Pottering About Florida
onboard Blue Bayou.
1997 Sea Pearl 21 Trimaran
Click here for a Video of Blue Bayou at Cedar Key 2008, taken by Ron Hoddinot
Click here for video from Blue Bayou at Cedar Key sailing along at 6.4kts
Plenty of belly in the sails for light winds on Lake Tarpon. Our top speed of the day was only 5.4kts according to my GPS.
Wind averaged about 5kts with gusts to 10 or so. Taken by Ron Hoddinot.
Becky sailing in solo on Lake Manatee. She has the starboard ama pulled in to be ready to dock under sail.
Light winds, so she had the sails pretty baggy.
She spent two hours solo-sailing while I worked on the trailer putting on new LED lights,
stern rollers, and playing with the position of the winch post.
Blue Bayou anchored south of Punta Blanco Island. Taken by Sher onboard Sundancer.
On the beach at Cayo Costa. Docked at Tween Waters Marina on Captiva. Taken by Sher.
Blue Bayou anchored in Foster's Bay on a summer Cayo Costa trip. The Gulf was 50 feet behind me when I took this picture.
It had been 3 years since we were here. No nudists this time, we had the place to ourselves.
The Gulf side of Fosters Bay.
Anchored in a manatee wallow. There isn't a prettier boat out there! We sailed in to the anchorage over 3 sandbars. With leeboards and rudder up we barely scraped the sand sailing in. No power boats could make it in so we had the place to ourselves.
Ready for bed. One fan is all it takes to keep us cool while swinging on the hook.
In the Gulf of Mexico after leaving Stump Pass enroute Boca Grande Pass.
Sea Pearl Tri - Wing It - on left and Sea Pearl 21 Monohull - Whisper - on right.
Bill, aka The Iceman, on his Sea Pearl 21 - Moon Shadow - comes alongside to deliver a bag of ice. What a great guy.
The fleet: Moon Shadow, Whisper, and Wing It in Gulf and pulling away. We found out we had two people, tons more equipment aboard,
and unlike our old boat sitting on the bow slows you down. We finished a half hour or so behind on a 16 mile beam reach in the Gulf.
Sailing up to the beach at Stump's Pass. The crew prepares to storm the beach. Taken by Ron Hoddinot.
Blue Bayou on the left and Wing It on the right in the Gulf of Mexico.
Moon Shadow and Blue Bayou - someone thinks it's 5 o'clock in the Gulf of Mexico.
Taken by Ron Hoddinot.
My daughter Jessica waiting to go sailing at Cedar Key.
Headed in at Ft Desoto from the Gulf at 6kts.
Blue Bayou in Hurricane Pass enroute the Gulf. Taken by Rick on Mental Floss.
Yours truly sailing in 10 kts of wind and rain near Placida.
Blue Bayou sailed onto the beach at Punta Blanca Island. The two Steve's Bayhens to port.
New name installed with the appropriate beverages ingested and wasted. I also waxed everything above the antifouling lines, including the parts of the cockpits not non-skidded. New higher rated tires and rims were installed also. Yes, I tow my 2000 pound boat and trailer combo with a Dodge Hemi.
Steve's Bayhen in Charlotte Harbor in 25kt winds and 3-4 foot waves.
We had both sails rolled all the way up and we were still doing 5+ kts.
What was really odd is neither of us felt like we needed to put on a life jacket. Blue Bayou rode like the queen she is.
Unfortunately, all things change, the Potter part of "Pottering About Florida" is no more. I have kept the links to all of my trip pictures with Minnow, our 2003 West Wight Potter 19, but we have moved on in our sailing lives. Minnow now belongs to a very nice couple from New York who spend their summers in Florida working as biologists. We still sail with a number of Potters and I will continue to take pictures of them and talk about them. If you, the reader, ever have any questions or want a recommendation about a West Wight Potter 19, I will do so eagerly. Ryan, the owner of International Marine, is a great guy and makes the best sailboat for its price and uses out there. Minnow was always a pleasure to sail and Ryan was a great guy to deal with for everything I needed.
Upcoming Sail Dates with Cruise Reports
Photo Gallery - pictures arranged by sailing venue
Pictures of sailing Minnow, our 2003 West Wight Potter 19
Last updated 16 November, 2008
Questions, Suggestions, or Pictures? Please send to: Blue Bayou