The 20th anniversary run of the Harvest Moon Regatta promised to be a great event. The plan was to head to Port Aransas with several other trawlers and cruising boats but plans changed and we were on our own for our first long trip aboard Spirit Dancer.

We had reservations at Harborwalk, Matagorda Harbor and Key Allegro. Our final destination was Island Mooring Marina Port A. Our job would be to use a dinghy to help the racing sailboats raft up in City Marina.

First party was at Island Moorings on Friday night and the second was hosted by regatta sponsor Bacardi Rum.

Kem's notes from our first long cruise down the Gulf Intracoastal WaterWay (GIWW).

Harvest Moon Regatta – Notes On Our Cruise

Our Escorts
Bottlenose Dolphins are plentiful in the Gulf Coast. They seem to be attracted to Spirit Dancer and escorted us on our entire trip from Clear Lake to the narrow channel of Port Aransas – almost 200 miles! It was as if one pod was “handing us off” to the next pod.

Sometimes they swam in our bow wake and sometimes they would jump and dive in our stern “side” wake. It was marvelous to watch. Several of them would make eye contact with us as we were hanging over the bow to photograph them. Not knowing much about them, we quickly researched, and here are a few bits of info:

Most people think of them as fish, however, they are really warm blooded, air-breathing mammals. They must hold their breath during dives and regularly come to the surface for fresh air. Its nose is an opening, or blowhole, on the top of its head. They can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes and can dive ½ mile below the surface of the water.

When dolphins poke their heads above the water to look around, it is called skyhopping. When they leap from the water and fall back with a great splash, it is called breaching. They have an extra sense that humans don’t have, called biomagnetism, and it works like a built-in compass. Bottlenose dolphins make a special sound, called a signature whistle. Each one is unique to that dolphin and that is how they recognize each other. Most people are aware of sea creatures migrating to become land dwellers. What I didn’t know and found fascinating is that dolphins were land creatures that migrated to the sea.

Sunrises and Sunsets
It is my personal belief that a persons life is governed by the number of sunrises and sunsets that person experiences. The key word here is “experiences.” Yes we all get up at the crack of dawn or ”first light” in boater terms, but we go about our business and hurry into our frantic worlds of work and stress, and seldom really take time to experience the power of the sun rising and setting. A boater’s life is governed by experiencing these wonderful 20 – 30 minute segments of every morning and evening. Remember the famous saying, red sky at night, sailors delight, red sky at morning, sailors take warning. Actually, that probably has nothing to do with sunrises or sunsets. Ha!

It’s For The Birds – Literally!
Most of us never take the time or have the opportunity to actually watch wildlife. The closest we usually come is if there is a “downed” bird in our pathway or a raccoon scrambling across our roof. This trip is so different, mostly because we are traveling through protected marshlands by the waterway – no roads or highways in sight! Not only are we seeing this wonderful protected area by waterway, we are moving at a turtle’s pace, Spirit Dancer is comfortable moving at 7 – 8 knots per hour.

Aransas Wildlife Sanctuary in Texas is so unique – it’s a haven for migratory birds. We saw so many on the trip down, it inspired a visit to the local book store for a bird book so that we  can identify what we are seeing on the trip home. The large brown diving birds or the small dark birds with the long beaks now can be properly identified as Brown Pelicans and Long Billed Curlews. In addition to the Roseate Spoonbills, the Wimbrells, and the Snowy Egrets, my personal favorites are the Great Blue Herons – some standing 4 and ½ feet tall! We are about 3 weeks early to spot the Whooping Crane migration.

The Race / The Party
It was a “drifter” out there – for the sailors in the annual Harvest Moon Regatta. It was so slow going the first 12 hours that many of the 200+ racers fired up their engines so they wouldn’t miss the first of two huge parties in Port Aransas. The first, “not to miss” party was at Island Moorings and the second at city marina was sponsored by Bacardi. So for many in this laid back party regatta it’s better to give up a trophy than miss the party! It was great – and enjoyed by all!

Lay Days
The reason these notes are so chatty is that boaters aren’t able to travel like drivers of cars. When the weather is questionable – Coast Guard warnings – we choose to wait it out at shore. These days are called “Lay Days.” We are having our lay days at a beautiful marina called Key Allegro near the coastal town of Rockport. If you have a few Cubra Libras (rum and cokes with a lime twist) you could swear you were in the Islands. Check it out – www.keyallegromarina.com

Lists and Lists
We have learned that when you have Lay Days, you look upon them as gifts of time – and you make your lists. These can be listed to do on the boat, if the weather is really bad. Or, lists to do in the nearest town, if the local weather is good, and you are waiting for the bad stuff to either arrive or leave. We have the weather channel on speed dial!

What it's Really All About
At the end of a trip at the end of the day it's all about good friends, seaworthy yachts, friendly marinas and harbors, breath taking sunsets, and the never ending search for the perfect Pina Colada.