Informal Pensacola Camp/Cruise - May 13 to 16

Y

Yakmandu

New member
Heading down to Pensacola area for a few days of camping/cruising. Anyone in the area that would like to meet up for a few days? Plan on launching at Navarre and heading west to Sand Island, on the west side of the Pensacola cut. Blue Angles overhead, a few restaurant runs, and relaxing on the beach. Tentative launch date is May 13th with takeout on the 16th or 17th, depending on weather. Nothing formal, stop by if you are in the area!

Call/text... six seven eight - four two seven - seven four seven seven

Patrick Rohde
 
Your best shot to see the "Blue Angels" is on Tuesday the 14th. Practice take off is about 11:30 AM. They fly directly at a low altitude over our house almost every Tuesday if the show is in the SE part of the US. . Wednesday they will transit to the next air show, so you might see a take off. John "Cat 0 Mine" rental home is closer to the base and he might give you a better idea if you will see them on Wednesday. Depending on the specific program (high/low) and location of the next show--will dictate where you will have the best view. Depending on the patterns they are practicing, Fort McRee may or may not be the best place to view the practice.

The show on the weekend before is at Andrews AFB in MD, and the show the weekend after is at Cape Girardeau, MO.

I suspect that you mean the "Fort McRee" anchorage. Which is on the West Side of Pensacola Pass. There is a spoils Island (very high sand banks) between the ICW and the anchorage at Fort McRee. If you have a dog, you cannot go ashore in the Gulf National Sea Shore--but can on the spoils Island. Some call this "Sand Island"- The best entrance to the anchorage is to the West around the spoils Island. Depending tides, and the state of the pass, occasionally vessels can get into the anchorage from the pass. I do not suggest pulling to the beach on the spoils Island on the ICW side--due to currents and wakes. This Island was formed by the cut from Pensacola Bay into Grand Lagoon-- Way back the island was connected to what is now NAS Pensacola--and actually had roads and railroads to supply the fort. There only small residual remains of the fort there on the barrier island now.

I am not sure of our plans, but most likely would not be going to Fort McRee by boat at that time. Have fun in our backyard!
 
There may be a full practice on Wed. The "Blues" just flew over our house at 12:04 PM at about 500 to 1000 foot elevation. Cloudy today, so a "low show:" practice. Second pass at higher altitude at 12:22, so doing a full practice show.
 
Hi Patrick!
We’ll be around then; splashed for the season yesterday into our wet slip at Sherman Cove marina (about 500 yards from Sand/spoil island). On Google Maps it’s labeled ‘Robertson Island’. May 3-11 we’ll be exploring the Norfolk area by car for a future southern base for a continuation of our Chesapeake adventure. Also attending the AGLCA Spring Rendezvous at the Sheraton Waterside there. We crashed the Chesapeake Ranger/Cutwater June gathering last year, so we figure we won’t need to annoy them again until next year.
Who knew retirement could be so busy?
Concur with Bob, in fact all towboat captains with barges will announce on VHF16 their ETA at the ‘Pensacola Land Cut’ (although not charted that way). Stay out of the Cut when tows are approaching. The intersection of Pensacola Pass to the Gulf and the Gulf ICW with all the range markers can be very confusing. Study your chart and plot your route in advance. Never even consider it after dark.
You can enjoy the Blue Angels from the cove at Ft McRee both Tues and Wed. You’ll miss the ‘sneak attack’…an almost supersonic very low level single flyby along the runway when the crowd least expects it…but not much else. If in the budget, for $25 each you can watch it from the catwalk on the tallest historic lighthouse on the Gulf Coast (but only 3 tickets left for the 11am Tues show).
http://www.pensacolalighthouse.org/page ... s-practice
Get the schedule here:
https://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/nna ... 2.5.19.pdf
On BA Practice days, a large yellow tourist sailing cat out of Orange Beach, AL (Wild Hearts) needs the deep water (8ft) in front of the signed walkway to the Battery. Anchor to the west of that area in 3 ft and you can still walk around the point, Pensacola Pass and 6 miles of pristine near deserted Johnson Beach. The loudest partiers tend to stay to the east side of the cove. Weekdays not so bad.
Get Pensacola Pass tides here:
https://www.saltwatertides.com/dynamic. ... sites.html
That Navarre boat ramp is nice, but I would suggest making Pensacola your base and launch site so you’d have access to your tow vehicle. We use the two Navy marinas, so I don’t claim local knowledge…but if you could launch at the public Mahogany Mill Rd ramp, Harbor View Marina next door with transient slips, showers etc might be a nice mid-trip break. Great un-pretentious seafood (try the ‘Forklift’) at the Oar House across the bridge, or dock there if you don’t mind LOTS of onlookers.
https://www.harborviewmarine.com/marina
Suggest a stop at that Navarre ramp just to visit Juana’s World Famous pagoda and eat at Sailors Grill, then take 399 scenic beach road to the Pensacola Beach bridge for a taste of what you can reach by boat from PNS. Only pull over into designated parking lots as soft sand and no shoulders.
One transient night at Palafox Marina would allow a walking tour of downtown.
http://www.marinamgmt.com/page/PalafoxPier
The Fish House and Atlas Oyster House next door (they share kitchen and most of menu, but only Atlas has the Fried Green Tomatos side; highly recommended). Provision at Joe Patti Seafood and ship some home.
https://www.joepattis.com/Joe-Pattis-Se ... elcome.cfm
However, if you’re hard core camper types you can anchor on the bay side of Ft Pickens campground and use their showers. No one will challenge you. Also cold freshwater showers at the Ft Pickens parking lot, but a lot of current. See my Active Captain entry on this anchorage.
May is usually beautiful here, hope you have a great trip and look forward to meeting you! We missed you at Hontoon. No excuses for next year.
Will PM soon.
John
 
Thanks for the tips! Local knowledge is always welcome.

I’ve traveled that waterway for several years. There is a small sailing event that week called the Florida 120. In previous years, I would bring my Hobie AI and the group would start at Sand Island. Now that I’ve gone to the dark side, I still crash their party and visit with the “blow boat captains”.

I do like the Navarre ramp because coming from Atlanta I stay out of the Pensacola traffic. It’s only about 22 miles to Sand Island and Juana’s is my first stop.

I’ve gotten gas at Sherman Cove and I do stay out of the IWC in that area. If you are careful, there is a shallow cut into the cove between Sand Island and Ft Mcree. You just have to watch for swells coming in and hitting that shallow area.

I’ll have to check out some of the spots that have been mentioned.

Thanks again,
 
Carol and I should be able to see you at Ft. Mcree on the 14th or so depending on your final schedule. We were there on April 23rd. The eastern pass seems to have shifted more to the north and is probably not useable without local knowledge, especially from an eastern approach. Please keep us in the loop. Dale
 
We had a beautiful day at the Ft McRee cove today…78 degrees, 65% humidity, a great 6 mile beach walk where we saw only 4 folks from boats crossing Perdido Key (no one else around here does beach walks like us). Gulf water is 73 degrees and tending to increase by 1-2 degrees every 4-5 days. No June grass, and the winter debris is swept clean. I found a 4mm fossilized shark tooth.

Agree the East entrance has meandered far north and shoaled, and is nowhere near a sure bet, even with sun at your back and crystal clear water. We saw many under 20 ft outboards tilted up make it in, but it just doesn’t seem worth the melodrama when the West entrance is 5 minutes away with depths today of 7.8-12.6 ft on Chirp view.

Wee Bit, go by Perdido Key Seafood market either coming or going and get a couple pounds of their fresh off the boat (not frozen like Joe Patti’s) jumbo gulf shrimp. They will steam it for free; not cheap at $13.99/lb, but the best things in life never are, and still way cheaper than filet mingon steaks from Publix (which we also like).

Looking forward to returning from the Loopers convention and enjoying the cove!

Cheers!
John
 
One other feature one of my friends reminded me while we were watching the Blues over Bayou Chico at noon. The New York Yacht Club (American Magic) has the US training and experimental base down town Pensacola, for its next America's cup Challenge. Pensacola seems to have the winds and conditions nearest to Aukland Bay, plus the depth and facilities to house an American's cup boat. The trial boat is a scale model (about half size= 37.5 feet) of a the foiling monohulls (75 feet long) to be used in the Race. They are going in the 40 knot range when on foils. Some chase boats are having difficulty keeping up.

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The Airbus group of aeronautical engineers out of Mobile are involved in the design of foils.

You may get a glimpse --or a streak of that boat doing a horizon job on any other boat out there on some weekdays. If the NY YC syndicate does not get a space in New Zealand, they will test the full size boats here in Pensacola. A lot of secrecy about all of this...
 
Bob,
We got this being members of PNS Navy Yacht (in our case Pocket Yacht) Club, but Ken Pyle makes clear all interested are invited if you would like to hear the Skipper in person.
Wed is a Mueseum 'autograph day' for the Blues practice, so arrive well after they are finished, (13:55?) see web site for current schedule.

Patrick and Wee Bit; PM me if you wouid like a ride there, by the rules might require beaching at Trout Point and walking to our hood for a ride, about 20 min on the boardwalk visible on Google Maps Satellite view of Big Lagoon. Sherman Cove transient slip would be more direct but not kosher if you don't have DOD ID, even if I sponsor. We'll see.


"American Magic Presentation on Wednesday, May 15 at 1500
Inbox
x

Ken Pyle <kpyle1968@gmail.com>
May 9, 2019, 3:15 PM (1 day ago)
to bcc: me

Navy Yacht Club, I just heard from Will Ricketson, Communications Director for the American Magic team here in Pensacola. All of you are invited to attend a special presentation by Terry Hutchinson, Skipper and Executive Director of American Magic, at the National Naval Aviation Museum/Atrium from 3:00 to 4:00 pm on Wednesday, May 15. I hope we will be able to present a NYCP Burgee to Terry and his team to say thank you for all they are doing and have done for sailing on Pensacola Bay and across the America. See the below sites for additional information:

Website event page: https://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/eve ... ricas-cup/

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1010630442660598/

Access to the Museum for those not possessing a DoD ID must be through the NAS Pensacola West Gate, 1878 S Blue Angel Parkway.

Please invite your friends, family and neighbors to come out to hear about American Magic and their quest for the America's Cup. Hope to see as many of you as possible next Wednesday. "

PS we watched this scoot out the Pensacola Pass and into the Gulf, Amazing!!
The black sail gives it away.
Also, only 0.9% of sailboat skippers ever raise the sails when underway. They are ALWAYS under engine power. Esp if the crew is 50 years or older. Wind is free, but sails are not.

I caused a bit of a stir the America Great Loop Cruises Assoc rendevous last week at introductions of 'enroute' Loopers when I said,

"The best boat is one you can put on a trailer and tow 24/7, without a permit, anywhere in the continent at 65MPH right through a thunderstorm at 65 MPH, while making 500 miles a day on less than $150 in desiel fuel. And overnight at a rest stop or truck plaza or Wal-Mart or campground for almost free."
Cheers!
Always the outlier!
John


Cheers!
John
 
Hi , Patrick.
This is John Oliver over in Panama City
I'm the guy that uses to own you boat.
Just saw your post. Would have loved to got
up with you but life over here has been a mess since the hurricane. Believe it or not our C Dory was the only thing we had that wasn't damaged. But most marinas and boat ramp are out of service. Pensacola was a much better choice than this part of the panhandle.
Hope you guys have a nice time. Like to see some pictures of my old Serenity.
 
We had a great time seeing Patrick and See 'Ya! crew.

Although Patrick desbribed this meet was 'informal', he insisted on having High Tea at 1600 sharp, with men in smoking jackets and women in long evening gowns.

Just kidding!

John
 
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