[Rhodes22-list] I'm Back From Sailing Nirvana in Destin, FL

[Bill Effros]

Thanks, Bill,

Your report is heading straight for my Cruising folder.  These reports 
are full of little tips for trailering virgins like me.

When I called a Manhattan marina, expecting to get the same treatment 
you got, the results were just the opposite.  "22 Feet? -- No problem.  
We can always squeeze you in somewhere."  Go figure.

For excitement my younger son likes to sit in the lee captain's seat and 
dunk his hair in the water when we heel.  You need a good wind, long 
hair, and a little chop to make this work, but when we do it, it seems 
to satisfy him.

Bill Effros


William E. Wickman wrote:

>I just returned from a week in Destin, FL. with the family.  We stayed in a
>condo in SanDestin Resort and day sailed our Rhodes22 on Choctawhatchee
>Bay.  What a wonderful place to sail.  We virtually had the whole bay to
>ourselves.  Wind was a steady 6-10 knots most of the time with only light
>chop in the bay.  Rather than give a blow by blow account, I'll just share
>some highlights and insights.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures as
>I forgot my camera.
>
>The premise for this trip was a three day business meeting that I had to
>host.  Rather than move out of our condo after the meeting, I opted to get
>a week long rental and extend my stay; using the extra days to day sail,
>returning to port every day.  This arrangement worked out well because it
>is quite hot along the Florida panhandle this time of year so it is really
>nice to have an air-conditioned room to sleep in every night.
>
>There is no launch ramp at SanDestin, and they will not allow you to store
>your trailer on property so if you plan to follow in my footsteps and visit
>this resort with your boat, you will need to launch somewhere else and find
>storage for your trailer.  I found the closest launch ramp was located at
>the end of a bay called Hogtown Bayou located about 5 miles from the
>Baytowne Marina at SanDestin.  It is a county maintained ramp with a good
>concrete ramp and docks on each side.  It is very shallow with limited
>maneuvering room, but I found no problems launching and retrieving my
>Rhodes.  It does get busy on the weekends, but there is plenty of parking
>even when I was there during peak summer season.  There is an overhead
>power line not far from the ramp, so you have to be careful when raising
>your mast.  I opted to keep my trailer at a storage lot a few blocks away
>called Outback Storage.  They were very friendly and charged me $48 to keep
>my trailer there for the whole week.  You could easily keep your trailer at
>the ramp for free as an alternative.  There were several trailers and even
>some with boats on them that were there when I launched and retrieved a
>week later.  I considered the $48 an insurance policy.  I can't imagine
>anything worse than coming back to a ramp to find your trailer stolen.  If
>I were to use the ramp again for a multi-day trip on the boat (where I
>didn't stay at SanDestin), I would just leave my truck and trailer at the
>launch site.  There was also a picnic shelter, bathroom, and hose to rinse
>off.
>
>I had made a reservation to dock my boat at the BayTowne Marina at
>SanDestin, but when I radioed the harbormaster upon entering port, he said
>they didn't have any record of my reservation.  They informed me that they
>were completely booked and had no extra room (This was after asking how
>large my vessel was).  I felt a little discriminated against because they
>didn't tell me until they found out how small I was.  If you have ever been
>to Baytowne Marina, it looks like something out of the lifestyles of the
>rich and famous.  Most of the boats were motor yachts that were from 50 to
>200 feet in length (I'm not kidding!).  My little boat was dwarfed among
>them.
>
>Not believing that there was no room for my little 22 footer, I persisted;
>suggesting that maybe they could keep my boat on the davits of one of the
>mega yachts.  Finally, they agreed to put me in a slip that didn't have
>power or water, which I didn't need anyway.  I happily bounded up to the
>dock where the dockmaster awaited in his golf cart (this is a really
>upscale place).  After filling out the paperwork and paying my $1/ft. per
>day for the right to tie up to a dock with no hookups, I asked where I
>should go; looking at the mega yachts and wondering which one I would get
>to nestle up to and become friends with.  The dockmaster turned me around
>and pointed across the bay to a distant dock where they store the shuttle
>boats called Captain Ron's Cove.  "What?", I asked.  "Is that the reject
>dock?"  Actually the docks were nearly brand new, but they didn't have any
>dock cleats.  So, I found myself motoring across the bay, having paid $60
>for a slip with no cleats that I would have to drive my car to access.  To
>add insult to injury, on the way to my humble abode, I passed several
>sailboats that were anchored....for free!!  Actually, I paint a much
>bleaker picture than it really was.  The staff at Baytowne Marina were
>actually very friendly and accommodating, and the $1/ft. gets you a whole
>lot more than just a place to tie up.  I also, got full access to SanDestin
>resort, including free use of bicycles, kayaks, showers (if I needed them,
>etc.).  It is a first rate marina and I would recommend it to anyone
>planning a visit to the area.  Remember, when you are walking the docks, no
>one knows what boat you own and the law of averages would make it appear
>that you have a very large yacht to the landlubber tourists that come to
>the marina to gawk.
>
>Regarding the sailing, all I can say is that it was fantastic.  I had no
>grand adventures like on my trip to the Outer Banks... which was a good
>thing.  This was a trip of pure relaxation.  Very good for my wife and kids
>who thoroughly enjoyed every minute on the boat.  I had plans to sail out
>to the Destin inlet and into the Gulf, but never made it.  The sailing was
>just too good in the bay.  We fell into a routine that consisted of going
>out in the morning and sailing until around 11am; having a leisurely lunch
>and then heading out to the beach in the late afternoon.  We would return
>to the boat and head out around two hours before sunset and sail until just
>after dark.  I found that breaking up the sailing time into two sessions
>kept the kid's interest and enjoyment, especially my 9 year old.  Mornings
>found us in anything from dead calm to light winds that would build
>throughout the morning.  The sunset sails were the best.  The sky was
>beautiful and the vast bay was virtually empty, but for the occasional mega
>yacht coming into Baytowne Marina.  When a nearby thunderstorm would pass
>by, the winds would pick up and the sailing would get quite spirited which
>satisfied my 17 year old son's desire for excitement.  We got the boat to
>hull speed several times, but mostly sailed at 3 to 5 knots.  Very nice.
>Coming back into the harbor after dark was no problem as they have a very
>well marked channel and the lights from the resort provide adequate
>illumination.  We felt quite smug one evening as we sailed right into the
>harbor under the gaze of countless patrons at a bay-side bar.
>
>Perhaps the very best aspect of sailing the bay was the dolphins.  We
>observed dolphins almost every time we went out on the boat.  On several
>occasions, a pod of dolphins would appear near the boat and start swimming
>alongside and in our bow wave.  The best dolphin encounter was our first
>sighting.  We were well into the bay and had been sailing for a couple of
>hours.  We had pretty much given up on seeing any dolphins and I began
>heading back to the harbor.  All of the sudden I felt a bump underneath the
>boat.  Yikes!  Had I just bumped the bottom of the bay?  The charts showed
>that I should be in 20+ feet of water.  Besides, the bump had a soft feel
>to it, not like I have experienced when the centerboard or rudder hits
>bottom.  A minute later a dolphin popped its head out of the water as if to
>say, "Welcome to my bay!"  I am convinced that what I felt was a dolphin
>rubbing the keel of our Rhodes.  Soon four large and one baby dolphin were
>frolicking along side our boat.  Tears of excitement welled up in my
>daughter's eyes as the dolphins continued to play around our boat for the
>next 20 minutes (she is a dolphin fanatic).
>
>The week went by much too quickly, and soon we found ourselves heading back
>home.  Doing the day sailing thing was a nice balance that satisfied the
>desires of the whole family.  Mixing sailing with other activities kept
>everyone's interest high.  I personally yearned to head out for a multi-day
>trip of exploration, and I definitely plan to return sometime to do just
>that.  I feel like I just touched the tip of the iceberg of cruising areas
>here.  Cruising this area earlier in the year when it is a bit cooler would
>definitely make the trip more comfortable, but it can certainly be done
>this time of year if you allow for some stopovers at marinas where you can
>shower.
>
>A note of experience on trailering.  One piece of advice that I would like
>to share on trailering is to check your trailer wheels every time you stop.
>I always touch the hubs on my trailer wheels to see if they are hot.  After
>driving for several hours we stopped for lunch and I found that one of the
>hubs was quite hot which concerned me because I have first hand experience
>with what happens when a wheel bearing fails and heat welds onto a trailer
>axle.  It can ruin a trip.  In short, I found that the bearings were fine
>but the surge brakes were malfunctioning.  For some reason, the brake on
>one wheel (I have the Triad tandem axle trailer) was rubbing or engaging
>causing the wheel rim and hub to heat up.  I disconnected the surge
>actuator and the wheel stayed cool for the remainder of the trip.  I, of
>course, drove extra carefully knowing that my truck breaks would have to
>perform double duty.  I plan to have the surge brakes checked out
>professionally before my next trip.
>
>I hope you will find your way to Choctawhatchee Bay and the
>Pensacola/Destin area sometime.  They have some great cruising areas down
>there!
>
>Bill W.
>
>Bill W.
>
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