Few things on the Gulf Coast compare to being out on the water as the sun goes down, with a cool breeze coming across the deck and the sky over Mobile Bay turning shades of orange, pink and purple. For visitors and locals who want to experience that from the deck of a classic sailboat, Middle Bay Sailing Charters in Fairhope offers a Mobile Bay sunset sail aboard Tangerine, a 37-foot Pearson ketch owned and skippered by Jeff Brown.
This look at the charter, its captain and what to expect on board was first shared in July 2022. Details such as pricing and departure times reflect that summer, and anyone planning a trip should confirm current information directly with the charter.
Meet the Captain, Jeff Brown
Jeff Brown has lived in the area since 1997. He first built up his time on the water while stationed with the Navy in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and he stayed there for two more years afterward to remain close to the water and keep sailing. He then spent four years in Miami.
By trade, Brown is a helicopter mechanic. In 2000, he became licensed and certified to run charters through Nautica Sailing. Before buying Tangerine, he lived aboard his first boat, a 33-foot Morgan, for seven years. That kind of experience, living on a boat full time, gives a skipper an intimate understanding of how a vessel handles and what it takes to keep it in good shape.
A Boat Named for a Love Song
When Brown bought Tangerine, he chose to keep her name. The previous owner had named the boat after the 1940s song he and his wife first danced to. “Tangerine,” written in the early 1940s with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, became a popular standard of the big band era, and it still carries a touch of old-fashioned romance, a fitting spirit for a sunset cruise.
Tangerine is a Pearson ketch. Pearson Yachts was one of the best-known American sailboat builders of the late 20th century and a pioneer in fiberglass boat construction, and many of its boats are still sailing today. A ketch is a sailboat with two masts: a taller mainmast toward the front and a shorter mizzen mast toward the back. The split rig spreads the sail area across more, smaller sails, which many sailors find easier to handle and well balanced in a variety of wind conditions. It also gives the boat a classic, graceful profile against the evening sky.
What to Expect on Board
A charter aboard Tangerine can accommodate up to six people. Six-passenger limits are common among small charter boats in the United States, reflecting Coast Guard licensing rules for captains who carry paying passengers on smaller vessels.
Brown has found that guests like to bring their own food and drinks, in whatever amounts they choose. He provides bottled water and ice, and keeps on hand items like extra towels, corkscrews and other small necessities that guests might forget.
Guests who plan to bring glassware may want to consider plastic or stainless steel cups instead, since a boat can heel and rock with the wind. A small cooler keeps drinks cold for the length of the trip.
A few tips for guests planning a sunset sail:
- Pack snacks or a light picnic that is easy to eat on a moving boat.
- Bring a light jacket or layer. Even on warm days, the breeze on the water can feel cool once the sun goes down.
- Wear soft-soled, non-marking shoes that grip well on a wet deck.
- Bring sunscreen and sunglasses for the first part of the trip, when the sun is still bright on the water.
- Keep phones and cameras charged. The afterglow following sunset is often the most photogenic part of the evening.
First-time sailors need not worry about experience. On a captained charter, the skipper handles the boat, and guests can simply relax, though many captains are happy to let curious passengers take a turn at the helm or help trim a sail when conditions allow. Federal rules require boats to carry a Coast Guard-approved life jacket for every person aboard, and guests with young children or weak swimmers should feel free to ask about sizes before the trip.
Celebrations on the Water
There are plenty of reasons to book a sunset sail. It can be a romantic evening, an outing with friends, a family trip, a ladies’ night out or simply a chance to enjoy the bay at the most beautiful time of day.
Brown has hosted a wide range of special occasions. He once took newlyweds out for champagne and photos, and a graduating high school senior had her senior portraits taken aboard Tangerine. For guests planning a surprise, he will even pick up special-occasion items such as cakes and champagne so the secret stays safe until the boat leaves the dock.
Many visitors to the area have told him a sunset sail aboard Tangerine was “the best part of my trip!”
Sailing charters have become a popular way to celebrate milestones along the Gulf Coast. Birthdays, anniversaries, engagements and bachelorette parties all take on a different feel on the open water, and the natural backdrop of a sunset over the bay makes for memorable photos without the need for elaborate decorations.
Sailing From Fly Creek
Tangerine is docked at the Fly Creek City Marina in Fairhope. Fly Creek winds into Mobile Bay just north of downtown Fairhope, and its protected waters are home to a busy community of sailboats and powerboats. The area has long been a hub for sailing on the Eastern Shore, and on many evenings boats can be seen motoring out of the creek and raising sail as they reach the open bay.
Fairhope’s location on the eastern side of Mobile Bay makes it one of the best places on the Gulf Coast to watch the sun go down. Looking west across the water, sailors and beachgoers alike can watch the sun sink toward the Mobile side of the bay, often lighting up the clouds long after it disappears. It is the same view that draws crowds to the Fairhope Municipal Pier each evening, but from the deck of a sailboat, there are no crowds at all.
Mobile Bay itself is one of the largest estuaries in the United States, fed by the Mobile-Tensaw river system, and it is relatively shallow for its size. Its steady afternoon breezes in the warmer months make it an inviting place to sail, and its shoreline of piers, bluffs and marshes offers plenty to look at along the way.
Wildlife is part of the show, too. Brown pelicans are a constant presence around the Eastern Shore, gliding low over the water or diving for fish, and bottlenose dolphins are frequently spotted in the bay. Ospreys, herons and gulls work the shallows near the shoreline. Because a sailboat moves quietly under wind power, without the roar of an engine, passengers often get a closer, more peaceful look at the bay’s residents than they would aboard a powerboat. On calm evenings, the only sounds may be the water against the hull and the occasional flap of a sail.
Timing, Pricing and Planning a Charter
In the summer of 2022, chartering Tangerine cost $350 for up to six people. With the sun setting around 8 p.m. in midsummer, guests needed to arrive at the dock around 5:30 p.m. Most cruises last two and a half to three hours.
Brown typically heads back toward shore about 10 minutes after sunset, but at an unhurried pace, so guests can enjoy their time on the water and the glow of the sky after the sun has set.
Because sunset times shift through the year, departure times change with the seasons. On the Gulf Coast, the sun sets latest in late June and early July, around 8 p.m. local time, and much earlier in winter, when it can go down shortly after 5 p.m. Anyone booking a sunset charter should ask what time to arrive for their specific date.
Weather is another consideration. Summer afternoons on the Gulf Coast frequently bring pop-up thunderstorms, and a responsible captain will watch the forecast and the sky carefully. Guests should be prepared for the possibility that a trip may need to be rescheduled if storms threaten.
An Easy Way to See the Bay
For travelers visiting Baldwin County, a sunset sail offers a way to experience Mobile Bay that is very different from the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to the south. It is quieter, slower and more intimate. For locals, it is a reminder of what makes living near the water special, something easy to take for granted when the bay is simply part of the daily commute. A sunset sail also makes a thoughtful gift for visiting relatives or a memorable way to show out-of-town friends why so many people choose to call the Eastern Shore home.
Whether it is a first date, a family reunion or a quiet evening with a few close friends, a few hours aboard Tangerine offers a front-row seat to one of the Gulf Coast’s greatest free shows: the sun setting over Mobile Bay.