Check Ponce Inlet Prevailing Winds
Welcome to the World
Hi, my name's Dave Robbins. I was born in Jackson MI on October 18,1959, the youngest of 4 boys to Richard and Shirley Robbins. I'm told I was boating Duck Lake in a classic power boat by the time I was 6 months old. Soon after the parents bought a Lake Catamaran and I was introduced to sailing for the first time. I remember trailing my toy boats behind the cat as we sailed and going out at night with a lantern hanging from the forestay. The summer of 1965 my dad rented a 27 foot sloop and sailed us to Beaver Island for a week. Wow! how much more fun could a kid have?
Welcome to the World
Hi, my name's Dave Robbins. I was born in Jackson MI on October 18,1959, the youngest of 4 boys to Richard and Shirley Robbins. I'm told I was boating Duck Lake in a classic power boat by the time I was 6 months old. Soon after the parents bought a Lake Catamaran and I was introduced to sailing for the first time. I remember trailing my toy boats behind the cat as we sailed and going out at night with a lantern hanging from the forestay. The summer of 1965 my dad rented a 27 foot sloop and sailed us to Beaver Island for a week. Wow! how much more fun could a kid have?
Dave, Brad, Steve and Ron Robbins, 1962 Ron, Dave Cousin Chrys and Steve, 1963 Richard and Shirley Robbins, 1965
Change of Venue
The Michigan stuff was over in 1967. Dad was transferred to Daytona Beach. OK, even MORE water!! Only this time instead of a boat I picked up a surf board and did the whole beach thing for several years. Then in 1976 dad bought a 40 foot yawl. A wood boat built in 1941 I believe. She was a blue water boat, not much room for a 40 but nicely done. I loved it and I loved the whole sailing/marina kind of life. Spent a lot of time rowing around the area in the boat's dink and of course flirting with the local babes! Ahhh, I'll never forget Barbara Alexander!!
The Michigan stuff was over in 1967. Dad was transferred to Daytona Beach. OK, even MORE water!! Only this time instead of a boat I picked up a surf board and did the whole beach thing for several years. Then in 1976 dad bought a 40 foot yawl. A wood boat built in 1941 I believe. She was a blue water boat, not much room for a 40 but nicely done. I loved it and I loved the whole sailing/marina kind of life. Spent a lot of time rowing around the area in the boat's dink and of course flirting with the local babes! Ahhh, I'll never forget Barbara Alexander!!
All Good Things ............
Well,all good things must come to an end and so did childhood. I went off to school in 1977 and the parents downsized. Gone was the house on the beach, and the sailboat. In 1983 I got my hands on a Catalina 22 and sailed the heck out of it for the next three years. In addition to a bunch of local sailing, one year I went to Sabastian Inlet for a week, the next year to Ft. Lauderdale for two weeks, and in 1985 beyond the last bridge in Miami, across the neon aqua water of Biscayne Bay and on to Key Largo for 2 weeks. That was fantastic! The boat was sold in 1986 or 7 and then didn't sail much until this year. Had several small power boats, fished a lot but no sailing to speak of.
Well,all good things must come to an end and so did childhood. I went off to school in 1977 and the parents downsized. Gone was the house on the beach, and the sailboat. In 1983 I got my hands on a Catalina 22 and sailed the heck out of it for the next three years. In addition to a bunch of local sailing, one year I went to Sabastian Inlet for a week, the next year to Ft. Lauderdale for two weeks, and in 1985 beyond the last bridge in Miami, across the neon aqua water of Biscayne Bay and on to Key Largo for 2 weeks. That was fantastic! The boat was sold in 1986 or 7 and then didn't sail much until this year. Had several small power boats, fished a lot but no sailing to speak of.
Catalina 22 "Contention", Sebastian Inlet 1983 Ponce Inlet 1984 Sailing Biscayne Bay 1985
Bamboo The per capita income for Volusia County Florida is $19,700. That's not a good way to be able to afford a boat, but in the years since '87 my salary has slowly come up and this year I decided I'd look for a one. I looked all over the internet and in all the local boat yards but didn't see anything to exciting until my brother's stepson Tim came across this 1989 S/R C-25 wing keel. The pic looked good, price reasonable, so I took a ride to Melbourne to check it out. It was even nicer than the picture. I made the owner an offer and he took it! By the time I had sailed Bamboo the 65 or so miles back to Daytona I was totally in love! What a great boat! She sailed very nicely, was in good shape and I was in business!! Now I'm enjoying the little projects that turn a boat into YOUR boat, Having a blast keeping up with the forums on catalinaowners.com, The Catalina International Association, boatus.com. sailnet.com. The best one in my opinion by far being the Catalina International Association. And of course refreshing my memory/learning of all things sailing.
