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PGISLANDERS Ken Eitenmiller, Commodore, 815-985-2489, kge1@yahoo.com

Education - The November Meeting saw a return to
the typical season attendance where the members
were treated to a delightful presentation by Rich and
Marie Kinard on the Petersburg to Havana sailboat
race. Rich and Marie and five other crew took their
highly modified O-Day 37, the Sloop SeaBee, to a
win in Cruising Class C. The race started out slowly
with the entire fleet becalmed then changed very rapidly to 20 to 30 knot
winds. They would find themselves becalmed once more toward the end of
the race before strong winds took them to the entrance of Marina Hemingway.
They had to enter the Marina to finish but were faced with 20-foot breakers at
the entrance. They intelligently choose to wait it out until the seas were down
to 8 feet at which time they entered and won their class. We thank Marie and
Rich for sharing this wonderful experience with all of us.

Cruising - Having mostly recovered from Hurricane Irma, we have again had
a full month of cruising. We started with a trip to Marina Jacks in Sarasota
captained by Diane and Chris Port. Marina Jacks is a favorite cruising
destination with docktails on Friday night and dinner in town on Saturday night. Next, we moved on to Longboat Key
Club with Kevin and Nan Lee as captains. This is a nice place to visit with many destinations just a bus ride away. The
most popular is probably St. Armand’s Circle with many fine dining opportunities and lots of shopping. A very relaxing
stay. Finally, we had a cruise to the Isles Yacht
Club. Bob Peterson takes us there at least once a
year for brunch. This year we had over 50 people
come by boat or in a car. It would get my vote for
the best brunch in the Punta Gorda area.

Social - As we head to the end of the year, social
events taper off, allowing members to enjoy the
Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. However,
there is one event that is a big hit with everyone.
Friendsgiving is an opportunity for members to

enjoy a Thanksgiving type atmosphere and meal with their
boating friends. Sue Linehan organizes this event each year and
it is a gigantic effort. Turkey and gravy are supplied by the club
and dishes are assigned to everyone. It is a wonderful
experience.

Meet the Islanders - Interested in joining? Want to know more
about us? Find out more at www.pgislanders.org. Our monthly
meetings are held the first Thursday of every month at the PGICA
building. Meetings start at 7 p.m. with a presentation on a marine-
related topic. We hold an informal social on the second and fourth
Mondays of each month from 5 to 7 p.m. at St. Andrews. For any
questions about membership, contact one of our Membership
Directors, Richard or Joann Collins at 281-543-8781 or for other
questions about the club, contact the Commodore at
815-985-2489. Or even better, c'mon down to see us at one of
our meetings or socials.

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