Rob B
Well-Known Member
In August of this year I went through a job change that requires a lot of travel. Needless to say this has seriously cramped my ability to get out on the water. Having committed to attend the Masters Mid-Winters East event coming up in February it is now practice time, (I have not been in the boat since July) but how?
Even though I’m a member of the local yacht club BYSC the time required for the 20 minute round trip drive, (something most of us would die for) pack my stuff, struggle to get my boat in and out of the rack and so on just is not conducive to my limited schedule. I’ve had to find a faster way to get on the water
For the past 3 years I’ve lived in a neighborhood that sits in a broad expanse of the ICW in South Carolina. However, my house sits on one of the interior lots. The neighborhood does have a ramp facility, but it sits pretty far into a winding creek and it would take too much time to sail out to open water. During the past 2 months I’ve been studying the geography of the shore lines on vacant waterfront lots during different stages of tide transition to see if there is a spot that would be acceptable to launch my Laser without sinking up to my waist in mud or ramming an oyster bed and it there had to be a big enough trail through the trees to fit my golf cart w/laser in tow on the seitech dolly. (all of the lots are heavily wooded).
Finally, I settled in on a small patch of sandy beach with the fewest oyster shells I could see. While it looks like my sailing time will be regulated to a specific 2 hour window or so, (one hour from high tide and one hour into the falling tide) to avoid the nasty “pluff” mud it has turned out to be an excellent spot and the two hour limit is the perfect amount of time for what I call, “My kind of power lunch” for the two days a week I’m at my home office.
Once out on the water I noticed the crabbers like to lay out their pots in an almost perfect slalom course fashion which is really helping with the tack/jibe practice.
Anyway, I thought this might be an interesting piece on how some of us have to improvise to “git-r-done”. The golf cart top is great for transporting the sail already rigged on the mast.
Hope to see some of you guys in Melbourne.
Even though I’m a member of the local yacht club BYSC the time required for the 20 minute round trip drive, (something most of us would die for) pack my stuff, struggle to get my boat in and out of the rack and so on just is not conducive to my limited schedule. I’ve had to find a faster way to get on the water
For the past 3 years I’ve lived in a neighborhood that sits in a broad expanse of the ICW in South Carolina. However, my house sits on one of the interior lots. The neighborhood does have a ramp facility, but it sits pretty far into a winding creek and it would take too much time to sail out to open water. During the past 2 months I’ve been studying the geography of the shore lines on vacant waterfront lots during different stages of tide transition to see if there is a spot that would be acceptable to launch my Laser without sinking up to my waist in mud or ramming an oyster bed and it there had to be a big enough trail through the trees to fit my golf cart w/laser in tow on the seitech dolly. (all of the lots are heavily wooded).
Finally, I settled in on a small patch of sandy beach with the fewest oyster shells I could see. While it looks like my sailing time will be regulated to a specific 2 hour window or so, (one hour from high tide and one hour into the falling tide) to avoid the nasty “pluff” mud it has turned out to be an excellent spot and the two hour limit is the perfect amount of time for what I call, “My kind of power lunch” for the two days a week I’m at my home office.
Once out on the water I noticed the crabbers like to lay out their pots in an almost perfect slalom course fashion which is really helping with the tack/jibe practice.
Anyway, I thought this might be an interesting piece on how some of us have to improvise to “git-r-done”. The golf cart top is great for transporting the sail already rigged on the mast.
Hope to see some of you guys in Melbourne.
