat name may invoke disaster for the hapless sailor without thier protection.

While none of this can be proven, any sailor knows it is better to be prepared than not.  Thus when the SV Miandros needed to change the name of her tender from ***REDACTED***  to Lil M the following ceremony took place.

  

SMALL BOATS ROCK!

Searching for the Light - Anclote Key Florida

SV HideAway Anclote Key Light FL

We were anchored off the southeast corner of Anclote Key not far from the mouth of the Anclote River.  The crew had just returned from exploring as much of the back waters that could be navigated by row boat on a mission to rediscover an old secret trail to the Anclote Key light.

Rowing the Anclote Key Backwaters

 Docking our wood lap strake dink along side and climbing aboard HideAway takes coordination, timing and balance. The procedure includes gliding up to the boat and shipping the oars while the crew holds onto HideAway.  The next step is to secure a tight bow and stern line to HideAway’s stern and jib cleats to keep the dink against the boat and perhaps slow down a capsize. 

The Last Gasp Grasp

The grab, certainly frantic, left the Capt. hanging by one hand off HideAway’s back stay with one foot on board while the other hand and foot flailed away at a rapidly retreating dink. The Last Gasp Grasp prevented a picturesque if not life changing back flip into the drink and dink although not likely in that order. 

All events that end with undesirable consequence on HideAway are reviewed by the crew after the adrenaline and/or blood has been staunched.  A thorough investigation completed by said crew took place in the cock pit shortly after the incident with enough quiet aplomb to empty the entire anchorage of all floating craft, flying creatures and fish so fearful that some leapt at the chance to join the gettaway. 

A word from our sponsor  

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The Wonderful Days of Yore

Once upon a time this area featured a fine crescent beach and a trail that snaked through the wilderness to a sidewalk covered by a canopy of old growth jungle that eventually found the light. Built in 1887 the light was abandoned almost a hundred years later.  The components of the original light were long removed leaving a gapping hole in the floor protected by a traditional light tower metal roof. The metal tower was the color of old rust inside and out.  A broken down fence and an open doorway tempted the adventurous soul. The large island was unregulated.  You could wander the beaches for hours without company and camp wherever you pleased.  Natural law and common sense prevailed.

The Magic Pearl Sunset

It was memories of our Magic Pearl, a Sea Pearl 21, which brought us back to this enchanting place of endless powder white beaches that squeak as you walk on it like snow on a cold winters day. 

In the latter years of the millennium just past, folks of stout hearts and brave souls dared to climb to the top of the broiling hot cylinder on a narrow spiral staircase held together with one hundred year old rusty bolts of questionable integrity while navigating missing steps and other hazards deemed best ignored.

Anclote Key Light circa 1986

At the top of the light a metal cat walk protected by a suspicious railing provided a view as if from bird’s eye of a tropical jungle and secret places with sandy beaches set in clear waters and framed by a brilliant blue sky.  It was the stuff of dreams.

The panorama has been known to cause rational thinking to sail away on the afternoon sea breeze compelling anyone who dared to climb that glorious rusting tower to shrug off all concern of danger and become completely captivated by the beauty of the moment. Oh the adventure!   

 For What is Life to Free Range Sailors if Not Risk?

The light has since been restored to operation in all its former glory and the entire area is under the control of the Florida State Parks system.   Philosophers and land developers can argue about change being a good idea; however with change often come regulations that prohibit freedom.  The light is off limits to the public and a permit, although free, is required to camp, but only on the northern shore and only if you bring your own boat and leave it anchored in open seas.  

SV HideAway- Our  Beach-Anclote Key Fl

After nearly two decades “our” beach has been completely overgrown by mangroves.  The trail that had never amounted to a real trail in the first place was not to be found in the dense undergrowth.  (A later viewing of a satellite image proved the HideAways were only a few feet from a serviceable route to the light.)

An elevated wooden walkway from the light services a not-for-public use pier.  You can anchor near the pier in unprotected waters, row ashore and follow a path to the northern end of the walkway.   The path begins on the south west corner of the key but the waters there are much too shallow for HideAway to anchor.  There is a string of sand extending south of the key that may have held HideAway at high tide but would have been questionable at any other level.  

Sailing HideAway  Anclote Key Fl

Faced with those choices the HideAways chose to make their way from their anchorage along the south eastern shore to the pier.  With the pier in view the shore line water became too deep to walk in, the undergrowth impassable and the mission abandoned.  Still it was a pleasant row and hike in complete solitude with plenty of wild life to observe above and below the warm crystal clear waters.  

Besides the shadows of morning had long cast off on their journey and we had to fetch Caladesi Island before the sea devoured the sun. 

Google “sailing hideaway st joseph sound” and watch the video to see how we fared.   

SV HideAway Leaving Anclote Key FL

SMALL BOATS ROCK!!

Garmin GPSMAP640: A Review From a Pocket Cruiser

Think You Might Need A Chart Plotter?

Clearwater Harbor FL Spoil Island

 Late in the last millennia at the very beginning of Sailing HideAway, a spanking new Garmin 120 GPS joined the equipment list of the SV hideaway.  Strangely, the main screen featured a highway complete with lanes that pointed towards the next waypoint.  If there was no waypoint, another screen provided track, position, altitude, and time. All the basic information needed for cruise navigation or day sailing was at hand. Without question a good chart and tools to plot it with were required.

Over the years the durable 120 became difficult to wake up in the morning, usually taking its time to find satellites and it could not plot a route to save its processor.  After Sixteen years of adventures a dark circle formed in the exact center of the display and grew in area ultimately becoming a total eclipse.

16 Years of Service 

The capt will admit to a certain reluctance to search for a replacement for the venerable 120.  The unwelcome discovery that an affordable GPS with a reasonably large screen unencumbered by other even more expensive toys has become an endangered species.  Many of the fully integrated units cost more than the boat is worth while providing too much information to be processed on a small sailboat.  Some units had screens so large they would distract the crew from actually sailing the boat.  An affordable GPS suffered from a screen too small to be helpful during the more exciting moments of the sailing experience.   No doubt there are plenty of handheld units that would work fine on a mountain trail but are useless on a heeling sailboat with a nearsighted navigator.

DOIN THE SEA FOG SLOG

Surely this year’s spring cruise to the distant Anclote Key could be made without electronic wonders.   Or so the capt believed until a sunny afternoon day sail became a sudden sea fog slog.  The HideAways had to admit navigating the shallows along Pass-A-Grill Channel at the tip of St Pete Beach in a dense fog without benefit of an electronic wonder may not end well.  The search began in earnest and since many of our escapades occur on the hard as well as water, the dual purpose Garmin GPS640 MAPS held particular interest.

It was difficult to justify the price until West Marine offered the unit at a couple of hundred dollars off the lowest price available at the time. 

Our new Garmin GPS640 Maps arrived in a large box of some heft.  This is significant because as we all know anything expensive must have these qualities in direct proportion to their cost to have real value.  The large hefty box included important documents, books, parts and accessories in impressive plastic bags that further justified the cost.  A word of caution is in order.  Offerings from some providers included remanufactured, refurbished or open frame units at a lower price. The fine print explained that while the unit would function properly some accessories may be missing.  Given all the parts, pieces and paraphernalia shipped in our box the risk was not worth taking and well worth the $40 difference.

First Impressions

The unit fits perfectly on a swing arm in HideAway’s companionway.  The nautical mount has a feature that scared the ptooohies out of us when first used.  One of us bumped the GPS pretty hard causing it to spin to almost vertical!   Turns out the mount has a clutch that allows for such impact. A nice amenity on a heeling sailboat.  

Garmin GPSMAP640

The mount has protected gold contacts and is of solid well thought out construction.  As reported by others, there is a significant glare issue with the screen.  We found tilting the unit slightly helps fend off the dreaded glare but some sort of shadow casting device would be helpful. The 640 comes with an impressive cover to guard from what I don’t know but it would be nice if it wouldn’t fall off if moved from horizontal.  We have to band it to the machine to transport.

View From the Helm

While I can see the screen from the helm the stats are difficult to discern.   Unless the sun is direct I could see our progress down the ICW and anticipate markers.  After all these years I can estimate speed, however those with better eyes may be able to recognize the speed data.   Note the designation print between mph and nm is too small to see on the screen at any distance.

The Touch Screen

The touch screen allows for a larger viewing area and is easy to use.  The panning function took some getting used to for the HideAways.   Be careful though, if you inadvertently touch the screen something on it will change.  In finding your way back to the right screen you may have to employ language some may feel inappropriate.  Interestingly it takes some effort to use the on/off switch.

As we sailed out of Pass-A-Grill channel entering crucial waypoints the 640 could not find marker G7A.  That might not mean much to you, but G7A is the closest marker with adequate water depth to afford the south bound intentions of the HideAways.  Full magnification was required to find the channel marker in a water way where 4 foot wakes are common.  How much fun can one sailor stand? After the waypoint is entered the mark will show at any magnification.

A Most Annoying Feature