Captain Michael Walters
Boat Charters
TEL 941-349-0001
Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida
Captain Michael Walters
Welcome aboard!!
You are about to set forth on a journey which will take you into the same areas that Pirates and fishermen have roamed for hundreds of years.
If you please, let me introduce myself. I am Captain Michael Walters. I have been sailing since I was 17 years old. I probably have traveled on just sailboats alone around 95,000 miles. Yes, I have run aground, been in storms, ran out of fuel, had engines break. However, I have always returned with my vessel and my crew.
My wonderful ocean has thrilled me with such beauty and power that I am impressed every time I go on any trip. One can never be alone on the ocean. The Dolphins or porpoise are in plentiful supply and the seabirds are constantly singing. Welcome to my world.
Before we set off on this journey, I should like to provide you with the guidelines and rules that will make this trip not only enjoyable but safe. There is one of overwhelmingly important rule that you should always keep in mind. Rule No. 1 is "have fun".
Please look around you and familiarize yourself with the vessel. Take a look at your fellow passengers and any event you notice that someone has not been seen for a while, please bring that to the attention of the Captain. That would be me.
This sunset cruise will take us out into the intracoastal, north through the Siesta Key Bridge, along the the north end of Siesta Key and out towards the Gulf of Mexico. We will raise sails with the cooperation of the wind.
The bathroom which is called a "head" is located down the stairs into the hull on the right hand or "starboard" side of the vessel. You will find instructions on the operation of the head on the back of the door. In the event that you are in need of assistance please do not be too embarrassed to ask.
My first vessel that I spent an enormous amount of time on was a Venture 22. What a great fun boat. I lived in Miami at the time and sailed every weekend during the first year that I owned her. The Keys were my playground and the learning curve was pretty intense. I modified the steering from a tiller to a wheel with the assistance of a wonderful friend named Bill. Truth be known, he actually did most of the design and building. The rudder itself was modified with a forward fin that aided in the steering. I built a refrigerator with a 12 volt pump and adapted an automobile alternator to the top of my 4hp outboard. Worked pretty well. I sailed her for 12 years until I bought the Hunter 37 and sold her to good friends that used her well and had many adventures. 
I picked this vessel up at Nanny Cay boat yard in Tortola BVI in 1985. The trip back to home port in Coral Gables, Florida was to say the least....exciting. The "Readers' Digest" version is that with one other crew, commissioned the vessel and went to St Thomas to providion. David Chroman arrived and we set out for Puerto Rico as our next stop. Some repairs to refrigeration was performed and we set out for Grand Turk Island, 300 nautical miles over open ocean. Arrived at dusk on the 3rd day. Even I was amazed that a sextant, compass, watch and ocean current charts with dead reconing would produce arrival at an island the size of a dot. David flew home and 3 new crew arrived, miss judy, Tony and Paul. The next morning headed out past Caicos Island and ended up on the reef for the night. The next day after an inspection of the hull and keel, we travelled to Long Island and ran into a big storm. After the storm (great storm story), we travelled to Georgetown in the Exumas. Tony and Paul jumped ship and headed home to Ft. Lauderdale. After they left, we had great weather up through the Exumas to Nassau, from Nassau, to Bimini, then across to Miami and Home. 30 days of wonderful breezes, fishing, snorkeling, sun and great food.
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May of 2007 |
