• Home
  • Shopping
    • Boat Seats
    • Chartplotters
    • Dock & Boat Cleats
    • Dock Lines
    • Dry Bags
    • Fenders
    • Fender Cleats & Holders
    • Fender Covers
    • Fishfinders
    • Handheld GPS Units
    • Inflatable Dinghies
    • Kayaks
    • Kayak Paddles
    • KeelGuard Keel Protectors
    • Pelican Waterproof Marine Boxes
    • PFDs — Adult
    • PFDs — Children’s
    • PFDs — Dogs
    • PFDs — Infant
    • Propellers
      • Left-Hand Propellers
      • Right-Hand Propellers
      • Stainless Steel Propellers
  • Archives
  • About Tom
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Favorite Links

Tropical Boating

Stories about Boats and Boating

  • Sailing
    • Races & Regattas
    • Sailboat Cruising
    • Sailboat Reviews
  • Powerboating
  • Kayaking
  • Fishing
  • Boat Handling
  • Repairs & Upgrades
  • Equipment & Gear
    • Dinghies
  • Boat Building
  • Boating Fun
  • Boating Safety
  • General
    • Trail Camera Pictures

Tropical Boating

Stories of my adventures with boats: sailing them, paddling them, fishing in them, fixing them, nearly getting killed in them, and loving them. No life is complete without a boat to mess about in.

About Tom

This is me in my Klepper foldable kayak. 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. 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

ePropulsion Electric Outboard On A Picnic Cat

November 12, 2021 By Tom Leave a Comment

This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series Picnic Cat Sailing Fun!

I thought it would be nice to switch from gasoline to electric auxiliary power for our Picnic Cat and after a little internet research revealed that customers found the gearbox on the Torqeedo motors noisy and the ePropulsion’s direct drive… Read more

Com-Pac Picnic Cat Fun!

November 12, 2021 By Tom Leave a Comment

This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series Picnic Cat Sailing Fun!

We had a lot of fun with our Com-Pac Sun Cat and I missed owning it but also came to realize that the Sun Cat was really more boat than we were using. One of my Rules of Boating is that the smallest, simplest boat that will do what you want to… Read more

Selling the Stray Goat

October 30, 2021 By Tom Leave a Comment

This entry is part 7 of 7 in the series Goat Island Skiff Restoration

Once the Stray Goat repairs and upgrades were complete, I decided to sail the boat and get some other listing pictures and put it up for sale. Two of the guys who help out at the Charlotte Harbor Community Sailing Center came over to sail the… Read more

June 2021 Stray Goat Projects

June 26, 2021 By Tom Leave a Comment

This entry is part 6 of 7 in the series Goat Island Skiff Restoration

After my abortive first sail back in 2020, I had a small list of projects to accomplish prior to a second attempt. The first two were related: One of the trailer bunks is directly below the daggerboard trunk so reworking the trailer bunks to… Read more

Finishing Up & First Sail in the Stray Goat

April 30, 2021 By Tom Leave a Comment

This entry is part 5 of 7 in the series Goat Island Skiff Restoration

As the 2020 summer drew to a close, I got the last bits of needed work done on the Stray Goat, or so I thought, so I decided it was time to do a little “yard sailing” and check out the rig before my first launch. Here’s how it looked when I… Read more

Wild Turkeys on the Trail Camera

March 6, 2021 By Tom Leave a Comment

Wild turkeys are pretty rare here, or at least have been for the past couple of decades. I have only seen one and that was back in the 1990’s. A few weeks ago, my trail camera caught some turkeys walking around near my pond. Here’s the video. The… Read more

Stump Pass March 5, 2021

March 5, 2021 By Tom Leave a Comment

With the Watertribe Everglades Challenge starting tomorrow, I took one of my aluminum boats out to Stump Pass today to check on the current locations of sand bars. There’s usually a little swash channel running right along the shore on the north… Read more

Fishin’ Frank’s Catfish Tournament

June 28, 2020 By Tom Leave a Comment

“Florida Man” is a busy guy and a few weeks ago, he launched his truck 100 feet through the air and landed it upside down on the roof of our beloved local bait and tackle shop, Fishin’ Frank’s. Style points for sticking such a challenging inverted… Read more

Unusual Tractor Jobs

June 26, 2020 By Tom Leave a Comment

Today’s novel Kubota B-26 job was a platform from which to pick mangoes that were about 17′ off the ground. The roof of the tractor is about 8′ high, getting me close enough to bend the branch and grab them. The other day the tractor… Read more

Varnishing The Stray Goat

June 6, 2020 By Tom Leave a Comment

This entry is part 4 of 7 in the series Goat Island Skiff Restoration

I don’t like trying to get varnish to flow upward so I decided to put a few coats on the underside and outside of the Goat’s rails with the boat upside down. A thunderstorm came through while I was varnishing and my ever-vigilant dog… Read more

Recent Posts

  • ePropulsion Electric Outboard On A Picnic Cat
  • Com-Pac Picnic Cat Fun!
  • Selling the Stray Goat
  • June 2021 Stray Goat Projects
  • Finishing Up & First Sail in the Stray Goat

Topics

  • Boat Building (5)
  • Boat Handling (10)
  • Boat Repairs & Upgrades (49)
  • Boating Equipment (27)
    • Dinghies (4)
  • Boating Fun (29)
  • Boating Safety (7)
  • Buying & Selling Boats (5)
  • Classic Boating Tales (25)
  • Fishing (16)
  • General (37)
    • Drone Stuff (3)
    • Trail Camera Pictures (18)
    • Tropical Fruiting (1)
  • Kayaking (21)
  • Powerboating (17)
  • Sailing (71)
    • Races & Regattas (14)
    • Sailboat Cruising (15)
    • Sailboat Reviews (7)

Most Popular

  • The Perfect Solo Mast-Raising System for Small Sailboats
  • How to Dock an Outboard or Sterndrive Powerboat in 3 Easy Pictures
  • Small Outboard Engine Tilt and Trim: Theory and Practice
  • Tying Boats to Docks Using Springlines
  • Deep V, Shallow V, or Variable Deadrise Hull Performance

Shopping

  • Anchors
  • Boat Paddles
  • Boat Seats
  • Cam Cleats
  • Dock & Boat Cleats
  • Dock Lines
  • Dry Bags
  • Fenders
  • Fender Cleats & Holders
  • Fender Covers
  • Fishing
    • Fishing Reels
      • Spinning Reels
        • Abu Garcia Spinning Reels
        • Daiwa Spinning Reels
        • KastKing Spinning Reels
        • Okuma Spinning Reels
        • Penn Spinning Reels
        • Pflueger Spinning Reels
        • Quantum Spinning Reels
        • Shakespeare Spinning Reels
        • Shimano Spinning Reels
        • Zebco Spinning Reels
      • Baitcasting Reels
      • Spincast Reels
    • Rod & Reel Combos
      • Abu Garcia Rod & Reel Combos
      • Baitcast Rod & Reel Combos
      • Okuma Rod & Reel Combos
      • Quantum Rod & Reel Combos
      • Shakespeare Rod & Reel Combos
      • Spinning Rod & Reel Combos
      • Ugly Stik Rod & Reel Combos
    • Tackle Boxes & Bags
      • Tackle Bags
      • Tackle Boxes
      • Fly Boxes
      • Fishing Backpacks
  • Inflatable Dinghies
  • Inflatable Kayaks
  • Inflatable SUPs
  • Kayaks
  • Kayak Paddles
  • KeelGuard Keel Protectors
  • Marine Electronics
    • Autopilots
    • Chartplotters
    • EPIRBs
    • Fishfinders
    • Fixed-Mount VHF Radios
    • Handheld GPS Units
    • Handheld VHF Radios
  • Pelican Waterproof Marine Boxes
  • PFDs
    • Fishing PFDs
    • Inflatable PFDs
    • Kayaking PFDs
    • Survival PFDs
    • Survival Suits & Immersion Suits
    • PFDs for Infants
    • PFDs for Children
    • PFDs for Adults
    • PFDs for Dogs
    • Throwable (Type IV) PFDs
  • Propellers
    • Right-Hand Propellers
    • Left-Hand Propellers
    • Aluminum Propellers
    • Stainless Steel Propellers
    • Three-Blade Propellers
    • Four-Blade Propellers

Recent

  • ePropulsion Electric Outboard On A Picnic Cat
  • Com-Pac Picnic Cat Fun!
  • Selling the Stray Goat
  • June 2021 Stray Goat Projects
  • Finishing Up & First Sail in the Stray Goat

Popular

  • The Perfect Solo Mast-Raising System for Small Sailboats
  • How to Dock an Outboard or Sterndrive Powerboat in 3 Easy Pictures
  • Small Outboard Engine Tilt and Trim: Theory and Practice
  • Tying Boats to Docks Using Springlines
  • Deep V, Shallow V, or Variable Deadrise Hull Performance
  • The Com-Pac Sun Cat: A Review
  • Building a Live Bait Well For A Small Boat
  • Choosing the Right Propeller For Your Boat
  • Rebuilding Whaleboat Tenders Part 5: Boat Parts Shopping Day
  • More Boston Whaler Modifications

About Tom

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. [Read More …]

Topics

  • Boat Building (5)
  • Boat Handling (10)
  • Boat Repairs & Upgrades (49)
  • Boating Equipment (27)
    • Dinghies (4)
  • Boating Fun (29)
  • Boating Safety (7)
  • Buying & Selling Boats (5)
  • Classic Boating Tales (25)
  • Fishing (16)
  • General (37)
    • Drone Stuff (3)
    • Trail Camera Pictures (18)
    • Tropical Fruiting (1)
  • Kayaking (21)
  • Powerboating (17)
  • Sailing (71)
    • Races & Regattas (14)
    • Sailboat Cruising (15)
    • Sailboat Reviews (7)

Links

  • Antique Fishing Tackle
  • Big Air Wakeboards
  • Binocular Bargains
  • Boat Parts Online
  • Boat Seats for Sale
  • Boat Wear Bargains
  • Boating Memorabilia
  • Discount Marine Electronics
  • Ice Fishing Shop
  • Maritime Antiques
  • Nautical Motif Gifts & Decor
  • Slingin' Steel Spearfishing Bargains
  • Sun Cat National Championship Regatta
  • Tropical Affiliate Marketing
  • Tropical Web Works
  • Tying Flies

Shopping

  • Anchors
  • Boat Paddles
  • Boat Seats
  • Cam Cleats
  • Dock & Boat Cleats
  • Dock Lines
  • Dry Bags
  • Fenders
  • Fender Cleats & Holders
  • Fender Covers
  • Fishing
    • Fishing Reels
      • Spinning Reels
        • Abu Garcia Spinning Reels
        • Daiwa Spinning Reels
        • KastKing Spinning Reels
        • Okuma Spinning Reels
        • Penn Spinning Reels
        • Pflueger Spinning Reels
        • Quantum Spinning Reels
        • Shakespeare Spinning Reels
        • Shimano Spinning Reels
        • Zebco Spinning Reels
      • Baitcasting Reels
      • Spincast Reels
    • Rod & Reel Combos
      • Abu Garcia Rod & Reel Combos
      • Baitcast Rod & Reel Combos
      • Okuma Rod & Reel Combos
      • Quantum Rod & Reel Combos
      • Shakespeare Rod & Reel Combos
      • Spinning Rod & Reel Combos
      • Ugly Stik Rod & Reel Combos
    • Tackle Boxes & Bags
      • Tackle Bags
      • Tackle Boxes
      • Fly Boxes
      • Fishing Backpacks
  • Inflatable Dinghies
  • Inflatable Kayaks
  • Inflatable SUPs
  • Kayaks
  • Kayak Paddles
  • KeelGuard Keel Protectors
  • Marine Electronics
    • Autopilots
    • Chartplotters
    • EPIRBs
    • Fishfinders
    • Fixed-Mount VHF Radios
    • Handheld GPS Units
    • Handheld VHF Radios
  • Pelican Waterproof Marine Boxes
  • PFDs
    • Fishing PFDs
    • Inflatable PFDs
    • Kayaking PFDs
    • Survival PFDs
    • Survival Suits & Immersion Suits
    • PFDs for Infants
    • PFDs for Children
    • PFDs for Adults
    • PFDs for Dogs
    • Throwable (Type IV) PFDs
  • Propellers
    • Right-Hand Propellers
    • Left-Hand Propellers
    • Aluminum Propellers
    • Stainless Steel Propellers
    • Three-Blade Propellers
    • Four-Blade Propellers

Back to Top
Contact Us · Privacy Policy & Disclosure

Copyright © 2007-2023 · Tropical Boating
Site managed by Tropical Web Works