So its all but official....

I'm moving to Orlando. Kate got a nice email from the director of educational medicine in the Florida East Orlando Hospital in which he basically told us all he was legally able to tell us that she was matching there.

So I'm now looking at moving to Orlando around June.

Is Gulfport going to be my best option as far as catsailing is concerned?

What are the costs for membership and boat storage?

Will I be able to race against Pete?!!?

Looking forward to moving south!

That's great Tad! Looking forward to having you down here. Gulfport is a great club that has a really active schedule, mast-up storage, etc. Between Gulfport, Dunedin, and the Cocoa area, there is enough racing to keep you active all year long!

GYC is a good option, but you'll be 2 hours away. The east coast is another option, home of Hagar, Hirams and the KPRR regatta which will be an hour away, plus there are a couple of 20's to sail with. You will also be a 2 hour comute to Dunedin. You'll be 90 minutes from Daytona, home of Gilligans Run and the Daytona Summer Sizzler. You will be 45 minutes from Eustis the home of the WildCat regatta.

Mast up storage is awesome but it does make you lazy, although there are exceptions (Karl and Beth come to mind)

Ding

Congrats.

there is mast up storage in clearwater at the sailing center.. it will cost you an arm (you get to keep your leg) around 1200. there are a few boat parking areas for mast down storage near the dunedin causeway (around 60/month i think) if you are so inclined. let me know and i will get you more details.

Saw a sign on a wrecker truck the other day:
"We don't want and arm and a leg.., we just want your tows!"

Yes but you have to buy a F16. Just kidding, come on down!

And don't listen to Ding, he's just jealous.

Talk to Wally World (the original), and set up a regatta right there in the park! I'd drive down for that.

Mike

Haha.. funny.. but i have never seen/heard of a "reasonable" tow fee (except the last two guys who towed my cat back to shore... free from friends)

I've been pretty spoiled as far as accessibility to mast-up storage nearby. I'm 15 minutes away from my boat sitting on its trailer with its mast up.

2 hours is gonna be rough but I think the sailing conditions will allow me to sail more often than I do on Lanier. As awesome as the sailing is on Lanier, you basically have to write off June through August for reliable breeze.

Another thing - where do y'all work on your boats if you keep them at GYC? I'm not talking about minor rigging work - I'm talking major work like glass or bottom jobs and the like? Is there a boatyard in GYC or do you have to drag your boat home to work on it? This is important as I look for a place to live in Orlando. Will I need a place that can temporarily facilitate a N20 in the backyard or do I not need to worry about it.

Along the N20 front as well - I want to keep it. I love the boat. But if I find a problem in finding crew - I might have to change classes.

GYC frowns on major work at the club. That isn't to say it doesn't happen.

The weather is the best news. Florida has terrible thunderstorms in the summer, and most places can count on them on a daily basis, but for some reason they seem to stay away from GYC. The bay is sort of out on a peninsula, perhaps that has something to do with it, and they usually roll off north, south or inland.

Stank is making noise about getting back in the game, so there's your N20 crew. Of course you are always welcome in the F16 fleet. It's destiny.

I just don't see that getting past the comittee. I have a new found respect for the man.

Tad, you are welcome to work on and leave your cat in my yard for a week if the need arrises (clearwater).

This is not possible in the mast down storage places i know of.

I suffered for 6 years in an apartment, BUT MAN ITS NICE to have.. power, water and my cat in eyesight now...

Sailing at Gulfport? I hsve visited a lot, and it is an excellent venue with great sailing buds. Patrick Berger is an A-cat sailor, and a member, WITH a warehouse! At the moment he has an excellent craftsman, Ian Lindahl, works there on boats. Ian just won both A-cat races at Islamorada last week, on his HOME BUILT BOAT, the LR3. I think that is really something.

Thanks for all the help guys.

How about info for the east coast? I will be a lot closer to the east coast (< 1hr to Cocoa Beach) than the west. Are there any places over there to keep a boat?

Scott Hubel's shop is the only place that offers any kind of mast up storage and space is very limited. Performance Sail and Sport is the name of his shop.

Tad, it's too bad there isn't more active cat sailing at Lake Eustis Sailing Club, http://www.lakeeustissailingclub.org/, because it is a really nice small-boat club on really nice piece of property on a really nice lake. If we lived in the Orlando area, we would probably try to build a fleet at Eustis. Maybe they have Portsmouth racing for their twice-a-month club races.

They host the Wildcat regatta in the fall, and I think it is the George Washington Regatta in the spring that also attracts cats.

Thanks Ding and Mary. I'll start inquiring as soon as I have time to breathe.

Selling a house is such a pain in the butt!

I reside just north of Orlando. Some of us leave our boats mast up on the beach all summer(just get it off before hurricane season), but you might not want to do that with a N20.
Are you just a racer or do you also recreation sail?
With so many great places to sail within a few hours drive time you may just want to keep the boat at home then pick the place with the best conditions for the weekend.
During the winter months it's the west cost or Kelly Park or the Keys. There are some good weekends for the ocean but not many.
The best regattas down here seem to happen during Fall and Spring(with the exception of Tradewinds in January). More than enough to keep you on the road during any free weekend.
In the summer the only place to have wind is the ocean(although Ding says there is never enough). The fleet in Cocoa Beach is very active. Several active groups in Tampa(Gulfport, Tampa Bay Catamaran Assoc.) The best social sailing fun group has to be Dunedin. Daytona puts on several races each year.
Another option if you want mast up storage or just need a place to get a sailing fix in every once in a while check out the Halifax Sailing Center in Daytona. Best deal going.

great write up Jeff, but i just want to say we (gulf) get a nice sea breeze almost everyday at 1(ish) in the summer too.. nothing to double trap with, but its rare we dont have enough to sail.

I was going to second Eustis for mast-up storage being close to Orlando.

And I could crew on the 20 for approximately 4 regatta weekends provided they meet strict criteria (which is as of yet still to be determined).

Mast up is a bit more limited on the east coast. We've tried to get our own "club" space like GYC but the County hasn't been terrifically cooperative.

As stated Scott's place is an option. From Orlando it is about 50-60 minutes.

I keep my boat (when not racing) at Titusville Sailing Center. This is about 30-45 minutes from Orlando. Membership at TSC is $60 / yr and currently don't charge me for boat storage; although space is limited and the club is not oriented towards cats.

WOW... i wish we had that option. our community sailing center wants about 400 to be a member and 800 for storage ..

This sounds pretty attractive. Thanks tback.

As state, room is limited and by that I mean you don't get an assigned space. Many times after having my boat gone from there for a couple of weeks, I have to "re-arrange" the dingies and sunfish to make space for my cat.

Additionally there is no beach off the ramp (which isn't great) , so when launching I anchor my boat offshore in shallow water.

All in all, it's not as bad as I make it out to be ... just wanted to give you full disclosure. When you're down this way give me a ring (or if you need advice on where to look for residence let me know--some people live on the coast and drive back into Orlando).

Here is the link of Titusville Sailing Center:
TSC Club Location -- NW corner of bridge

Is this a permenent move or use short term?

As little as 4 years... my wife is doing her residency in Orlando.

If I read you post it said Florida Hospital East. East side of Orlando and easy access(Interstate) to Cocoa Beach(Kelly Park, Performance sail). If you pick the right place to live you could be 35 min to good sailing and still close to her work.

Kinda sporty at GYC today.

http://www.bcbaywatch.com/

The new hospital in Lake Nona?

If so, Lake Nona to TSC is 48; Lake Nona to Performance Sail is 53 minutes (so about equal). I own a condo right across the street from TSC and prices are ridiculously low (for both rentals and Sales). Here is a picture outside my balcony:

Well, living at the coast isn't an option because she needs to be within a 30 minute drive of the hospital when she's on call.

I don't know where lake Nona is - but this hospital she's in is relatively new.

do I have to upload an image to a website to display or is there a way to link right from my computer?

you can upload it if you use the "full reply screen"

I don't really see how to do that ...

Switch to full reply screen... under the entry box, there's a link for "file manager".

Click that.

Photo included ... taken from the 5th floor with a instamtic.

Today we received official confirmation of my wife's match in Orlando. We can now look into finding a place to live down there and all that goodness.

Thanks everyone for all the help you've given me in this thread. When I finally pull myself out from behind the moving boxes, I'll be bringing ole Undecided out to the race course.

Be sure to have everything unpacked for the Kelly Park Regatta on Memorial Day weekend! That's a "Can't Miss"!

Memorial Day wont happen. We wont be moving until at least June :P

Tad,

A little "professional" moving advice ....

1) Go buy moving boxes ... the different sizes are multiples of each other ... they stack better in the truck!!! No "Liquer" boxes they make packing the truck a "pain-in-the-_ss"
2)Label boxes on the sides so you can read them when they are stacked
3) Use small boxes for "books" .... big boxes for "bedding" ... "Movers" get mad when you fill a large box w/ books just because it is easier to pack .... they do value their backs!!!!
4) If you have "good" dishes and delicate items ... let the proffessionals pack them ... there are tricks to it.
5) Buy insurance!!!!
6) use a well know company w/ references
7) Inspect the truck ... clean & neat w/ pads folded = good crew .... messy truck = be careful/watchful
8) Buy lunches and tip the crew... it's well worth it in the end .... it's a sign of respect to the crew ....

I do have a little experience in this field .... mostly "commercial" thro .....

Good Luck
Harry Murphey

Thanks Harry,

This isn't our first move. I've moved no less than a dozen times so we've got experience with the boxing and stuff. I think we're going to TRY and move ourselves since the cost of hiring movers can be quite substantial.

We'll see. We have time.

Your going to "LOVE" Orlando traffic.

Get an annual pass for Disney World.

Yep, no more than 15 feet from my master bedroom door to my office door!

Plus, Atlanta traffic aint much to brag about

So its going down on Monday. Boat will be parked in th driveway for now - but the more exciting news, is that I'm a stone's throw from Lake Fairview and that....

...I'm courting Noodle to be my crew :P

PLEASE be sure to put up your gun rack, rebel flag in the rear window, get some 55" rims and have your truck covered in mud so you fit in...

Have a fun and safe move.... let me know if you wnat any info cat club over here on the gulf

Andrew: I'm coming from Georgia. You think we're amateurs up here? :P

Judging from that Isuzu Velocoraptor (or whatever it was called)....Yes, I'd say amateur. Don't get me wrong, that was a really cool vehicle. However, it screamed yuppie poser much louder than redneck cracker!

Welcome to FL dude....you better start showing up at some races!

Old school dude - old school... I sold that 2 years ago. Went to an FJ cruiser.

Anything with locked differentials can't be called yuppy:

if it don't say Ford, Chevy, or Dodge on the front, and have about 600 square feet of rust, it's probably considered "yuppy wannabe redneck" right?

wait.....noodle?

That's what he said. I think he doesn't know what he's in for.

this is gator country!

Yikes man! That would be like introducing the match to the gas can.

Georgia--especially up where Tad lives--understands the redneck habitude.





BUT to be fair it's not easy to compete with gator country..

The guy on the left was 2009 magna cum laude in PoliSci.

Rednecks???? We have "coal crackers" up here .... and "Happy Valley" ......

For the record there is only ONE real college football team ....

We are PENN STATE !!!!

.... and Joe Pa is healthy and will be coaching this year .....

Besides how can you play real football if it's not cold and snowing?????

I hear gators taste just like chicken ......

Harry

deep fry a truck tire long enough and it tastes like chicken

I have had gator nuggets one time at gators-dockside resturant (http://www.gatorsdockside.com/) ... not bad.. but just deep fried chunks of tail. But i would prefer a burger, or .. chicken

dude, that hand looks familiar! The "pond" (if you can call it that) where the kid lost it is minutes from my house. Swimming at dusk in a canal during mating season.... hmmm

As for rednecks, you'll be fine. Orlando isn't really part of the south anyway... you'll see....

so your suggesting maybe my gator nuggets weren't gator meat? lol.

More like match to the Nitro. Noodle will kill him 1/2 way through the first leg.

Can't look at that and not hear banjos...