4 day sailing/camping trip (Florida 120)

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4 day sailing/camping trip (Florida 120)

Postby ChrisB » Mon Jan 02, 2012 11:03 am

Alan,

The trip I plan to take in mid May is the Florida 120. This is an organized event around Pensacola, Florida in the waters of Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola bay. I heard about this annual event a few years ago but job changes have prevented me from participating until 2012. It looks to be a mix of daysailer size boats and larger trailer sailers in the 19 - 25 foot range.

Each night's destination is a spoil island in the intercoastal waterway with a protected anchorage for the boat campers and enough island space for the beach/tent campers.

Like your wife, I too am a seasoned backpacker and I have a good assortment of lightweight camping gear. I plan to bring a small backpacking tent and a very lightweight fleece sleeping bag. I have a single burner campstove and backpacking cookware (although I'm still considering bringing my dutch oven). Meals will mostly consist of noodle or rice with canned chicken added for protein (I am no fan of dehydrated, backpacking foods). For storage, I have (4) Rubbermaid Roughneck 18 gallon tote bins that will fit the cuddy of my DS II. For bulk water storage I have a 7 gallon water jug which should be enough for myself and my crew. I have a roll top dry bag to keep clothes and sleeping bags dry even if we capsize. I plan to have a waterproof, handheld VHF radio for "check-in" and emergency use.

On the boat, I have replaced the standing and running rigging, and replaced the mast tang rivets. Prior to the trip, I plan to strengthen the chainplates for the stays and the stemhead fitting. I plan to bring three sails; my DS suit plus my Doyle UPS drifter reacher for light air & off the wind sailing. I purchased new tires for the trailer and plan to repacking the bearings prior to the trip.

Four months to go and I'm whittling down the "to do" list!

- Chris
Chris B.
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Postby jeadstx » Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:28 pm

ChrisB,

I've sailed the Texas 200 ( http://www.texas200.com/ ) unsuccessfully in 2010, successfully in 2011 and I going to sail it again in 2012 (June 11th to the 15th, 2012). It is a similar type event, except longer with more navigation challenges/routes between campsites. The Texas 200 this year again will be from Port Isabel, Texas to Seadrift, Texas. It will be five days of sailing with 4 nights of camping. Last they had it as six days sailing/five nights camping, but with the strong winds we were getting to our camps too early in the day.

I wrote an article for the Day Sailer Quarterly of my 2011 sail in my DS2 including the preparations I made for the event.

John
1976 Day Sailer II, #8075 - Completed the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Texas 200
1952 Beetle Boat Swan Catboat
Early Rhodes 19
1973 Mariner 2+2, #2607 - Completed 2014, 2015 and 2016 Texas 200
1969 Day Sailer I, #3229
Fleet 135; Canyon Lake, Texas
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Postby Alan » Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:14 pm

Chris, thanks for the info. You'll definitely have this adventure before we get beyond picnic sails, so it'll be good to hear about the results. I've got some similar ideas to yours about strengthening stuff, and I'm not the least bit too proud to read about what worked for you and what didn't. :)

John, I read your article in the Quarterly. It's very helpful in terms of things to watch out for. I suspect we won't have any adventures as adventurous as yours - not on purpose, anyway.
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Postby Karl Teske » Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:50 am

Hey, just so you guys know, we expect video on youtube of DS participants in the Florida or Texas races. If video is not possible then pictures on this site. Karl.
kayaker
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Postby jeadstx » Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:37 pm

Information on the Texas 200 can be found at http://www.texas200.com/
There is a Texas 200 forum site that can reached from that site as well. On the Texas 200 forum at the bottom of the page is a Florida 120 forum.
Both the TX200 and FL120 have discussion groups on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/10034682 ... 820013471/ for the TX200 and http://www.facebook.com/groups/fl120/ for the FL120

John
1976 Day Sailer II, #8075 - Completed the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Texas 200
1952 Beetle Boat Swan Catboat
Early Rhodes 19
1973 Mariner 2+2, #2607 - Completed 2014, 2015 and 2016 Texas 200
1969 Day Sailer I, #3229
Fleet 135; Canyon Lake, Texas
jeadstx
 
Posts: 1216
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:10 am
Location: Dripping Springs, Tx

Postby jeadstx » Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:44 pm

Also, if you're really want an adventure there is the Everglades Challenge in March http://www.watertribe.com/Events/Evergl ... fault.aspx It is a 300 mile race, whereas the TX200 and FL120 are not races. There has been a Day Sailer the last two years sailing the EC, a DS1 in 2010 and a DS2 in 2011.

John
1976 Day Sailer II, #8075 - Completed the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Texas 200
1952 Beetle Boat Swan Catboat
Early Rhodes 19
1973 Mariner 2+2, #2607 - Completed 2014, 2015 and 2016 Texas 200
1969 Day Sailer I, #3229
Fleet 135; Canyon Lake, Texas
jeadstx
 
Posts: 1216
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:10 am
Location: Dripping Springs, Tx

Postby jeadstx » Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:48 pm

Another event for those on the east coast is OBX130 http://www.obx130.com/default.htm

John
1976 Day Sailer II, #8075 - Completed the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Texas 200
1952 Beetle Boat Swan Catboat
Early Rhodes 19
1973 Mariner 2+2, #2607 - Completed 2014, 2015 and 2016 Texas 200
1969 Day Sailer I, #3229
Fleet 135; Canyon Lake, Texas
jeadstx
 
Posts: 1216
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:10 am
Location: Dripping Springs, Tx

Postby ChrisB » Wed Jan 04, 2012 3:27 pm

I can't promise video, but I will most certainly post pictures after the event.

cb
Chris B.
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Back from the Florida 120

Postby ChrisB » Tue May 22, 2012 3:44 pm

My crew and I completed the Florida 120 this past weekend. There was certainly something for everyone; nice beam-broad reaches in 10-15, downhill runs wing and wing, bobbing and baking in the noonday doldrums, and an out and out howler straight up Santa Rosa sound Saturday morning; 20-25 mph and 4-5' chop near Pensacola Pass. I discovered that my DS II needs the "standard" CB trunk repair to prevent shipping water into the bilge in choppy water. After things calmed down I opened the bilge ports and I probably took 100 gallons of water out of the bilge. We had no gear failures and the boat performed well. I posted some pictures in my gallery. I'm looking forward to next year.
Chris B.
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Postby TIM WEBB » Tue May 22, 2012 11:16 pm

Hey Chris,

I was hoping you guys made it through OK. Didn't see you as we were leaving Sand Island. I got through the pass OK (barge and all!), and had a nice tacking duel going with John Bell for awhile, but by about 11 AM, I'd had enough. I had one reef in, but in that chop, I was taking on copious amounts of water over the side. Had the bilge pump going, but just when it would clear the cockpit, more water would pour in.

Both my GPS and my VHF got wet and died, even tho both were supposed to be waterproof!

I was about a mile from the first bridge when the wind died. I knew there was no way I'd make Grassy Point by dark, and with no lights or navigational aids and a boat full of water, I decided to play it safe and motor back to Shoreline. I had also opened the inspection ports and had more water in the bilge than I have ever seen in there before! As in up to the port openings ... :?

I wasn't alone at SL either, as there were many others who had bailed out and were back there pulling their boats out, some with damage. One guy had broken his rudder and washed ashore at the CG station, where he was warned that if he didn't get out of there he would be arrested! :shock:

Another guy told me how as we were all trying to beat to windward thru the channel with the barge coming, he heard one of the stinkboaters hail the barge captain on the radio, telling him that there were a bunch of sailboats, and to try to take out as many of us as possible! What an !@#$%^&*()!

Those first two days/nights were great though! The bilge stayed bone dry until the second morning, when I had to pump it out before setting out. This makes me suspect either the transom bilge drain or the lower rudder gudgeon, since they were under water while the boat was beached. As for the amount of water that got into the bilge while waves were pouring over the gunwales and filling the cockpit, I'm also suspecting the inspection port seals. Will be checking/fixing all of those soon. I *thought* I had fixed the CB uphaul leak issue, but may need to readdress that too ... :roll:

Well, nice meeting you guys, and maybe see you again next year if I can get some of these issues worked out! Dunno, kinda thinking this sail camping/cruising thing might not be for me. Might just stick to my afternoon sails at the local lake from now on ... ?

I *did* get a few pix the first two days that I'll be posting soon on the FB page, including a couple of you two sailing past the group at Spectre Island ... :oops:
TIM WEBB
 
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Postby ChrisB » Wed May 23, 2012 8:06 am

Tim,

I can't say I blame you. Day three was a $@@%! If I had been solo, I would either have bailed at Shoreline or (more likely) turned around and headed back to Sand Island and spent the morning at the beach. The afternoon of day three didn't get much better. After the morning doldrums and bobbing and baking in Pensacola Bay, the sea breeze came up, but only for about an hour and a half. By the time we got to Garcon Point bridge, it died again. We baked for another hour before I took another look at the chart and realized the "east bay extension" was a different scale than the rest of the chart and we were further from Grassy Point that I first thought. So we fired up the iron genny and motored the last hour. At that point a nice headwind came up so if we had still be under sail, we would have been tacking again to complete the day. One guy arrived well after dark after 14 1/2 hours on the water. My crew and I were focused on completing the 120 this time. Next year, I would be much more inclined to bid adieu to the fleet and remain at Sand Island. I learned a long time ago cruising larger boats that some days you are just better off not pulling up the anchor.

I too had water up to the inspection ports in the bilge. I have a manual, 6 stroke/gallon bilge pump that worked ok until the hose was lost to Davy Jones locker. Had to pump into my 5 gallon bucket and empty that over the side. I have not done the CB fix but I have rebedded the transom bilge plug with silicone so I'm fairly confident that was not a leak source. I'll be taking a look at the rudder gudgeon.

It was nice meeting you also. If you are ever in the mood for a change of sailing scenery from Lake Diaz, shoot me a PM from the forum and we can make plans to sail the Indian River Lagoon.

-cb
Chris B.
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Postby Alan » Wed May 23, 2012 1:51 pm

Thanks for the tales of adventure, guys. That looks like it was a lot of fun (well, mostly :) ).

It's also reassuring to know that a DSII can have that much water in the bilge and still sail.
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Postby TIM WEBB » Thu May 24, 2012 6:30 pm

I thought about going back to Sand Island to wait it out, but I was closer to Shoreline by that time, so it was an easy call.

Might take ya up on that Indian River cruise offer someday! One part of the FL 120 trip overall that I was very pleased with was how well the PT Cruiser/DS combination did at highway speeds. Considering I'd never towed her more than 50 miles at a stretch, and this was 880 miles, I had zero issues whatsoever getting there and back.

No prob Alan! Yes, the DS still sailed w/ a bilge full of water AND the weight of all that gear in the cuddy ...

Oh, BTW, I'll be posting pics on the yahoo page, not the FB page ...
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Postby TIM WEBB » Thu May 24, 2012 11:48 pm

TIM WEBB
 
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