Short answer: (kinda)
OK, I'll get in the corner of life once again as the Nun's taught me how to do years ago… for expressing myself and holding someone accountable for their actions. Go figure. Bill did the correct thing and locked the link. Maybe others will be locked likewise in the future…or hopefully not…as, that is one of the reasons we have C-Brats today rather than C-Dogs. Let’s find what we have in common and have fun and laugh.
Merry Christmas, Healthy and Blessed New Year
Byrdman
Now, stepping out of the corner … and the longer…Just Answering Part: Go ahead and pour a fresh one, you may need it.
Even though I've been a C-Brat for a couple of years, I feel like I've never quite learned to fit in, so I find myself with some questions.
No problem Brother (and Sister in this case..or bottle), I often do not fit into many places and/or social circles and life is still great and better than I deserve.
I will save the longer for last and answer some of the others:
If'n I'm a good ol' boy can I leap at any opportunity to market my other-brand-boat on the C-Dory owners' site -- even though marketing is verboten?
OK, I will do my part to stay away from the verboten stuff on here. Sounds like something a person would need penicillin for. This site should be fun not a trip to the Dr.’s office. At the same time, I will ask our administrators to immediately pull my, and any other of our sites sponsor’s ads that are not C-Dory. Their site, their call.
If'n I'm a good ol' boy can I stir political crap on the boat site if I feel like it? You are correct here too…other than I have not really been all that good. For many years (and to this day) I hate politics and for all but about 3 of them that I know personally and go on mission trips with, I feel they are …well, I will pause here. Surprised some of you did I?
If'n I'm a good ol' boy should I be expected to distinguish between Congress and a state legislature?
Alright already… My name is not (AP) the quoted source of pic and text. Maybe I was wrong and we should be paying them to play solitaire and face book on government time, but I do not think so. Blame it on Bill/Halcyon who called me this morning to wish me a Merry Christmas. He got me looking at things a little closer of late. I am not having near the fun now that I am tracking our “elected leadership” and their actions… I did not even vote for many, many years…as I think they are all just in it to forward their own individual interest. I was employed by the Uncle Sam for a bit over 27 years and went where ever and when ever they said go and do what ever was needed done just to allow folks to be able to freely say and do what they say and do. It was not until I realized that I had a bleeeeeeeding heart liberal wife (over 31 years….yes..she is lovely…and durable too!!) that I started voting again…just to off set her vote. It was the only American thing to do.
If'n I'm not a good ol' boy swinging on the right, will my crapola stirring create a crap storm?
Will attempt to limit my stirring to boat issues…. It is more fun and most boaters can be trusted. Most anyway.
If'n I become a good ol'boy, and I'm a C-Brat for a long time, can I become a sacred cow -- or would I have to become a Hindu -- or a cow -- or a Hindu cow? Wow… can we vote for cows?
I am not sacred…the link got locked…but then…many were in agreement. And all this time I thought that the world's third largest religion and one of the oldest still in practice was a not a political party. Why do they call it party anyway? It is not much fun?
Sorry -- I eventually flare and even Roger and Peter can stifle it for only so long -- and they seem to be genuiinely nice guys.
You do not have to drag others in…. stand on your own. Yes, I have to agree, I think they are both nice guys.
C-Brats is for boats. C-Dory boats Can’t say it (or spell it) any better than James. Thanks James.
Now the long one ….that I too am tired of hearing…. so a bit of history for some new folks…
If'n I'm just a simple good ol' boy can I slap a smile on and hijack another dealer's gathering?
This has been tossed about a bit so please allow me to share a bit of history here if I may.
Dealer’s do not have gatherings…C-Dory owners do and we (owners) share the cost and expense of these owners gatherings by bringing food, passing the hat, and at times, gifts/contributions from the factory. Dealerships have open houses, have boat shows or other events and often bring more than just their C-Dory brand boats. If you are speaking of the 2nd Annual Gulf Coast Gathering (hijack reference) please let me share a bit more. Back before Wefings was picked up by C-Dory to sell the C-Dory brand boats, I was a C-Dory owner, (C-Dog Days) and a very, very active owner….traveling our great Nation to enjoy gatherings, hosting gatherings with other owners and meeting fellow C-Brats. Mike Shotwell, 3 Rivers Marine, in Crystal Rivers FL was the C-Dory dealership closest to my home in Montgomery, AL at the time (but that is another story). There were simply not that many C-Dory boats (or dealerships) on the east side and particularly the southeastern side. I was asked by the factory to go down and meet Marc at Wefings as he was becoming a dealer for the C-Dory line of boats. I did. Marc and I have had a blast together and share a total sickness for boats and the water. (sorry…not all are C-Dorys) I have spent much time there, have enjoyed a few fishing trips with Marc, have stayed several nights in Marc’s home, times at the Gibson (one of my late Fathers favorite front porches in America), have enjoyed several great meals in the Grove’s home, often of our day’s catch from the local waters. I helped Wefings at boat shows in their general area not for salary but for fun. Yes, Marc/Wefing’s did pay my expenses for fuel, food and hotel. 2 shows in P’cola, 2 in Atlanta over about a 2 year time frame. Again, much fun, much hard work, and sore feet. We had a great time together. During this friendship, and general two year window, we put together the first Gulf Coast C-Brat Gathering. No other owners in the area were offering to be the “host”…or, if you have noticed for other gatherings…someone is the point “person” for the gathering. I lived in Montgomery, AL at the time some 250+ miles away from that area of the Gulf Coast. Having never had a prior C-Brat gathering in that area…we, (myself, other owners & Marc) wanted to have one which would be a lot of fun, get the C-Dory owners in that “general area” together, and, allow folks to meet Marc and his crew as the new C-Dory dealership in the area. We had folks from several states around. Great time. Thankfully, Wefings (Marc) stepped up as did Jon Bone by offering his personal home as a “gathering place.” Without Marc’s help, and Jon offering his wonderful home on the river….we may not have been able to put together the first gathering down there. At that time, there was not a city dock so to speak, and no other owners with local knowledge of marinas in their area made the offer to host it. It was a joint affair so to speak. Yes, folks brought pot luck, some brought BBQ, others just added to the kitty, and as I recall, we also had some financial help from the factory. Bottom line….we ate very, very well many times too.. There were plenty of beverages, and we all saved on dock fees often charged by marina’s we enjoy with other gatherings. I would have to say it was a blissful success…as it has continued. As for the hijacking year…to use Greg’s…or his wives words (not sure who picked them)… a lot had taken place between the 1st and 2nd Gulf Coast Gathering.
A bit of history is in order. I had asked Scot Reynolds and Jeff Messmer for 3 years, some of these years pre-Wefings C-Dory years, (Jan04-Jan07) to build me a CD25 or even a 25 Tug Angler and was told no for the last time by Scot on the docks at the Miami boat show, Jan 07 time frame. Sitting beside Jeff and Mr. Livingston on the bottom ½ of the first C-Ranger Tug in Seattle (Jan05 or 06?), started me asking for an Angler Tug before the Miami show. The CD 25 had a previous life and had recently been brought back to market. On a side note, while visiting Jeff at the new Ranger Tug plant earlier this year(09), before I asked…he and John Livingston told me no R-29 Angler. Bummer… Just think…if they had built man just one of any of these boats, I more than likely would have never purchased my first Rozy. A man has to do what he has to do. So, I looked elsewhere for a great pilot house boat with a larger cockpit area.
I had seen my first Rosborough back in the early 1990s at J.P. Coleman State Park in MS while my Father, brothers and other business owners enjoyed our annual week long boating/fishing/cabin trip. I found the Rosborough RF-246 Custom Wheelhouse fit my desires. I had emailed and talked with Les Lampman about these Canadian heavy built boats. Yes, from EQ/Oak Harbor, WA. I bought my 2nd C-Dory from Les and Kathy in Jun 03 and had to wait until the end of a deployment in Dec03 to go cross country and drag it home. Les and I have talked and worked boats a long while. The TC24 I bought was Dusty’s and the TC24 at the main entrance of the Jan02 Seattle Boat Show as I recall. I retired in Jan05 and so I wanted something to do to keep me busy and work with boats. You see, me and my family have had many, many boats…even before (and after) we knew what C-Dory boats were. We have had family owned business’ prior to the 1900s. It is not something new to our family. Why not knock out several things at once allowing me to work, own, and play with boats. Again, the Rozy fit that bill…and by this time, I had moved to the Nashville TN area….some 525+ miles from East Point FL. I had shared with Marc/Wefing’s my desire to pick up some single, special line of boat. One that takes some extended time with customers and has some custom work niche to it. Marc did not carry the Rosborough line of boats. None of my friends within 700 miles of my home in the boating industry carried the Rosborough boats. Back to Les and EQ, They had thought about picking up a new line of boats… The Rosborough line as things were not going real well with the C-Dory factory at the time. So, Les and I talked a bit more, we met at the Jan07 boat show in Seattle, sat on the gunnel of an Arima boat, and struck a deal on a boat. To become a Rosborough dealership at that time in the US, you had to purchase 2 hulls. So, I agreed to buy one of the first two RF-246 hulls that EQ ordered. I traveled to Oak Harbor, and Les and I completed my boat. Very soon after telling Marc that I had bought a Rosborough, and after I had expressed a desire to pick up that particular line of boat, Marc got in touch with Brian at Rosborough and was set up as a Rosborough dealership in FL. So, Marc made the call to become a Rosborough dealership …AFTER… I had bought mine, and AFTER his and my conversation about me picking up a THAT PARTICULAR line of boats that Wefings did not carry. Needless to say…I did not like that but it is what it is, and when it was. My plan was to own and travel on a Rozy prior to picking them up as a line of boats. You know…so I could say I do not just sell them, but (and still like today)..I own and travel on one myself. Once Marc got on as a dealership, I went ahead and contacted Rosborough, meeting Brian and his wife Judy at an east coast boat show and shared what all had taken place. He said no problem…you are over 500 miles apart, and, there is already a previous Rosborough dealership in FL that was a dealership prior to Wefings. It was my boat of choice that someone would build with that large cockpit space too. I did not want someone else in the Heartland area (where the Cumberland, TN, Ohio Rivers meet) to be pick up the Rosborough line, other than me. Now, when I was picked up as a dealership for the Rozy’s here we were, two friends, 525+ miles apart with the Rosborough line of boats, and that old C-Dory tie still in tack. This was between the first and 2nd Gulf Coast C-Brat Gathering, and prior to Marc receiving his first Rozy and the P’Cola Boat show. So, I went down to help Wefing’s and Rosborough at the 07 P’Cola boat show, the same boat show I had helped Marc with the year prior, without Rosborough boats.
This brings us to the 2nd Annual Gulf Coast Gathering time frame (need to go get another beverage or refill??... go ahead….but you may read faster than I type and be fine) There was a new hotel in East Point FL, and both Marc and me had the Rozy boats as dealers. So, our thoughts were along these lines…as to put my boat and the one Marc had ready for a customer (sedan version) down the water a ways at the new hotel in town. I was not going to use one of the slips at Jon’s house, where we had the 1st gathering (when neither of us had Rozys), but Marc and I had planned on taking mine out fishing and if folks wanted to see the Rozy boats, we could and would take them to the hotel. Things changed. It started off that if we had a room at the hotel ( a bit pricey but new…and I would have been splitting the cost with another C-Brat family)…we would get our slips at no charge. No problem so far. Then, a wedding party or some other reason, the hotel/marina did not lie but the truth changed with what they were offering Marc and we were then going to be billed for both the room AND the slip…both pricey. At that point, me and the other C-Brat family had to do some math. Two new 25’ boats purchased and well self contained with AC and comforts, plus a spendy 3-4 nights hotel bill to split, plus a spendy 3-4 nights slip charge each. Well, that simply did not make …”cents”…if I may. So, we both made the call to forego the hotel/marina expenses and stay at Jon’s with our fellow C-Brats and shared that right up front here on the C-Brat site with Marc and the entire C-Brat world.
Never did Marc ask me not to bring my boat into Jon’s place. In fact, I parked it cross the way and not at the docks along side or in front of the home. Yes, it is a small cove and yes you can see it cross the way, but, it was a walk to the parking area, cross the launch ramp, around the trees and swampy area to get to it…a short walk but some separation and effort needed to get there, and several did. In fact some had driven down to Wefings to see the Rosborough boat and I showed them mine, and referred them back to Marc as he had been in contact with them prior to the event. We had a great time and nothing was ever said the entire time to the point that after staying after all others had departed to help get Jon’s boat back into his slip we offered to take Marc and others to share some nice oysters prior to us departing the area for TN/AL area. It was only later that I had heard word thru Rosborough….that Marc had issues. Brian, the same Brian that had signed us both up, and had driven down from Canada to help Wefings in P’Cola show had no issues, but did contact me to say Marc had issues. Around the same time, I was also contacted by some other C-Brats stating the same thing. Then, Marc did truly highjack my web site, changing the wording and making fun of the way I was doing business and posted a bogus web site. So, if any high jacking has taken place…we need to look at Brother Marc a bit here. Now, Marc and I talked this all thru a bit during the 3rd Gathering. Things area not like they were before he and I picked up the Rosborough boats, and to this day, with all the many, many different boat lines out there, and his knowing I wanted that single line why he picked that line… and it still makes me ponder a bit. To this day, I have no idea why he would do my web site that way, contact other C-Brats and joke about it when I had helped him as much as I had, but, that is for him to answer, not me. He told a web manager it was for a Halloween joke…but, he did it in April by the electronic trails to/from his site, and I may be wrong, but is not Halloween that one in October each year? Maybe he just gets more excited about Halloween than I do? Yes, Marc and I still email. We still talk, but it is no doubt that our friendship and fun is not what it used to be. We simply have to agree to disagree about some things in life.
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