RumHead
100′ Spirit Super-Yacht
Looking at boats is always fun, even unattainable (for me at least), beautifully crafted beasts. Check this one out.
2009 New Year For Sailing
As the fog of fatty foods, late nights and rum fades away from my brain, I realize that the end of the holidays has arrived and it’s time to get back to sailing. With all the parties, shopping and visitors these past two weeks, I’ve barely found enough time to hose the bird duke off Mariola, let [...]
PyratSail Gets Snubbed In The Dissing
I’m so bummed. The owner or some author on another sailing website got a bee in their bonnet the other day and summarily dissed almost every other sailing website in existence. Except us. That hurt. We’re not good enough to get slammed - but maybe we fall into the group ”blogosphuck” - at least I think. Below [...]
PyratSail’s New Contributing Authors!
PyratSail would like to welcome two contributing authors to our growing family of sailor-writers. RossinTampa, our Trailer Sailor - chronicling the adventures of his family aboard Lola as they sail the waters of Tampa Bay and beyond. And, skipper/chef Robbie Johnson, author of Gourmet Underway - our new Galley Guru. You can read more about them both in the contributing [...]
Happy Holidays From PyratSail!
Ho, Ho, Ho and A Bottle of Rum! Hope all you sailors out there have a great holiday and Santa brings you everything you wish for. Take a look at our latest cartoon. Happy Holidays!
A Sailboat Left To Die
About a month ago, there was a new arrival to the small fleet of sailboats anchored in Boca Ciega Bay. From a distance she looked like a beauty - as we sailed closer, it was obvious this boat was destined to become the next premier derelict in the bay. I assume, and with a nod to the “make an ass [...]
SailStudy.com New Sailing Wiki
Mike, a recent visitor to my site contacted me via email and we began chatting about boats (really!), repairs, etc. He commented how he has a big book of articles and notes for various repair jobs, but thought it would be nice if there was an online resource. That sparked the old brain and I [...]
Going Up The Mast - It’s Scary
I was born a poor Ohio flat-lander. Just outside of Toledo in the quiet (read BORING) town of Swanton. This area is so flat - not a hill or slope for 50 miles - that I was denied any kind of winter sledding as a child, destroying my chances of becoming a world-class luger. I used to cry when [...]
Towing Insurance - Better Get It.
There is a lot of safety and backup gear that I won’t leave the dock without - fire extinguishers, all the spare rope I can jam in the lazzarette, emergency rum, etc. Above all (o.k. not the rum) is my BoatUS towing membership card. I’m not pimping for BoatUS here. I have it for peace of mind and because I’m a cheapskate. A tow without insurance [...]
Strictly Sail and The Lats and Atts Cruiser’s Party
This Saturday, December 7th, brought Strictly Sail to our own back yard here in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Strictly Sail boat show had partnered with the powerboat show this year and though this disturbed my inner sailor, I knew it made financial sense. The show turned out to be very enjoyable, well organized and there were a [...]
Cuba May Be Opening For Biz?
Top of Yahoo this a.m. - Fidel says he would talk to Obama. Maybe, after all the mutterings, an end to the sanctions is near? Being born in 1969, I guess I’m a little “young” to understand (or care about) the bad blood between the U.S. and Cuba. The old timey Cuban posters make it look [...]
Patches Gets A New Life
As soon as the paperwork was signed for Mariola, our Morgan 323, I was already wondering how the heck I was going to get from the boat to our favorite islands. Priorities! Immediately I hit Craig’s List in search of a good deal for an inflatable dinghy. There were some good deals, but all in [...]
Poker Run Is All Fun
This Saturday the Sarasota Sailing Squadron hosted the Sailmonster 2008 Poker Run - A Wind Only Deal. Eight sailboats sailed (no motors) a course of five stations to pick up one card at each station. Some boats had more than one “player” aboard, so they picked up more than one card. The event had perfect weather with a lot of wind [...]
Here it Comes!
The fun begins December 4th - Strictly Sail! Sailboats, sailboats and not a powerboat around - wait just a damn minute…. crap. So now it’s Strictly Fail, but hopefully it will still be a great time because Latitudes and Attitudes (now Seafaring) will be holding their traditional cruisers party on Saturday night. Beer, pizza and live music. Last [...]
Best Boat Wax There Is
Mariola is under attack. The winter crows are back in Gulfport and bent on changing her color. These little poopers must have one of the highest fiber diets in the animal kingdom. What a mess. It’s time to protect the topsides with wax, a chore I’m not looking forward to. On the upside, there’s a great wax that [...]
Do You Feel Lucky Punk?
Messing around with the video of my Grandfather talking about guns and pirates inspired a little websurfing today. A while ago I read, heard, or hit my head on some information about a 38 caliber insert that can be put inside a regular 12 gauge flare gun. Summoning all-mighty Google, I went to work…
Yachting Vacations - Port Charlotte, FL
Port Charlotte Florida is a sleepy paradise that I would say truly is one of the best cruising areas in the United States. There’s so much in the area - Punta Gorda, Ft. Meyers, Sanibel Island, Pine Island, Boca Grande and the Cayo Costa State Park - just to pick out a few. Cabbage Key [...]
Grandpa - 95 Years and Sailing
Grandpa RumHead at the helm.
Last week Thursday my parents drove my 95 year old Grandfather down from Inverness to sail on our “new” Morgan. Grandpa RumHead had just returned from a summer stint in exotic Waldron, Michigan. In October he hit the 95 year mark and is getting around very well. About a year and a half ago he was diagnosed [...]
The Matrix - on Windows XP
“Take the red pill - get the blue screen.”
See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.
Big Sleek Windows - WTF
What’s happened to our beloved, classic, nautical portholes? Apparently sailboat designers have decided that it’s time for their creations to look like some sort of Porche on the water. Eyecatchers for the buyers with bucks I guess. They’ve been around for quite awhile, sailboat manufacturers Hunter, Catalina etc. have tried to jazz up the appearance of their models with large, non-opening plexi windows [...]
Gulfport Raft-Up Report
With all the busy work lately, more than a week has gone by before I’ve had a chance to report on the big raft-up out in Boca Ciega Bay. Here’s to getting caught up!
The Mariola crew (Cannonball, Hornblower and myself) hit the water around 1:00. Wind was blowing hard from the North, North-West at a [...]
Party In Your Stomach
Gets good after the first minute of “goat guy” stuff.
Get A Poker Run T-Shirt and Help Toys For Tots!
The Poker Run is over but you can still get a cool shirt from the event and benefit Toys For Tots! Help families in need. Read more to get the link for the shirt auction or go to sailmonster.com …
Solar Power Game-Changer
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered and demonstrated a new method for overcoming two major hurdles facing solar energy. By developing a new antireflective coating that boosts the amount of sunlight captured by solar panels and allows those panels to absorb the entire solar spectrum from nearly any angle, the research team has moved [...]
Let’s Light Up The Forums!
The forums have been up for awhile, but with little activity (page link at top right of the site). Since I’ve shifted the course of the site to include Weekend Cruisers from around the U.S. and beyond, it would be great to hear of other cruising areas, stories, etc. Please register and contribute your insights, [...]
Disturbing: A Strange Case of Justice
At approximately 9:30 p.m. on April 29, 2006, five friends on a 27-foot O’Day were sailing on California’s Clear Lake. It was a dark, almost moonless night with barely a hint of wind. The sailboat was ghosting through the water when a 24-foot Baja Outlaw with three people aboard sped through the darkness and struck the sailboat’s starboard stern quarter. After a brief investigation by the Lake County Sheriff ’s Department, 39-year-old Bismark Dinius, who had been at the helm of the sailboat, was charged with manslaughter and now faces up to four years in jail. The driver of the powerboat, Deputy Sheriff Russell Perdock, was not charged. Perdock is the number two official at the Lake County Sheriff ’s Department. If you think there’s a story here, you’re right. And the story is still unfolding…CLICK “CONTINUE READING” FOR LINK TO FULL ARTICLE.
Santa Barbara, California
RANT - Santa Barbara, California. BUMS, BUMS, BUMS. The “high end” downtown State St. of Santa Barbara is full of expensive shops, eateries and stink-ass, money-begging bums. The offending people are right on the main street with all the shops and restaurants. Imagine Duvall St. in Key West, but with Nordstroms, Abercrombie & Fitch, $12 martinis [...]
Spotted: Maltese Falcon
Just back from our two week tour of California. While doing the rounds, checking out the seaside area of Sausalito we spotted this monster anchored…
INTERNATIONAL Talk Like A Pirate Day!
YAARRRRR! Today is the day! All across the globe people will be talking …
Close Hauled Sept. 22nd
In honor of Friday’s Talk Like A Pirate Day!
Yanmar 2QM20 Diesel Maintenance
We aquired our 1980 Morgan 323 Mariola (then El Caribe) in June of this year. Among some of the many discoveries during the last few months, one was that our salt water cooled Yanmar 2QM20 diesel engine had anti-corrosion zincs that require replacing. When we purchased the boat it was in decent shape but you [...]
Even 350 Miles Away, Ike Jacks Our Tides
9:00 a.m. Gulfport, Florida, high tide. Driving down to the marina to check out an expected two to three feet above normal high tide, I’m stopped halfway down 29th st, my normal route to the marina. The road is flooded. If I had a Humscalade or other monster earth wrecking vehicle I may have made [...]
Pyrats
Great little “Pyrats” animated clip found on youtube.com
Gecko Fest 2008, Gulfport Florida
Gecko Fest 2008, two words - humid & wet. It rained, sprinkled, the breeze stopped and all the street partiers were treated to a steam bath Pinellas County style. Considering the tsunami conditions, the turnout was decent and the attendees sucked it up and had fun. Our crew arrived by car (just too miserably rainy [...]
Watch it Sailor!
People can look at the same picture and see different things. I don’t know about you, but this picture only has one meaning in my book.
I did about two minutes of research to see if this is for real because it was just too funny to wait. It’s supposed to be a recent billboard for [...]
Course Correction
After a little bit of thinkin’ and drinkin’, I’ve decided to change the course of this website from sailing and exploring the Tampa Bay area to sailing in all parts of the country (or even world). After all, why would somebody in Maine want to only read about Tampa Bay? Yes, according to web stats there’s a reader [...]
Whew???
It may still be too close to call, but the word is that Tampa Bay will be spared any bad stuff from Tropical Storm Fay. Hope all others further south are spared as well and there will be minimal damage if any. These storms are nerve-wrackers.
I spent 3-4 hours Sunday and another 3 Monday morning [...]
Oh God No….
Words fail me. I’m trying to gather myself to come up with a rant that will be ground zero for an all out powerboat war - and I can’t. Words, and now Hunter fail me. Hunter Marine, the innovators of chincy, the starter boat clorox bottle company, just came out with this - this hideous [...]
An Incredible Story of Love, Sailing and An Island
An amazing and inspiring story about a lifetime of sailing. In a desperate attempt to cross the pacific ocean from Panama to Australia, John Caldwell reunites with his wife and begins a life of sailing.
Article from the Citrus County Chronicle. There site is sort of a mess so I’m trying to post the entire story in [...]
Close Hauled 8-4
BUY THE SHIRT click here
BUY THE FRAMED PRINT click here
Did Fossett Fake His Death?
Hmmm. It seemed stranged that one of the largest rescue efforts in the nation never found any evidence of missing adventurer-rich-dude Steve Fossett. The Mega-Rich can have personal problems like everyone else - maybe he needed to disappear. Seems like it would be difficult to remain incognito after you’ve been on the cover of tons [...]
Cancer Patient’s Last Voyage Inspires Family
Inspiring, but sad story about a sailor that takes his…
Coming Soon - Spy Bloggy & Get Treasure!
Last month, while sippin’ a little rum, I thought it could be fun to have a little interaction for readers that sail around Tampa Bay. A contest was born and dubbed “Spy Bloggy”, Bloggy being the nickname for PyratSail’s little boney logo/mascot. Spy the PyratSail Flag with Bloggy’s handsome face (he has great bone structure), flying majestically over the water, be [...]
Close Hauled 7-21
Doin’ me best to bring you a new one every Monday - as long as the weekend rum doesn’t wipe out too much of my right hemisphere.
Shipwreck Video - Dom Mee
This is the raw video footage recently recovered from the boat Little Murka off the coast of Ireland. Dom Mee the owner of Little Murka was caught in the largest hurricane on record in 2005 - in a 14′ boat.
Video Found From Shipwreck - Watch more free videos
Close Hauled - Featured Cartoon
Doin’ me best to bring you a new one every Monday - as long as the weekend rum doesn’t wipe out too much of my right hemisphere.
A Mooring Field in Boca Ciega Bay?
Does Boca Ciega need a mooring field? While talking to one of the guys at the Gulfport Marina a few weeks ago, he commented that they need a mooring field in the bay, but that it didn’t look like it would happen. Today, in a post on Sailmonster, someone commented about a possible mooring field [...]
Nameless No More
After many, many, MANY debates, vetos and half-baked ideas, the Admiral and I have settled on a name for the Morgan that we both like a lot. Mariola was a suggestion from my mother, Mary. We talked about how we had a lot of Mary’s in the family -Grandmothers, mothers, etc. and it would be [...]
Anderson Lumber Company
ROAR
Anderson Lumber Company in Gulfport has a good supply of hardwood, teak and other exotic hardwoods, but most importantly the owners are some of the nicest people I’ve met. They couldn’t be more helpful and friendly - probably because the lumber yard has been in their family since it began almost 100 years ago. If [...]
Back to “Work”
The Fourth of July holiday week is over and it’s back to work and boat repairs. In between all the thunderstorms/downpours that have been hitting the Gulfport area, there have been a few completed boat projects with many more stacked up in the que. But first, a quick recap of the Fourth!
Based on a clear weather window, a [...]
Lats & Atts Jumped The Shark?
I’m sort of bummed out. My favorite monthly mailbox arrival used to be Latitudes and Attitudes magazine. I would start flipping through it before I even made it back into house, and usually have the entire mag read within a few days. Now when it arrives, I sort of breeze through it and then consign [...]
Morgan Repairs - Stove, Fuel Fill & New Head
Completed a few repairs on the new Boat. First was the fuel fill. There was a PVC elbow (not legal) coming out of the tank to some conglomeration of bronze unio and pvc. It seemed to have pulled out or not been put together properly. This all happens under the sink so it’s not too difficult to work on. I discovered [...]
Ouch
ORCAS ISLAND — Washington state ferries Sealth and Evergreen State helped remove 27 people from a 133-foot historic sailboat that ran aground at Orcas Island today, the Coast Guard said.
We’ve Taken The Ship
New Boat, New Boat! It’s completely official- the deal is done on the Morgan 323. All the paperwork, insurance, survey’s, etc. - even going to the DMV twice because they just have a thing about wasting everybody’s time. The boat is resting comfortably in our slip in Gulfport. Now the fun begins. We’ve already had the cushions Stanley Steemer’ed, steemed cleaned and sanitized ($400), which seemed pricey, but they are two sided and were in dire need of a scrubbin’. Cannonball and I have gone through about every storage compartment and sorted the junk from the good stuff. In the process a few things were found that need to be fixed or changed immediately -
From Sun to Storms, Dave Gets It All - Egmont Key
This Sunday’s sail was a short adventure that gave the crew a taste of almost every kind of sailing Tampa Bay has to offer. It also happened to be our first excursion on the new Morgan 32, so it was kind of a shakedown, or shakeup trip. Along for the ride was The Admiral, CannonBall, Dave, my good [...]
Swashbuckler!
This just caught my aye. How long HAS it been since YOU’VE seen a Swashbuckler?
As James Earl Jones would say “C’mon you crazy fool!”
Farewell and Adieu Nola
Our great little Nola sailed out of Gulfport Marina May 31st, bound for Marathon FL. At the helm was Emil, an experienced sailor, taking her away to his friend in the Keys who had bought her. We had unmeasureable amounts of fun and memories on that boat and we’ll miss her a lot. The crew and [...]
My Dinghy Don’t Work
Ug - I got this used dinghy for $100 and was told it had a slow leak in one of the pontoons. So far I’m up to 9 patched pinholes, scrapes and abrasions. I quickly ran out of the six inch square rubber patch material and gummy sticky stuff from a $40 patch repair kit [...]
All Systems Go For The Morgan
The sea trial/survey went well on Saturday. Surveyor found no big surprises, just minor “normal” boat repairs. Boat seemed sound and motor ran o.k. Passengers aboard were the Broker, Surveyor, Owner, Cannonball, Rumhead and the Admiral. The actual sea trial took place out in the Gulf for about 20 minutes or so. Wind was only about [...]
Sea Trial Saturday On The New PyratSail Boat
Things are coming together on our possible new boat, a 1980 Morgan 32′ or model 323. We’ve passed the underwater/scuba survey, initiated the title search, secured financing and made arrangements for the full survey and sea trial for this Saturday at 9:00 a.m. This is all a first for me, as every one of our other boats [...]
Breach Like A Dolphin!
Saw this in Outside Magazine. Developed by Ted Clamillo this weird dolphin type fin is supposed to propel swimmers through the water at nearly 10 miles per hour, therorectically fast enough for a strong swimmer to breach like a dolphin. The fin is called the Lunocet and is about 42″ and costs $1,250 - $1,800. Looks like [...]
Agavero Tequila
I was recently given a unique bottle of Tequila as a birthday gift. Called Agavero it comes in a blue genie-shaped bottle with leaves molded in the outside, and the stuff inside is even better. It makes one of the best margaritas I’ve tasted, sweet but with a “classy upscale” flavor. There’s quite a bit of sweetness from the infused
Structure E
RANT
I mention this in my Anna Maria Island Post, but it requires a full - out rant. There are two drawbridges that a sailboat needs to pass through from Boca Ciega Bay to get to the north end of Tampa Bay/Tierra Verde side of the intracoastal waterway. I’ve only lived in Gulfport a year, but ever [...]
Sail To Anna Maria Island
Bars, beaches and love bugs were just a few of the experiences the crew and I managed to endure on a three day trip to Anna Maria Island last week. The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce says that the island “was once a best kept secret…” but it seems like a quiet place, just a little on the touristy side. The waters surrounding A.M. are a beautiful shade of green-blue that can inspire a sailor…
I Want A Pudgy Dinghy
Couldn’t resist, but hey, they named it not me. The Portland Pudgy. I saw this pudgy little dinghy awhile ago in a sailing mag and it got my attention. I have yet to need a dinghy (stop it) but always thought it would be good to have one that doubles as a life raft. I remember [...]
“Nola Notes” Strike a Chord
A few years ago while fanning through an old copy of Chapman Piloting that was left aboard my boat by a previous owner, I discovered a lost treasure. There, stuck between the pages of nautical knowledge was a single sheet of wide-ruled notebook paper. Written neatly in pen at the very top it read: “Nola” [...]
Parker-Dawson 26 Center Cockpit SOLD!
Great shallow draft island hopping weekend boat! This 26′ center cockpit boat is in good sailing condition and has given us hours of pleasure over the last three years. It’s just time to move up to something that can hold more gear and people for a week or longer.
Morgan Invasion 2008
The Morgan Invasion was a fun place to be Saturday night. My wife and I stopped by about the time they were giving out the race awards. We only stayed for 45 minutes, but in that short time we met some tremendously nice folks. Sailors are always friendly, but the Morgan crowd was a cut [...]
Attack of The Maintenance Monster
IT happened again. It, being an incredible day of sailing tarnished by a mechanical breakdown. These breakdowns don’t bother me too much, but each one decreases my chances of coaxing the crew back out on the water. The day was Thursday April 3rd, one day before my 39th birthday and impending mid-life crisis. As a [...]
Out Of Zone Experiences
Every so often I need to remind myself that sailing is forever bound to one of the strongest, most unpredictable forces of nature and that yes, it causes trouble most of the time. A rocking boat, waves, getting blown across the marina when the motor stalls - all of these things don’t happen to me [...]
Capsize Caps
I’m in a “laugh at others” mood this morning. Somehow ended up on YouTube watching capsize videos. So, for your entertainment, here’s what…
Books - A Ship’s Tale
This is one of those books (at least for me) that you can’t put down until your eyes go googly from reading as long as you possibly can. The story and characters seem to stick with you for days - I found myself wondering what was going on aboard ship. Maybe too much escapism, but [...]
Sailor’s Wharf Celebrates 30 Years April 5th
Located at 1421 Bay Street, S.E. St. Petersburg, Sailor’s Wharf has become the premier boat yard on the West coast. Founded in 1978 they are celebrating their 30th anniversary….
2008 Morgan Invasion April 18 - 19th
Just read in the latest issue of SouthWinds Sailing that the morgan invasion is coming….
O Maddy’s Great Gulfport Eating Place
I need to mention one of our favorite stops for sandwiches and beer. O Maddy’s in Gulfport. You can arrive by boat (dingy in), dock at the pier next to the Gulfport Casino, walk about a block and soon you’ve got a cold beer and a really good cobia sandwich. They have a famous roll [...]
Miami Boat Show is A Monster
I’m mostly a positive person but I can be a bitcher and the 2008 Miami Boat Show gives me cause to bitch. The show was four different venues that were scattered across wonderfully accessible downtown Miami. Big, tour bus shuttles carried attendees from location to location. The pick up and drop off points to catch [...]
Sailing Dunedin/St. Joseph Sound
Sailing in the intracoastal waterway from Dunedin North to Tarpon Springs and the Anclote River can be challenging and fun . I spent my first 12 years in Florida living in this beautiful area that has lots of activities, beaches, spoil islands, restaurants, etc. From what I can tell on Google Earth, St. Joseph Sound seems to be [...]
Pyrat Rum
Pyart XO Reserve 15 year old rum is the perfect spirit for toasting an arrival at your intended destination - or unintended, as long as you got there in one piece. Not only does the XO Reserve have a rich taste with a hint of vanilla, it has a great bottle that looks as if [...]
A Bit O’ Rum
To kick it right off, a good site that covers rum far and wide “dedicated to the understanding and appreciation of the noble spirit” ministryofrum.com
Lately a few of my favorites have been Bacardi Select and recently discovered (to me) 10 Cane Rum which is really good mixed -haven’t tried it straight yet.
All For Me Blog
Welcome. This blog is all things sail, with the main focus of providing first hand information about sailing in the Tampa Bay area, using my two boats. One, a 1974 Parker-Dawson Center Cockpit and a smaller, Penobscot 14 that I’m currently building. Supporting cast will include pictures, video and just a little bit about rum. Cheers and enjoy!
