Rocinante 

Stars & Stripes - St Martin

Awesome conditions! Sailed up the ICW in 2 hours that took us 12 hours last year‼️🤯

Great sail all the way to Maggie Beach!

2025 Texas 200 Day 5

Conditions- WILD to mild‼️
Just BARELY got out of Rockport! 5’ swells were a challenge to get out of the Rockport Channel. Motor was going under water and then the prop was coming out of the water!! 
 Got out into the bay and turned down wind. Much better heading that direction. As we approached the narrow ICW sea state smoothed out UNTIL a 25 knot storm front hit‼️ dropped sails and motored. Went through driving rain and low visibility until it cleared. 
 Pulled over with others and waited for the next front to pass before entering the big bay. 
 Got started into the bay and helped another boat get unstuck! Got across the bay and spent the night on the side of the ICW. 
 No Army Hole this year, AGAIN!

2025 Texas 200 Day 4

Rainy cold front delayed the morning start. 
Good 10 knot winds from SE
Crossed the bay and skidded through 3’ areas at Stingray Pass. Motored up the ICW directly into the wind. Light ship traffic this year. 
 Made the turn and sailed past Mud Island. Due to forecasted high wind for the next day we went to Little Bay in Rockport. Very nice anchorage. Paul’s Mott was supposed to be camp 3. Not many made it with the late start. 

2025 Texas 200 Day 3

Good steady wind that built to some pretty good gusts! We used the big jib sail and did a lot of passing. 
 Stopped at the Padre Island Yacht Club. Dinner and beer was served and had a memorial service for 2 members. We got to spend the night in a slip. 
 Lightening started showing around 4 am and the rain started at 7:30. 

2025 Texas 200 Day 2

Good winds building as the day progressed. 
Sea state was 1-1.5’ waves that flattened inside the ICW. 
Boat speeds started at 3.5-4 and built to 5.5-6.7 knots. 
Arrived at camp with (10 boats) plenty of time to visit. Counted 35 boats later in the afternoon. 

2025 TX 200 Day 1


Topped off fuel and water at Ft Myers. 

3-6 knot winds and smooth water when departing the bay. 
Turned North and winds held around 6-8 knots with 1-2’ seas. 
Late afternoon became 14 knot winds and 3-4’ seas on the nose. Tacked a few times until it got dark. Expecting winds to die down, we dropped sails and motored   Winds were 0 by midnight and the sea went flat. 

19th Monday 
Flat seas and 2-3 knot “winds”
Continued motoring 
Passed Tampa and started heading Westward.
Got something BIG on the fishing pole but the line eventually snapped because there was too much tension set on the line. 
25 miles West of Tampa we spotted a big pod of dolphins! Probably 20, so we came around and floated with them. Amy was all over the bow watching them!
Sunset- Still 3-4 knot winds with smooth water and gentle 1’ swells coming in from the South. Still on the motor. 


20th Tuesday 
1-2’ seas and 8-10 knot winds 
Beam Reaching (60 degrees Portside)
By 10am winds held steady at 12 knots and we turned 10 degrees into the wind. Boat speed increased to 7 knots (6 SOG)(14 knots AWS).

Nighttime winds increased to 14-15 knots with 2-3’ seas. Reefed the Genoa sail and still 6.5-7 knots of speed. Generally lost 0.5 to 1 knot to the Gulfstream current. 

21st Wednesday 
Before sun rise 
17-20 knots AWS (15 TWS). Seas - Big enough to be slamming the hull. Speed 6-7 knots. 
By 8:30 the wind dropped to 7-8 and from the direction we want to go:-( So we powered up the Iorn Sail. 

22nd Thursday 
Played Frogger getting through the Mississippi delta and turned Northwest to Grand Isle. Ran into big rain storm with water spouts. Turned out to be not too bad. Filled up with fuel and started West. Ran straight through large oil well fields and shrimp boats!
 Light winds (8-12) from the Southeast helped big time! Currents were a great help too. 
Got past the shoal areas of Louisiana and made a bee line to Galveston. 

23rd Friday 
1-2’ seas, 7 knot winds
Everything picked up in the afternoon! Made good time but arrived at the entrance well after dark! Wiggled through all the traffic, staying out of the way of the BIG boys! Sailed around the harbor to kill some time and came into the docks a little before sunup Saturday. 


Motoring Time
Sunday - 4 hours 
Monday - 24 hours.  +10 gal
Tuesday - 10 hours 
Wednesday - 15.5 hours +10 gal
Thursday - 9.5 hours 
Tank Fill
63 hours motoring used 50 gallons 

Thursday - 14.5 hours 
Friday - + 20 gal into tank

Gulf Crossing to Houston 

Mo Bettah

Started with 12 knots and 2-3’ seas. Dropped to light winds and 1’ seas. Used spinnaker until winds died and sea went flat about sunset. Motored in glassy seas. 

Saw AMAZING bioluminescence coming off the prop wash and sugar scoop!!!! Then there was the BURSTS/ explosions of light that came off the prop also!🤯

Pulled in Ft. Myers for gas and water. Wes and Sandy hopped off to start their trip back home. 

Drop Off Wes & Sandy

Winds 8-18 knots 
Seas 1-4’
Some motoring. 

Great sailing trip with Wes and Sandy to Dry Tortuga!

Dry Tortuga Arrival‼️ 

Dinghy back to boat 

Tender

Overnight trip started out with light winds and being pushed North by the Gulf Stream. Shortly before dawn the wind picked up to 15-19 knots and 4’ swells. For a short while we were going North in the stream and showed 10+ knots SOG!
 Ended up heave-to waiting an hour for the Sun to come up before entering the port. 
 Met big ship as we entered!
 Lake Silvia was full so we went to the city mooring field. 

Stephen Hammonds