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  1. mwells
    Good morning. Just now responding to your email about getting together for coffee last Sunday. I left Houston for Chicago about the time you responded and did not see your email until Monday or Tuesday. Today/Memorial day is good to meet for coffee as is pretty much any day this week or coming weekend. My cell is 281-838-2072. Mike

About Me

  • About CareKnot
    Vessel Make/ model
    1979 Endeavor 32
    Vessel Name
    Nauti One
    Location
    Greater Houston Galveston Metroplex
    Occupation
    Insurance Agent
    Interests
    Too many...
    Biography
    I'm an old man now who has been away from sailing much too long. Life has a way of happening while your still planning your next move and mine is no different. I want back in before I get too old to really enjoy it, y'know?

    My brother Ted and I moved from the Texas Gulf Coast to Largo, Florida in the 1980s. He was (and still is) an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer and the consummate Texas Blues guitarist. Me? Not so much. I play the radio, the guitar if no one is looking and I sail when I'm able.

    Anyway, it was on Dunedin Causeway that I met Sgt. David 'Rocco' Cuccia, USMC, Force Recon Retired, those many years ago. Rocco had a large collection of shrapnel embedded in his body, a small stipend from the military and a catamaran concession. He rented cats to the tourists and taught locals and vagabonds alike how to sail - for a fee.

    Rocco and his buddies sailed mostly Panthercraft Cats; the 18' and the 20' Dart. All of us being a little crazy, soon became fast friends. These guys lived for squalls and high winds (is it 4:00 o'clock in Florida?). Being the 'new guy' they also loved trying to scare me to death. But I was having way too much fun to be scared. I sometimes just camped on the beach so I could be the 1st one there.

    One day, the winds across St. Joseph sound had topped 40 knots with a slow-moving low pressure area, so the short-board windsurfers struck their postage-stamp sized sails and called it a day. Rocco, a Seal buddy of his and I decided to try to hold down the 20-footer. Rocco and I weighed in the 170-180 lb range and Tom was probably 220-230 so we had close to 600 lbs of meat on-board, not counting gear. But I was the only one that trapped out that day. Guess I was trying to prove something.

    We kept the foresail furled and yet on a reach, we still outran the wind a few times. The short-boarders stuck around and were filming from the shore. After several runs, I unfurled the little genoa. Tom handled the main and Rocco wrestled the helm.

    So now under full sail, we screamed across the shallow sound, while the fiberglass made a loud slapping sound on the chop. Tacking for another reach, we lurched to full-speed and promptly broke the mast about 4' up from the center-beam. The guys filming said they recorded a gust of 88 knots on the hand-held when suddenly all hell broke loose. That was the day I made the crew and we sealed the deal over Captain Morgan and a host of newly-minted exaggerations at a local decompression chamber called the Louisiana Seafood Company.

    Those were the weeks that led up to my addiction to sailing and some life-long friendships. These guys had 6-pack charter Captain's Licenses. I crewed the boats, did a little maintenance (which never ends) and they helped me study. We sailed a 36' Portman Sloop (later to become the Watkins 36) and a 44' CSY Cutter/Ketch center cockpit/walk-through; both owned by a doctor (shrink) out of Tarpon Springs (another great guy)...
  • Signature
    Kindest Regards,
    Phillip

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  • Last Activity: 12-10-2023 14:24
  • Join Date: 19-09-2016
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