Manatee Sailing Association
Volume 29 Number 9
www.msasailing.org
September 2014
alendar of Events
September 2014
Event
Date
Time
Place
MSA Meeting
Sept 9
7:00 PM
Pier 22
DWBH
Sept 26
5:00 PM
Bridge St
Bistro
Cruise
Sept 27
5:00 PM
Vinoy
hoy Sailors!
Fall is almost upon us – the best time to get out on
the water and enjoy less humidity and increased
winds. I hope soon some of our snow-bird members will return and bring their boats to our Sail-aways – Karen has an interesting line up of cruises
for us for the remainder of the year.
October 2014
Event
Date
Time
Place
MSA Meeting
Oct 14
7:00 PM
Pier 22
Cruise
Oct 22
5:00 PM
TBD
DWBH
Boo Party
Oct 31
6:30 PM
TBD
Even though mid-summer, we had a fantastic turnout at Pier 22 for our August meeting – I counted
44 folks. We had the most ever new members
join that night and another new couple since the
meeting. I have met with the banquet manager
and she will be putting us in the Sunset Room
which has an increased capacity for the September
meeting. This should ensure everyone being able
to sit in the same room!
Vinoy Sail-a-Way
September 27th
Speaking of great turnouts, our Annual Picnic entertained over 50 members, friends and families.
The weather held up, but unfortunately, not
enough wind to enable folks to play with the Sunfish. A big “Thank You” to Jay, Tom O., Carey,
Tom B. and Juan who ferried the “toys” from and
to Bimini Bay. Thanks also to former member
Brian Dahms for allowing us to use his water craft.
Gary and Carla arrived early and helped me set up,
then Gary disappeared to set up his famous
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Bloody Mary Bar! That was a great hit and helped
energize me as I flipped burgers and hot dogs! As
usual, the food was plentiful and varied and no one
went home hungry. As the afternoon progressed,
Karen taught a few to play Bocce Ball and they enjoyed an exciting match or two in the nearby field.
Other folks to Thank for their help include, Gary,
Linda, Elaine, Carla, Carolyn,Thelma, and Bobbie. I
apologize if I have omitted anyone. With such great
Help, everyone enjoyed a wonderful afternoon.
MSA Meeting
Ahoy MSA Sailors,
Mark your calendars - our next meeting
will be September 9th, Tuesday, at
Pier 22 on the Bradenton waterfront.
Featured Speaker:
Welcome New Members
Ken and Kelly Mitchell
Robert Styduhar
Roy and Kathy Deakins
Diana Stanton and Ron Homan
Tom Dugan and Becky Moreland
Please help me in greeting these new members and
learning more about their talents and interests!
The Joys of teaching my Grandson, Trevor how to
sail!
As some of you are aware, when each of my grandchildren reach the age of 13 I take them on a trip.
Trevor decided he would like to go to an all-inclusive resort “somewhere”. He had previously visited
such a resort and wanted to be sure that he could
“snack” whenever he wanted! Being a little selfish, I
chose a resort just south of the chaotic town of Cancun on the Caribbean coast, near to the little fishing
village Puerto Morelos. Some criteria we had included, amenities of snorkeling, deep sea fishing, (me –
sailing), and the option to visit ruins if we desired.
Since Trevor lives in Texas, I flew there to collect
him and of course visit with my eldest daughter and
the other siblings. We flew direct from Dallas to
Cancun, a quick flight. (Did you know it is far more
difficult to get to Cancun from our area? – Well, take
my word, it is!)
The resort was exactly like the brochures, so we were
not disappointed. Four large pools, including an infinity edge one, complete with swim-up bar – and
yes, we did spend some time trying exotic concoc2
Daniel Stephens
Lead Park Ranger
His video and discussion will cover interesting
facts about the DeSoto Landing & Expedition
which all began on the shores of our county’s
beach. The expedition of Hernando DeSoto is
extremely informative and a "must see" so
don't miss out.
You will discover––
Who brought the first pigs to this hemisphere?
Who never quit searching for gold in Florida?
Pier 22
1200 First Avenue West
Bradenton, FL 34205
The meeting starts at 7:00 PM but
come early around 6:00 PM for
dinner and drinks.
Click here for restaurant details
tions! The sailing boats were 14 ft Hobie Cats.
One morning I persuaded my reluctant grandson to
come with me to see for himself why his grandmother has such a passion for this great sport! We
donned life vests and with a push from the boatboy, were off. As we scooted along, I explained in
simple terms how the wind worked on the sail and
how the tiller steered the boat. Looking a little perplexed, I said, “Come over here and sit next to me”.
I then gave him the tiller to steer the boat, while I
kept control of the sheet. After several zig-zag attempts we were off on a straight course towards a
pier jutting out from shore. Next I instructed him
on the commands of “Coming About, Helms A-Lee
and Jibe-Ho”. Any of these he thought great fun,
except when he did it too fast or too slow and we
were in irons!
He thoroughly enjoyed turning the boat as we
tacked back and forth parallel to the beach in winds
of about 3-4 knots. On shore, he was smiling, so I
ventured “So, how did you like sailing?” “ It was
better than I thought-----too bad we couldn’t go
faster”, he replied. “Can we go again tomorrow?”
Just what I had been hoping for!
ominously closer! The beast soon disappeared, but
did add some excitement to the outing.
Back once again on the beach, he confidently told
me “I am glad I’ve tried that. When I return with
my family in November, I’ll be able to take them
out by myself”! And so at least one of my grandsons has dabbled in the delights of feeling the wind
and sun upon his face and experienced the thrill of
the rushing water beneath the keel (pontoons in this
case). I do hope he retains the love of water and
will enjoy honing his sailing skills in November
when he returns to the same area to celebrate
Thanksgiving with his siblings and parents.
P.S. He still prefers deep sea fishing!
Special note: We wish a rapid recovery to Clarence
Jones, Rear Commodore, who is battling a nasty leg
infection.
Whereabouts of our Members
Wakelams – Bob and Judy, are cruising north, having experienced the inland waters of Georgia, the
Carolinas and were last heard from the Chesapeake
The next day we had slightly more wind and he was Bay.
eager to go again. Once away from the beach and The Greens, - Larry and Charley have been enjoyrunning downwind, I let him have the main sheet as ing the coastlines of Maine and Nova Scotia. They
well. At first he fumbled, but soon got the knack
will be celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary at
of controlling the sheet along with the tiller. I
a special cove in Maine where they were married.
could relax and enjoy the sail. He seemed to be a
natural! After a jibe, he saw what looked like fins
jutting out of the water. From a jetty a voice was
Helen Chouinard
shouting “Shark, shark!” Nearby kayakers and
Commodore
swimmers rushed to shore, while WE were getting
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Panama City, Panama
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sweaty so a swim in the cool water was requested.
One by one, the crew joined us in the activity. BeBy Gail Gordon fore you knew it, it was 5’o clock! We popped
open a bottle of wine we had purchased here and
We left the anchorage at Anegada at 7:45 AM Mon- snacked on cheese, crackers and fruit. What a wonderfully lazy day!
day morning while we watched
Phil and Alex were scheduled to do
our depth and braced for a possible
the meal tonight and they did a
hit on the bottom. In minutes we
great job. Phil grilled T bone steaks
were safely out of the channel and
for all of us on our rather small
into deep water. Sails were up at
BBQ. They were not very thick but
8:20 without a struggle as the
he did an expert job achieving a mewinds were the lightest we had on
dium – rare status on the meat. We
the trip so far. We headed for
had corn on the cob and garlic
Cane Garden Bay on Tortola with
bread along with it. Yum! Roger
the winds on our tail which providand I will have the last meal preed us an easy and comfortable ride.
pared on the boat and by now the
I rated this sail a definite 5 star
bar was raised pretty high. We betexperience! Alex took a turn at
ter not screw up. But even by the
the helm with instruction from his
time the dishes were cleaned and
grandfather, Phil, but it didn’t last
put away it was too early to go to
for long. He returned to his favorbed. So, we pulled out Thelma’s
ite pastime of improving his exquiCane Garden Bay
site tan. We seemed to have the waters to ourselves Bananagrams and my Skip-bo game. We started
as I only saw one or two small sails on the horizon. with the card game…..Gary, Alex, Thelma, Phillip
and me. Gary whipped our butts twice. We then
We arrived at our destination, a quiet and tranquil
bay nestled around a simple village, at 12:05. We turned to the scrabble game and he did it again.
were neighbors to a few privately owned boats that Obviously, we were not much of a challenge for
him. The rest of us played again and this time Phil
peppered the bay sparingly. Not many charters
here today! We prepared grilled cheese and tomato took the honors. At about 9:30 we gave up and
went to bed. We must have worked entirely too
sandwiches for lunch while we enjoyed the quiet
hard today!
harbor. The heat was more intense here and the
Or just maybe,
winds became next to none. We spotted a local
we were getresident, a small turtle swimming in the vicinity.
He would prove to be our constant companion dur- ting better at
ing our stay. As af- this so called
ternoon progressed, “island living”
most took naps dur- thing.
y BVI Journal
ing the warmest
part of the day.
Rog and I couldn’t
decide what to do.
Taking the kayak
out was such as hassle that we nixed that idea. We
took the dinghy to the almost still town in search of
a few supplies. Phil and Alex had gone into town
earlier to check out the few beach bars. And while
they were there, they toured the 400 year old rum
distillery, Arundel. We returned with bread and
wine, the staples of life! It was hot and we were
It was Tuesday morning
Bananagrams
and we enjoyed a wonderfully lazy start to the day. Last
night was most calm and we all slept in a bit. Coffee was ready thanks to Roger as one by one we
joined the group on the front deck. Once the sun
popped over the mountains, we made our way to
the stern for some shade on the back porch. Rog,
Phil and Gary went to shore in search of a bakery
and they returned with the “goods”. Before we
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headed over to our next stop, lunch on Jost Van
After our bellies
Dyke, we stopped at the docks in this anchorage
were full and the
for water and to get rid of garbage. I’m afraid we
drink took effect,
had been most luxurious with our showers. The
we all got sleepy.
real treat this morning, however, was phone recep- A walk on the
tion. When the boat would swing towards St. John beach was a
or St. Thomas, calls could be made.
good idea to
bring us back to
White Bay
After our stop at the docks we headed out across
life. We got
the waters to White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. Even
back on the boat and moved just around the corner
though it was 10 AM. already, it would be a short
on the island to our anchorage for the
cruise…..one hour perhaps. We just put up the jib night….Great Harbor.
and motor sailed to our destination. On approach,
we all released the same sound…..ahhhhh! The
Dinner tonight would be at another famous island
color of the water was to die for. The plan was to establishment….Foxy’s. There were only a few
stop at the Soggy
boats in this protected bay and we grabbed a ball
Dollar for lunch and easily. In moments we all jumped into the water
sample their world
since it was a hot afternoon and we needed to be
famous drink…..the revived after lunch. First, Gary’s lens from his
Painkiller. We
sunglasses fell into the water. Jimmy quickly
found a mooring ball fished it out before it got too deep. Roger jumped
easily but once up,
into the water next and thankfully remembered to
the loop was so
take out his hearing aid at the last second. But
frayed that the guys once he was submerged, he realized he had forgotwere reluctant to use ten to take off his new sunglasses, his new preit. Luckily we
scription sunglasses. Jimmy again to the rescue,
found another not
grabbed his mask but lost his float in the process.
Swim Ashore toSoggy Dollar
too far away. The
It looked like a goner but Jimmy swam for the
water was the color
float like it was a prized possession. In the meanof Lucite and just as clear. We could see down to
time, Alex dove in for Roger’s glasses but to no
the bottom for a very long distance away from the avail. By that time, it was just too deep. Thank
beach. Alex was the only crew member who
goodness, Roger had another pair. Once Jimmy
chose to swim to shore the way you were supposed was back with the float, we finally all relaxed in
to approach the restaurant……hence the name.
the deliciously cool water. What a calamity!
The place was packed with tourists and the moorAfter we cleaned up from our swim, Gary took Jiming balls were now all occupied…even the frayed
my, Phil and me to the quiet
one. Boats were coming
village to take a walk. We
by in numbers looking to
checked out Foxy’s and we
beach or anchor. We came
actually were able to make
by dinghy and grabbed a
dinner reservations, altable near the beach. One
though as it turned out, we
by one we ordered food and
didn’t need them. We
the specialty drink of the
poked around the numerous
day. While we waited,
gift shops and then continsome of us shopped in the
ued our exploration. As we
tiny gift shop and made
walked along the shore, we
some purchases. The food
passed quaint and picturwas quite good but the
esque shacks, bars, restaudrinks packed a big punch.
rants, dive shops, grocery
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stores and finally an old church. We were near the
church when we saw him……a scraggly, skinny
old black man, bear footed and unshaven. He was
carrying a large garbage bag over his right shoulder
and had 2 smaller ones in his left hand. Gary recognized him first, I think, as I remember him turning
to say something to me and then I got a view of
that famous face……the cover of the BVI Cruising
guide…..Foxy. I must have been shocked because before I could stop the words from coming
out of my mouth, I said…..”Hey, you’re Foxy!” At
this point, I had already embarrassed myself so I asked
for a photo. “You’re a celebrity”, I said. He replied, “I
don’t know about any of that
bullshit!” Yup! It was
Foxy! When we met up
with Phil, he told us that he
had had an encounter as well.
What luck, really!
and then, da, da, da, dum…….it was Rogers and
my turn to make dinner. The pressure was on!!!!
On Wednesday morning we executed, once again,
a relaxed start
to the
day….we
seemed to
have perfected
that move. An
easy breakfast
was the fare as
we planned to
have lunch
ashore. We left at a leisurely 10 ish and had the
sails up soon after. A brief shower, first of this
trip, caused us to button up for a few moments
and then it was over. We sailed for a bit more
than an hour tacking frequently as we entered an
area of small islands clustered together. Just before entering the harbor at Soper’s Hole a giant
gust of wind caused us to almost heal
Back at the boat we relayed
over……venturi effect, I guessed. The marina
our stories to those that had stayed behind. Quick
was packed with boats and the surrounding area
naps were followed by a lively Happy Hour. And
on shore looked almost metropolitan. We hooked
before you knew it, we left
one of the vacant mooring
the vessel for a night out on
balls without difficulty at
the town, dinner at Foxy’s.
about 11:30. This stop was a
We were seated at a table
Mecca of shopping, restauvery close to the beach and
rants, bars and markets and
found the breezes most enall looked new and spiffy in a
joyable. Everyone was
Key West style. This was not
pleased with the quality of
the typical island villages we
the food and the variety as
had seen along the way. Our
well. Attractive plates of
quest here was to have lunch
seafood, steaks and even
at the famous Pusser’s Restaulamb were devoured. All
rant and apparently it was evPussers
the while, nary a sight of
eryone else’s. The girls,
the famous owner was to be had. We realized that including me, got all excited about the fancy gift
we had been given a real treat this afternoon!
shops but the guys just wanted to eat. We got 2
small tables with umbrellas
We dragged ourselves back to the A/C cooled cabin and then ordered our lunch
and rubbed our full bellies. As the doors were
quickly as advised by our waitclosed on the galley, I decided to cook up some po- ress. We were made aware
tatoes to make some potato salad for tomorrow.
that there could be a long wait.
When the wind blew through the cabin, it was imAt my table, Gary, Carla and
possible to cook on the stove. We were nearing the Roger and I all ordered the
end of the trip and we needed to put together meals same thing ……. An outrausing the foods remaining. Tomorrow we were to
set sail for Soper’s creek to have lunch at Pusser’s 7
geous giant batter fried hotdog served in a hammock with a boat load of fires. What were we
thinking? The other table was a bit more conservative. While we waited, and yes, it was a long time,
we, one at a time got up and did a little shopping in
the nearby
stores. We left
about 2 ish after
picking up a
few necessary
items (wine) at
the market.
Our anchorage
for tonight
Approaching Norman Bight
would be the
Bight at Norman Island. When we left the bay, we
got into some fierce winds and it threatened rain, so
we just motor sailed to our destination. As we approached we cruised by the Indians and the Caves,
2 favorite spots for sailors. We hooked a ball just
far enough from the William Thornton to insure a
restful night. The Willy “T”, as it was affectionately referred to, was a stationary boat that served as a
bar and encouraged some wild parties on occasions.
included me that had the “hotdog” for lunch were
still stuffed and as a result we pushed the dinner
time to 7:30. Rog and I simplified the original
menu to baked salmon with hollandaise sauce, potato salad (that I had made earlier) and sautéed zucchini with onions. Rog took over cooking the fish
and did a great job. It may not have been the best
dinner we had on the trip, but we made a respectable showing. We survived the pressure of being
last! Just before we sat down on our back porch to
eat, the setting sun turned the dramatic rain clouds
in the sky to crimson and purple. What a perfect
backdrop for our little feast. How did we manage
that?
Even though Roger and I felt lazy, we decided to
pull out the kayak for one last time. I’m not sure I
would include that in our BVI experience again. It
was so difficult for both of us to get into it from the
boat. Anyway with help, we managed. It was
about 4 P.M. when we got to the rocky shoreline.
Skies were grey, not the best conditions for snorkeling. However, the relatively
shallow water was filled with
small colorful fish. This may
have been the best spot so far.
After about 30 minutes in the
water, I got chilled and decided to walk along the beach.
Rog joined me and the two
of us found all sorts of sea
treasures…..lovely pieces of
coral, tiny colorful scallop
shells, dry sea urchins and even a BVI olive shell.
After clean up, I had expected Alex and Phil to
wander over to
Jimmy and Thelma
the Willy “T”
at Norman Bight
for Alex to savor yet another
BVI experience. But instead, Alex
grabbed the
Bananagrams
game. Apparently he just loved playing scrabble….go figure!
While we were playing a game, the skies opened up
and we had a real downpour. All day today, the
weather looked questionable, but thankfully it held
out until now. We had talked about hanging
around here until the Thursday afternoon….maybe
do the Caves or at least snorkel a bit but maybe the
weather would not cooperate. Tomorrow would
be our last day cruising in the BVI’s. We would
bring the boat back to the marina in the evening. It
wasn’t due in until Friday morning but Phil and
Alex had a very early departure to catch the ferry
back to make their flight. We wanted to play it
safe…we had been very lucky so far and at this
point, we didn’t want to tempt fate.
We got back from our kayak excursion about 5:30
as we were responsible for preparing dinner for the
crew tonight. After a quick shower, I put out some
munchies to appease those hungry. The 4, which
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To be continued
9
uly MSA Social Event
O.K. MSA members!!! Let's start the Fall season
off with a "bang"! On September 13th, MSA members and friends are invited to join me for a Spanish
Interlude. We will meet at the Salvador Dali Museum, One Dali Blvd., St Pete 33701, 727 823-3767,
at 1:30 P.M. for an architectural tour of the incredible glass bubble that houses the largest collections
of the artists work outside of Spain. This building
has been touted to be one of the top 100 buildings to
see before you die. We will hear about the structure
built in 2011 and its ability to survive hurricanes
and storms and other possible hazards but yet exhibits so many of the surrealistic artistic qualities that
exemplify the master himself, Dali. This tour starts
at 1:45 and will last about an hour. Soon after that
we will continue our journey by learning about the
artist. We will join the tour of the gallery with the
next available docent. I have been to this museum
many times and each time I learn something new
and see something exciting that I didn't know about
before. We will experience some of the magic of
the large masterworks that are permanent in this gallery. In addition to these, there are so many other
facets to the artist's creativity that are displayed.
Jewelry, house wares, articles and advertisements
were all part of Dali's repertoire. Did you know that
Dali and Walt Disney produced a feature length animated film? Not to forget, there is an additional
show in the gallery called "Marvels of Illusion"
which is temporary. And......there is a really cool
gift shop! So for a group rate (10+) of $18.95 for
adults and $16.95 for seniors you get a big "bang"
10
for your buck! This is a perfect time to explore
the museum...before the crowds come in season.
After we have been thoroughly saturated with
information about the famous artist, we will complete our Spanish journey with drinks and food
at Ceviche Tapas Bar and Restaurant in the beautiful old Ponce de Leon Hotel, 10 Beach Dr. N.E.
St Petersburg, 33701 727 209-2299. This Spanish Mission Revival structure built in 1922 is
worth a "look-see" as well. But mostly we will
be interested in their famous sangria and the
great small plates. If you have worked up an
appetite you are able to order a full dinner as
well. And if you need to walk off some calories
after our feast, downtown St Pete on a Saturday
evening is a good place to do it. Let's get together for this social event packed with sights that
will delight and amaze you, tastes that will
please you and friends that you will enjoy being
with. Please make your reservations with me on
or before our next MSA meeting, September 9th.
E-mail me at [email protected] or call (941)7945181. I hope to see you at one of the great highlights of our Tampa Bay area, very near our own
back yards.
Enthusiastically,
Gail Gordon
Secretary
Directions, by land or water-- I-275 to St Petersburg, take exit 23A (I-375), stay left, follow 4th
Ave North to Beach Dr and turn left. The Renaissance Vinoy Resort is on the left and the Vinoy
Marina is on the right. By Water: Latitude: 27
degrees N 46.6' Longitude: 82 degrees W 375'.
September Sailaway
Our next sailaway is Saturday and Sunday, September 27-28 to The Vinoy® Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club (and marina) , 501 5th
Avenue NE · St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. If you
would like a dock space, you may call the dockmaster directly at (727) 824-8022 or email
[email protected] . The website will answer many of your questions-http://www.marriott.com/hotel-info/tpasr-thevinoy-renaissance-st-petersburg-resort-and-golfclub/marina/gtvwgaz/facilities.mi.
If you are coming by land to join the group for
happy hour and/or dinner, contact Sassy Captain
Gary Morgan at 941-757-9903 or Cruising Captain Karen Brazell at 941-896-2694 ahead or
when you arrive to get directions to the host boat.
Typically we gather at 4 pm on the host boat, so
bring an appetizer and libations to join the Saturday evening fun.
More details will be shared at our monthly meeting Tuesday September 9. If you are not sailing
Access to the Vinoy marina 74 state-of-the-art boat but would like to be a crew member one or both
directions, let it be known at our meeting.
slips gives you entry to much more, including: an
Another
Fun Opportunity
18-hole championship golf course and 12-court
Once
again,
Karen is inviting us to join her at the
tennis complex, four restaurants and lounges, a
full-service spa and a fitness center. Website indi- Bradenton Womens Club Friday Sept 26 for a 7
cates concrete fixed docks and 10% savings at res- pm dance class and 8-11 pm evening of dancing
with her favorite band, JJ and Scotty. She will
taurants. I have heard that dock fees are 2.50 per
have a table reserved. Just show up and join the
foot but dockmaster will confirm this detail.
fun--no reservation needed. $8 covers the class
and music. We had fun last time!
Karen Brazell
Cruising Captain
MSA 2014 Board Members
www.spicesailingcharters.com
[email protected]
Board Position
Commodore
Helen Chouinard
Vice Commodore
Jimmy Rivera
Rear Commodore
Cruising Capt
Clarence Jones
Karen Brazell
Racing Capt.
Sue Davidson
Secretary
Gail Gordon
Treasurer
Elaine Jackson
Membership
Bobby Goss and
Claude Salomon
Contact MSA at: [email protected]
www.msasailing.org
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