Leave it to a bunch of Texans to find each other amongst remote Bahamian islands. A true Texas flotilla has formed with the five vessels Matt and Christie of Kaleo, Steve aboard Anchor Management, Troy and Deana of Storyville, Rusty and Linda on Sea Yawl Later, and Shane aboard Guiding Light.
Rusty,the quintessential Texan – warm, outgoing with can-do optimism and a true southern gentleman, first coined the nickname of our group all hailing from near Houston which includes two catamarans, a racer/cruiser, a full-keeled cutter and a ketch.
Beyond our Texas origins, the group seems to share a similar cruising style with each crew member bringing a unique and enjoyable personality, and has formed a strong bond out here. While each crew is still responsible for their own boat, we often confer on destinations, daily activities and swap anchorage and weather info. Days are spent exploring new areas, sharing meals, games and movies together. We’ve warmed to the name so much that when someone wants to hail everyone in the group, they come on the VHF radio with “Texas Navy, Texas Navy, switch to channel 17.” We all switch over and make plans but since VHF is an open frequency (meaning anyone with a radio can listen in), our nickname has become known among the local cruising community. When you introduce yourself to another cruiser around here and mention you’re from Texas, often the first thing they ask is “are you part of the Texas Navy?” And while we’re having a ton of fun together, we’re not an exclusive, members-only club and look forward to meeting others – both cruisers and locals – along our journeys.
As each boat’s cruising plans progress, we may go our own course in time but for now are enjoying each day we’re blessed to spend together.
Wow! Good fun…I literally *just* pre-wrote a post on finding a similar group of like-minded people. Nice.
Great name, and so nice to meet up with a group of others from the same area. Looks like a great group of people!