03/04 - 03/06 - St. John's River, Florida 2016

colbysmith · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:55 pm Post subject:

Special Brat get together! Mr. Green

hardee · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:58 pm Post subject:

colby, you are a SB Thumbs Up

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

colbysmith · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 6:46 pm Post subject:

Don't know about that, unless we are using some other abbreviations... Lol Mr. Green

Avidmagnum12 · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 7:03 pm Post subject:

Jim and Jeanine...you have the number 35 spot. That fills us up again for now.
Your Blue Rose is a beautiful C-Dory. If you have not visited the St. John's yet you are in for a treat. If you have any questions give us a call. Our number was on the list for the Mississippi Gathering.

Visited with Cliff on the Ocklawaha Queen today on Haines Creek on the Harris Chain. Cliff will talk about the Ocklawaha River on the Saturday morning of our gathering. Don't miss it. Gulfcoast John will be giving a talk about bottom painting your boat. All this talent.....I just can't wait.

Sitting on the hook with two other C-Dorys in view.....it can't get much better than this.

Tom and Joyce

TadandTobyJackson · Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 9:43 am Post subject:

Hi Tom and Joyce,
Toby and I were up in East Point and Apalachicola this week and met with Marc Grove to test drive C-Tide. We loved it and put down a deposit. Marc will deliver to our house on Saturday the 30th and pick up the Comfy Dory to take back and sell on Wefings lot! He's the Best!
I hope there is some help on the dock when we land cause this boat seems like it is twice as big as Comfy. We're going to cruise up the ICW to JAX from Merritt Island and then up the St Johns to Hontoon to get a little drive time experience on C Tide. We'll be there on Wednesday or Thursday.
T and T

Avidmagnum12 · Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 7:26 pm Post subject:

Congratulations Tad and Toby!
It's exciting to hear that we'll have one of only six 25' "Cruse Ships " at our CBGT. I'm was surprised that the C-Tide was not sold by now but now know that it was waiting for you. The learning curve in handling a 25 after owning a 22 is small. I've always had a problem backing into a slip and still do!
There will be someone on the dock to give you a hand if needed.

Marc at Wefings is one of the "good guys"! He will find a good home for the Comfy Dory. I sold the Out2C myself to a gentleman from Illinois that drove down to Florida to look at it. If he had not bought it the Out2C was going to take it up to Wefings. Marc told me last week that if he could work it out he would stop in at the St. John's gathering.

So happy for you....Tom and Joyce

Will-C

On our trip to the St. Johns river we launched at the Holly Bluff Marina . www.m.hollybluff.com It's very close to Hoontoon State Park. They have fuel and nice showers laundry etc. They know about the local area and are very good about sharing things to do etc. They rent house boats if you wanted to check out the area and needed a boat to do it. The launch ramp is fine. We left our truck and trailer there and kept the boat there for a few days before the SBRAT event. It was nice to have the truck close by to check out the surrounding area. We rode down to Sanford (went to the German restaurant as recommended) and went to a nice Biological Preserve along the way. Deland is a pretty big town with plenty to see. What I thought was amazing was that 45 minutes from the gator you just got done looking at you could be in Daytona Beach having a bite to eat with a cocktail on the beach. Talk about culture shock. Just a couple ideas for the out of towners who are getting there early or sticking around after Tom and Joyce's well organized event. All the people we ran into in the whole area were nicest you could imagine. You will really like Cliff he is amazing. If you can find some of that Jiffy Pop popcorn for the fire it's always a hit to pass around after it becomes like a tin foil Martian's head and share with your new friends. They call them redneck fire alarms.(Casey) Having a small crock pot for the potluck can be handy to have along. Great area have fun lots of great memories.
D.D.

jennykatz · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 8:47 am Post subject: st John's gathering

When are most of the Brats planning to get to Hoontoon park. I will be coming up from Naples and picking up Mike Taylor in Debarry Fl. and launching Friday AM .Do we have saved slips or is it first come first served ? Maybe coming Thur might be better ?Jim (jennykatz)

Avidmagnum12 · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 9:37 am Post subject:

Hi Jim
The park has about 40 slips that are available on a first come first served basis. (We need to get the slips B4 the locals drop in.) Never in a million years did I think we would have this many boats coming! We are going to make it work. Yes...best that you and everyone else check in at the park on Thursday or earlier. I'll put down Mike as attending on my list but if he could sign in on the C-Brats sign up if he has not done so I would appreciate it.

Dave .....You are right Holly Bluff is a great Marina. I have stored my truck and trailer there in the past. It's a recommended facility in my opinion.

Everyone.....Because of the number we have coming, please try to check in at the park on Thursday or before. If you absolutely can't PM me and I'll do what I can to "take over" what we need. Also...if you have not signed up on the C-Brats web site yet please do it now. I will PM more information and you will not get it if your not signed up.

With everyone's help this is going to be the BEST C-Brat gathering...EVER.

Tom

gulfcoast john · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 7:58 pm Post subject: Hontoon 2016

looking forward to it, plan thurs am arrival at Ed Stone ramp.
Cheers!
John

colbysmith · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 11:53 pm Post subject:

I plan on departing the Madison Wi area Monday morning. If all goes well (as in no major weather or trip delays), I hope to be launching Wednesday so as to make it to Hontoon before it gets dark. Otherwise, sometime Thursday. Initially I was set to launch and park at Astor Marine. Then it sounded like Ed Stone would be a safe place to leave the tow rig parked for a week or so. Now I'm hearing about Holley Bluff.... I'm still leaning towards Ed Stone Park, if no one has anything bad to say about the park, and if every one that is familiar with it believes it to be a safe place to leave a rig unattended for a week. Colby

colbysmith · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 11:56 pm Post subject:

Just another thought, with so many boats coming and unable to reserve slips at Hontoon. I've never been there, so no idea if this is a good suggestion or not. But if Holly Bluff is a great marina, and if slips could be reserved there, what about moving the gathering to there, or just using it for overflow if Hontoon fills up? Colby

Casey · Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 5:20 am Post subject:

Moving to Holly Bluff is a creative idea, but I don't think it's really viable.

HB is across the river, and I doubt they would have enough slips either - and splitting the group would be sad.

Hopefully we can secure enough slips to accommodate our group. Hontoon is a Perfect spot for CBGT's (...oops SBGT) and we'll make it work one way or another.

I seem to recall some CBGT's where the marina was simply overloaded but we got by. With some 'creative rafting, possibly anchoring outside the harbor area, whatever ... we'll make it work.

Best,
C&M

Will-C

Casey,
I mentioned Holly Bluff as a place to launch and use as trailer storage as you can't find anything that is much closer. We stayed there before the C-Brat get together to be close to our truck and to be able to do some laundry. I was not recommending to split up anything.
D.D.