About Tom
This is me in my Klepper foldable kayak.Starting with the little two-person inflatable raft I had as my very first boat, I have always loved the freedom and the feeling of being out on the water. With my father's help, I added a hard plywood floor to that little inflatable, and that was the beginning of a long chain of boats I have owned, loved, maintained, modified, fixed, enjoyed, and scared myself to death on over the past few decades.
This is me at 15 in my first Boston Whaler. Boy, did we have some good times with that boat.A lot of boating time is spent fixing boats, maintaining boats, and upgrading boats with new boating equipment to suit our specific tastes and needs. Lots of salespeople at stores that sell marine boating supplies and boating accessories have learned to recognize me over the years. I have spent my share of time and money working on just about anything you could name on a boat, and made plenty of mistakes. I'm here to share the lessons learned.
The Joy of Boating
Enough of the work and drudgery of boating! Tropical boating is all about the FUN of boating year 'round in nice weather! I like fishing, diving, powerboating, sailing, water skiing, kayaking, jet skiing, and pretty much any other activity on or around the water. I'm here to share some fun stories and pictures about the best of times over the years, and tell about lessons learned — some of them the hard way.
No boating site can be complete without harrowing stories of terror and trauma on the water, and advice about docking boats and buying and towing dinghies. I'm also here to share the stories of the worst of times over the years, times when I was in fear for my life, times when I was in danger, but too stupid to properly fear for my life, and times when I was just so miserable I wanted nothing more in life than to simply reach shore. Maybe some people will be able to avoid learning the same boating lessons the hard way.
Recent Posts
Artesian Pond Swim – June 2019
The pond in my yard is fed by an artesian spring from the Lower Hawthorne section of the Florida Aquifer. It’s not exactly fresh water, though it has cypress trees all around. My tropical fruit trees don’t like the water much but it’s acceptable to… Read more
Small Bobcat Visits Chickens
Small Bobcat This bobcat looks quite a bit smaller than the one captured previously by my trail camera. That PVC pipe in the background stands 18″ tall and is noticeably taller than the cat. A cropped closer view shows that this cat… Read more
Pond Feeding Video
I throw finger mullet chunks to some of the fish in my pond and decided to try an underwater video of the action today. Pond Feeding Video from Tom Ray on… Read more
Bolger Folding Schooner Needs Rescue
This Bolger Folding Schooner was built and sailed by a local man who eventually got too old to handle it any more. He donated it to the Charlotte Harbor Community Sailing Center, a non-profit organization that supports youth sailing, disabled… Read more
Alligators Facing Off Over A Bobber
A couple of Shell Creek gators that have learned that fishermen mean food were having a dispute over whose fishermen we are. These are pretty small but still dangerous animals and completely unafraid of people. They will probably mess… Read more
Kids Sailing Camp 2019 – Day 4
I missed Day 3 but got back out to sail with the kids this morning. The wind was light and fluky in the basin but picked up once we got out into Alligator Bay. There was enough breeze to move the Sunfish along nicely and the kids were… Read more
2019 Lychee Crop
After a crop of around a thousand pounds last year, most of my lychee trees have taken a year off. A lychee sabbatical, I suppose. This is not unusual for lychee trees but is disappointing. The picture shows almost my entire 2019 crop. I’m… Read more
Kids Sailing Camp 2019 – Day 2 6/11/19
The kids were back on the water today and I brought my Hobie Adventure Island to chase them around. We had a nice breeze in the morning, just strong enough to keep them moving without scaring them. When they got it right,… Read more
Kids Sailing Camp 2019 – Day 1 – 6/10/19
I have not had time in the past few years to volunteer at a Kids Sailing Camp but decided to make time for it this year. The Charlotte Harbor Community Sailing Center’s fleet has grown in that time and the county has helped by upgrading the… Read more
Kayaking Mangrove Tunnels in Punta Gorda
Ponce Park Beach There used to be more beach at Ponce de Leon Park in Punta Gorda, but there’s still barely enough to launch my Blue Canoe. I had planned on paddling down the shore and returning via the mangrove tunnels but a headwind changed… Read more
