Another gorgeous marina morning in St Pertersburg.

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Winter vacation.

Where do folks who live in Florida go for vacation in winter? Father south.

Next week Cathy and I get on a plane to St Martin for ten days with friends on a Jeanneau 43. We'll cruise over to St Barts for an experience of Caribbean chic. Then we'll cruise down to St Kitts, Nevis, Statia, Saba for an experience of undeveloped colonial Caribbean.
It's been about six years since I was last in those islands. Cathy has never been to St Martin or St Barts. Our friends have never been to any of those islands. Moreover, they've never done a charter yacht vacation. It will be fun for me to be back there, and fun as well to see the others enjoying their first experience.

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Running disaster.

Running is my mainstay. For decades I have relied on running for my emotional as well as physical wellbeing. If I go more than a day or two without a run, I feel the fire of life within burning less intensely.

But now I have an injured ankle. I've been ramping up for a half marathon in February. Recently, when nearing the end of a long run my ankle began to hurt. I took some extra time off to recover, but when I tried a short slow run the pain again flared up.

I'm off running until I can see a sports medicine doctor. I'm hoping the doctor can get me back to some level of running soon. I need my mainstay. I don't want to miss the half marathon.

Meanwhile, I'll try to offset the loss of running with more bicycle riding.

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Back at work.

We were over in West Palm Beach for Christmas weekend with Cathy's family. I drove back early to help with the demands of business activity, which included skippering a sunset sail.

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Sailing Florida fleet on a picture perfect morning two days before Christmas.

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Anchored for a quiet evening off Pt Desoto.

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Zen Moment

Pre-dawn run along the Tanpa Bay waterfront through downtown St Petersburg.
66 degrees F.
Paved park walkway winding beneath palm trees.
Eastern sky turning pale blue.
Flights of pelicans and egrets coasting just beyond the shore in perfect formation with their reflection in the calm bay.
That moment I think, this is like running through a picture postcard.
Next moment, no - this is where I live - St Petersburg in December.

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St Petersburg Boat Show

As we did last year, Sailing Florida worked with Discover Sailing to get folks out on the water. Hence my job throughout most of the four day show was to take people out on our Catalina 440. Here are just a few of my passengers.

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November 20 trackday at Palm Beach International Raceway.

This was my second time at this track. I got up to speed quickly feeling smooth and controlled, but then realized my rear tire was shagged. And then it started to rain. So my trackday was over at lunch time.

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Saturday afternoon on Tampa Bay with happy ASA101 students.

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I spent last weekend on the track at Jennings FL. It was my first time there. It turned out to be one of my best trackday experiences ever, so it will certainly not be my last time there.

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This is what it looks like to win a Team Building Event - as seen from the winning yacht.

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Two competitive skippers daring to swap gelcoat.

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Light air competition.

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Priceless.

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Lovely day on Tanpa Bay. St Petersburg in the background.

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Our new Leopard44 mixing out up with us during today's corporate event.

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The end of a great day, a great cruise, and a great series of courses.

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No mistaking the entrance to Tanpa Bay.

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Good morning. From the anchorage at Point Desoto.

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Hunter 44 DS anchored off Point Desoto during ASA 104 course

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This week a family from the UK has come to us for ASA training so that they can charter yachts in the Med. Their Instructor wants to stowe away with them when they go.

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Sailing for dollars

Yesterday I captained a 45 Morgan on a sea trial. Before the real trial began I took it to a boatyard where a surveyor could inspect the bottom. It's the close maneuvering where hired-gun yacht pilots earn their pay.

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Yesterday's Sailing Florida's team building activity. Racing yachts in sunshine and a brisk breeze brings on intense competitiveness - everytime.

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Good morning! Promising start to a very busy day at Sailing Florida.

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The Leopard44 is here. It's huge! And gorgeous!

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Good morning. Onboard Catalina 445 anchored at Cayo Costa.

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Catalina 445 arriving Marco Island with an atmospheric signpost.

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Dawn departure of the Catalina 445 from Key West.

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Columbus Day in Key West. Our Catalina 445 at the Galleon Marina. Passage time was 32 hours from our docks in down town St Pertersburg to this one in Key West. That deserves a boat drink or two.

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This is what it looks like when you're winning a Sailing Florida team building yacht race.

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This is what it looks like when you're losing a Sailing Florida team building yacht race.

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Summer must be over.

You know Florida's summer heat is over when you go for an early morning run and find you don't need to strip off a dripping-with-sweat tee-shirt at half distance.

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Love these sunset sails!

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Our most recent Basic Keelboat Sailing students - father and son.

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St Petersburg Florida. When it rains it's still beautiful.

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Turned out to be a great day for sailing on Tampa Bay.

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Found. Near Sailing Florida's office in St Petersburg.

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Chef has gotten into the habit of going out with me for early morning walks around the property. He hunts lizards. Unsuccessfully.

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Sunday morning before heading out from our apartment on a long run.

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Saturday afternoon on a beach at Honeymoon Island.

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Cloudy rainy days like today are good days for servicing generators and Yanmar engines.

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Labor Day sailing in 30 knots of wind.

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Today's Coastal Cruising class become a class in Heavy Weather Sailing.

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Catalina 35 - one of the many sailing yachts we sent off on Labor Day weekend charters.

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Working at a busy charter yacht business is much more than sailing and teaching.

There's a never-ending amount of maintenance and repairs to do. Just one of yesterday's tasks was a service routine on this Yanmar engine and Pand.a generator.

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