Photo courtesy of Alan Ap Torree, Odessa, TX
Many think of Port O’Connor mostly as a place to fish from a power boat. This has changed with the advent of inexpensive roto-molded plastic kayaks and sailing craft, which have seen a steady increase in popularity over the last fifteen years. Most people can now afford a kayak at a fraction of their previous costs and immerse themselves into an alternative fishing or touring venue that can be more rewarding than power-boating.
As a customer of Mariner Sails in Dallas, Alan Ap Torre (a jovial Filipino who lives in Odessa) owns four Hobie Adventure Island Sail-Yaks. Imagine a touring kayak with pontoons attached to outriggers that extend and snap into position, and transforms into a small tri-maran (three-hulled) sailboat.
When Alan Ap Torre called Alan Raby who works for Mariner Sails, he asked where on the coast they should plan a sailing trip while throwing out names like Rockport, Port Aransas, and…Port O’Connor.
“Yes, Port O’Connor! That’s my hometown!” Alan Raby exclaimed. The four Filipinos (Alan Ap Torre, his Sister Deena, and two brother-in-laws Pong and Lorey) had been to Port O’Connor when the Matagorda Island ferry was still active. As the ferry no longer operates, Alan Raby jumped on the opportunity to guide the sailors in exchange for letting him sail on one of their Adventure Islands.
The Adventure Islands are just one of a variety of kayaks that are starting to appear in the area. The Hobie Mirage kayaks are unique in that the Mirage Drive uses fins and foot-pedals for propulsion; this allows the hands freedom to drink a soda, take pictures, and especially fish with stealth. Shallows are not a problem for the tough fins since the drive unit can be removed in seconds, or one foot can push forward to flatten the fins against the hull of the boat.
The sailing trip involved running the Adventure Islands through a variety of fun and challenging conditions. Due to an approaching cold front, Alan Raby advised to reschedule the campout having experienced some unpleasantness with Port O’Connor cold fronts before. Nothing could crack Alan Torre’s excitement about camping, so after a speedy night sail to Pass Cavallo and back, they camped at Sunday Beach the following day.
The five sailors experienced fast and thrilling night sailing, dolphins playing games with their boats, fishing at sunset, and sailing through white caps in knee deep water against chilly north winds, which never dulled their excitement about the venue.
After Alan learned to windsurf, sail, and kayak (as he frequently does when he returns to visit family), he stopped taking Port O’Connor for granted, and plans to move back in early spring of 2013 with a small fleet of Hobie Mirage kayaks for rental and guiding purposes as Dolphin Kayak Rental. The bulk of the boats will be Hobie Mirage kayaks with at least one Adventure Island.
A youtube video compilation of the sailing trip (Hobie Adventure Islands in Port O’Connor) can be found here:
http://youtu.be/VhTkC_6Zg68
Alan Raby can be reached through Mariner Sails in Dallas, TX.
