Making New Friends
Contributed by kismet - This blog has been viewed 15 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: May 15, 2012
By Jim Favors
After a couple of weeks cruising by ourselves, Lisa and I were looking forward to the Ranger Tugs 2012 Southern Rendezvous in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. These boating rendezvous give us the opportunity to learn more about boating, meet and make new friends and socialize with like-minded folks. In this case, they are all Ranger Tug trailerable trawler owners, also known as “Tugnuts.”

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Costa Rican Cruising
Contributed by Feel Free - This blog has been viewed 32 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: May 15, 2012
Liz Tosoni
Bahia Santa Elena, Costa Rica,
10°55.1’ N lat., 085°47.35’ W long.
“There’s a good spot to anchor at Cabo Matapalo, just ten miles from here. From there you can set off at first light, no hazards to worry about, for the next long leg to Drake’s Bay. I’ll give you the coordinates,” advised Tim at Land Sea Services in Golfito. Sounded good to us. What he didn’t tell us was that Cabo Matapalo is a surf beach, locally known as “Backwash” with occasional monster waves, and that surfers flock there from far and wide to ...... Read More

East Coast Alerts by Mel Neale May 10, 2012
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 46 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: May 11, 2012
Attention Snowbirds:
AICW Observations:
Aboard Chez Nous, we have travelled the AICW at least twice a year for the past 27 years. During this trip north in the spring, 2012 we have noticed:
1. There were more fixed markers missing than usual, and not replaced with temporary floating makers. Using the chart plotter (which most everybody does now) helps find the right spot. However, all of us need to remember that there are times when the chart plotter shows us to be on land in the narrow AICW or out of the channel when we know we're not. For example, it showed us to be on land in the m...... Read More

BIG ONES!
Contributed by SChaconas - This blog has been viewed 56 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: May 10, 2012
March and April were booked-up months, some days very tough fishing. Windy conditions made it difficult to find areas out of the wind and small craft warnings made traveling unsafe. Wind also prevented tides from totally rising and when they fell they went way out and positioned fish on scattered deeper cover. But the biggest issue was the changing weather. After seeing March water temperatures in the 70s, April temps were in the upper 50s, slowing the bite. It was a matter of waiting for the right time.
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Rubbin Salt and Racing the Clock
Contributed by DGnewikow - This blog has been viewed 49 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: May 07, 2012
Ah, springtime... The grass turns green, the flowers bloom, the birds sing, and the bass move shallow. Stupid shallow bass.
Although I've caught tons of fish this spring, my fishing account doesn’t show it. I’ve fished tournaments almost every week since the first of March and have been ridiculously consistent, consistently just out of the money. I've weighed limits. I’ve culled. I’ve caught a bunch of fish. But it seemed like every Saturday afternoon, I'd be standing around when the checks were being passed out only to find that I just missed the cut.

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The Grady Bunch
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 97 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: May 01, 2012
"Having Fun Since 1988" claimed the large blue banner on the side of the YaBut's cabin. She was tied up at Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor, which we consider to be one of our favorite marinas. She wasn't alone, but part of a small flotilla of Grady Whites, ranging from around 25 to 36 feet. I'd noticed these fleets in past years while cruising in Florida and noticed a singular commonality: they were, as the banner said, having fun--a lot of it. You see it when you see them, and if you follow them off to a "talking channel" on VHF you hear it. They call themselves "The Grady...... Read More

Toms Tips About Cruising Groups
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 85 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: May 01, 2012
1. It is possible to plan trips to allow for boats of varying size and speeds. For example, have discretionary intermediate stops for slower boats but a stop for everyone, farther away, the next day.
2. Stress to each skipper that group cruising doesn’t necessarily mean safer cruising. While members of the group will certainly be helpful to each other if needed, in a bad storm or other circumstances, each may be, of necessity, on his own.
3. Stress to each skipper that group cruising doesn’t relieve him of full and total responsibility for his boat and crew, safety, prudent na...... Read More

Something Old and Something New
Contributed by kismet - This blog has been viewed 69 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: May 01, 2012
By Jim Favors
If Lisa and I had a formal, written mission statement that defined our cruising goals it could read like many well-written, mumbo jumbo, corporate, or individual lifestyle, statements but we’re just not that complicated. Our cruising objectives are, and always have been, very simple – we aspire to explore areas as yet unknown to us while occasionally returning to areas which merit further inspection. Whether we’re talking ports of call, anchorages, visiting with old friends or making new ones, I guess the theme to our cruising lifestyle could simply read, &ldquo...... Read More

New Found Friends in Golfito, Costa Rica
Contributed by Feel Free - This blog has been viewed 125 times and there are 0 comments
Posted In Cruising Log
Posted: May 01, 2012
By Tom Morkin
People often ask “Have you ever thought that you would like to settle in any of the countries you have visited?” For us, the answer is “Although we’ve loved most of the countries, and envision returning to some for prolonged visits e.g. Mexico, the idea of spending the rest of our days there just hasn’t appealed. We think we want to end up where we started.
That however, is not the case with all long distance sailors. Some in fact do find greener pastures while aboard their boats and are happy to drop the hook there (pardon the mixed metaphor). Tim ...... Read More

East Coast Alerts by Mel Neale April 26, 2012
Contributed by Tom Neale - This blog has been viewed 119 times and there are 0 comments
Posted: April 26, 2012
Attention Snowbirds:
Norfolk AICW RR Bridge Closure:
Mariners are advised that the Norfolk Southern #7 Railroad Bridge, at AIWW mile 5.8, (36.774769° -76.294990°) across the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River in Chesapeake VA, will be maintained in the closed-to-navigation position on the following dates and times to facilitate mechanical repairs:
From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, and
From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 10, 2012
At all other times, the drawbridge will operate in accordance...... Read More

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