10/20 - 10/22 - Gulf Coast Gathering

B

Byrdman

New member
NOTE: GOT DATES, GOT AREA, GOT A MINI CRUISE IN MIND TOO.. READ POST BELOW FOR UPDATES..Just returned home from 4 or 5 days on the Gulf. Drove down to one of our new dealers in East Point, FL (65 miles east of Panama City, FL) and helped them with a "convoy" of C-Dory boats to the Gulf Coast Boat Show. 16' Angler, 19 Angler, 22 Cruiser and 25 Cruiser. Limited space effected us not being able to drag a 22 Angler or the TC255. Great time meeting some of the C-Dory folks in the area. The farthest drive was from Alaska.... and the closest was from right there in Pensecola....not counting the folks that became new C-Dory owners at the Mobile show the week prior or the ones who became owners this weekend. Yep.... I see some very bright future for us C-Brats in the SE....and a nice size gathering in the future too. Hope to see some of yall soon...and working a re-power deal for C-Byrd in the REAL NEAR future too.... Aint life great on a C-Dory. Will post a pic or two when I get my bags unpacked and I can find my little camera cable...

Byrdman.
 
Yep...you guessed it...those Alaska folks were us! We drove down from Montgomery to Pensacola to talk with Marc from Wefings about outriggers...and wound up meeting Byrdman, too. First Brats we have met in person. Patrick was hiding behind some big shades and we didn't recognize him. It was kinda funny. We had some nice conversation and made some great Gulf fishing contacts. We're looking forward to thinning out the fish population down there this summer. Donna and I found a real nice home, and if all goes as planned, we'll pull into the drive with boat in tow sometime at the end of June. Lake Martin is beautiful...this could be a lot of fun. A fall gathering sounds great to us! As long as I'm not away at school (I'll get a date soon) count us in!
 
Shame on me!!

I spoke with Marc Grove on the phone yesterday, and he told me ya'll had come to town. I missed the show news completely.
I spoke with Bob Austin last friday evening, and he said you may stop out, but something must have interrupted us, or I never got around to asking what you where doing in town. I'm sorry I missed a chance to meet you.

A little update. Around Thanksgiving, I posted a question regarding leaking fuel tanks and I'll bring you and the forum up to date.
The factory handled the repairs under warranty, and Wefing Marine did the work. The port tank was removed and replaced. Wefing also did the 30 hour service on the Hondas which was a bit over due.
While the boat was down at Wefings, Marc located a shop(Pro Welders in Sopchoppy, Fl, to build a top for the "Katie Kat". I was pleased with the results. If the powers that be will fix me up with an album, I'll post some pics. The top is similar to the "Molly Brown"s and the guys at Pro Welders helped me out with some removable "planer board" mast also(poor mans outriggers).

I was pleased with the service provided by Wefings and think they will be a good asset to the C-Dory community. Folks along the Gulf coast will sit in the shade to cool off, and fish in an open boat. Its only a matter of time before C-Dory's become as common on this coast as they are on the west coast.

Thanks to the Factory, for the help with Katie Kat and thanks to Marc Grove and Lee Jones at Wefing for handling the repairs.

Gordon
 
Gordon and others: Well...we are approaching 100 registered C-Brats in FL, AL & GA, the 3 most south eastern states. This is new. This is exciting. We are for sure hampered in the fall by our beloved SEC football, but may need to pic us one of those "off" weekends for a gathering in the panhandle area. Or.... one of those "just mosey about the area" gigs like we did up in Nashville last year where we focused on Friday thru Sunday,,,,then a week or two of follow on travel for those who can.

One thing for sure I learned out in Seattle the last two years....is that for sure you can have a great time if ya just book a few hotel rooms, have a pot luck dinner, and talk C-Dory for a night or two. No boats required... and who knows what might come of it.....even in the summer when some fishing is always good, the shrimp are great...

Just thinking again...and yall know that gets dangerous quick.
Byrdman in Bama
 
OK... I HAVE SOME DATES NAILED DOWN AND A 95.5% LOCK IN ON A GREAT "HOME/FACILITY" TOO... If that does not work... I have many other ideas that would work without that particular place.

Weekend Gathering Dates: 20-22 Oct 06
Gathering Location: Apalachicola Bay, FL
Pre-Cruise: Down the east side of Alabama from Eufaula, AL to the bay
Possible Post-Cruise: Either right back up the rivers (3 of them make this route south).... or... go west over to Mobile Bay, head north up the Alabama River back to Montgomery, AL, which is today my home town.

I need to get some interest levels in
1: The weekend gathering
2: The pre cruise
3: Post gathering ideas and or cruises by those who can and will attend.

Air flights for those who could not bring boats..but would want to join someone boating solo or having room.... Birmingham, AL has southwest airline flight at a pretty good price. Atlanta, GA has flights from all over the world, Montgomery, AL has limited flights if someone wants to travel with me. I will let folks from that local area speak on flights down there.

Byrdman
 
Also have Auburn Football schedule that I have to work around.... tickets bought, hotels rented...wife kill me if I miss type stuff.... and...yes.... I am the head of my household....but she is the neck that can turn that head.

AK @ Auburn 7Oct
FL @ Auburn 14Oct
Tulane @ Auburn 21Oct (have donated tickets...going boating!!)
OLE MISS @ Ole MS...so a little travel needed
Gotta be home by 2 Nov for another trip
 
Patrick,
As soon as we get down there...should be arriving in Montgomery on June 22 or 23rd...we'll check to see what our work schedules are, but it shouldn't be a problem...count us in for the weekender.

Rick & Donna
 
This one sounds like a great one! It has been added to the Calendar and a signup list set up.
 
We have an exceptional gathering place on the Intracoastal with a bar b q big enough to put Byrdman in ! Wefings will have the finest seafood and activities the Gulf Coast has to offer . If I can get a gallery set up I will post the location shots as well as some things we might do . We are looking forward to having a great yearly gathering here and meeting old and new brats!!
Marc
 
We are going to be in Venice FL for the winter. Will check out the mileage to trailer to the gathering. Had a ball at the Chesapeake Gathering. Will keep you posted
 
Its a about 8 hours driving time with trailer at sane towing speeds to Apalachicola from Venice . Its a nice drive to do in a day, and if you stay on 19 to Perry it is scenic as well . Lots of old Florida !
Marc Grove
 
Sounding good for this event. Thanks for the emails and looking forward to seeing some of you again, as well as meeting some of you for the 1st time. Talked with our smoker/pit manager in Nashville about helping out on the whole hog and we will be in fine shape. Now, I have to look around to see if I have an old baseball laying around somewhere..... it just makes it way easier to put that nice big shinny apple in the mouth prior to putting the hog on the serving table. Will have some ribs, vinigar base pulled pork, plain pulled pork, and some nice slow smoked brisket too. The folks at the Blakely Island gathering about got in a wrestling match over the brisket...so I will for sure increase the ratio of that. Looking forward to it. Rumor has it that Marc and some of the locals will hook us up with a bounty of fresh sea food products too.... so.... it will be some fine eating for sure!!! Yall come on down!!!

Byrdman
 
Hi Byrdman & Marc----when are you going to be creating a sign up sheet for the gathering? Are these the finalized dates?, so I can re-schedule my traveling time from New England to Florida by way of California.-------Thanks for any info--------Rich
 
Hey Rich!! Our wonderful powers who be..... have already got us one set up. Hit the Event Sighups button at the top left/center of the homepage.... use the drag down for the Gulf Coast Gathering...and sign on up.

Yes, the dates are good to go for Friday thru Sunday, 20-22Oct06 for the "main gathering." Like all gatherings.... there may be a little before and after time based on what the folks making the gathering want to do. I was thinking of putting in up here on either the east or west side of Alabama and traveling down by boat....if....there are any others interested in making the cruise. Takes about 4 days down the west side from Montgommery AL down the Alabama River (and need to carry fuel due to lack of marina's on the AL River), or down from Eufaula, AL on the east side which I think is about a 2 day travel time right into Apalachicola Bay from the Apalachicola River. Just my thoughts... My only constraints at this time are the Auburn football games on 14Oct in Auburn against AK....and we have some AK folks already signed up for the gathering....so that might be fun too...and I could more than likely get some AU/AK tickets if I start now.... and then we travel to Oxford MS 27-29Oct for the Ole Miss/Auburn game.
 
I have been talking to Jim (Duck) and I believe he will be trying to make the trip north in October as well, but I will let him chime in on his own.

I am planning on trailering up to Lake Seminole, Ga. and meeting up with my brother who will be joining me for a cruise down the Apalachicola River to meet up with the rest of the Brats. We plan on being around Friday night, Saturday and on Sunday starting out early for some trout fishing along the the Big Bend east. We will be heading for Spring Warrior Fish Camp on Monday to meet up with some more family and hopefully my truck and trailer will have been delivered in one piece. Somewhere around Thursday I will be hooking up and heading back to Naples.

Judy will be staying home this time to provide income to support my habits....Now don't feel bad for her...she took a week off to welcome a new grandbaby aboard and will be taking two more weeks at the end of July to visit her family in Ohio, while I hold down the fort here. A 3 to 1 ratio on vacations is pretty good no matter how you count the beans.

Lookin' foward to see y'all.

Mike
 
Just got back from the Chesapeake Gathering (I know, we're a little slow, stayed there 3 weeks and then several weeks on the Erie Canal), so I'm not ready to commit the 1st Mate to attending will probably be able to after she has had some "shore leave" . Question, where will the boats be docking??? Does Wefings have dockage?? :bat
 
Thanks Byrdman--- when I went to sign up, the sheet was under non-members( now has been changed), so I didn't proceed. I didn't want to be hanging out with a bunch of Bayliners, unless of course they have A/C----Rich
 
Hey Roger and others:

If folks will email me if they like to dock on site, anchor out in a cove or on the beach, get a hotel room in the area, I will attempt to keep track of this and the dockage at John's house. PLEASE PUT C-DORY GATHERING as the subject in your email...this will keep my "junk mail" from deleting it automatically.
The place of the gathering has a very long, well built, deep water (like we need that..) sea walkway/wall. Just bring fenders and rope...or...there are also some very nice slow sloping sand bars/beaches withiing about 1/4 mile of John's house. And...for those who really do not like to leave the boat in the water.... the boat ramp and drive to and from the ramp and house is only about 8-12 minutes depending on "traffic". I will check on just how much shore power is...or is not available. I know there is fresh water on site for re-filling water tanks. Fuel is way available both while on the trailer....and at pull up docks...but, I'd fuel up while on trailer as to stay out of the larger comercial guys....but, I have only visited one of the fuel docks. Again... I plan to much more detal on my trip down end of this week. Hands down, this is a great place...and...there are also local hotels that I "think" you can dock at overnight if you have a room... Still a lot of storm damage on the docks...and I need to ask those particular questions and gets POCs and numbers for those needing them.
 
Hi Byrdman--- I'm assuming that this gathering is going to be in the Eastpoint area, either on the river or the inter-coastal side instead of the town of Apalachicola. But, even though it is across the river, the Apalachicola City Marina use to have guest dockage with a ramp, parking, electricity and water, but this may have changed over the years, might be worth checking out though.-------Rich
 
Here are a few facilities in the area
Fuel Docks ;
Scipio Creek Marina [also has transient docks ,showers etc....]
Miller Marine

Apalachicola City Marina at Battery Park [Power and water in most slips,no other facilities] Jim Silva harbormaster 850-653-7274 I think its 20 bucks a night , but I may be able to pull some strings........

Apalchicola River Inn ;on Intracoastal
has docks ,is a hotel with restaurant [Carolines] and bar [Spoonbill Lounge]
850-653-8139
123 Water St
Apalachicola FL
32320

Rancho Inn [Byrdman's favorite]
Motel not too far from John's river compound
240 Highway 98 W.
Apalachicola FL
32320
850-653-9435

Best Western Apalachicola Close to River compound
249 U.S. Highway 98
Apalachicol , FL
32320
850-653-9131

Gibson Inn Near City Marina ,Great Bar [fri night local get together spot] and fancy restaurant.
57 Market St.
Apalachicola, FL
850-653-2191

Numerous bed and breakfasts available . Call Marc at Wefings for recomendations or any other info you might need !
850-670-8100
 
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