03/07 - 03/09 - 2023 Hontoon Island Gathering

Avidmagnum12

We intend to hold our 10th gathering at Hontoon Island state park near DeLand Florida on March seventh to the ninth 2023 Great time to get together with old friends and make new ones. The park requested that reservations be made online. Online reservations can be made using the following link.

https://reserve.floridastateparks.org/Web/Facilities/SearchViewUnitAvailabity.aspx

The St. John’s river has many miles of great fresh water cruising and side trips. Many past attendees have arrived early and stayed late. Most everyone launches at Ed Stone park on highway 44 but there are many other launches on the river.

Please be sure to signup on this site so that we can plan properly. Of course that’s after the administrator sets it up. I’ll be posting more in the future but we wanted to get the dates out.

Administrator please setup a signup and photo album....Thanks

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 -TyBoo

Miafun1 · Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2022 6:46 pm Post subject: Hontoon Island Gathering

Thanks once again!
We are so looking forward to seeing our C Brat friends!
We’ve reserved slip 10a again next year.
Dan and Peggy Bowers

colbysmith · Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2022 10:16 pm Post subject:

We've already got our slip reserved. Somebody beat us to the one we had last year, (9A or B, I think...) so we grabbed 3A. Looking forward to another great gathering. Colby (& Rosanne)

thataway · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 2:38 am Post subject:

If all of the starts and roads align, we will be there with the RV and Caracal Cat...hopefully no rain this year!

ssobol · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 1:39 pm Post subject:

If you look at the brochure for the park, there is a picture of the marina. Seems to be filled with C-Dorys.

https://www.floridastateparks.org/sites/default/files/media/file/Hontoon%20Island%20Brochure%20Update.pdf

thataway · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 3:22 pm Post subject:

ssobol · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 7:03 pm Post subject:

colbysmith · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 8:55 pm Post subject:

thataway · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 10:02 pm Post subject:

Molly Brown · Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 7:19 am Post subject:

Big thank you to Tom and Joyce for stepping up yet again to make this gathering happen!!

All reserved for 1A as usual. I'd be interested on the progress of the highway 44 bridge and its impact to Ed Stone if anyone local should know.

As always, looking forward to the St.Johns. We are tentatively planning to be on the river February 15 to March 15, and will be monitoring channel 72.

James

colbysmith · Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 8:11 pm Post subject:

James, our plans for now are to get there a few days before the gathering, launching early afternoon before the rat race on Friday March 3rd. And if the water levels are good, I'm going to use the track Ken gave me from your guys ride up the Econ last year and see if I can follow it. Then not sure what our plans are after the gathering. We may load out and relaunch in another location to cruise for another week and a half or so. If anybody decides to take a run up Blue Creek, you can see if the Propeller fake birdhouse I hung up is still there. I hung it from a low hanging palm tree on that last little island you go around on the north end of the Creek, that the Alligators like to sun themselves on. Colby

Molly Brown · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2022 6:46 am Post subject:

Colby, as I'm sure you are aware, a trek to the Econ is quite the expedition. At one time or another most of us haven't been able to actually make it up the Econ. You just don't know until you go for yourself. Last year I think, Blue Days and company had barely enough water to make it to the Hwy. 46 bridge and elected to end their campaign. Not a week or 10 days later, myself and Sea Angel made it with no problem all the way up the Econ as far as my normal camping spot. Give yourself 3 days minimum. Looking forward to seeing you and Rosanne again.

For the folks up north that are buried in snow at that time of year, one option is to stage your boat in Florida in late fall, or anywhere south of the Mason Dixie line. If you can leave your truck too so much the better. Then all you have to do is fly in and go.

Oh, and, Happy Birthday Colby....your right on my heels and always will be Laughing

James

thataway · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2022 2:25 pm Post subject:

To add to James's caution about the Econ--best to have two boats, then one can pull the first boat when it runs aground on a sand bar. We tried several times to get further than Deep Creek, and the way was blocked by floating vegetation. The water needs to be a certain depth (high). We took a drone with us to scout the second and third attempts. Getting up high to survey the possible openings also helps (standing on the roof). Once across the opening then it is easy going for a long distance. I think well worth the effort. Mostly kayaks on the Econ. Also raised sleeping platforms for the kayak campers, so they won't get eaten at night by the alligators, or gored by the long horn bulls.. Very Happy

Down load the most recent aerial photos or Google Earth you can find--that will help.

Bur10Palmr · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2022 5:57 pm Post subject: Hontoon Island C-Brat GT 2023

Glad to see we are doing this again! Had a great time last year, our first, so we just reserved Slip 7A.

Burt and Debbie Palmer
Following C's
22 Angler
Melbourne Beach FL

Bur10Palmr · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2022 5:58 pm Post subject: Hontoon Island C-Brat GT 2023

Glad to see we are doing this again! Had a great time last year, our first, so we just reserved Slip 7A.

Burt and Debbie Palmer
Following C's
22 Angler
Melbourne Beach FL