Veterans Sailing

Veterans Sailing S2-E10

Veterans Sailing S2-E10

Miami Fleet week

Today was a big Fleet Week celebration next door at the Coral Reef Yacht Club (CRYC). Hundreds of young sailors were invited for fishing, sailing, and boating. The first busload showed up at 0645 hours for a lovely breakfast buffet. As luck has it, the day coincided with our regular Thursday Veterans Sailing. Two uniquely named veterans, who had never sailed with us, arrived at about 1000 hours. The weather and wind were perfect for sailing across the Bay and joining the festivities at Stiltsviille. We tied the boat next to an anchored sailboat in what can best be described as a small lagoon behind the building. The CRYC dockmaster was on hand to ferry us to the lapidated building. We mingled with the sailors for a while and had some snacks and refreshments before heading back to the US Sailing Center. We had to leave before the current started ripping. The sail home was smooth and very relaxing. It was …

Veterans Sailing S2-E9

Veterans Sailing S2-E9

PERFECT DAY ON THE BAY!

Perhaps I might be getting forgetful, but today felt like the best Veterans Sail ever! We had two boats, six veterans, one veteran family member, plus me. Two of the veterans had never sailed with us before. Today was a perfect day on the Bay. The weather conditions were ideal, with just the "right" amount of wind speed. We aimed for the Biscayne Bay channel as we left the Seaplane channel behind, spotting some Dolphins along the way, then tacking through Stiltsville, we turned around and headed back home with the flooding tide pushing us along Bill Baggs State Park, Nixons Beach,..,

Veterans Sailing S2-E4

Veterans Sailing S2-E4

Today, we had two new veterans in our weekly Thursday Sailing program. In all, we had one Sonar sailing with a crew of five Veterans aboard. The wind and weather were perfect for our sport. The wind dropped as they sailed along, but they returned to port as planned at 2 PM. The event was delayed because of an 18-wheeler Coca-Cola delivery truck accident on I-95. Some veterans travel a long distance to be a part of our sailing. We appreciate their effort and are humbled by the fact.

Veterans Sailing S2-E3

Veterans Sailing S2-E3

For veterans with disabilities, sailing is used as a holistic therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. Sailing can even have long-term effects on veterans who struggle with these ailments and help to improve their overall quality of life. Being on the water promotes a healthy and active body, but did you know studies show that outdoor activities can help with various mental health issues? Sailing is an activity that….

Veterans Sailing S2-E2

Veterans Sailing S2-E2

For veterans with disabilities, sailing is used as a holistic therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. Sailing can even have long-term effects on veterans who struggle with these ailments and help to improve their overall quality of life. Being on the water promotes a healthy and active body, but did you know studies show that outdoor activities can help with various mental health issues? Sailing is an activity that….

Veterans Sailing S2-E1

Veterans Sailing S2-E1

Our first Thursday Sail in 2024 had four veterans from the Miami VA. Sailing on Biscayne Bay aboard one of our Sonar. The vessel was commanded by Captain Ed, who is also a veteran. Yours truly had another Sonar sailing with students from our adult sailing school. We eventually meet in the Biscayne Channel, which connects Biscayne Bay to the Atlantic Ocean. We ended up there mainly because of the scenic experience that Stilltsville provides. Another reason was the wind conditions. The brisk, northerly wind provided good boat speed and a favorable point of sail. Both boats covered a lot of distance within the allotted three-hour timeline…

Veterans Sailing S1-E4

Veterans Sailing S1-E4

To me, every day is special. Today, we had four veterans and one volunteer sailing in one of our Sonars. We noticed a Pelican sitting next to the boat as we approached it. Something was wrong because the bird did not move. My first thought was to call somebody. Suddenly, one of the veterans said, “No worries, I’m a veterinarian!” She asked me to run and get some big towels, and I did. When I returned, the bird was gone. Our veterinarian veteran had realized that one of its legs had an old fishing line wrapped around it. As soon as she had cut her loose, the pelican jumped into the water and swam away.

Our team for the day went sailing, and everyone had a go at the helm. After returning to port, they all lowered and rolled up the sails, washed the boat, retrieved it, and put it back on the trailer. The debriefing that followed lasted over an hour. The group bonded exceptionally well in a very short time.

Veterans Sailing S1-E3

Veterans Sailing S1-E3

The Miami VA Hospital brings us new Veterans one Thursday per month. Today we made four new friends! In total, we had six veterans. Only a couple of them had sailed before. My “brother” Ed is one of them, and he is a good sailor. Ed and I divided the group into two teams. It was a windy day, so we went out with mainsails only. The bay was choppy, so we stayed close to shore to avoid splashing the crew too much. Our path took us around the sunken Bertram east of Grove Isle towards the Viscaya and the Little Island. We continued southward along the shore past Mercy Hospital to Grove Isle. The second part of our excursion took us through the mooring fields towards Coral Gables Waterway. We returned to port through the Brennan Channel and tacked through the Dinner Key Marina to the US Sailing Center….

THURSDAY SAILING S1-E2

THURSDAY SAILING S1-E2

It was an exhilarating two-hour sailing experience. It was a windy day, somewhere between 17 and 23 knots. We covered a great distance but only spotted a couple of other boats out there. Our voyage took us across the Bay toward the West Point of Key Biscayne, onward into Hurricane Harbour, around Nixon’s Beach, and finally, an awesome reach back to the US Sailing Center in Coconut Grove. Throughout the sail, we chatted away, getting to know each other. Sailing is perfect for expanding comradery!

Veterans Sailing

Veterans Sailing

Great sailing today! Captain Bob, gave really good sailing lessons to a couple of Veterans. The other boat was skippered by Guy Siegel, who had his family members aboard. Yours truly launched the coach boat and went out to take pictures (see below). Guy’s team was also practicing docking the boat, several times. It can be a bit intimidating, especially when there is a lot of boat and traffic.

Veterans Sailing

Veterans Sailing

Great sailing today! Captain Bob, gave really good sailing lessons to a couple of Veterans. The other boat was skippered by Guy Siegel, who had his family members aboard. Yours truly launched the coach boat and went out to take pictures (see below). Guy’s team was also practicing docking the boat, several times. It can be a bit intimidating, especially when there is a lot of boat and traffic.