sv Hula Girl

Category: Captain’s Log

  • Sailing, Fishing and Aloha to Go!

    Sailing, Fishing and Aloha to Go!

    Captain’s Log – Sun 6/8/25

    We departed Clearwater Yacht Club around 10am, a bit of a slow start after a late night at the Old Dominion concert. The wind was out of the SW, the direction we needed to go so we had to motor out for about an hour, then we motor sailed for another hour before the wind cooperated enough to sail the last 12nm to Pass-a-Grille.

    It was a pleasant, easy trip. The auto-pilot was doing its thing and the sails were happy so I took the opportunity to do a little fishing. I caught Spanish Mackerel all day long on the way back to St Pete Beach.

    We put the boat away, which is not exactly fun in the heat. The heat index was over 100 again. Once done, we needed to hop in the club pool with a cold beer to cool off. The Jeep ride home was hot as well and I was feeling it. Been driving that thing with no AC for 35 years but today it was getting to me. Maybe I’m just getting old?

    We grabbed Aloha to Go on the way home. It’s this Hawaiian BBQ place we love. A perfect way to finish a weekend trip on Hula Girl.

    ✌️❤️⛵️

  • Life is Shortt, Make it Sweet!

    Captain’s Log – Sat 6/7/25

    Today’s main event was the Old Dominion concert at The Clearwater Sound. First we launched the dinghies for a lunch excursion to Carlouel Beach and Yacht Club. Art, Kim, Alicia and I piled into Toes and took a boat ride up to the beach club. We met Matt and Val there. Awesome mojitos and conch fritters there!

    The heat index was over 100 again, so a quick dip in the pool was mandatory before a post lunch Power Nap in the air conditioned boat so we would be ready for the big show.

    We took the dinghies from Clearwater Yacht Club on the beach across to the mainland for the concert.

    OLD DOMINION WAS AMAZING!!!

    Record crowd at Clearwater Sound. We were familiar with a lot of their fun, beachy and boaty tunes, not necessarily fans, but we are now! Will definitely keep this band in our must see list. Bonus was the video show featuring a classic VW Bus throughout the entire show. This band gets me! Favorite’s Life is Short(t), make it Sweet, I was on a a Boat That Day and bonus deep track request from us and the crowd, Hawaii.

    ✌️❤️⛵️

  • Clearwater Yacht Club

    Captain’s Log – Fri 6/6/25

    Over the course of the last week we cleared our “stuff” from the Bahamas trip off the boat then gave Hula Girl a good interior cleaning. I did all the 100 hour engine service, changed the transmission fluid, etc and cleaned up the engine bay. Sunfish Marine came out to do a detailed wash on the hull and deck, removing all the tea colored stains from sailing in the dirtier waters around Florida. Hula Girl was then ready to head out for a weekend trip.

    Our friends organized an impromptu cruise to Clearwater Harbor to see the Old Dominion concert. However the marina suffered a power outage so we had to scramble at the last minute to find another place to dock. Clearwater Yacht Club was able to accommodate our group of boats to save the trip.

    We departed Pass-a-Grille about 9:30 just in time for a rain shower to rinse freshly cleaned Hula Girl off. Oh well, what can you do. 🤷🏼‍♂️ There wasn’t enough wind to sail so we had a quick motor up the coast, arriving a bit before 2:00, got the boat settled in then promptly jumped off n the club pool with frozen Miami Vice cocktails to cool off. We dined at the club, in collective agreement that our Plan B was better than Plan A.

    Tomorrow we will dinghy over to the concert which is on the mainland side whereas Clearwater Yacht Club is at the beach.

    ✌️❤️⛵️

    I offered to fix the clock at the pool bar so it appropriately would show 5 o’clock somewhere above the coconut telegraph. 😆