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Obviously, I enjoy constructing alliterations. Here is what I have to offer. The admiral and I ponder how to make best use of our marina-moored 26X during the typical Central Florida summer season that is often marked by afternoon thunderstorms. And it is hot and humid. Typically, it is cooler and clearer in the mornings, but often without much breeze, as well. So, we experimented with going out mid-morning day before yesterday. Grabbed egg McMuffins as we set out on the 45-minute drive to the marina from our home. The plan was to sail if there was wind or just motor if it was calm. We checked the weather, and it looked clear until 2 or 3 PM. Our plan was to be back at the dock by 1. Three nice surprises awaited us on our first outing under this plan. First, there were only two boats on Lake Monroe, and the other was a Mac 26X. Second, we had a nice wind in the 10-12 knot range, so we sailed this time. Third, even though the high for the day was 95, the breeze and the early departure from the marina exposed us to much more comfortable sailing conditions than you might imagine. We will try this system about once a month through the summer until more comfortable and relatively storm-free sailing can resume in the fall. Don't know who owns the other Mac. Hello, if you are in the forum!

Looks like fun! Glad the day went well and the weather was good. Our season on Lake Champlain is just starting… I splashed the boat and put it in the marina about a week ago.

Hi Herschel & Kmclemore!

Sounds like a great day out! Hip Hip Hooray!
Glad you both were able to get out and about this weekend!

Guess it was our turn for bum weather… rain…thunder…rain…thunder…rain..wind…hail..more rain Phbbt!!!
Maybe tomorrow???…….
Glad you had a great day!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Glad to hear your plan worked out. We don't have quite the humidity problem here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as you, but afternoon temps (not to mention UV levels) get pretty murderous on our "Deep Summer" afternoons here, so I will often shift my sailing jaunts to the mornings.

That sounds great! I’ve even considered night sailing more, than I have in the past. (Rarely)

Ix

With appropriate weather and safety gear night sailing, particularly offshore, is one of the most peaceful and enjoyable parts of sailing that I've every experienced. Sailing by the stars (or for short periods of time, a planet) is about as simple and far from our normal GPS-centric navigation. Possibly the pinnacle in peaceful passage-making.

Hi Be Free!

That sounds like a nice thing to do!!!
I’ve hiked by star nav and light… I’ve even flown by star nav (younger days )… but have yet to star nav with the boat…

Our first water journey with Over Easy in South Carolina started at late sunset and it soon became quite dark… never having been out on South Carolina’s waterways we were grateful that I’d programmed in a detailed step by step & turn by turn GPS course plot from Sam’s Point Landing to the Port Royal Marina (about a 5 hour trip at 8 it’s as I wasn’t gonna push my luck any further than I already had) in the dark with an overcast sky and a descending fog as we made our first ever approach to Beaufort …. The Q-beam spotlight was near useless due to the back scatter of the fog…. But it did allow us to see a pair of pilings (that I hadn’t noticed previously on the charts) about 15 feet before we goal posted between them!!! It was the most near intimate close encounter!!! Fortunately we had long since slowed to about 3 mph and we’re making regular sweeps with the Q-beam at short intervals and it paid off!

With that as our first journey with Over Easy we’ve been out many times at night enjoying the vastness of the star field above us both down south and upon Lake Champlain. It is spell binding and awesome to view from the water…BUT given what we’ve learned over the past few years about our southern waterways and the mobile shoals we do so with a good bit of caution and a good GPS with up to date charts (along with a backstop of a second GPS and the Navionics app on my phone so we’ll always have some sort of resource for finding where we should be vs. where we don’t want to be. ) There’s also the paper chart held in ready access reserve but as anyone who has navigated by chart, buoy and compass knows that process has a bit of slack between where you are and where you think you are in an channel or estuary… open water offshore is something we’re still working up to…maybe someday…. But we appreciate those with the skills to do it!

Best Regards
Over Easy

I have considered a sunset sail, coming in after dark. I know Lake Monroe in Sanford (FL) very well. So, it is an option. I did come in the dark following a meal at Swamphouse Grill (DeBary, FL) one time, and it was exciting to be navigating the St. Johns River in the dark. We'll have to consider that. A short sea story comes to mind. One night many years ago, Anne and I were having a meal at a restaurant overlooking our marina in Sanford watching the sunset. A sailboat about the size of a Mac had gone out earlier with Christmas lights in the rigging practicing for the Christmas boat parade. I think it was a guy and three young women. As he completed his sail, returning in the dark, all lit up and aglow with his light strings, he plowed right into the wooden breakwater wall driving his boat up on top of the wall a good foot or two. Totally stuck, right in front of a whole restaurant full of people watching. Took him about 30 minutes of heavy lifting from atop the wall to get unimpaled. Anne and I finished our meal and returned to our dock to finish securing our boat. We happened to meet the chagrinned captain and his three lovelies at the dock gate. I had to thank him for his entertaining mishap, and how "lucky" it was that he was lit up like a Christmas tree when he did it.

Herschel wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2024 9:14 pmTotally stuck, right in front of a whole restaurant full of people watching.

Reminds me of the saying that the likelihood of a mishap on the ramp is directly proportional to the number of observers present.

I've wasted countless hours watching one of my favorite youtube channels (Miami Boat Ramp). The guy is a genius. Just record people at the ramp and include some colorful commentary. Entertainment genius.

The young captain was probably paying too much attention to the 3 lovelies rather than where he was going.

Night sailing is one of the most peaceful things to experience.

Herschel,
I've only sailed on Lake Monroe a couple of times after dark but I've been on it under power at night many times in my teen years. I shudder to think how many times I ran my 16' Woodson between Sanford and Deland in total darkness. In hindsight, there is really no reason why I should have lived to see my 20s.

Be Free wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2024 4:57 pm Herschel,
I've only sailed on Lake Monroe a couple of times after dark but I've been on it under power at night many times in my teen years. I shudder to think how many times I ran my 16' Woodson between Sanford and Deland in total darkness. In hindsight, there is really no reason why I should have lived to see my 20s.

Well, the admiral and I are off to Peachtree City (GA) to see our granddaughter graduate from 5th grade on Friday. My son promises me some sailing with his Tandem Island Hobie's.

That looks like fun

A nice time to be out sailing is the day of a full moon. See the sun set and then the moon rising.

Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL wrote: ↑Fri May 24, 2024 12:41 pm A nice time to be out sailing is the day of a full moon. See the sun set and then the moon rising.

Bill,

It’s always good to see you posting.

Re: night sailing. The way I like to do this is very very slow. It’s perfect for the Mac!

Ix