Pensacola or Fort Walton Beach areas?

I am trying to plan a family trip to Pensacola or Fort Walton area and need to find a cat friendly lodging place to stay on the beach so I can leave my mast up and pull the boat up onto the dunes at night. I am the only cat sailor in the group so it needs to be on the beach but also have other activities close by. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Floyd

Contact the local dealers:

KEY SAILING
500 QUIETWATER BEACH RD S14
PENSACOLA BEACH, FL 32561
Phone: 1-850-932-5520
E-mail: [email protected]

SUNJAMMERS
315 N. HWY. 79
PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL 32413
Phone: 1-850-235-2281
E-mail: [email protected]

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Become a patron of Juana's Pagodas in Navarre FL. Its just a little east of pensacola. Park the boat at Juana's, go in, have a few drinks, tip well, tell them you want to leave the boat outside for a few days. It's right on the ICW and the sailing is great. Google Juana's Pagodas - she has a website.

Tons of other crap you can do there - visit the Gulf side of the island and hit the beach, sail on the ICW down the the Gulf Islands National seashore and do lunch away from it all. Hotels in Navarre. Shopping etc in Navarre and Gulf Breeze has a boardwalk.

Good luck, you basically cant go wrong there.

If you or a member of your party are in the military or have retired from the military, you could launch and beach your boat at the marina on Pensacola Naval Air Station, http://www.naspensacola-mwr.com/water/water.htm. If you were staying at the Navy Lodge, a very nice modern hotel on the bay with a nice beach, you could leave the boat there for the duration of your stay. It would be a pain, however, if someone else in your group had to vouch you on and off the base. I've been to Juana's, never sailed there, but you couldn't go wrong with that either.

_________________
Mark Van Doren
H16 Seabreeze #112205 (Richard Petty Signature Edition)
H14T Fantasia #47787
San Juan 28

stay in Pensacola over Fort Walton, call Capt Kirk, he's the unofficial Mayor of P~cola beach he's got the hook ups your after! Now if you want to "slum" in in Panama City Beach give me a call.

_________________
Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

Thanks everyone! So far I am leaning toward Navarre many people have mentioned that it is less crowded and that Juana's bars is awesome + the room rates seem very reasonable. The dates are confirmed for Aug 8-12, 2010 and some of the other cat sailors I sail with are showing a interest in coming along on http://www.tcdyc.com so please keep the suggestions coming!

Talked to a condo owner last night and it sounds like people sail the ICW and there is not a good place to put your boat in the gulf in Navarre Beach is that true? I really want to sail in the gulf any ideas?

If you have beach wheels (Cat Trax) you can muscle it from some of the parking lot on the gulf side to the beach. Some of the young lifeguard probably will give you a hand for tips. Best to set up early in the morning before the beach get crowded. Sailing on the gulf side is awesome !!!

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82 HB-16

Part of the problem may be solved in finding a place to put-in, but the harder problem may be finding a place to keep it on the beach overnight. At least, that's the bigger problem I've come up against. I have a condo near Destin, and I've pretty much given up the idea of Gulf-side beaching. Too bad, because I would love to bring my Hobie Cat there.

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joanie / Hobie enthusiast: 4 H-14Ts, 2 Waves, FloatCat 75, 4 Adventure Islands, and my DUNE Tandem Island!
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What can I say? I never met a Hobie I didn't like . . .

I have taken my H-16 to Destin numerous times. If you get up early you can unload your boat at one of the beach service access road. These are service road the city uses to access the beach with beach equipment, emergency vehicle, trash truck, etc... No one patrol these beach access road. They usually put a chain across it after they finished cleaning the beach. Therefore you need to be there early (5-6 am)

You need to work fast and efficient. I usually back the trailer down to the soft sand, get the boat off the trailer and on the Cat Trax, unload the mast and sails, rudder, etc... then pull my vehicle back on paved road and PARK out of the way. All this takes about 20-30 min. I have my 2 sons to help me ( they're now away at college). We pull/push the boat down to the water edge, rigged the boat then sail to the condo. One of us drive the vehicle and trailer back.

I usually work out a deal with the beach chair rental guy by letting me park my boat up close or next to their beach chair storage box. Usually about $75-$100 for the week for no work on his part. This way I can come out of the condo balcony and check on the boat at night. A good flashlight is handy. The only problem I occasional encountered are teenagers likes to sit on the boat at night. Don't keep the cat-trax on the boat at night for obvious reason! I keep the mast rigged and that is all that is on the boat.

As far as Navarre beach.. I have scouted the area and there are some roads and beach service access road that are close to the beach. You will need Cat Trax !! How badly do you want to sail on the Gulf side ... Gulf side open ocean sailing is where it's at !

Been there done that .....

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82 HB-16