paradise FOUND
Even though the hurricane season officially ends on December 1, we were able to host our seventh corporate regatta for the year today. Weatherwise, it has been an unusual year, with many cancellations and hurricanes coming close to southeast Florida. It’s been scary.
The weather was not the only concern leading up to this event. Our landlord, the US Sailing Center, has wanted to dredge out the harbor for several years. The permitting has taken a long time. They planned to do it in late August or early September when there was low traffic at the center, but they could not. Finally, dredging began last week. As a result, we had to think out of the box. If there is a will, there is a way! We turned a negative into a positive. Rugs will sometimes be pulled out from underneath you, and unforeseen things will happen, but if you can find one positive, focus on it and make it happen. In our case, we turned to Dinner Key Marina and asked them for space to stage our boats for the corporate regatta. They stepped up to the plate immediately and welcomed us in. It added some work for us, but the gain was huge. We can do this again and again. We don’t have to rely on one place only; we have options.
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Teri Munro of the Corporate Experience Company contacted us back in September about this event. Her client wanted a full-day event instead of our regular half-day program. Now, we had time to achieve more than three races. The float plan took shape. No Name Harbor on Key Biscayne became our destination. It’s located within Bill Baggs State Park, on the southern tip of the paradise-like island separating Biscayne Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. It’s beautiful, and I have sailed there many times. It could be busy on a weekend but nearly empty during the week. Perfect for us. There is a restaurant and a lovely outside bar named the Cleat by the harbor entrance.
After lunch, we continued our journey, sailing to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. We then returned to Biscayne Bay through the Biscayne Bay channel and the scenic Stiltsville area. Our plan called for some racing once we returned to the Bay, but the wind started fading. I called for a casual race down the channel. The boat bunched up, and the start went off! The finish line was between the two navigational markers at the end of the channel. (see the score sheet inside the pictures below)
Once we entered the Bay, it was almost calm. Three power boats were out there, so everybody got a tow back into Dinner Key Marina about seven hours and 10 minutes after we started. We saw dolphins along the way, which is always extra special.
Finally, a big thank you to everyone who helped make this happen: Donald, Susan, Teri, Anna, Joe, Kenny, Stu, Tommy, Fabio, Drew, and Mo. Corporate events like this provide our charity with earned income, which is vital for our existence. It enables us to continue to serve under-resourced communities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities and provide access to Biscayne Bay.