Sailing keeps surprising me!

Saturday morning we launched the Hobie 16 at a hole in the mangroves between the Boat Club and Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda for the Hibiscus Cup Regatta. It is fairly shallow and there is a row of old pilings a couple hundred yards off the shoreline.

As we were coming in, I was standing on the tramp looking for the pilings. I saw a large rock up ahead and with a high tide I knew I could sail over it. As we got closer I noticed that it was yellow and brown in a mottled pattern.

Just then the rock moved a little and we sailed over the top of it. It then spooked and hit the bottom of the tramp with its back and splashed us. It then took off leaving a wake behind us.

It was a Goliath Grouper. Probably 200 to 300 hundred pounds.

It was a highly unlikely place for this fish to be. Normally the live in deeper water around structure.

What will I see next?

Jack

I rented a 16 in Martinique and had a big Spotted Eagle Ray jump our tramp. Very exciting.