Florida get together

[Dutch Roll]

That's great!  Will look out for you!

And I also apologize for the thread hijack. 

I'd be delighted to attend a ComPac owners group outing in Florida... anywhere.

Ron

[Dutch Roll]

Anyone interested in meeting up on the gulf coast this winter?  Had fun last year in Dunedin. How about Tarpon to Sarasota? 

How about Destin Florida?

[mayrel]

Awfeith,  we live in Shalimar and have a CP19, although it's on the market I've got it priced so high nobody will buy it, OK by me.  Anyway, I'm sure Ron can chime in, the Destin area has a lot to offer, particularly sailing up the ICW towards Pensacola bay, or St Andrews bay towards Panama City.  There are several marinas for those wanting to get a transient slip, many good launch ramps(Shalimar Yacht Basin for example, but I think they charge a fee?).  Several restaurants on the water in Ft Walton, Niceville and Destin, although Destin will be more expensive.  Probably the best time to sail is the fall and spring; we do get some cold winters with rain usually Jan/Feb, but it's difficult to predict.  For any retired/active duty military members you can take advantage of Ben's Lake marina on Eglin AFB, or Pensacola Naval Air Station; we keep our boat in a slip at Ben's Lake.  If anyone decides to come this way, we'll be happy to assist you with local information.  Obviously if you are trailering your boat you'll need a place to park your rig.  Probably your best bet is the local marinas as I'm not sure about leaving a rig for long periods of time at public launches.  Unfortunately our HOA won't allow trailers, boats, campers.  However, I could do some research to find out what options are available.  If need be, we could shuttle you to and from your rig.  Weather is generally very good, steady winds in the 15-20 mph range are not uncommon fall/winter/spring.  Summer is too hot, winds are fluky or too strong, and too many thunderstorms with lightening, not to mention the crowding from tourist.  Hope this helps...John and Joy

[brackish]

You folks interested in the upper Gulf should just do the BEER cruise that happens in Pensacola Bay/Santa Rosa sound the first or second week of June every year.  Usually between 40-50 trailer sailors, certainly some ComPacs (the years I did it there were two 23's, a Horizon Cat and a Suncat).  $55 gets you a ramp for in and out, four nights of rig storage, free dock space the first night after launch, use of showers and laundry, and use of the facility for the traditional night before departure fish fry or Cajun boil, whichever strikes Cajun Johns fancy.  Good group of people, couples, families with kids and some singles.  I've done it twice and enjoyed both times.  Some primitive anchorages with cook aboard/ashore, some restaurant ops at quiet water and several other places.  

http://www.beercruise.info/

That said, I would be interested in a Compac meeting on the upper gulf, but would prefer Port St. Joe, Mexico Beach, and Crooked Island area in either Late May or October.  

[nreamer]

Thanks for that tidbit!  I have been looking for an excuse to go back to PCola.  The BEER Cruise sounds perfect for next year!  I had never heard of it.

Neil

[hoddinr]

I've also been to the BEER Cruise twice - 2005 and 2007 if I recall correctly.  Both were a lot of fun with good people.  The GRITS group, which stands for Greater Regional Interstate Trailer Sailors, host the group.  They consist of a loose assembly of Cajun folks who know how to organize such events and put on a good feed on Friday night before everyone leaves from the Pensacola Shipyard Marina area. 

At both events I still had my SeaPearl Whisper, but there were several ComPac Yachts in attendance.  This year and in 2012 I attended the FL 120 which is in May and covers a lot of the same territory in Santa Rosa Sound but is mainly for small sailing craft a lot of which are home made.

Ron Hoddinott