A group of sailors who frequent the TrailerSailor and Catalina
25/250 National Assn. websites met at the Pensacola Shipyard marina on Saturday,
Feb. 17, 2001 for a week of sailing. The fleet sailed Pensacola Bay
and out into the Gulf of Mexico to Perdido Pass and beyond. Predicted poor
weather kept the fleet from their 50nm offshore sail to Destin. The short
days of winter forced us to be conservative in our planning. Dense fog on
Thursday, Feb. 23rd made our second offshore sail to Perdido Pass exciting
and the swell turned more than a few of our crewmembers "green".
Of course, no skipper would admit he suffered the same fate. The week was
enjoyed by all and we look forward to our next group cruise.
[Back to the Central Texas Sailor]
 Ben Allen (Montgomery, AL) prepares to get underway in Latte Dah . . . his O'Day 26. Ben's wife Rita and son Clayton were also aboard. |
 Jill & Al, friends and crewmembers aboard Latte Dah |
 Arlyn Stewart (White Oak, TX) and his son Eric (Austin, TX) aboard Arlyn's Catalina 250 R&R |
 Jerry Hardin (Oakdale, TN) and his crew, Coy Gibson, aboard the Southcoast 23 Vintage II |
 Stephen Dillard (Macon, GA) aboard his Catalina 25 Risk Factor. Stephen's wife Janis and their son Shawn were also aboard |
 Here I am ready to get the show on the road aboard my Catalina 250 Lorelei (Austin, TX) |
 My dad, Tom Melchior (Austin, TX), keeps us between the buoys in the ICW between Perdido Bay and the Big Lagoon |
 Arlyn & Eric lead the way through the ICW back to Pensacola Bay |
 A couple of our feathered friends wait for dinner to swim their way |
 Clayton keeps a watch for shallow water. Actually, he just likes to ride the bow. |
 The Lady Loren is one of many tows we pass in the ICW |
 Navy trainers from the Pensacola Naval Air Station are frequent visitors above the Big Lagoon |
 The Pensacola cut lighthouse |
 GPS waypoint #2 on our way from the Pensacola Shipyard to the Pensacola cut. Easy to spot when there is no fog. |
 The Pensacola Yacht Club nestled in the trees on Chico Bayou. |
 60 ton crane at the Pensacola Shipyard marina. More than enough to lift our lightweights. |
 My dad takes the helm as we put some distance between us and a couple of fellow cruisers. |
 Hey, look! It's a Catalina 25 and O'Day 26 back there. Must be our VC-17 |
 Local law enforcement? |
 The fleet prepares to get underway after enjoying pizzas at Banana Bobs on Little Sabine Bay (Pensacola Beach) |
 Hey, Ben, are trying to sneak in that larger headsail? |
 Rita is either preparing to take flight or she is complaining about the absence of wind |
 Arlyn decides to employ his iron wind |
 After a great week, Ben prepares his boat for the trailer |
For even more photos of our cruise, visit Arlyn Stewart's website