Favorite places to be and sail

[will n]

After years in Massachusetts, and the New England area at large, I am so incredibly happy with the fact I will be once again moving south I can hardly contain it (thus this thread). I'll be moving either to the Caribe, Florida, or Calli, and I can't even tell you how glad I am to be getting out of the month and a half summers (that are still cold at night, and where the water never gets out of the 60's).

To be honest, every day I stay here, the more unhappy and emotional I get. Thinking about those warm, wonderful days I used to enjoy gets me almost teary eyed. I can remember those wondeful summers, falls, winters, and spring days I spent if Florida sailing, fishing, and scuba diving - and wondering why anyone would ever live anywhere North of the Mason Dixen line.

Sorry if I offend anyone with this post, but it's late and I'm feeling very nastalgic for those days of my life when I never worried, no matter my monetary situation, or burdens at work. I was just plain happy and carefree, and ready to take on any adventure thrown my way.

So just a question to you is this: Where is your favorite area to sail and be happy and carefree?



Mine is where the water is clear, warm, and beautiful. Where the people are friendly, and where I am happy. That roughly translates to within a thousand or so miles of the equator. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

[BC Mike]

Good for you. You found a happy place in the past and you want it back, and now you are getting it back. Bloody wonderful.
When I was a little boy ( a few weeks ago ) the sole purpose of work was to spend the time to organise and pay for the weekend. 1630 on Friday afternoon I would leave for the designated rendeavous point and meet the rest of the mob, and we would be off, usually to the beach. Our plans were better organized than an army excercise ( you pick the army ).
Now every weekend I am going down to the boat, not to return until Sunday evening, just like I used to. Last week I treid out the new pressure cooker, during the week I bought more bedding.
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together.
But that's just my opinion.
Michael

[sundari]

When we take off, we put together plan A in great detail. THen tear it up and throw it in the garbage. Once that is out of the way, we start with plan B and wing it. Traveling with Scott is always an adventure. Our favorite place is wherever we are.

[gonesail]

the water isn't very clear in NE Florida but the salt marshes are beautiful and the summer sea breezes provide fantastic sailing if you can get through the nasty months of august and september the rest of the year is great. it is 72 and sunny today with wind NE at 13 knots!!

[Weyalan]

At the moment, my favorite place to sail and hang out is the d'Entrecasteaux Channel and Storm Bay (Tasmania), but that is probably a result of limited sailing elsewhere. I plan to change that as soon as is possible! Good luck with your move south.

[Steve Kidson]

I live in Sydney Australia, and over the years sailed most of the waterways around Sydney.

There is nothing much better than Saturday afternoon on Sydney Harbour, sunshine and a 6 pack. Many a day it has been well after dark when I have returned to my mooring.

Less than a day sail north is a large coastal lake called Lake Macquarie that is also a delight to be on. I learnt to sail here as a 8 or 9 year old, and have been back many times in a number of different craft. There are friendly yacht clubs to enjoy, great restaurants or the isolation of being the only yacht in a bay - variety is great.

Anyway, when you get to Australia, make sure you check these spots out (as well as lots of others)

Fair winds

Steve

[GordMay]

Southbound is a good heading, but the Mason-Dixon line is still about 10 (or 12) degrees too far North.

[Tropic Cat]

I love where I am now!! Intracoastal sailing every weekend and 2 days sail to the Bahamas. 80 degrees during the day with 12 knot easterlies.

Rick in Florida
28.1778 N lat 80.649 W long

[PBzeer]

Prime rib for dinner, back to the boat, lounge in the cockpit......doesn't matter where the boat is.....just that I am on the boat. No plan A, or B. or C.....just what ever the moment dictates. If all I've gone through in life is what brought me here....it was well worth the effort, heartache, and sorrow.....because now I'm happy.

[phorvati]

Hey Will n, I hear you on your experience.
When is your planned departure?
I am in RI and I don't feel like sticking around here any longer passed July. Hopefully, I will be heading south sometimes during August. By labor day at the latest.
Do you have a specific itenirary? Float plan?

Petar

[will n]

First off I'd like to apologize if this forum was too distasteful, when I wrote it I was...shall we say a bit under the weather and I didn't think to deeply to what I wrote about NE - so for those of you that love the area I'm sorry. Peter - I plan on heading down the beginning of July, depends on job availability in the area - actually Oahu just got added to the list as of yesterday, we'll see what happens with that. My float plan is more or less to work for 5 or so years, buying a boat after the 1st, then build a decent cruising kitty and would like to invest in rental property where I'll be in the black and in an area that I don't have to worry to much about weather while I'm area. I'm thinking the Pheonix area. After I build up sufficient funds I'll finish paying off the rest of a small loan for my Boat, then I'm heading directly west with good weather to the South Pacific, where I plan on either staying for quite sometime, then circumnavigating, or I'll stay indefinately. That's my plan at any rate - we'll see what reality has to offer. It may be more like 10 or 15 years from now...but I highly doubt it.http://www.cruisersforum.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[rsn48]

Will, there's nothing wrong with saying "weather gets you down." The torrential rain we get along the BC Coast is a "downer." I tell people I live in paradise 9 months of the year, and not so paradise for 3 months of the year. I live in the most southerly fjord on the continent; its a great place to sail and is considered the "poor man's desolation sound;" a location famous on our west coast in the "inside passage."

I will provide you with two links, the first one a "flash" commercial for Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak. This shop is right on the water in "the Cove;" many come down here to learn, paddle and play. There are two marina's in the Cove:

Flash commercial:

http://www.deepcovekayak.com/flashintro.html

The second link is to an area map of "Indian Arm;" the fjord itself. the link will take you to a web page, but you need to hit "interactive map of indian arm" in the Indian Arm box. Just click on some locations and you will see further pics of the area. Like I said paradise for 9 months, not so much for 3 months:

http://www.deepcovekayak.com/frames.php

PS: there is approximately 6000 islands along the BC Coast.