We are planning our summer trip to St. Augustine in May this year.  We plan to leave Saturday May 13th and return Sunday May 20th.  We would love to have you join us if you would like to take this trip.   We plan to stay in the ICW for the entire trip.  If you would like to go on the outside and meet us at St. Augustine, that would also be fine.  I suggest that you make your own reservations at the marinas in advance.  A list of phone numbers is provided.  If you are planning to join us and would like more information, please give me a call (321-773-3265) or e-mail us (joekate@juno.com) -  Karen and Joe Coleman   We have taken this trip several times before and it is a lot of fun.   DATE    DAY                          FROM                                                    TO                                                     MILES Saturday May 13th Leave home port Titusville Marine/Anchorage ?   Sunday May 14th Titusville Daytona Beach 52 NM   Monday May 15th Daytona Beach St Augustine 54 NM   May 16th, 17th and 18th St Augustine St Augustine 0 NM   Friday May 18th St Augustine Daytona Beach 54 NM   Saturday May 19th Daytona Beach Titusville Marine/Anchorage 52 NM   Sunday May 20th Titusville Marine/Anchorage Home Port ?     MARINA TELEPHONE NUMBERS ST. AUGUSTINE MUNICIPAL MARINA     (904) 825-1026 HAILFAX MUNICIPAL MARINA  (386) 671-3601 TITUSVILLE MUNICIPAL MARINA  (321) 383-5600

Cinco De Mayo Cruise to Lake Shepard Hosted by Lynda & John Geraci Let's "taco'bout" the celebration of Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, May 6th.  May 5th, 1862 is the day that we commemorate the unlikely victory at the battle of Puebla the Mexican army won over the French forces.  Come join us!! We will be providing the main entree, tortillas and special happy hour drinks.  The grill will be lit to warm the corn/flour tortillas/tacos!!  Bring a Mexican side dish to share (taco topper suggestions: salsas, cheeses, red beans, black beans, onions, cilantro, lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, jalapenos, other hot peppers).  Appetizer suggestions: cheese dips mild/chips, nachos (beef, chicken or bean).  Dessert suggestions: tres leches, flan, churros, brownies. Happy Hour starts at 3:30 - Bring your own drinks.  There will also be 2 house specialties.  We'll update you more on that later! Dinner will begin before 5, especially if we run out of appetizers. Please note:  If you do not like Mexican food, bring your own entree. Navigation Notes:  At the approach to Lake Shepard, stay in the middle of the entrance to avoid the shoals.  Remember that the lake is 28 feet deep in the middle, so bring appropriate ground tackle!! There should be enough room for dinghy docking at our dock - See you there!! Lynda & John Refer to the directory for the address and contact number...    

Tax Relief Cruise - Marker 21 Join us on the spoil island west of Marker 21 on the ICW, 7 miles south of the Melbourne Causeway.  Relax and enjoy a laid-back afternoon on the water or on the beach.  Bring your chairs and beverages, as well as a dish to share.  If you want to bring a grill, that would be great too!  Potluck breakfast in the morning before heading home.  See you there!   Hosted by John Boyd  

Child Abuse Awareness Cruise and Melbourne Air Show - April 1-2, Hosts: Joe and Karen Coleman   What better way to start April than by attending the Melbourne Air Show via water and then heading up to Squid Lips for dinner to support the start of Child Abuse Awareness Month. The Melbourne Air & Space Show is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, April 1st & 2nd. The official event is held at Melbourne International Airport, but we expect to have an opportunity to view some high-flying aircraft from an anchorage in the Indian River, roughly midway between the Eau Gallie and Melbourne causeways, in line with the airport runway. A write up on the show's schedule and performers can be found here.   April is Child Abuse Awareness month and the ECSA and Squid Lips team up with the Child Abuse Prevention Task Force to promote awareness. Squid Lips donates 5% of revenue from food sales between 5 and 8 p.m. to CAPTF. The ECSA attempts to get as many boats as possible to attend, drawing attention to the cause. This is a wonderful cruise for children also, as there are several activities on the beach for them. In the past we have tried to get a large table to accommodate our group, but we have been asked to refrain from doing that this year as it blocks tables and it is hard to serve everyone at the same time. Instead, grab a few friends and a table and enjoy the great food. Karen and I will be taking attendance, so if we don’t see you, please look for us.  

Can't make the Squid Lips / Airshow event?  Heading north that weekend?  Here's something you'll want to check out in New Smyrna Beach, sponsored by the Smyrna Yacht Club:  Their annual Lipton Cup, a yacht race off the beaches of New Smyrna !    

St. Patrick’s Day Cruise - March 18-19, Hosts: Tom and Mary Ann O’Shea Arrive early by boat or car and enjoy the parade, which begins at 11 a.m. in downtown Melbourne on Saturday, then enjoy the zany Irish festivities at Meg O'Malley's. Anchor off Front Street Park and dinghy into Melbourne Harbor, or call Melbourne Harbor Marina for reservations (321-725-9054). If you anchor out, Melbourne Yacht Club will allow you to use their dinghy docks; call Tom for the gate code. ECSA activities will begin at 5 p.m. in The Mansion downstairs Courtyard, just a short walk from MYC or from downtown Front Street. There is lots of parking available at the Mansion – but remember you get extra points for coming by boat. Enjoy Blarney, Irish humor, Irish music and a get-to-know-St. Patrick (even if you’re not Irish) contest, complete with prizes and if we’re lucky, a visit by ECSA’s very own Leprechaun. Wear your GREEN and join us for some magical fun. The Mansion (www.thebigmansion.com or 321-345- 5800) has good food at reasonable prices, including sandwiches, burgers and entrees, and, most of all, a great variety of beer and wines. Stick around or come back to join us Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. for a potluck breakfast at Front Street Park. Sign up at the general meeting or on TidyHQ, or call Tom O’Shea, 321-986-8772 or 919-423-1508, so we have a good reservation number for the Mansion.

Sebastian Cruise and Concert, March 11-12, Host: Page Proffitt Mark your calendars for another great ECSA Cruise. Join us by car or by boat for a great day at Sebastian Inlet State Park. We will have pavilion #1 on the south side of the inlet all day. This will be a “Burn-It” style event, so bring something you like to throw on the grill for yourself, and a side dish to share.  Grills will be ready at 5:30 pm for cooking, giving us plenty of time to be ready for the concert. If coming by car, the cost is $4 for one person in the car and $8 for 2 or more in the car. If coming by boat, you will exit the intercoastal at green marker 65. Head to the east keeping south of the point before turning to the north. Dinghy in to the south side of the point and pull up on the beach. The concert will start at 7 p.m. at pavilion #3 with Remember When. Remember When is four singers and a music mixer, playing the oldies but goodies from the 1950’s to the 1970’s, with a slice of country and some Elvis.  Featuring songs from an era when the Crooners ruled the entertainment world. Come join us for a jukebox Saturday night style concert. For more information, contact Page Proffitt    

Captain Katanna’s Cruise - February 25-26, Host: Joanne & Don Theriault Come to Captain Katanna’s, at 4263 US-1 in Melbourne, and join us for dinner, in February this year instead of August. With any luck, the weather will be more sailing-friendly! Dinner will be at 5 p.m., so come and join us by boat or by car. We can have a potluck breakfast on Captain Katanna’s deck on Sunday morning for those who anchor out. There is no access to the deck from the land side when the restaurant is closed.  Another option would be to sail up to Grills for breakfast. You don't need to bring your free tickets, merely buy them (free) so we have an attendance list. from Active Captain For more information, Joanne & Don's contact information is in the ECSA directory.

The ECSA is chartering a bus for the annual trip to Strictly Sail Miami.  Tickets this year will be $55, which covers the cost of the bus, snacks & drinks aboard, and a ticket to the show.  This year, the boat show ticket price has been raised to $25 per adult, so ECSA's bus trip is a really good deal. Morning pickup locations are the same as last year: 6 a.m. at Harbortown Marina on Merritt Island 6:30 a.m. at Atlantic Plaza in Satellite Beach For more information, contact Page Proffitt. Buy one ticket for each bus-rider.  Don't hesitate; these tend to sell out fast ! Also, please let Treasurer@ecsasail.com know if you DO NOT wish to allow the club to send text notifications to your phone about, and during this bus trip.  This will be a very handy way to notify everyone of any changes/updates quickly while we are all wandering around the show !!  We'll only use it if really needed, but it will be a lot more effective if everyone agrees.  

ECSA Annual Awards Banquet Reservation Deadline Extended thru Fiday, January 20 !@!  If you haven't got tickets yet, there's still time !!! This year's banquet will be at the Tides, which is on the beach side of Patrick Airforce Base.   Drinks, Food, Awards, Dancing.... what's not to like? Please 'buy' one ticket for each person attending.  You can pay online or send a check per below: Entrees Peppercorn-crusted Prime Rib, Lyonnaise potatoes, braised carrots, snap peas ($35) Chicken Paillard with natural jus, root vegetables, fingerling potatoes ($25) Sake Grilled Fish, tomato, capers, olives, herbs, rice pilaf, summer vegetables ($30) All dinners include freshly brewed coffee, iced tea, and dessert Appropriate dress is requested. PLEASE MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS EARLY! Reservations will be accepted through noon, January 20, 2017. To pay by check, please complete the form in the November Foot, Tack, & Clew, noting your choice of entrée, and return with your check made payable to East Coast Sailing Association. Bring it to the general membership meeting, or mail to: ECSA, P. O. Box 372054, Satellite Beach, FL 32937. Attention: Banquet.

Frostbite Cruise January 14-15 Page Proffitt Mark your calendars now for the Frostbite Cruise to Ballard Park.  More details next month.  

Vero Beach New Year’s Cruise December 31 - January 1 Don and Joanne Theriault As in years past, a few hardy souls will venture down to Vero Beach Municipal Marina to welcome in the new year.  If you are thinking of going, call and make your reservations with the marina now. (772) 978-4960.