Ft De Soto Sailing Season Opener Daysail with WCTSS

It's been a long, hot summer with not much interesting sailing going on.  It's still hot but good sailing weather is coming up real fast so I dusted off Goat and joined the WCTSS for an easy daysail at Ft Desoto, a 20 minute drive from our house.

Approaching the fleet anchored at the giant shoal off North beach at Ft DeSoto park. This shoal has been growing recently and is now very large with some interesting features to explore. 

From the shoal.

I rigged the GoPro to the tip of the yard.

And got some fun shots.

There was no wind before 2pm and most folks bailed out. Dimitri and I waited it out and got rewarded with a decent sea breeze. 

We explored the shoal but Dimitri, with his Wind Rider's deep 18" draft, just could not hang with Goat's ridiculous shoal water ability. I routinely skim over shoals where the gulls are walking. Off the wind, board and rudder up I need maybe 4", maybe less if it's blowing hard enough to scrape over the sand. 

A mid afternoon snack. 

Walked around for a while. Lots of wildlife on the flats.

Delicate sand dollars survived the sail back nestled in the bow.

Time to hoist sail and head back home. 

Gerry with his neat outrigger sailing canoe conversion was coming back in as I sailed back to the launch site. 

Another day in paradise comes to a close. Time to pack up and head home.