The 2003 trip actually started in April with a trip to the Florida Keys. It was a real mix of good and bad. The bad included hitting bottom hard, rudder problems, running out of gas and almost drifting ashore, and spreader problems.  The good was really good.  Sailing in clear tropical waters, sailing with two friends in M15s, and even sailing to the Dry Tortugas - and back safely. (I'll have more about that trip in another update) It was a good shakedown/breakdown trip. The  real trip finally started late May, a month late. I left South Carolina on May 29, headed for Pensacola Bay, Florida. 

 Earlier, I had posted a note on the Trailer Sailor Board asking for information on Perdido bay (right on the Alabama/Florida state line) and got such good reports on Pensacola Bay that I decided to sail there instead. At the Pensacola Shipyard Marina Complex, a great place to launch and store the boat and trailer, I met up with Ken Frost, who has a West Wight Potter 19 and we had a great buddy-boat sail on the bay in 15K of wind and small waves. Saturday I met a couple who were relatively new to sailing but were a great couple and really interested in sailing.  The weeks was hot and humid, and I spent a great day at the Naval Air Museum.  It was was great, lots of original planes from double wing-ers to jets.  The Naval Air station is also home to the Blue Angels and they have a practice shows every Tuesday and Wednesday and you can see the whole show from the cockpit of your boat if you're anchored in mosquito bay. 
 
I had originally planned to sail for a week in the area and then move on to Texas. However there is a group of trailer sailors who put on a rendezvous each year called the Backwater Environmental Emergency Rendezvous (B.E.E.R.)  After talking with a few of them online I decided to stay for their sail and am glad I did.  Even with a total washout the first day (pouring rain and very gusty winds) the day was spent on the porch talking and laughing.  The rest of the trip was in great weather with good winds and a whole fleet of trailer sailboats from 26 feet on down to 17 feet.  Miss T held her own with some good sailboats.
 
The final night of the cruise was at mosquito cove (and no mosquitos!!) with a great cookout and good converation.  One guy built a 20 some foot catboat that really looked good.  The next day was a great downwind sail back to the Marina.  Next stop, Galveston!  For the very first time, including last years trip, it actually felt like the trip had truely started.