We could play it safe and share a ham and cheese sandwich.Or we could throw caution to the wind and use the sandwich for bait. If we got lucky, we would be dining on fresh grilled fish. If not, we'd go hungry. I'd rather feast on fresh-caught … [Read more...]
Boating Fun
Stories about fun times I've had boating.
Dramatic Dawn Dinghy Rescue
Or, How I Almost Lost My 11' Boston Whaler While Crossing the Little Bahama Bank Driving my little Whaler in smoother waters The monstrous bow cleat I had installed on my little 11-foot Boston Whaler. This giant cleat was very convenient, … [Read more...]
Kinetic Energy: Almost More Boating Fun Than The Law Allows
After appropriating a small boat from my friend's little sister, we made a few modifications.... When I was a teenager, my friend Gene's little sister got a boat from some friends, who figured she could play with it in their swimming pool. When I … [Read more...]
The Hot Chocolate Cruise
Or, Perfect hot chocolate to the rescue during a cold Florida sail Hot chocolate saved the day during a cold cruise in south Florida My friend Pete bought a MacGregor 36 Catamaran about 20 years ago. It was basically a supersized Hobie 18 with a … [Read more...]
The Time I Got Thrown Overboard
Or, The Importance of safety mechanisms and kill switches Even a little 10 horse outboard can really fling around a lightweight aluminum boat like this one when no one is aboard. When I was about 13, my brothers and I went out in my dad's old … [Read more...]
The Boat Flinging Incident
Flinging Gene Out of the Boat Was Not Part of my Plan!Parents, you might want to reconsider letting your teenagers out in boats, because here is what goes on... My friends and I fished and boated — and had spray wars — in my old fifteen-foot … [Read more...]
A Boat, or an Experimental Hydro Rocket? You decide…
My HydraSports (aka Experimental Hydro Rocket II) after Hurricane Andrew Shop: Remote Control (RC) Flying Rocket Ever wanted to fly a remote control rocket? Now you can pilot your very own rc rocket. These rc toys will have you soaring to … [Read more...]
Kayaking into a Dolphin Feeding Frenzy
The area in Charlotte Harbor where I paddled into a dolphin feeding frenzy. This pic was taken while I was out in my blue racing kayak. I didn't dare get out my camera while I was in the midst of the dolphins that day. A mother dolphin and her baby. … [Read more...]
Wakejumping at Stiltsville
Wakejumping and Boat Insurance Agents When I was a teenager, we were sometimes invited to parties at Stiltsville houses. Stiltsville is a group of houses built on stilts out in Biscayne Bay south of Key Biscayne. The houses sit in shallow … [Read more...]
Small Boat Cruising Without A Plan
A Boating Misadventure in the Florida Keys Most people do not undertake to go cruising in small open boats, but teenagers will do anything. One summer, my brother John and I decided on a whim that, since we had the time and we had a boat, we … [Read more...]
