Pensacola FL Sailing Blog – sailingnightwatch

Got a phone call Tuesday asking if I could go sailing on my friend’s Gemini Catamaran. It is a rare time when I can not go sailing. Especially when I am retired, all be it only for a short time according the wife.

Wind out of the NW at about 7 knots as we left the canals. Nice easy breeze to get the sails up and decide what way to head. We headed west in Santa Rosa Sound towards the bridge going to Pensacola Beach. Had to do some tacks as the SW sea breeze filed in about 11:30. It continued to back to the SSW and build to about 10 knots. Even though the temps were climbing into the mid 90’s, the breeze was refreshing and the direction allow us to broad reach east and west along the Sound.

Both of us had commitments starting in mid afternoon and therefore had to head in around 1 PM. It was a wonderful 3-1/2 hour sailing fix. Help me last to the weekend.

I have had this noise on my radios for a while. I have it on both the VHR and the SSB. While being out this weekend I decided to try to track this down for real. I have tried before, but other thing interfered. It was time to do it right. Shut off everything and start turning thing on and off. Hate to say this, but the noise started when I turned on the Furuno chart plotter. This noise happened on both the VHF and SSB. When you turn on the radar, it gets much worse.

I contacted the supplier and they suggested putting on ferrite filters on all 5 lines going into the chart plotter. Did nothing. Same noise on both systems. The noise is like you have the squelch turned off, even though it is turned up all the way. The sales person was going to contact Furuno about suggestions to correct the problem. I can not believe I have the only boat in the world that this has happened on. More to follow.

We took a friend from the dark side sailing Saturday. He just got a new (used) powerboat and is getting it in shape like he wants it. We felt he needed a break. His parents are sailors, but somehow he slipped to the dark side. He is also career Air Force. Missed on two counts. Somehow the Navy missed a good man. Oh well, a good friend anyway. Put him on the primary winch and left in a dieing northern breeze. Did not take long for the sea breeze to fill in from the SW with a vengeance. It was great for reaching across Pensacola Bay. By 3 PM I was rolling a reef into the main. By 4 I pulled in the Genny. Still running over 7 knots. Hull speed is about 8 knots. Fast enough and reduced sail keep the healing angle at a tolerable level the “Lady of the Boat”. Also our guest was talking about how much work it was to sail. Got back for late cocktails and a nice dinner. The wind blew enough to keep the bugs away while we ate in the cockpit.

Race weekend. Homestead here we come.

One has to unzip the file before installing it onto the SD card. The directions say to do that right on page 14 of section 7 or what ever. Once you unzip it and put it on the card, the plotter reads it and SHZAMMM! You have new charts or sat photos etc. The Windows on the Mac does work. Happiness is not having to buy a dedicated computer. Did find that the noises I was picking up on both the VHF and the SSB are caused by the chart plotter and the radar. I have been told that a couple filters will solve that problem. That may be tomorrows project.

Could not beat this if you tried. We left Sunday heading west in the ICW. There was a south wind about 10 knots and not a cloud in the sky. Well it almost was like that. When we left about 11 am, the wind was out of the north and dieing. We got about a mile away when it all but died as it started to change into a sea breeze. It took maybe a half hour to fill in then the sailing was beautiful. The temps are in the 80’s, and the water has to be approaching 80. We got to Red Fish Point about 4 PM and got settled in with a short nap and then cocktails. Monday morning I sailed the dingy for a couple hours then got underway for the Wharf. We decided to try eating at Shucker’s. Neither the wife or I eat oysters, but the shrimp were really good.

After dinner, we motored back to Ingram’s Bayou for the night. We were concerned about bugs, but they never arrived. Thank goodness.

Tuesday morning was again sun shiny with an easternly breeze that was to move south as the day progressed. By the time we had motored to Ono Island, the wind began to build out of the south and we were able to sail the remaining 20 miles home. What a beautiful long weekend.