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Florida 120 final route decided! May 14th to 17th


ScottWidmier

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Here is the google-earth file of the route: http://texas200.com/florida120-revised.kmz

We will launch and recover from Pirates Cove near Josephine, AL.  It is a classic old-time Florida hamburger joint with marina and they are receptive to events like ours.  In fact, they are hosting a woodenboat get-together the first weekend in May.

Thursday, May 14th we will have a meeting at 9am that is not required but will be a chance to get to know everyone and start together.  I do realize some folks may not be able to make it until Thursday morning.  We then sail 15 miles but through the twistiest portion of our route to the spoil island across from Ft. McRee that has been called Sand Island but is marked as Robinson Island on Google Earth.  This is a beautiful camp-cruising spot with protected anchorage for deeper draft boats.  Tent camping is common on these spoil Islands.  Hopefully we will arrive with plenty of time for swimming and socializing.  Anyone want to set up a beach grill?

Friday, May 15th is a long sail with 38 miles as the crow flies.  This is a challenge after all!  However, it is a beautiful sail through protected waters and no narrow channels (unless you are deep draft).  We stop at the westernmost spoil island in Santa Rosa sound with nice protected anchorage to the south.  Pat Johnson scouted this for us the weekend before Thanksgiving and reported perfect conditions including a 45 degree angled beach which may even allow wing-keelers to step off dryfoot on the sand.  There is also a real-nice public park and boatramp nearby if people want to join or leave us there depending on schedule.  We could easily ferry people over from the park to join us on the island. 

The 38 miles is repeated in reverse on Saturday, May 16th.  On both days we have a couple of great bail-outs in case the weather doesn't cooperate.  One is the town of Navarre which has showers, a nice launchramp, a convenience store, and a good restaurant and bar.  There is also a convenience store in Pensacola Beach right off of ill-named quietwater beach.  This is the beach behind flounders and there are docks available.  We stop Saturday night on the barrier island off of Big Lagoon a mile past Sand Island, our first night stop.  This is a good opportunity to walk accross to the Gulf and enjoy the waves!

Our final day, Sunday May 17th, we sail the sortof twisty 15 miles back to Pirates Cove where we will have an early dinner and awards ceremony (gotta have those funny awards!).  Anyone who is interested in helping with awards please let me know.

I am really excited about this route with beautiful and soft white-sand beaches to camp on and some legs to challenge us. 

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Steve you could RON at Jauans till the rest of them get back from their island adventure (a 3 hour cruise) .  That island ( I believe is called Spector Island) is close to the approach end of Hurlbert Fld.  The Gunships and Kingbirds run T&G all night plus the live fire on the B ranges a bit N&W of the island.  Not the usual airshow but fun to watch just the same. 

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Sorry about that Steve but the route choice was limited by where we are allowed to pitch a tent on shore for the smallest boats.  However, I was thinking of you when both Ray and Pat (both locals) suggested Spector Island (furthest west in the chain?).  We should have some people joining us for that night launching from the park right near the island to motor over and join us.  I was hoping you could park your boat at Navarre and either ride with someone else (you are welcome to join me) or jump in one of the support folks cars and join us on the island.  Then, you could either pitch a tent for the night or catch a ride via boat and car to your boat at Navarre. 

Craig, it is definite that Spector Island (again, if we are thinking of the same one) will be less restful that when we camp in the Ft. McRee area.  The worst I have heard about is some airplane noise and lights from the barges traveling the intercoastal.  This is coming from Ray who lives in Ft. Walton beach and has stayed on that island.  Also comes from several other folks he knows from the area who use those islands as their overnighting spots.  The island we have identified has deep water on its southern side away from the intercoastal and is higher than most so we should have land to block the lights.  We will just have to deal with airplane noises though they seem infrequent at night.

Now, the T&G run all night I am assuming is not every night but regularily scheduled?  Is it possible they let the folks living around the base know when these exercises are going to happen so that they are not alarmed?  If so, some of the folks who live in the area could check and we could revise our plan accordingly.

One final note, that spoil island near FWB is our aspirational stop but we easily might find ourselves overnighting at Navarre if the weather doesn't cooperate.  Heck, we may even have a nice night-time sail back to Navarre if it does turn out to sound like WW3 at Specter Island despite our precautions.  The most important thing is that we remain flexible and just have fun sailing together in a beautiful area.  I don't think we can go wrong anywhere we stop.

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Scott there is no local notification of flight training schedules. OPSEC and all.  The back side of that island is nice and a popular camping spot.  Most people from FWB would say "what airplanes"?  When the gunships work I can hear it at my place if the wind is from the west.  It is not a big deal Scott.  There are some old War Birds operating here out of the old Williams AFB and Deer Valley airport who fly over my house.  You can always find me standing out in the yard if I hear them coming.  Quite a sight and I do miss the aircraft.  I got a call for a Senior Test Engineer interview yesterday so keep the Little Gem on stand-by for me please.  8) 8)  ;D ;D

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Whew!  :) They way I read your post was that we were going to be back at Navarre later that night because of noise.  Now it sounds like the location could simply come with some additional entertainment to watch.  I am glad after the glowing report Ray gave of the island after his visit weekend before last. 

Most likely you would be using Plum Crazy rather than Little Gem.  Plum Crazy is the purple boat we sailed to the Oar House at the BEER cruise.  She moves rather well under sail and even better under oar.

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No motor mount on Plum Crazy so I guess it is oars only...right?  ;D  Bring along a case of Beer and I am sure you can get a ride with someone if there is no wind.  Plum Crazy tows really well.  I could also find you a berth on one of my club's boats that is coming along if you are not up to the small boat challenge.

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That's OK. I can either bring the sailing dinghy, or the Garvey as a dink. Either one of those will be able to get me to the island and back to my boat for the night. 

It appears that the moon will be waning gibbous during that weekend, so we will have a late night moon. A run to the west that night would not be out of the question. We might be able to work something out so we can enjoy good company for a while and then get back to the boat for the night.

The possible "air show" might be fun, if it occurs. Nothing like being awakened by a low flying CH-53. :o

Cheers,

Steve

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Steve, sounds like there are a lot of good options to keep involved.  Maybe even tossing a tent and a bag in your dink for the night?  Anyway, we will definitely have to do some "playing by ear" on this trip.  A fair percentage of the time the most enjoyable occurances on a trip come from being flexible anyway including putting up with a night-time airshow!

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