If you read this topic
http://thebeachcats.com/f…opic/topic/14517/start/0

About visiting Panama City Beach with a beachcat, Th-Renovator got everything worked out and has permissions and a place for the trailer, but just now he texted me and is in desperate need of beach wheels to actually get to the water.

If you are in the area and have beach wheels you could loan for his vacation week, please post here, PM me (he doesn't have Internet right now), or send me email at damon (at) this website.

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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quick...tyler...where are you at????...help a brother if you can!

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bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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Damon, have him give me a call at 850-630-2139.

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Tyler holmes
Panama city, FL

Boat whore
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I find it kind of incredible that there are no public beachs that you can launch from or a local club that would host a fellow cat sailor. Our club lets folks sail in and beach or anchor up and enjoy our facilities. We actually welcome it. I was in PC when my son graduated from Officer Candidate School and the water looks great for beachcat sailing. I find it even more unbelievable that you have to permission slip from a town offical. What kind of nonsense is that? I'm sitting here dumbfounded at a loss for words.

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2007 Nacra F18 Infusion
www.fleet250.org
Facebook: Sandy Hook Bay Catamaran Club
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Real estate on the gulf there is far too expensive to be used for anything that will not separate tourist from the cash they brought with them. The rent for a commercial space on the beach in PCB is $200k per season.

That boggles the mind. It just seems that there should be open space set aside for public use. There has always been a riff here about the ocean town beaches charging for a beach badge for use. Its kinda messed up as they use federal tax dollars to replenish the sand after a storm. Our club property is owned by the town and we lease it but keep the beach access open for the general public to use it. They cant launch a boat unless they are a club memeber though. It really is a great relationship we have with the town. The tramp you sent me very nice by the way.

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2007 Nacra F18 Infusion
www.fleet250.org
Facebook: Sandy Hook Bay Catamaran Club
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Renovator was able to get beach wheels from Starboard Marine only six miles from where he was staying. I'm not sure whether he bought or rented them.

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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UPDATE!

Thanks to all you beachcat sailors who put me in touch with a set of beach-wheels from above vendor, I now own a set of cat-trax.

To explain the situation, pretty much as carolinacatamarans mentioned, its all about the holy $$$. There is an empty space next to the resort we staying at, gives me access to the beach, but its owned/controled by an RV park across the road and is used by a beach operator renting chairs/jetski/parasail/rubber duck. He gave me permission to access the beach and I can leave my cat in front of the resort no problem, the problem was the sand is too soft to use my trailer, resort gave me permission to park boat and trailer in their gravel parking lot about 200 ft away from the beach. With the beach-wheels, I was able to take the cat off the trailer, step the mast, load all my gear on the cat, put cat on beach-wheels and walk the boat down to the beach, after checking for over-head hazards.

Problems did not end there though, very shallow sandbanks prohibited me from launching except through a deep channel between sandbanks, but the beach operator rented the strip of beach down to the water edge from the city and used that channel, he did not want me blocking his jetski"s/seadoo"s. My solution was to move my boat down to the waters edge (using those awesome beach-wheels) next to his rented strip early in the am before the vacation crowd hit the beach and leave my boat there. From our view 21 stories up, it was quite amusing to watch the boat quickly get surrounded by towels/umbrellas/vacationers. When I wanted to go sail, just hoisted the sails, hit the channel and accelerated out to deep water.

Every beach we have been to has it's own set of unusual circumstances, each city has its own ordinances regarding the beach and use/access, always a good idea to call ahead of time, find out who manages the beaches and inquire about beach access. Also a good idea to call the resort ahead of time and find out about trailer parking and get permission to leave boat on their beach. And always have a set of beach-wheels with you if sailing off a beach.

Many thanks to damon, robpratt, and all those other sailors who put me in touch with Pat Martin of Starboard Marine, who also has spare parts for sailboats. I noticed he had a Solcat and a couple of Hobie 16's for sale as well as many spare parts in his shop. A very successful vacation, with lots of ocean sailing.

Renovator