FL 120 2K23 Day 2: Fort McRee to Big Sabine

[Charles Brennan]

FL 120 2K23 Day 2: Fort McRee to Big Sabine

After waking up, getting breakfast, getting dressed, getting rigged, and getting underway in very light winds, I was treated to my:
Usual View of the Fleet. 
You cannot view this attachment.
Flatness of the water, should give you an idea.

This was going to be one of those "character building" days, i.e., into the wind.
That boat at center is a Siren 17, Suzy Blue, from Georgia on the opposite tack ahead of me.
My son used to own a Siren 17, even took it to some early BEER Cruises.
You cannot view this attachment.

And away he goes!
You cannot view this attachment.

Boats on opposite tacks.
You cannot view this attachment.

I have no idea what this guy was doing; going back for forgotten gear, perhaps.
You cannot view this attachment.

This guy sailed his Hobie Cat all over the place, the whole week.
This was a typical view for me.
After 3 tacks within the same half mile, I realized I was fighting a foul current by the Pensacola Pass and fired up the engine, to motor out of that predicament.
You cannot view this attachment.

THIS is more like it!!
It's GREAT to be in the groove, washing the ports!
Even better: After my ports modifications, my ports only get washed on one side!!  YAYYY!!!
(Hey! You take your victories, where you can get them!)
You cannot view this attachment.

Son-in-law, Ed, chilling out.
You cannot view this attachment.

How did I get ahead of the Siren?!?   
Oh, Yeah. 
Motor.
You cannot view this attachment.

They hold their own, when it's only sails involved, though.
You cannot view this attachment.

After a boatload of tacks and a brief motoring through the Pensacola Bridge, we got to Quiet Waters Park, answering the question:
Did we want Peanut Butter and Crackers for lunch, or something from a restaurant?
Dumb question.

Totally Gratuitous Token Perve Shot for my readers.   
You cannot view this attachment.

Quiet Waters Park now has lots of piers, pilings and other obstacles, in what used to be a nice anchorage for transient boaters.
This year's BEER Cruise is planning a stop there and I don't know WHERE all those boats are going to find a space to spend the night.
We mainly stopped there because we needed ice.
That's my story and I'm STICKING to it!!
You cannot view this attachment.

Decided on Flounders, since it may very well be my favorite restaurant on that strip.
Lots of good memories from previous BEER Cruises, if nothing else.
You cannot view this attachment.

A platter of one species of everything they have in the kitchen, fried to perfection.
You cannot view this attachment.

Under way again and headed for Big Sabine.
Note that we're still using the genoa for tacking.
You cannot view this attachment.
It's a tough job, but SOMEBODY'S got to do it!!

The wind swung around far enough south, that we were able to use a whisker pole and keep moving in the winds that were getting lighter and lighter.
You cannot view this attachment.

You KNOW you're not moving very fast, when a Pelican doesn't even bother to move out of your way!!   
Can't get no respect, from ANYTHING!!   
You cannot view this attachment.

For a guy supposed to be on vacation, Ed sure did a lot of his contracting business over the phone, including filing for permits over the web, while we were out there.
You cannot view this attachment.
Later on, he told me this was the most continuous sleep he'd gotten in several years.

Reaching Big Sabine, (finally!) our boat neighbor was long-time BEER Cruiser, Steve Gully on his super-modified Puddle Duck Racer, Modi-5d
You cannot view this attachment.

And you only thought the stuff you could SEE, looked crowded!! 
You cannot view this attachment.
Apparently, he kicks enough stuff out of the way, in order to go to sleep.

Our buddy on the Hobie Cat. 
Discovered that while we had been slogging upwind on long (and tiring!) tacks all day, he would tack to one side of the Santa Rosa Sound, take a swim, tack to the other side of the Sound, take a nap, rinse, repeat.
I admired (and secretly hated) him at the same time.
You cannot view this attachment.

Urchin peacefully tied up for the night.
You cannot view this attachment.

I got a lot of comments on my Sand Stake, both at the recent Cedar Key Small Boat Meet and on the FL 120.
Besides holding well in sand, it has the ability to hammer/pound it into the sand and ALSO! To hammer/pound it back OUT, again.
No back strain, attempting to tug a stake out of the ground.
So many people have commented, that I decided to include links.
As usual, they've made improvements/changes since I bought mine, lo, these several decades ago.

https://www.westmarine.com/west-marine-shore-anchors-P014063853.html
You cannot view this attachment.
They have a 9 pound and an 11 pound version.  I'd recommend the 11 pound version for boats 16 feet and up and the 9 pound version for all the smaller beachable boats.

Or one closest in appearance to mine:
https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-shore-stake-anchor
You cannot view this attachment.

Or this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GH69WXR/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07GH69WXR&linkCode=as2&tag=bbaawps-20&linkId=f5cb00e9d74e09131abb60d0fd4253fe
You cannot view this attachment.

And if ya want to get REALLY fancy:
https://www.slideanchor.com/shore-spike-1/shore-spike-jyhze
You cannot view this attachment. 
So I donwanna hear any more about it!!

Note that there are not as many boats at Big Sabine. 
You cannot view this attachment.
Seems like some of them didn't need their "character" built up all that much.

But, all of the Ususal Suspects were there.
You cannot view this attachment.

Much braver men than I, to camp out in the MIDDLE  of no-see-um land.
I had a Thermacell in my cabin and counted myself lucky.
I don't know what these Stoics did all night.
You cannot view this attachment.

Scott Widmier's ComPac Something Cat, again.
You cannot view this attachment.

Anything better looking, than a recently painted boat sitting quietly at anchor, just before sunset?
Not to me!!
You cannot view this attachment.

I bet every one of these guys felt that exact same way, sitting on their boats.
You cannot view this attachment.

We even had entertainment. 
Guy had a really good fingerstyle guitar playing method and a warm, easy voice, strongly reminiscent of James Taylor.
I secretly admired him and hated him too, at the same time, an emotion known only to singer/guitar players of lesser talent.
(Not false modesty, here.  I play guitar better; he sings wayyyy better.)
You cannot view this attachment.

Getting up late in the night for the inevitable Aging Male Ritual, I was struck at the peacefulness and was also curious if my camera could take a picture in such low light.
You cannot view this attachment.

Charles Brennan

[Norm L.]

Always enjoy the photos. It is great that there are sailors from all over attending. But, as seems to be normal, there are not many younger ones in the group. Other than racing it seems like small boat sailing is a senior pastime.

Dutch power yachts most always have over sized heavy duty spikes like tent spikes. While there are rural canal side mini parks in the form of a wooden dock that will hold 1 or 2 30' power boats and a mowed grass area the same length 10 or 15' wide (occasionally a bench or table) often you just pull to the side of the canal and drive two stakes to keep you in place during lunch or overnight with sheep, cows or an occasional bicyclist on the dyke bike path for company.
There are also duck docks and ladders so ducks can climb out of the canals into sheltered nesting areas.

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

I recognize a bunch of those names, from here and from past BEERs.