03/08 - 03/10 - Hontoon Island CBGT DeLand Florida

Looking at the Hontoon Schedule posted here earlier, looks like the best day to lead a group around the Hontoon Loop would be Tuesday. If you're interested, plan on it Tuesday 10:30a-1:30p. We'll stop and weed anchor for lunch on your own around 11:45-12:30. Joyce, you can sign me up for that early if you'd like. Also, I'll be bringing my coloring book that I won at the auction several years ago. Plan on being asked to color in it. Page 44 this year. :D Heads up for silent auction stuff, this is a list of what I'll be bringing (that I can remember). MSD (Commode) I removed from C-Traveler (John you'd be interested in that for all the crap you give me :mrgreen: :mrgreen:), Helm Seat, two prop hubs that fit the Mercury 115hp Outboard and probably some others, two of the older style air filters that also fit the Merc 115, Shore power cord (30' I believe), small Navy anchor and line, several iPhone 7 Lifeproof Fre water proof cases, small toy drone, Siemans hearing aid battery charger, Ozark air pump, and probably one or two other items I can't remember... And is anyone interested in a brand new Phillips Respironics Dream Station 2 CPap? I'm trying to sell mine for $700 and will bring it along if anyone is interested. Looking forward to seeing all. And for the warmer weather!!! Colby
 
Well ...it a little over a week it will be time for our Hontoon Gathering. I plan on arriving on the Monday before to get settled. Thanks Colby for planning the “Hontoon Loop” for Tuesday. Can’t wait to see everyone. Hopefully everyone is well and healthy. Joyce and I are a couple of weeks past a Covid Infection. Not a big deal but it did slow us down a bit on our getting a 45’ Carver Californian set up for friends to do the American Great Loop. We will be pulling out Friday with our C-Dory so we can keep the process moving with the bigger boat and hopefully be underway in early April.

Should make for some interesting discussions......
See you all soon......Tom
 
That boat is a beast of a tank compared to your and Jan's C-Dory's. Good thing it will have a full time "engineer".

Look forward to seeing everyone again. Molly Brown will be driving up and launching later today. I will be solo on this trip.

Safe travels to all,
James
 
Hi everyone!
Wolfgang and I attended the 2019 rendezvous and had a blast ! We’re headed to Florida next week and would love to stop by on Wednesday to see old friends and meet some new ones!
We’re traveling by car and will need nearby accommodations - any recommendations?
Can’t wait to get out of Michigan!
Joyce and Wolfgang Han-Voth
 
At Lake city. Randy who brought “Thataway” wanted to know where the Winch Handle was….In may garage, as is the one for my boat. In all of the hassle and being ‘’ ELDERLY:. No winch handle. OK Crescent wrench works. Irony is I had bought an extra winch handle—and it was in the truck—-but we traded the truck for a Ford Explorer, but are towing with the small RV—no winch handle in the RV…

It is warm—going to be 90 on Monday. 83 today and tomorrow. Diesel was $ 4,78 at Loves and Sunoco..on I 10. On I 75 by the RV park is $4.18! (It was $2.98 about 6 months ago in Alabama…

Heck it is just money….and boating.

We will be at the KOA by Ed Stone park, and have a boat slip reserved there by the RV site, and will launch the Caracal Cat, Center Console tomorrow. Wil be monitoring channel 16 and 68 on VHiF.
 
I hear you on fuel Bob. I've been planning the filling of the boat carefully since a month ago. Watching gas buddy, the day before we left it looked like we could take on 100 gals in Paducah at 2.95/gal. The morning we left it was up to 3.12. We stopped that evening at Marion, IL, and it was now showing 3.17. Then the next morning it was showing 3.29. By the time we got there, an hour later, it was 3.39. That was the cheapest along our way. I should have just fueled the boat at home when I moved it from the back to the front yard and our gas was 3.19/g. Oh well. It's going to be an expensive summer of boating, but we're still boating! 8) See yah in a few more days. BTW, Tom correct me if I'm wrong but somewhere in a page or two past I thought Hontoon was using 72? Colby
 
I am looking forward to seeing everybody. Dana and I will be there on Monday. We will be the ones with the “I’m lost” look on our faces. This will be our first overnight experience on Saint Somewhere, and will be our first boating adventure out of state. I’m hoping to learn a lot from all y’all. See you soon!
 
Bob…..
I have an extra winch handle in my truck and the new new owner is welcome to it if it can be of assistance now or when he pulls out. I’ll be at the ramp at 9am to pick up my weekend guest.
To whoever was looking for a place to stay….you could try Holly Bluff across the river.
Been a great week on the river. I look forward to the meet up and another week afterwards. See y’all on Monday at Hontoon!

James
 
James we will take you up on he winch handle, if it fails. I will mail you a new handle. Thataway was headed to Hontoon last eve. I didn’t have my winch handle either!!! A crescent wrench worked for us. Visegrips for the 25.

Thanks!!!
 
Just met up with Molly Brown. Ed Stone ramp & parking are impacted by about 100 PWC. Some club is having a gathering. We Assume that there will still be an issue until they pull out tomorrow. Trailers are parked all of the way to the KOA RV park currently.
 
Thanks for the info Bob. Maybe we'll take even more time getting out of Tallahassee tomorrow. Doesn't sound like arriving middle of the afternoon tomorrow would be a great idea... Colby
 
Colby…
The place was a zoo. I’ve never seen so many jet skis. Parking lot was full and line to launch snaked all the way around and out to the road. Monday am should be much better. Seems busy everywhere. I’ve come across more boats today than the last 5 days put together. I have to keep reminding myself this is the weekend.

James
 
Thanks for the update James. I was planning on us getting there early afternoon tomorrow and taking my time to set up and then just launching during a lull. That sort of worked last year on a Sunday. Lot of PWC's then too. But the weather is much warmer this year and I expected Sunday might be a little busier. We'll still arrive tomorrow, but I think we'll leave our friends place here in Tallahassee a little later. Hopefully most the weekend warriors will be leaving around 5p and perhaps we can still get enough daylight to launch and head up to Blue Creek. I've got a geocache I want to place at the northern end. And still get back to Hontoon Monday before supper. We'll probably run on plane where we can between Ed Stone and Blue Creek, so should be able to get up and back in a day if we end up launching late. Colby
 
I was just thinking about the fact that we used to hold the C-Brat Gathering at Hontoon over the weekends. Certainly made things more interesting for slips and launching! I’m loaded up but not brave enough to launch till Monday. I’m going to guess that we’re going to see about 25 or so boats. Hoping someone can teach me something about Raymarine Axium chart plotters. I’ve been studying and making progress but it’s not as easy as my Garmin equipment. But then we are trying to teach an old dog a new trick.

Colby..... yes ....we have used 72 in the past. I’ll be looking for you to help me into my slip.

Bring chairs for the nightly campfires 🔥 if you can.

Also .....we will supply name tags. Please....Please.....Please wear them. We have a bunch of new attendees and it’s important to make everyone feel welcome.

Thanks ....Tom and Joyce on the C-otter
 
Hi Folks, my wife and I are coming down in the hopes of getting a better look at some C-Dorys. We're staying at a hotel in Deland but plan on taking the ferry over to visit. Is there anything we should know?
 
If you look back through this link you’ll be able to find the schedule. Be sure to find the registration table when you arrive and you will get a printed schedule. Lots af great folks will be there to show you boats and give you advice. Be prepared for a great time!

Any other information...PM me and I’ll give you my phone number.

Tom on the C-Otter

PS...some rain in the forecast so.........
 
C-Dory’s are arriving, there are six on the dock now and expecting maybe one or two more this evening. I think some parking spaces are becoming available at Ed Stone.
 
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