October 8th Meeting
Speaker: TBGWC member Van Snapp
Topic: “Crossing the Straits of Florida to Bimini in a Grady-White”
TBGWC member Van Snapp from Tampa has volunteered to talk about his two recent trips to Bimini in his Grady-White. Bimini is an island chain located about 50 miles due east of Miami and is the closest point in the Bahamas to the United States mainland. Ernest Hemingway stayed in “The Compleat Angler Hotel” on North Bimini in 1935-37 while working on “Islands in the Stream” and “To Have and To Have Not”. Bill McCoy, a boat builder from Holly Hills, FL, became well know for rumrunning illegal liquor from Bimini to New York during prohibition. He allegedly did not water down his spirits, i.e.” The Real McCoy”.
People have made the crossing in pontoon boats, jet skies and small runabouts. During the summer you may regularly see boats in the 18 to 22 foot length making the crossing on the weekends. However, the adventure should not be taken lightly. Weather, the Gulf Stream, the narrow entrance into Bimini, and mechanical or boat failures at sea are just some of the things that should be considered before making the crossing. However, with modern GPS systems, a good solid boat with reliable engines and redundant safety equipment, the crossing can be done safely and easily. Unlike the middle grounds fishing trip, there are motels, stores, and marinas with fuel on Bimini. If the weather is uncooperative for the return trip, you can wait for improvement or as a last resort, leave the boat in the marina and take an air fight back to the states.
September 10th Meeting:
The September meeting was held at Sam Seltzers Restaurant in Clearwater. The featured speaker was Larry Tieman whose TowBoatUS/Saint Petersburg, FL was awarded “Tower of the Year” in 2007 by BoatUS. “TowBoatUS/St Pete has grown to be a towboat service dynamo covering one fourth of the state’s Gulf Coast,” said Jerry Cardarelli, Vice President of BoatUS Towing Services.
Captain Tieman’s has seven locations in our area. Based on volume, TowBoatUS/Saint Petersburg is BoatUS Towing Services’ busiest operation in the country, responding to hundreds of calls annually for on-the-water assistance from Tampa Bay to Crystal River as well as from boaters 50 miles offshore. Captain Tieman, a former Air Force pilot, started in the on-the-water towing industry almost by accident after retiring from the military. Larry had a brief conversation with BoatUS shortly after leaving his career as a US Air Force pilot. He loved the water and soon turned his hobby into a full-fledged second career. He has helped many a boater over the last half-decade.
Capt. Tieman pointed out that most of us have been using E-10 fuel for several months now and it is almost impossible to buy gasoline that does not contain ethanol. The most serious E-10 problems occur when the alcohol dissolves fiberglass tanks (not used on Grady-Whites) and older fuel lines. Alcohol also dissolves the varnish built up in lines, tanks, and carburetors. Fuel lines made after 1994 are alcohol resistant. Most of us should be concerned about water being absorbed by the alcohol in the fuel. This water settles to the bottom of the tank when the boat is not in use, to then be sucked up into the engine on the next trip out. Capt. Tieman stresses the importance of frequently checking the main fuel filter (after any long trip). If it contains lots of water, you should decant off the water and you may also need to check the secondary filter near the motor. He recommends a 10 micro filter to take out the water and debris.
There is about a 7% decrease in energy in alcohol compared to gasoline, so your boat will be less efficient on E-10. To help make up for this, he recommends removing unnecessary items (all the old junk) from your boat to decrease weight. A smooth, waxed hull will get better mileage and proper trim and tilt helps too. There is an ideal “fuel burn rate” for individual boats just as there is for airplanes. A bad ding iin the propeller can decrease fuel economy by 5 to 7%.
Boat Salvage vs Boat Tow
Capt. Tieman also discussed the difference between a tow and boat salvage. He states that BoatUS will make every effort to tow your boat instead of making it a salvage which can be very important. If your boat is on fire, is completely beached (you can walk all around it) or has sunk or is sinking or the crew other property or the environment is in peril, it is probably a salvage case. Towing assistance like that offered by BoatUS/TowBoatUS provide assistance for breakdowns and light groundings. The far more expensive salvage claims are only covered by boat/yacht hull insurance policies. In addition to salvage and tow charges, you can also be fined for environmental damage by the government for leaking fuel, etc. and you are responsible for damage to other boats and property caused by your boat. Make sure that your hull insurance policy covers up to full value of your boat, and that there are no large deductibles for the service. The best protection against a big salvage bill is adequate insurance. If the tow service says it is going to be salvage instead of a tow, ask them why. A simple tow should be “time and materials” but some companies charge around $150 per foot or more to “salvage” a boat.
New Meeting Dates:
Due to scheduling conflicts we will have these adjustments for our meeting dates:
Oct. 8th meeting will be at Quality Boat Sales
Nov. 12th meeting –at Sam Seltzers, CLW
The May, June, Aug, Sept., and Oct. meetings in 2009 will be at Sam Seltzers on the 3rd Wed. of the month because we did not reserve ahead. The other meetings will be on the usual 2nd Wed. of each month in 2009.
Monthly Meeting: 2nd Wednesday of the Month (except for Dec.)
SPEAKERS & TRIPS FOR 2008
Oct. 3-4-5th — Tween-Waters on Captiva island (Lynn Cravey )
Oct. 8th meeting—at Quality Boat Sales—Boating to Bimini
Nov. 1 to Dec. 7th —Fall Kingfish Tournament (Norm & Bill)
Nov. 12th -- Meeting – Doug Henning: Charter boat Capt.
Dec. 08—T.I. Lighted boat parade & potluck dinner (Arterbun’s)
Newsletter by E-mail
(save a tree)
About this time last year I asked if you would be happy with just an E-mail copy of the TBGWC monthly newsletter to save the club the cost of paper, copy, and postage expenses. Several of you were happy with that arrangement, but I did not keep track of everyone who said “O.K.” I am asking you again to E-mail me if you only want the E-mail copy—and I will try harder to keep good records. Thanks! Greg Arterburn.
Plans for 2009
It is time for us to plan trips and meetings for 2009. Where do you want to go next year? Some suggestions: Steinhatchiee for scallops in July
Homosassa, Crystal River
Palm Island, South Seas, Marco, the Keys
Middle Grounds, Bimini, Stuart
Tarpon Springs, Long Boat Key???
*********************************************
Fall Kingfish Tournament:
Sat. Nov. 1 to Sun. Dec. 7th
$50.00 per boat entry fee
Includes six weekends, You must, enter you boat in the tournament before the deadline of Friday, October 31. Individual Anglers do not have to be TBGWC members, but all fish must be caught on a Grady-White boat properly entered in the Tournament with the club member owner/captain on board at the time the fish is caught. For more rules and information contact one of the two Bill Eckerle, home # 727-391-9679 cell # 727-433-2877 e-mail address wejae@hotmail.com or Norm Englert, home # 727-595-6753 cell # 727-510-7951 email address nenglert@earthlink.net
September 10th Meeting
Food: Order from Menu
Speaker: Larry Tieman
Topic: “E-10 fuel problems”
S
ome boaters have had major engine problems that mechanics have attributed to fuels containing ethanol. Is it safe to burn fuel containing ethanol in 2-stroke or 4-stroke outboard engines? What are the problems with ethanol-gasoline mixtures? Can you buy gasoline that does not contain ethanol? Do fuel stabilizers help?Ethanol has been used by humans since prehistory as the intoxicating ingredient in all alcoholic beverages. Dried residues on 9000-year-old pottery found in China imply that alcoholic beverages were used even among Neolithic people. Plants use the energy of the sun to create glucose during photosynthesis. Fermentation convertes glucose to ethanol and carbon dioxide. Ethanol can used to fuel internal combustion engines. In the engine the ethanol reacts with oxygen to produce heat, carbon dioxide and water. The heat expands gases in the engine to drive the pistons and produce the power. Pure ethanol can only be used in very high compression engines but flex fuel engines in many new cars can burn up to 85% ethanol (E-85) and regular automobile gasoline engines can burn 10% ethanol (E-10). Outboard engines and 2-stroke engines on lawn mowers, leaf blowers, etc. seem to have more problems with E-10 ethanol.
The U.S. and Brazil and are the largest producers of ethanol. Brazil produces half of its automobile fuel from ethanol and does not import any oil from the Middle East. All cars in Brazil must have flex fuel engines.
August 13 Meeting:
The August 13th meeting of TBGWC was held at Sam Seltzers in Clearwater. We had a relatively large group for a summertime meeting with several guests including Richard Steinmetz, President of the Golden Triangle Fishing Club of Tampa. TBGWC member Van Snapp from Tampa attended and volunteered to talk at a future meeting about his two recent trips to Bimini. This trip to Ernest Hemingway’s “Island in the Stream” sounds like an adventure that would interest many of our members.
TBGWC member David Yates was our featured speaker. He talked about his fishing trips to the Middle Grounds in a Grady-White. He gave out information and told about the wide variety of fish that can be found in this famous fishing area 65 miles NW of Clearwater. He recommends a Grady-White boat with twin engines and fuel capacity of 200 gallons with redundant safety gear and lots of anchor line. Radar, EPIRD, electronic back-ups and a Satphone are nice. At 65 miles out, your cell phones and VHF do not reach land. David’s group usually fish on a full moon so they can fish at night. He brings fans, air mattresses, and bean bag chairs for comfort during the night. He highly recommends the personal LED headlights for freeing up both hands to tie tackle and land fish at night. Before leaving, they check the weather forecast locally and in the middle grounds (Station 42036) using the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) on the Internet or Dial-A-Buoy (888-701-8992) using a cell phone. Bouy reports include wind direction, speed, gusts, wave heights and periods, air and water temperature and sea level pressure. Contact David for more information.
Egmont Key Picnic (lunch): September 13th
The park is a wildlife refuge cooperatively managed by state and federal agencies, including the Coast Guard. The key is a navigation checkpoint with a 150-year-old working lighthouse, but also has gun batteries built in 1898 to defend Tampa Bay and 100-year-old brick roads from when the island was a community. There are no shops available on the island and it is accessible only by private boat.
In 1847 Congress authorized funds to construct a lighthouse on Egmont. The lighthouse was damaged the next year by a hurricane and again four years later, but was restored. At the end of the third Seminole War in 1858, Egmont Key was used by the U.S. Army to detain Seminole prisoners until they could be transported to Arkansas Territory. Confederate troops occupied the island when the Civil War began, but later the Union took it over. Fort Dade was established on Egmont Key when the Spanish-American War was imminent and the island became a small city of 300 residents with electricity, telephones, movie theater, bowling alley, tennis courts, hospital and a jail. The fort was deactivated in 1923, and the island returned to its navigation mission. In 1939, the Lighthouse Service was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Key was designated a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.
The beach: Being a wildlife refuge, big parts of the island are restricted. It's all beautiful, and you can lie on the sand or swim in the water, but you have to be aware of your surroundings. There is no camping so any trip is a day trip, meaning you should expect to carry all your things, including garbage, when you leave. So it's not South
Beach, but it is pure beach and a great place to collect shells.Anchoring your boat is pretty restricted. If you boat there, take the Intracoastal route because it's a designated channel on the east and south side of Fort De Soto; if you go to the west, shifting sands could make your life miserable..
|
Ask not what your boating club has done for you! Ask what you have done for your boating club!
|
Monthly Meeting: 2nd Wednesday of the Month (except for Dec.)
SPEAKERS & TRIPS FOR 2008
Sep. 10th –Speaker: Larry Tieman “E-10 fuel problems”
Sep. 13th Egmont Key picnic (lunch) (bad weather backup Sep. 20th) WE NEED AN TRIP CAPTAIN FOR THIS EVENT!
Oct. 3-4-5th — Tween-Waters on Captiva island (Lynn Cravey and Bonnie Hargrett) MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS!
Oct. & Nov 08—Fall Kingfish Tournament (Norm & Bill)
Dec. 08—T.I. Lighted boat parade & potluck dinner (Arterbun’s)
“Gulf Coast Grady Fest”
The Tarpon Coast Grady-White Club of Punta Gorda is planning a first class all-day event on MARCH 28th, 2009 at the Charlotte County Event Center and they have invited all TBGWC Grady-White owners, former owners, prospective owners and friends to attend. They will have separate programs for Captains and First Mates. Kris Carroll, President of Grady-White will be the featured speaker along with presentations from Grady, Yamaha, Garmin and others. For the First Mates program they have booked a seafood chief, a Coast Guard captain, a female charter captain and much more. The only cost is $20.00 for lunch and a T-shirt. There will be venders’ booths and lots of “door prizes”. You can find more information on their web site at
www.tarponcoastgwbc.com. Tarpon Coast Commodore, Dan Clarke will be sending more information to us and to Anchorline later this year. Please mark your 2009 calendar for this event.
August 13th Meeting
Place: Sam Seltzer’s Steakhouse 18409 US Hwy 19 N, CLW (US-19 and Belleair Road)
Food: Order from Menu
Speaker: David Yates – TBGWC Member (and Golden Triangle Fishing Club member)
Topic: “Middlegrounds Fishing”
David Yates, who is an avid fisherman and Grady owner, will discuss plans for an August TBGWC fishing trip to the Middle Grounds. If you plan to go on the trip or are thinking about going to the Middle Grounds area in your Grady-White, come to the August meeting and bring your questions. David will discuss the obvious things such as bait and tackle and fishing techniques as well as how much ice, bait, fuel, and food are needed for the trip. Many boats do not have enough onboard fuel storage for this kind of trip.
The Middle Grounds is a huge area of approximately 330 square miles of limestone pinnacles and ledges. Depths range from 87 feet to 145 feet and the southern end is about 70 miles out of Johns pass and about 50 miles to the more northern limits from Bayport in Hernando County. It is not uncommon to dive a location that has a 20 to 30 foot shear drop with caves and cracks that you could fit a full sized SUV in! Not only are the dive sites in the Grounds home to abundant populations of fish they are also covered in impressive hard and soft coral growth Most party boats spend one or two nights anchored up while catching grouper and snapper and a variety of other large bottom fish. Grady-Whites with adequate fuel tanks can make the trip in one day. David Yates will be the August speaker and tell us his experiences in fishing the Middle Grounds. If interested in this trip, contact David at Rwyy@aol.com as soon as possible so we can determine if there are enough members interested in the trip at the August meeting.
*******************************************************************************
THE HISTORY OF HONEYMOON ISLAND
"It was paradise," said Seminole resident Althea De View, who spent her honeymoon on the island in July 1940. "It was everything we dreamed it would be." The idea for Honeymoon Isle came after a failed attempt to sell the island. Washburn wondered what to do with his $25,000 piece of property. He joked with a Life magazine editor saying the island would make an ideal spot for a honeymoon.
The joke became real when the Life editor put the story on the news wires and soon Washburn was swamped with requests.. He required the couples to write a letter on why they should be chosen; to provide three references; to be married less than two weeks; and to pay their own way to Tampa. Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman applied for the free vacation in Florida. They were turned down because they had been married more than two weeks. Honeymoon Island was featured in Paramount newsreels and in the April 8, 1940, issue of Life. Honeymooners spent an average of 10 days in 10- by 12-foot wooden cottages with a double bed, card table, two chairs, a pan, a kerosene lamp and two sets of utensils and dishes. Couples bought their own food from a store on the island and cooked on gas stoves. Outside each cottage was a rowboat. The end to Honeymoon Isle came in December 1941, with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In the 1970s, the state bought the island for a recreation area. Honeymoon Island State Park opened in 1982.
******************************************************************
STEINHATCHIEE SCALLOP CONQUEST
Just a wonderful time was had by all who attended the 7th annual Grady White Scalloping Sojourn July 23rd – 27th in the quaint “Old Florida” town of Steinhatchee, FL, located near the mouth of the Steinhatchee River in the Big Bend area. This beautiful laid-back section of Florida is a scalloper’s paradise for young and old alike. The Sea Hag Marina with its excellent docking facilities and their pleasant cottages located just across the street was the scene of all our activities. We thank Charlie and Daniella Norwood for allowing us to use all of their great facilities and providing wonderful additions for our evening get-togethers, our shucking work, and so many other amenities. With their help it was SPECIAL to just enjoy the beauty around us, the quietness and comfort of being out of doors and so near to the sea, and SO FAR away from the hustle and bustle of city life!
There were 10 Grady White boats and 4 guest boats joining in the fun. The total number of members and guests present was 92, including 32 children. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect, making it possible to be out in the gulf seeking and diving for scallops every day. Each boat captured their quota of the elusive scallops and even had time for shucking at sea, if they so desired. One group of six boats rafted up together to shuck, listen to music, and to smell and enjoy the delicious hamburgers and hot dogs William Hancock cooked for lunch on the bow of his boat. He also had music for the teenagers and adults to enjoy. When this activity ended, the young folks played catch tossing a football from boat to boat…..falling into the water to make their catches. Oh to be young again! One would be amazed at how adept our young people are, not only in catching the scallops, but also in shucking them, which is no easy task!
On Wednesday evening a delicious pot luck supper was held on the grounds, and Friday evening a tasty BBQ dinner was brought in and served on the beautiful Sea Hag deck overlooking the boats. The Grady White Company graciously sent very nice shoulder bags for all the boat captains and a variety of gifts for the children. A very unique event for our club was the fact that one of our members, Charlie Rose, was married the Sunday before our trip and brought his lovely bride Veronica to spend their honeymoon with us in Steinhatchee! It was fun to decorate his Grady White boat and toast their marriage! Hopefully they had a wonderful time! We felt honored to have a bride and groom in our midst!!
Many thanks go to Judy Eckerle and Mike Festa for all their help in making the trip so much fun…..and a HUGE THANK YOU! to all who came, making it such an exciting trip. Hopefully, everyone arrived home safely and ready to go again next year. Special THANKS to Grady White for all the gifts…..we appreciate all you do for us!
********************** *Bob & Jeannie Rice*********************************
********************************************************************Monthly Meeting: 2nd Wednesday of the Month (except for Dec.)
SPEAKERS & TRIPS FOR 2008
Aug. 13th—Speaker: David Yates: “Fishing the Middlegrounds”
Aug. 16-17th—Middlegrounds overnight fishing trip (David Yates) (bad weather 8/23-24th ) Contact David for details!Sep. 10th –Speaker: Larry Tieman “E-10 fuel problems”
Sep. 13th Egmont Key picnic (bad weather backup Sep. 20th) WE NEED AN TRIP CAPTAIN FOR THIS EVENT!
Oct. 3-4-5th — Tween-Waters on Captiva island (Lynn Cravey and Bonnie Hargrett) MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS!
Oct. & Nov 08—Fall Kingfish Tournament (Norm & Bill)
Dec. 08—T.I. Lighted boat parade & potluck dinner (Arterbun’s)
“Gulf Coast Grady Fest”
The Tarpon Coast Grady-White Club of Punta Gorda is planning a first class all-day event on MARCH 28th, 2009 at the Charlotte County Event Center and they have invited all TBGWC Grady-White owners, former owners, prospective owners and friends to attend. They will have separate programs for Captains and First Mates. Kris Carroll, President of Grady-White will be the featured speaker along with
presentations from Grady, Yamaha, Garmin and others. For the First Mates program they have booked a seafood chief, a Coast Guard captain, a female charter captain and much more. The only cost is $20.00 for lunch and a T-shirt. There will be venders’ booths and lots of “door prizes”. You can find more information on their web site at www.tarponcoastgwbc.com. Tarpon Coast Commodore, Dan Clarke will be sending more information to us and to Anchorline later this year. Please mark your 2009 calendar for this event.*****************************************************************
Tribune Outdoors Editor To 'Semi-Retire'
All good things come to an end and on July 20th Frank Sargeant reported that he is “semi-retiring” although his comments will continue to appear in the Tampa Tribune one day per week, writing and photographing the Friday outdoors page as always. He will also stay on as host of the Tribune Outdoors Expo and Boat Show each March.
Suggestions for speakers? Suggestions for trips?
Comments?
July 9th Meeting
Place: Sam Seltzer’s Steakhouse 18409 US Hway US Hwy 19 N, CLW (US-19 and Bellair Road)
Food: Order from Menu
Speaker:
Topic:“Honeymoon Island History”
May 14th Meeting: The May meeting was held at Sam Seltzers in Clearwater. Our speaker for the evening, Captain Brent Gaskill, one of the best guides for Tampa Bay and near shore waters of the Gulf, used a “Ask the Captain” format that worked out quite well. Early in the evening he passed around some note cares and asked us to write down our fishing and boating questions. After our business meeting Capt. Gaskill looked at the questions and gave his answers. Topics included some timely sailfish and main mahi fishing techniques to his opinions on the new fishing regulation. His carters a 24’ boat “Summer Vacation” around Tampa Bay, and he will also come along on your Grady-White as your Charter Captain for a day of fishing. As a former schoolteacher, he is an excellent instructor with lots of patience for those new to fishing in the Tampa Bay area.
Brents lovely wife, Lorena, brought along some pictures from the Tampa Bay Breast Cancer 3-Day 60 mile walk from last October. Lorena raised more than $2,200 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund last year in order to walk. She is already starting to train and to raise money for another walk this October. Perhaps some TBGWC might wish to make a little donation or get a group together in October to cheer the participants in this worthy cause. You can contact Capt. Gaskill (or Lorena) at 727-510-1009 or by E-mail at captbrent@tampa-bay-florida-fishing-guide.com.
*********************************************************************
Stuart Fishing Weekend
Several
months ago David Yates and Mike Barowski invited TBGWC members to join the
Golden Triangle Fishing Club (meets the 4th Wednesday at Bill Curie
Ford in Tampa) to their annual “Funament” fishing trip to Stuart last month.
The weather was wonderful, but fishing was disappointing. What would have been
the winning fish was caught the day before the tournament started; Jeanne Rice
caught a very nice 22 lb. bull dolphin. There were several sail fish hook-ups
and a
tuna or two. The accommodations at the Hutchinson Island Marriott were very
nice and the TBGWC members enjoyed dinners at the Marriott as well as at Pirates
Cove Marina where the Captains Meeting and the official weigh-in were held. The
Awards Banquet for the Funament was held at the Gator Trace Country Club where
Golden Triangle President Richard Steinmetz presented the awards and presided
over a large table full of raffle prizes.
Those attending from the Tampa Bay Grady-White Club were Greg and Wynemia
Arterburn, Ralph and Marilyn Wolf, Bob and Jeanne Rice, Mike,Robin and Daniiela
Nasco, David and Grace Yates and family, Norm Englert, Nancy Maier, Clint and
Kim Jones and Bill and Judy Eckerle.
We had four Gradys from our club and approx. 17 members plus some family and
friends in attendance. Grady owners were very pleased with the generous duffle
bags from Grady-White. We appreciate all the support and generous donations to
our club from Grady-White. Those bags will be put in a good bit of travel time
this summer
*******************************************************************
STEINHATCHIEE SCALLOP CONQUEST
July 23-27
Howdy Fellow Scallopers!
July 23, 2008 comes up soon so we hope you are preparing for our annual North Florida Fling! On Wednesday night, July 23rd, we will have a family cookout, with each family bring the following: on side dish, meat of your choice, charcoal, drinks, utensils, and paper plates. In case of inclement weather, Pace Cottages will provide shelters on the grounds. Some grills will be available, but we strongly suggest that you bring your own portable grill (and a wire brush to clean the grill.)
Scallop limits: Two (2) gallons per person in the shell, with a maximum of ten (10) gallons per boat, or one (1) pint of scallop meat per person, with a maximum of ½ gallon per boat. A 2008 salt water license is required.
On Friday night, July 25th, 7:00 pm we will share “stomping good Cross City BBQ on the waterfront of Sea Hag Marina. Please purchase your BBQ coupons at the Grady-White meeting on Wednesday, July 9th. Costs will be $9.00 per adult and $6.50 per child (under eight years please). Each family will provide their own beverages (beverages are sold at the marina). Please allow for all guests to be served before going for seconds.
We would like to take a group picture on Thursday, July 24th at 6:30 pm on the west dock of the marina. Smiles and Grady-White T-shirts would look nice (for Anchorline). If you not be attending the July 9th meeting and still wish to attend the BBQ, please forward a check to the address at the bottom of this notice. It is imperative for us to know how many people are attending so we can order the proper amount of food.
Best Regards, Bob Rice, 1057 Chinaberry Road, Clearwater, FL 33764
KEYS TRIPCANCELLLED:
The trip to Marathon on September 3rd has been cancelled as very few members expressed interest in the trip. If you are planning to go to Tween-Waters, please send an E-mail to me or to Bill Eckerle so that we can get an idea of how many are going on that trip. At this time it looks like we will have enough interest to keep the Tween-Waters trip this fall.
We will be going to Tween-Waters Inn for the October 3-4-5th trip. We have a group discount on rooms and boats—so tell them you are part of the Tampa Bay Grady-White Club when you call for reservations at 800-223 -5865. Dockage is $2 per foot per night.
Monthly Meeting: 2nd Wednesday of the Month (except for June & Dec.)
Fishing the Florida Middle Grounds:
The Middle Grounds is a huge area of approximately 330 square miles of limestone pinnacles and ledges. Depths range from 87 feet to 145 feet and the southern end is about 70 miles out of Johns pass and 50 miles to the more northern limits from Bayport in Hernando County. It is not uncommon to dive a location that has a 20 to 30 foot shear drop with caves and cracks that you could fit a full sized SUV in! Not only are the dive sites in the Grounds home to abundant populations of fish they are also covered in impressive hard and soft coral growth Most party boats spend one or two nights anchored up while catching grouper and snapper and a variety of other large bottom fish. Grady-Whites with adequate fuel tanks can make the trip in one day. For more details come to the August meeting where David Yates will be the speaker and tell us his experiences in fishing the Middle Grounds. If interested in this trip, contact David at Rwyy@aol.com as soon as possible so we can determine if there is enough interest for the trip.
SPEAKERS & TRIPS FOR 2008
Jul. 9th – Speaker(??) (Jerry Knight, Mike Festa, G. Arterburn)
Aug. 16-17th —Middlegrounds overnight fishing trip (David Yates) (bad weather 8/23-24th )
Aug. 13th—Speaker: David Yates: “Fishing the Middlegrounds”
Sep. 25-29th —Keys ?? (bad weather Oct. 2-5th) (Bill Eckerle)
Sep. 13th Egmont Key picnic (bad weather backup Sep. 20th)
Oct. 3-4-5th — Tween-Waters on Captiva island
Oct. & Nov 08—Fall Kingfish Tournament
Dec. 08—T.I. Lighted boat parade & potluck dinner (Arterbun’s)
INSTALLING YOUR NEW DSC RADIO
I have my DSC radio installed and it is working fine, after a 30 minute phone call to Garman (maker of my GPS chart plotter) on a very hot middle of the day exercise. The Garman rep. was very helpful and patient with me. I had the GPS in the instrument case, but I had temporarily placed the radio down in the cabin (prior to drilling holes & moving wires in case it did not work).
After I climbed in and out of the cabin about a couple of dozen times, we got it to work. The color coded wires were not the same for the Uniden radio and the Garman GPS, but the Garman rep. had both manuals on his computer. Voice of painful experience: “if you turn on either a GPS or a VHF radio without the antenna connected you will blow a fuse.” Now you have to go find a new fuse and replace the old fuse while the Garman rep. waits and you get even hotter! ga
June 5th Meeting
(Thursday Night)
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF MEETING DATE
Food: Order from Menu
Speaker: Capt. Brent Gaskill, charter
captain from the Tampa Bay Area
Topic: “Ask the Captain”
Capt. Brent fishes the shallow waters of Tampa Bay including the flats and backcountry as well as the beaches and out into the Gulf of Mexico. He is a 4th generation Tampa Bay naïve who grew up fishing the local waters of Mullet Key and Fort DeSota Park. Over the years he has honed his skills to become one of the most successful guides on the Bay and near shore waters of the Gulf. Operating as a full time captain since 1998, his depth of knowledge, patience, and sense of humor makes a day on the water enjoyable for everyone from novice to expert. He is a contributing editor to “Offshore-Onshore” magazine and is frequently seen as a guide on the “Average Angler Adventures” TV show. As a former high school instructor his willingness to teach is evident. Capt. Brent has been a guest speaker for TBGWC previously. This time he invites you to bring your questions about fishing, tackle, baits, etc. to the June meeting. His lovely wife Lorena who again plans to participate in the Tampa Bay 3-day 60 mile walk for cancer (Oct. 31—Nov. 2) will be there with some pictures from last year’s event.
May 14th Meeting:
The May meeting was held at Sam Seltzers in
Clearwater. Sally Parks from Southwest Water Management District was the guest
speaker. She discussed “Water in Tampa Bay” and answered many questions from
TBGWC members. She asked several questions such as “How long can a person go
without food” (ans. 30 days); “How long can a person go without water” (ans. 7
days); “How much water does the average Floridian use per day” (ans. 90
gallons). Ms. Parks was appointed to SWFTMD by Gov. Bush in 2006. She has
served on the Pinellas County Commission and as chairman for two years. She has
an impressive resume with a long list of offices and positions on many
organizations in the community. She lived in Japan for 1.5 years. We thank you
Sally for coming to impart some of your knowledge and insights of WATER IN TAMPA
BAY.
Homosassa Weekend
Joy and Vinnie Carta were the trip leaders for
a fun weekend in Homosassa. TBGWC members and guests began their weekend with
lunch on the 2nd floor deck of the Homosassa Riverside Resort where
we enjoyed great grouper sandwiches and iced tea or preferred beverage. Later
some boated up the river to look for manatees at Homosassa Springs while others
strolled the waterfront down to McRays sports bar and marina. In the evening we
enjoyed a meal in the Homosassa Crab House Restaurant right in front of “Monkey Island”. The monkeys as usual put
on quite a show while we were dining. To complete the evening, Joy invited us
over to the poolside patio for her home cooked desserts and nice gifts from
Grady-White (and a bonus gift of homemade strawberry preserves from Joy). The
trip was very well organized. Homosassa was a nice place for a weekend trip.
Bob Rice reports that there are still some cottages available for the July
Steinhatchiee trip. Great trip for families. “Old time Florida” but lots of
fun!
David Yates and Bob Rice have information about the “Funament” trip to the heart of Sailfish Alley in Stuart in June with the TBGWC and the Tampa Golden Triangle fishing club. You can be fishing for Sailfish, Dolphin, Wahoo, and Kingfish in the Gulf Stream in 45 minutes. Contact David if you plan to go along, or need information. He has good rates at the beautiful Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina (1-800-775-5936), as well as a few rooms at Pirates Cove Resort & Marina in Stuart (800) 332-1414 (http://www.piratescoveresort.net. For the non-fishing members, the Marriott’s Ocean Club has an 18-hole executive golf course, 13 tennis courts, and miles of unspoiled beaches.
We will be going to Tween-Waters Inn for the October 3-4-5th trip. We have a group discount on rooms and boats—so tell them you are part of the Tampa Bay Grady-White Club when you call for reservations at 800-223 -5865. You should so make your boat reservations by calling Greg Arterburn, Bill Eckerle, Lynn Cravy or Bonnie Hargett. (The marina asks that groups using the marina submit a list of all boats, boat size, etc.) Dockage is $2 per foot per night.
SPEAKERS & TRIPS FOR 2008
Jun 5th –Speaker Capt. Brent Gaskall Topic: “Ask the Captain” NOTE: Meeting is on the 1st Thursday because of Hutchinson Island trip & scheduling conflicts.
Jun. 11-15th —Hutchinson Island Marriott. Atlantic fishing (David Yates) Stuart Florida: “The Heart of Sailfish country”
Jul. 9th – Speaker(??) (Jerry Knight, Mike Festa, G. Arterburn)
Aug. 16-17th —Middlegrounds overnight fishing trip (David Yates) (bad weather 8/23-24th )
Aug. 13th—Speaker: David Yates: “Fishing the Middlegrounds”
Sep. 25-29th —Keys ?? (bad weather Oct. 2-5th) (Bill Eckerle)
Sep. 13th Egmont Key picnic (bad weather backup Sep. 20th)
Oct. 3-4-5th — Tween-Waters on Captiva island
Oct. & Nov 08—Fall Kingfish Tournament
Dec. 08—T.I. Lighted boat parade & potluck dinner (Arterbun’s)
Save a Tree
! If you are getting the Newsletters by both E-mail and snail-mail, and are happy to not receive a paper newsletter, please respond to me by E-mail (radman@tampabay.rr.com) and we will send only the E-mail copy. If I do not have your correct E-mail address, please notify me by E-mail. If you have something to include in the next newsletter, please notify me by E-mail or fax.*********************************************************************************************************
Spring Kingfish Tournament Final Results:
Boat—Captain—Length—Date—Angler—Amount Won
Anita Cocktail-- Doug Myrback -- 36.00” -- 4/05/08 -- Mike Palermo
Bob R’ Anne— Bob Clancy--42.50”--4/24/08--Dana Stump--$143.00
Dream Maker-- Bill Eckerle--36.00--4/08/0--Alex Metz, grandson
Island Time--Greg Arterburn
Knot Yet-- Paul Hargrett
No Spool ‘N-- Clint Jones--56.50”--4/20/08--Todd Balika--$475.00
Ocean Rose-- Charlie Rose
Papillon-- Randy Stout
Renegade-- Norm Englert--51.00”--4/03/08--Bill Eckerle--$51.00
Restless Lady-- Linda Talbot
Sea Wolf-- Ralph Wolf
Sue Sea-- David Staver--41.50”--5/01/08--Dave Staver--$95.00
Wild Rice-- Bob Rice
Total number of boats = 13
Total prizes = $950.00 (entry fees plus generous donation from Quality Boats Sales of Clearwater.)
Thanks to Norm Englert and Bill Eckerle for organizing the event.
*****************************************************************************
Our June regular meeting is on the same day that the trip to Hutchinson Island (Stuart) starts. We will move the June meeting to Thursday. June 5th
Officers & Directors 2008
President & Newsletter Editor:
Greg (Wynemia) ArterburnHome Phone 727-360-2274 NEW FAX NUMBER: 727-489-0988 Cell Phone: 757-512-3350 E-mail:
gregarterburn@hotmail.com
March 12th Meeting
(Wednesday Night)
Speaker:
= Chris and Russ Otterbine who made the
Great Loop in a Grady-White. (see map).
Most Great Loop cruisers travel the Loop counterclockwise, taking advantage of
the downstream currents on the
Illinois,
Misssissippi, Tennessee & Tombigbee Rivers. To avoid summer hurricanes and
winter ice, most Loopers head north in the spring, spend the summer in the Great
Lakes region, and head south on the
rivers in the fall, arriving in Florida after the beginning of November. Many
loopers retire, sell
everything, and live in their boats. Some complete the loop every year with the
record being nine
complete Great Loops. Many spend the winters in the Bahamas on their boats.
Other loopers complete
the loop in stages, storing the boat at various locations while they return to
work. A few take their
children and home-school them on the route. Come and hear about this dream
trip.
Feb. 13th Meeting:
The February TBGWC Meeting was held at the Sam Seltzers in Clearwater. President Greg Arterburn made several announcements and reviewed upcoming plans and events including the March 18th “Breakfast and Boat Inspections on Caladesi Islands. (See below). Speakers Joe & Sandy Colbert from “Friends of Egmont Key” gave an informative talk about the geology and history of Egmont Key. The island initially had a cross planted at the South end and the island was called “Southern Cross”. At times it was claimed by Spain and England and was purchased by the U.S. in 1821. Egmont key was once the home of several hundred people. A fort and a lighthouse were constructed on the island after the Spanish American War and a number of Seminole Indians including “Chief Billy Bowlegs” were detained on the island before being transferred to reservations. Robert E. Lee helped survey the island in 1849. The top part of the lighthouse disappeared during the Civil War and has never been replaced. The fort was never fired upon and did not it see any combat action during wartime.“Friends of Egmont Key”, is a group devoted to preserving the history and the island itself. The island has recently seen rapid erosion of its beautiful beaches. Some of us recall the rows of beautiful palm trees near the beach and the old fort complete with cannons near the water which has succumbed to nature’s erosion and re-disposition of beach sand over recent years. Friends of the island have removed most of the non-native plants on the island and most of the sand has been removed from the old brick streets on the island. Unfortunately, the buildings which included a movie theater, bowling alley and stores have long since disappeared. Periodic clean-ups are still required to keep the island pristine. What it really needs now is some beach re-nourishment. Thanks to Joe and Sandy.
Many folks have not paid their 2008 dues! Send check or contact our Treasurer,
Bill Eckerle if you have questions!
|
Ask not what your boating club has done for you! Ask what you have done for your boating club!
|
March 18th Breakfast on Caladesi Island and USCG Auxiliary Boat Inspections. Once again Connie and Jerry Knight have volunteered to cook their famous omelets but this time it will be on Caladesi instead of Egmont Key. They plan to start cooking about 9 AM. You must call Jerry or Connie if you want to have breakfast so he can bring the appropriate supplies. Jerry and Connie will supply the omelets but you are welcome to bring O.J. or your drink of choice. If you have a breakfast special you are welcome to bring that along for the group to share, too. Just remember to call the Knights at 727-347-4066 and let them know how many are in your party. (E-mail: Knight742@AOL.com).
As for boat inspections, be sure to check the pressure in your fire extinguisher; make sure that all your running lights and your anchor light and your horn are working. You will need up-to-date flares and of course, a current boat registration and numbers. All your life jackets should be in good condition, removed from the plastic bags and easily accessible in you boat. You need a bailing devise (bucket) and a working bilge pump. If you still have last years inspection papers you can see all the things that are checked. Finally, if you pass the inspection, you will get a USCG 2008 sticker for your boat window. With this in place, most marine officers won’t stop you for “routine” inspection unless they see you breaking the law or operating your boat in an unsafe manner.
While we are talking about boating safety, all new boaters and children about to become boaters should take a boating safety course. You can learn how to operate a boat safely, how to dock your boat in a strong wind or tide, how to tie lines with nautical knots, rules of the road on the water, and a lot more. TBGWC member Doug Myrback has offered to do a condensed boating course for the club perhaps on a Friday night and Saturday?? Interested?? Please contact Doug or me. (dmyrback@consultems.com)
What is a DSC radio? Why do you need it?
All new fixed mount marine radios are required by law to have digital Selective Calling (DSC). With DSC a radio can send and receive digitally encoded distress calls on channel 70. Pressing the DSC distress button on the radio instantly causes a distress call to be sent out on channel 70. The digital message contains your unique identification number. If your radio is connected to a GPS, the distress call will also include your precise location making it much easier for help to find you. The distress call will continue to be sent until it is answered. The first piece of electronic equipment you put on your boat should be a VHF DSC marine radio. It may be your only method of communication should an emergency arise. When your car has a blowout you can just pull over to the side of the road. When your boat has a blowout, it gets a little scarier.
From the Miami Boat Show: Ralph and Marylin Wolf visited the large Grady-White Boats display and reports that G-W has no plans to replace the dealership in Tampa, so Quality Boat Sales will remain the exclusive dealership for the Tampa Bay area. That’s good news for our friends Dan & Dave Bair.
Monthly Meeting: 2nd Wednesday of the Month (most months)
TRIPS FOR 2008
Help Fill In the Blanks—or revise the proposed 2008 schedule:
Mar. 15th —Breakfast & Boat Insp. Caladesi Island (bad weather 3/22)
Mar.12th — Meeting & Speaker Russ & Chris Otterbine: The Great Loop in a Grady-White
Apr. 9th Meeting at Quality Boat Sales: Speaker = Parker Rabe from Quality Boat Sales will talk about his father, Randy who in 1961 was the first person to barefoot ski backwards, and he also skied in a relay team from Tampa to the 1964 New York Worlds Fair behind a Grady-White.
Apr. 18-20—Homosassa River trip (overnight) backup date 4/26) (Vinnie & Joy Carta (727) 725-3241 Vincent.Carta@Astrazeneca.com) Hotel: Homosassa Riverside Resort 1-(352) 628-2474 or 800-442-2040 www.rversideresorts.com Homosassa Rivers’s most famous Waterfront Resort with the Yardarm Lounge and the Monkey Bar, a two story tiki bar where you can enjoy a drink while overlooking the antics of the monkeys on Monkey Island.
Mar. 29—May 4th —Spring Kingfish Tournament (Norm & Bill)
May 14—Speaker from Swiftmud (Bonnie Hargett??)
Jun 11th –Speaker (Greg Arterburn??)
Jun. 11-15th —Hutchinson Island Marriott. Atlantic fishing (David Yates)
Jul. 9th – Speaker(??) (Jerry Knight)
Aug. 16-17th —Middlegrounds overnight fishing trip (David Yates) (bad weather 8/23-24th )
Aug. 13th—Speaker ?? (Mike Festa)
Sep. 25-29th —Keys ?? (bad weather Oct. 2-5th) (Bill Eckerle)
Sep. 13th Egmont Key picnic (bad weather backup Sep. 20th)
Oct. 08— Tween-Waters, Palm Island or South Seas trip (??) (Hargrett and Cravey)
Oct. & Nov 08—Fall Kingfish Tournament
Dec. 08—T.I. Lighted boat parade & potluck dinner (Arterbun’s)
*******************************************************************************
Save a Tree! If you are getting the Newsletters by both E-mail and snail-mail, and are happy to not receive a paper newsletter, please respond to me by E-mail (radman@tampabay.rr.com) and we will send only the E-mail copy. If I do not have your correct E-mail address, please notify me by E-mail. If you have something to include in the next newsletter, please notify me by E-mail or fax.
January 9th Meeting
(Wednesday Night)
Agenda: Planning of trips and events for 2008 & Election of officers (good news—we already have volunteers for the President, VP, Treasurer, and Secretary so you may attend without fear of being “elected” to an office.)
Treasure Island Lighted Boat Parade & TBGWC
Potluck Dinner
TRIPS FOR 2007
Jan. 2008—Election of officers & 2008 Events
Jan. 26—Gasparilla Boat Parade Tampa
Feb. 08—need speaker & event
Mar. 08—Breakfast & Boat Insp. Caladesi Island
Apr. 08—Homosassa River trip (overnight)
Apr. 08 & May 08—Spring Kingfish Tournament
May 08—Palm Island trip (??) Stuart (??)
Jun. 08—Bimini trip (??) Useppa (??)
Note: These are very preliminary suggestion for 2008. We can delete, change, or add to the trip list (except the Steinhatchee trip). Come to the January meeting and make your suggestions for additional/alternative trips an. We will try to formalize the list in January.
For many colorful pictures of our past trips and events, visit our TBGWC picture gallery on the Internet at our easy to use picture site:
http://tbgwc.smugmug.com or visit our TBGWC web site: http://www.tampabaygradywhiteclub.com and look for the link to PICTURES.For Sale
Dale Cravey & Paul Hargrett have decided to move up to a Grady White 283 Release. They are selling their Grady White 257 Advance which is in pristine shape and the engine has only 185 hrs. The boat is listed in the Boat Trader. You can check it out at boattraderonline.com which has photos, description of the electronics plus the extras we have added on.
Call Paul at 727-821-1048 for more details.
Internet Sites To Consider:
Great Grady Forum
(www.greatgrady.com)If you own a Grady White boat or thinking of purchasing a Grady, you have come to the right place. The forum is a place where Grady White owners and future owners can post their questions and experiences about Grady White boats.
In addition there is a Grady Gallery of pictures with this message: Welcome to the Great Grady Gallery. The goal of the gallery is to show photos of every Grady White model of every year. There are even pictures of a 1964 13.5’ G-W Hattaras Deluxe along with a brochure, sales information and price list (factory price = $1325.00). You can submit you own Grady pictures. Users have posted a total of 37898 articles
Grady-White factory website (www.gradywhite.com)
Not only do they have a Grady-White Store, a factory tour, Anchorline, and all the recent news and magazine articles about Gradys, but under Customer Relations they have downloadable owner’s manuals and model year catalogs plus a FAQ (frequently asked questions) that has many potentially useful tips on repairing and maintaining your Grady-White. Indirectly they have a link to our Tampa Bay Grady-White Club website but you have to get to it by going to their Anchorline site and then clicking the “Club News” link (easy if you know how to do it.)
Quality Boat Sales website (www.qualityboatsales.com)
If you have not visited the QBS site, you should do it just to read the touching story about Ted Bair starting the business in 1973 with a little money and a lot of hard work. In addition to a picture of Ted, Dan and David, the site features pictures of each of their talented sales staff and a summary of their accomplishments and interest. They have a picture of every new G-W boat, and a site to select options and get a quote for your “dream boat” or a comparison. Not to be missed is a
link to the short “PASSION OF BOATING” video. They also have a link to all the latest Weather and Tide information.Florida Fishing Online (http://capmel.com)
2008 Dues Are DUE -- $25.00/year – Pay by mail or at the January meeting! (First year free for new GW owners)
Ask not what your boating club has done for you!
Ask what you have done for your boating club
!
DECEMBER
|
Dec. 9th Meeting (Sunday Night) (Treasure Island Lighted Boat Parade & TBGWC Potluck Dinner) Where: Greg & Wynemia Arterburn’s Home & Dock. 10112 Tarpon Drive on Paradise Island (part of Treasure Island.) Turn SOUTH at the Paradise Island stoplight just West of the new (toll free) T.I. Causeway Drawbridge. Traffic will be heavy so come early. If you come by the beach routes, turn EAST at the Bilmar/Th |