Coconut Grove Sailing Club

Saturday Nov 12 - Sunday Nov 13 - Hurricane Harbor

We departed in the early afternoon on Saturday with a fresh breeze on a close reach towards Hurricane Harbor.  The sky was clear and the Melges 20 were flying spinnakers through the bay.  One of the Melges boats was having technical difficulties (if being dismasted qualifies as a technical difficulty).


None of the boats had ever been inside the harbor so we were careful while going in, it is very close to the Key Biscayne sandbar but the shallows were easy to spot.  We circled the anchorage under sail and found a nice spot right in the middle of the harbor.  The weather was warm and dry, perfect for spending time on deck and forgetting about the rat race at work, or whatever it is that may stress you out during the week.

A couple of hours later Saranade rafted up next to us and we fired up the grills and had an awesome dinner in Seas the Moment's cockpit.  After dinner we went to Saranade for some drinks… after a few drinks and some drinks and some deep philosophical discussion we were ready to hit the hay.  We split the raftup and Saranade was left to anchor somewhere close by.  Too bad we failed to take pictures with Jenny and Geoff from Saranade.

Sunday morning was mostly spent lazily procrastinating on our departure, however, all good things come to an end and eventually we managed to raise anchor and head back to reality.  The wind was still strong but it was an easy beam reach over to the club.  We had the privilege to see the Melges racing by again and this time we did not witness any gear failures.


When scheduling the Hurricane Harbor Rendezvous I must admit that I was a bit skeptic about this spot, being surrounded by houses did not appeal to me very much… However, I have to admit that I am a convert, this spot is an excellent anchorage, it is deep and has good holding, the water's color was nice, the protection offered by the houses is excellent, it is a short distance from the sandbar, it is a great spot, we will hopefully return.

Take your time to check the Rendezvous schedule and make plans to join us to an upcoming Rendezvous, it is a great way to meet new people and actually use your boat, isn't this what you bought the boat for in the first place?

 
Sunday October 2nd - Poker Run

Our first-ever CGSC Poker Run Rendezvous unfolded to perfect breezes and honest deals on a recent Sunday afternoon. Dealer boat Drift anchored throughout the bay, handing out cards to passing CGSC boats.
Chiara Manton, our rendezvous chair for the afternoon, wrapped the cards up tight, so no one knew if they had a solid hand or a stinker. The excitement built at the rum punch raft-up, when Drift's anchor held all seven boats. 

We sailed back to the CGSC for the final deal (as assistant pit boss Marc Buller noted: "See you at the Flop.") We enjoyed a pot luck supper on the picnic benches, as PC Buller dealt three community cards for the fleet. 

Golden Greek was the ultimate winner, with Gabriel drawing four threes to claim the $50 Grove's Nest credit.

Friday 17th - Sunday 19th - Father's Day Bimini Rendezvous
Abaco Adventure Rendezvous June 17th -July 11th

Leaping Groundhog and Island Packet 26 were the first boats to leave to Bimini for the Father's Day Rendezvous.  They have been cruising the Bimini Islands, Gun Cay, and the Cat Cays since Father's Day.  Effortless left June 22 and plans to meet up with them in Bimini.  Siesta left for West End and they are planning to meet with Effortless in Abaco at Nippers on Sunday, June 26.  They then plan to be back in Bimini for the Bahamian Independence Day on July 9th.

There is still time to get your vessel ready and Rendezvous with the other club members at Bimini.  The weather has been great for passage-making lately, contact us if you wish to make the crossing for the Bahamian Independence Day.

Ragged Keys Rendezvous with the full moon,
March 19 & 20

Last week's rendezvous in the Ragged Keys was great. A total of five member boats showed up including Camilla, Fiji, Effortless, and Leaping Groundhog. We had excellent weather with clear skies day and night. We spent Friday night anchored off Coon Point in nearby Elliot Key, Saturday morning we all rafted up around Ragged Key #5. We shared food, music, and stories through the day and into the evening. The spring tide and super full moon produced unsatisfactory fishing but did lead to some interesting unexpected events. Join us at one of the upcoming Rendezvous and you might be lucky enough to learn what happened! 

Host:  Christian Vargas

Chicken Key Raftup and Kayak/Canoe Trip
April 9th and 10th

Upcoming Rendezvous for 2010 - 2011 (see left column)

Here is the tentative Rendezvous Schedule for the next several months. Please note these dates on your calendar. Many of our rendezvous destinations can be arrived by land or by sea which allows members without boats to join us by driving to the destination and then meeting us with a kayak or canoe for raftup ups or exploring. If you are willing to take on extra crew for any of the upcoming events or would like to crew please let me know via email.

If you would like to volunteer to co-host any of the upcoming events I would gladly welcome any help. Please notice our Adventure Rendezvous this year will include a Gulf Stream crossing to Bimini and Abaco. Planning will begin for this trip after the first of the year. Start preparing your boats now or if you want to fly over to Abaco and charter a boat for a week or two. We can help you put a crew together for this event.

Also, I'm excited to announce that CGSC has a cruising boat for members to charter!! It's a Benateau First and you may have seen her at the dock work weekend undergoing a facelift. I hope to see her at all of our upcoming Rendezvous.

Rendezvous Chair: Janice Pruett: jbpmom@aol.com or Christian Vargas: christianvargas1982@yahoo.com View the photo gallery of our past rendezvous:  http://cgsc.org/photo-galleries