| August 26, 2002 - Our yacht is leaving Lake Lanier, | | | | sort of thrill ride. We got to fully test our safety |
| Georgia, and being transported to Browns Marine, in | | | | equipment. We think that when we make the sail from |
| Pensacola, Florida, our starting point, by a huge | | | | Destin to Panama City we'll practice man-overboards |
| eighteen-wheeler semi. It is about 5 and a half hours | | | | if it's calm with life vests as the victim. Nobody got |
| getting it to Pensacola, or six including meals. We will | | | | seasick except the cat, who was downstairs throwing |
| get the boat refitted there and then move it to another | | | | up. We passed downtown Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, |
| marina for shove off. In Pensacola, we're at the boat a | | | | Navarre, and Fort Walton. It was really great. I can't |
| lot, but we have some time to see the sights. | | | | wait until next time! - Robert Rountree |
| September 13, 2002 Here our boat is being refitted in | | | | November 2, 2002- 12:00- Tracy (my Dads Friend) |
| Pensacola, Florida, at Browns Marine. We are getting | | | | calls my dad- he says,"Where are you? We're coming |
| the bottom painted as well as some engine work done | | | | to see you! We'll call for directions when we're on the |
| and an electric anchor (windlass). We spend several | | | | road in about in hour." So then we had work to do. We |
| days here, my dad working from his laptop and me | | | | had just arrived in Destin the night before and spent |
| doing my homeschool stuff. - Robert Rountree | | | | the night out on the hook in the harbor. So, we had to |
| Saorsa Launched! October 8, 2002 - Saorsa is finally | | | | find a marina to put our boat in. After about an hour or |
| launched at Browns Marine in Pensacola, Florida. Now | | | | so of calling around we found a nice little place called |
| time for the final preparations - replacing fuel lines, | | | | Bannana Barts. One of the nice things about it was |
| furler line, steering cable etc, etc. But, re-building toilets | | | | that we're practically the only boat there.Theres only |
| on the boat beats conference calls with the client any | | | | one other boat in the marina! The marina is actually |
| day. - Bill Rountree | | | | part of one of those little beach shops. Jane, (left) |
| October 22, 2002 - Today we are relaxing ( well, my | | | | Tracy's wife, got the hat she's wearing there! Some |
| dad is at least,) at Pensacola Beach, while we are | | | | other good things about it are it's cheap, ($35 a night |
| waiting for the parts for the steering cable to come in. | | | | for transients), and you have a great view. The next |
| It was a great time to come to the beach - we saw | | | | day we went sailing in the ocean (the mast is too tall |
| at least fifty stingrays surfing in with the waves to | | | | for the bay or the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway), and |
| feed on the minnows near the shore. It was a lot of | | | | had a great time. The weather was perfect, and the |
| fun. - Robert Rountree | | | | conditions weren't too windy, so we could take out the |
| October 25, 2002 - We are on our fist cruise around | | | | main sail and the jib (right). We came into the harbor |
| Pensacola Bay. We motored for about 2/3 of the | | | | just as the sun was setting. It was nice. That night we |
| way, but sailed for about an hour or so. We averaged | | | | had a relaxing dinner at my dad's favorite place (AJ's), |
| around four knots with winds peaking at around 10 | | | | and walked the docks afterwards. The next morning, |
| mph. As you can see from the picture at the right, we | | | | after a very filling breakfast at the Donut Hole, we |
| only have our foward sail up (called the jib). This slows | | | | went by Tracy's big truck to Browns Marine in |
| us down alot. It wasn't perfect weather, but it was still | | | | Pensacola to pick up our car. Then they went back |
| really cool. All we had to do was turn on the autopilot | | | | home, while my dad and I went back to Destin and the |
| and relax. We saw at least three Navy fighters roaring | | | | boat. We had lots of fun, and I can't until we have |
| overhead (F/A-18E 'Super" Hornets), one of them | | | | another batch of visitors!11/14/02- 4-7 ft. seas, winds |
| which had its landing gear down. All of this is beacause | | | | 15-20 knots E. Baywaters rough. Temperature in the |
| Pensacola is where the U.S. Navy pilots train. We also | | | | 60's. SOG was around five knots. Never attempted |
| saw some dolphins jumping in the distance, and a | | | | fishing. We tried to put up the sails at one point, but we |
| couple of barges and fishing boats. It was great! - | | | | couldn't stay on course because of the headwind, so |
| Robert Rountree | | | | sailing would not get us there on time. Instead, we had |
| We finally shove off! Pensacola-Destin: 10-31-0254.5 | | | | to motor straight into the headwind, crashing into the |
| nm logged in 11:30 hours. 10/31/02- 3-5 ft. seas, winds | | | | big waves. Seas were slightly choppy beacause of |
| 15-20 knots NNE and gusting. Bay waters | | | | the wind. The autopilot could handle the seas, so once |
| choppy-rough. Temp in the 60's. Close reach to close | | | | this was discovered, it was used often. We all got a |
| haul the whole way. SOG (speed over ground) 4-7 | | | | little sea sick at some point, but only Amos threw up. |
| knots, average a little over five. Caught zero fish with | | | | The cat never throws up on my stuff, just my dad's. |
| one line in the water towards the end. The main sail did | | | | Maybe he's trying to tell him something. ( He already |
| not come up, and only a reefed jib was out most of | | | | tried jumping ship.) Our arrival was immediately |
| the time. Only for the last hour or so when the wind | | | | followed up by fireworks and live music coming from |
| died down did the jib come all the way out. Autopilot | | | | the city. We found a good anchorage right off the Gulf |
| was on occasionally, but it remained off most of the | | | | Intercoastal Waterway. The next morning we got up, |
| time because of somewhat rough seas. In spite of the | | | | reseved a transient slip at Panama City Marina, and |
| somewhat rough conditions it was a great ride. In the | | | | headed there. This picture to the right is our slip there. |
| picture above and to the right, we get a visit from a | | | | We had a good ride there, and look foward with |
| tired bird. It's an extremely brave little thing--- it sat right | | | | anticipation to our next long stretch offshore, in which |
| on my dad's foot, even as we went crashing through | | | | we go around Port St. Joe, Apalachicola, and all the |
| the waves. Sometimes the bow went all the way | | | | way to the Suwanee River and the west coast of |
| down almost to the water, and then back up. We | | | | Florida. |
| each took turns going up to the bow. It was like some | | | | |