03/04 - 03/06 - Hontoon Island, Florida 2025

Bill and I are looking forward to our second year at the Hontoon Island gathering. It sounds like we’ll be meeting several new people. See you in a couple of weeks!
 
Before I forget, an important notice. :mrgreen: I will be bringing my famous coloring book along. It was here at Hontoon at one of my initial gathering attendances that I won this book in the silent auction. Please, I'd be honored if everyone did some coloring in it. Look through it to perhaps find memories of other gatherings you have attended. If you are new, keep up the tradition, as you may see it again in the future. Following is the description I keep with the book. It should be in a ziplock like bag to protect it when it gets to your boat. I do appreciate you taking time to be a part of this. I haven't chosen which page to color yet, but it will be notated on the sheet before I send the book around. Colby

I won this book in a silent auction at the 2016 C-Brats St. Johns River gathering. While I’m not really into adult coloring, this seemed like a great opportunity to have something to remember the great times and new friendships made or old ones rekindled during various C-Brat gatherings, be they formal official gatherings, or informal meetings on the water (or land for that matter) at other times.
I ask that you take part in this endeavor by coloring in some detail of a picture, and adding your name and boat name to the item you colored in. If by chance you are joining in the gathering without a boat, please be a part of this anyway even if you don’t have a boat name to add.
Once you are finished, please pass it on to the boat or person next to you. Each gathering or event has a page/picture assigned to it below.
Thanks so much for your participation in this event and for coloring in the book. And BTW, no excuses about not being able to stay in the lines, lol. I can’t either…
Before the end of the gathering, please insure this book finds its way back to me. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Colby Smith / Midnight Flyer C-Traveler

CBG= C-Brats gathering CB=C-Brats limited size “”= Informal C-Brats cruising
March 4-6 2016 CBG St. Johns River, Hontoon Island, Fl Page 18-19
March 7 2016 “C-Dory Six” St. Johns River Page 20
June 2016 “Apostle Islands” Lake Superior Page 40-41
March 7-9 2017 CBG St. Johns River, Hontoon Island, FL Page 36
March 10 2017 “C-Dory 8” St. Johns River Page 37
April 2017 CB 15th Annual Delta Bay Extravaganza, California Page 45
August 2017 “Isle Royal” Lake Superior Page 48
Sept 7-10 2017 CBG Meet in the Middle, Mississippi River, Clinton IA Page 31
October 2017 CB Snake & Columbia River Cruise, Lewiston, ID-Astoria, OR Page 30
March 6-8 2018 CBG St. Johns River, Hontoon Island Fl Page 39 & 49
May 8-10 2018 CBG Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands, Washington Page 16 & 17
July 5- 2018 “Isle Royal” Lake Superior Page 10 & 27
Sept 7-9 2018 CBG Meet in the Middle, Mississippi River, Alton, Il Page 6
Sept 22-23 2018 CBG Lake Powell Page 7
March 5-7 2019 CBG St. Johns River, Hontoon Island FL, Page 9, 11, & 13
March 8-15 2019 CB St. John’s River cruise to Jacksonville, Page 11
Sept 5-8 2019 CB Meet in the Middle, Mississippi River, Alton, Il. Page 8
March 2020 CBG St. John’s River, Hontoon Island FL, Pages 24, 25 & 29
Sept 26 – 30 2020 “Lake Powell” Utah Page 53
Sept 11-24 2021 Mississippi River Cruise Page 38
March 8-10 2022 CBG St. John’s River, Hontoon Island FL, Page 44
March 7-9 2023 CBG St. John’s River, Hontoon Island State Park, FL. Page 50
May 3-7 2023 CB Delta Cruise Pages 34 & 35
May 11-14 2023 CBG Friday Harbor Page 46
July 2023 Isle Royale National Park Page 12
August 6-12 2023 CB Cruise 18th Annual Catalina Off-Shore Adventure Page 21
October 2-6 2023 CBG Meet In The Middle, Prizer Point Marina, Lake Barkley Page 22
May 15-30 2024 North Carolina Loop Page 26
October 2-24 2024 Bill and Colby’s Great Tennessee River Adventure Page 60
 
I love the C-Brats motto. No rules……just be nice. Looking forward to seeing all my nice C-Brat friends at Hontoon.

A couple of updates…

For those that are staying at Lake Beresford Yacht Club dogs are welcome on leashes. We have 3 boats planning to stay there so far and a couple launching. Any others let me know ASAP as they need to know how many to make improvements on.

We have about 21 boats signed up so far on the web and only 17 on Jotform sooooooo If you haven’t done it yet do it now.

https://form.jotform.com/60634279765163

Two weeks to go…..Tom
 
Both repellents, and the Thermacell are what we used. Also "no see um" screens for boat. We bought an Army surplus tent no see un cover, and it made the screens for several boats. We have red lights both in the cockpit and inside, which do not attract the Mosquitos. Not sure if they will have the campfire at the YC?? It was traditional and fun at the Island.
 
Bob are you saying that the No-See-um screens in the C-Dory's aren't effective. Oh well.
On my way down from PA I bet I will pass a lot of Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's. So I'll be able to get the thermacell jobbers. I completely forgot about red lights. I'll keep an eye out for them once on board.
Thanks.
 
I used red LED lamps with pigtails. Just drilled correct size holes in either starboard or half PVC pipe and glued the LED there. Nothing fancy. Solder in parallel, and you have a geat setup for only a few dollars, Small wires with very little amperage draw.

The screens which come with the boat may be too coarse and allow the smallest bugs in. We just have velcro hot glued on the netting and put it in place. You need a screen for the hatch and opening front window.
 
I used red LED lamps with pigtails. Just drilled correct size holes in either starboard or half PVC pipe and glued the LED there. Nothing fancy. Solder in parallel, and you have a geat setup for only a few dollars, Small wires with very little amperage draw.

The screens which come with the boat may be too coarse and allow the smallest bugs in. We just have velcro hot glued on the netting and put it in place. You need a screen for the hatch and opening front window.
 
thataway said:
I used red LED lamps with pigtails. Just drilled correct size holes in either starboard or half PVC pipe and glued the LED there. Nothing fancy. Solder in parallel, and you have a geat setup for only a few dollars, Small wires with very little amperage draw.


I'll have to see this....lemme get the boat first. We're signing today and the settlement is early next week. There will be an announcement.....
 
Just a reminder that the camp store is not open. Please be sure to provision your boat before hand.

Temperatures can vary from about 30 degrees to 90 degrees in March so bring layers for comfort. Rain gear can also come in handy.

If you have name tags be sure to bring them. If you don’t have one no worries……we will supply. Be sure to wear them though the event so we can better get to know each other.

Remember your silent auction items for our park fundraiser.

We will be taking free will offerings for supplies and food. All donations over and above actual costs will be donated toward the betterment of Hontoon Island State Park.

C-Dory channel 72

It’s a good idea to have deck chairs available for each person.

Remember to sign up on Jotform
 
Hi All,

Get to know Adam Hull. He is the park services specialist stationed at Hontoon Island, and is the ranking staff person on the island. Dustin is the manager, but he is stationed at Blue Springs State Park, which keeps him pretty busy. Both are great resources, but you will more likely see Adam during the gathering:

Adam.Hull@floridadep.gov

Enjoy, we won't be there this year--we are busy skiing.

Ken
 
Donald Tyson":3s7e2qas said:
thataway":3s7e2qas said:
I used red LED lamps with pigtails. Just drilled correct size holes in either starboard or half PVC pipe and glued the LED there. Nothing fancy. Solder in parallel, and you have a geat setup for only a few dollars, Small wires with very little amperage draw.


I'll have to see this....lemme get the boat first. We're signing today and the settlement is early next week. There will be an announcement.....
Inside the cabin
DSC00444.sized.jpg
Cockpit, looking inside
DSC00446.sized.jpg
 
I wanted to remind everybody of the new burgees available from Kathy Wilson. I will have mine along for anyone that would like to see one. This is the thread discussing them: http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?p=377013

Also, for anyone interested, I will be blogging my experience this year at Hontoon at my blog on FindPenguins. The trip starts out with my travel to Gulf Shores first, where we are spending a week with friends before we head over to the St. John's River.
https://findpenguins.com/77ono0cdqci52/trip/alabama-and-florida

Colby
 
I visited three places today.

1)Ed Stone Park:
Both the park side and the marina part seem accommodating. I don't know what to expect. It's a very different environment than the Liberty Landing's of New England.
It seems that the Bridge has been entirely replaced, the one that crosses the St. Johns at Ed Stone.

2)I briefly visited the parking lot at Hontoon Marina but did not walk their docks.

3) I went to Beresford YC and found it okay. They are supposedly beginning to work on accommodation of us.
some nice people out on the docks discussed Crappy and other fishing with me. To me that was like a pow wow. I love fishing.

Looking forward to Tom and Joyce cooking for us all, lol, hahahah.
 
We have a fair number of new C-Brats who will be at the gathering that have not anchored a lot. So I’ve decided to talk Wednesday about anchoring basics. I always love to spend the night on the “hook”. It’s always cool to wake up to manatees snorting next to the C-Otter.

Looking back at my early days of C-Dory’s there was a lot of things I didn’t know about cruising. Sooooo….Ill also talk about what I wish I knew in the beginning.

If I know anything now about boating it’s because I made a lot of mistakes. You can learn by mine or make your own.

Hontoon here we come….Tom
 
I’m sorry to say Bob and I will have to miss this year. Lots of tests and doctor appts. Trying to figure out his heart arrhythmia and my back pain/hypoventilation.

Plan to SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR.

Jackie.
 
Just had dinner at Christo’s in Sanford. If anyone gets down that way it is excellent and won’t break the bank. Had Greek nachos and grilled chicken spinach Stromboli. Everything looks good and great local reviews
 
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