Hello Everyone!

We are in the process of setting up the Caladesi island cruise on the weekend of Feb. 10, 2012. (The first weekend after football season)! We have the pavilion located next to the marina reserved for Saturday night. To properly plan (it appears their is a Jimmy buffet/parrot head theme is evolving) I would like to get a head count as soon as we can, so please respond and let me know if you are planning to attend. I will need the following information:
Name, address, senior discount if eligible, arrival date, number of nights, number of people, vessel name, hookup needed, length/width of vessel.

If you have not been to Caladesi before it is located a short trailer trip from Orlando just off Clearwater Beach area. It is a gorgeous state park and only accessible by boat. It has been at the top of Americas best beaches many times. The Marina is in protected area surrounded by mangroves on the east side of the island. There will be more info upcoming as far as directions, ramps, and etc.
Below is information on the slip rates and other information from our friendly ranger at the park.

There a few marina regulations boat clubs should be aware of before registration.
The marina has 108 slips available for dockage. All of the marina slips are equipped with 30-amp shore power and potable water hook-ups, except for slips 1, 2, 33, 34, 65, 66, 97 and 106. All slips are first-come first-served, except for slips 22, 24, 26, 52 and 54, which may be reserved through Reserve America at 800-326-3521.

The first-come, first-served slips rent for $1 per foot of boat length per night. Florida resident senior citizens 65 and older receive a 50 percent discount, paying 50 cents per foot per night. Because Reserve America operates from a remote location and cannot verify boat length, that company charges a flat rate of $24 per night for the five reserve able slips, or $12 for Florida resident seniors.

The end caps on the aluminum docks (slips 31/32, 64/65 and 95/96) consist of two slips separated by a power pedestal in the middle. In order to accommodate larger vessels, park policy states that these T-docks may be occupied only by boats 40 feet or longer in length or by boats too wide to fit into inside slips, such as large catamarans. Because vessels on the T-docks are in effect taking up two slips and being provided with two power outlets, T-docks rent for $2 per foot of boat length per night. The cost for Florida resident seniors is $1 per foot.

The power pedestals on the marina are equipped for 30-amp power cords. Some vessels have two power cords or require 50-amp power and have a splitter cord needing both outlets on the pedestal. Attempting to draw too much power from the 30-amp outlets will trip the breaker and/or destroy the outlet. Vessels requiring two power outlets on the aluminum docks must pay for the additional slip they are plugged into at the regular per-foot rate. Vessels on the concrete dock (slips 97 – 108) are not allowed to use more than one power outlet. This is because we have a very limited number of slips over 12 feet in width, and once a vessel has plugged into an additional outlet we cannot have another vessel occupy that slip.

Information for New Boaters Coming to Caladesi Island:

Rental boats are welcome at Caladesi Island State Park. The park management asks that you follow some basic rules and guidelines when you come to visit.

Please pay close attention to the channel markers and all other signs as you approach Caladesi. An Internal Combustion Motor Exclusion Zone encompasses the flats on the entire east side of the island. The only way to enter the marina is through the marked channel. Boaters who enter the exclusion zone may run aground and will cause serious damage to sensitive, protected grass flats which take decades to recover. Various law enforcement agencies patrol the area and will ticket you if you are caught entering the exclusion zone with an internal combustion (gas or diesel) motor. This includes personal watercraft.

Please note the Slow Speed Minimum Wake area as you enter the inner channel. As you come into the marina, you should be at idle speed with no wake. Violators may be asked to leave the park and could be fined by law enforcement.

Alcohol is not permitted in Florida State Parks. You may have alcohol on your boat in the marina, but it is not permitted off the docks. Beer sold by the cafe may not be taken off the café deck.

Pets are welcome at Caladesi Island State Park but may not be taken onto the beach. All pets must be on a leash and attended at all times.

Please do not bring glass containers onto the beach.

Do clean up after yourself, and do not litter. This includes cigarette butts, which ruin the most picturesque setting and take decades to decompose. Butts are not made of cotton, but a form of plastic.

Please take your trash with you when you leave the island. The park’s ability to remove garbage is limited and expensive because it must be transported to the mainland by barge.

Take a few moments to look at the attached map and familiarize yourself with the marina layout before you arrive. D Dock is set aside for large boats with beams greater than 12 feet. Rental boats less than 12 feet wide must use A, B or C dock. The T-docks, also known as end caps, at the end of each dock are reserved for very large boats.

A fee is required for all entry to the park.

If you have any questions you may email me at slang@cfl.rr.com, call my cell phone, 321-228-4984 or you can call the park at 727-469-5917 with any questions.

Thank you and looking forward to a great cruise1

Click on the link for information.      Service seminar 2012

Cocoa Village Marina Located along the beautiful Indian River Lagoon is just North of SR 520 Bridge on the west side of the Indian River. It is the perfect destination port for the east coast boater. “We have Sun, Sand and the Surf for which the Cocoa area is famous.”

Launch Possibilities:

Lee Wenner Park boat launch Rt 520, SW corner Indian River bridge is just around the corner from the Cocoa Village Marina.  Call Dakota @321-633-1874 to be on the list for overnight parking.

Kelly Park, Merritt Island, Rt 528, Banana River Drive, SW corner 528 and Banana river bridge. Then cross under bridge and cruise west through scenic canal.

http://www.centralfloridacruiseclub.com/resources/kelly-park-banana-river-boat-ramp/

There are channel markers in the Indian River outside of Cocoa Village Marina –

Hold outside the channel markers and hail marina, using channel 68 to coordinate docking.  Then proceed in as called so the Dock master can help with docking. Please arrive after 10am.   Check out their website for details on amenities and Marina  schematic:  http://www.cocoavillagemarina.com/

Friday evening: 5:30- ? Marina Clubhouse, BYOB and hors d’oeuvres to share.

John Condon will play his guitar and harmonica and share his repertoire of eclectic songs.  Bring a musical instrument and join in for a momentous magical mardi gras memory!  What Plays in the Clubhouse, Stays in the Clubhouse!

Socialize all evening and/or attend the free admission Family Gras in the Village.  Mardi Gras Tickets for Saturday and Sunday are on sale now for $8 in advance and will be $12 at the door.   Visit Cocoa Village website for
Mardi Gras and Village details, and you can pre-Purchase tickets.   http://www.cocoamardigras.com/index.php?page=tickets

Saturday morning and afternoon:  Member’s free time to cruise along Indian River during the day, enjoy the Cocoa Village Marina or visit the many shops and eateries in Cocoa Village.

5pm: Docktails
BYOB and meet by the dock outside the Marina Clubhouse.  We’ll have a 50-50 raffle and then a short
group walk to our 6pm reservation at Norman’s Raw Bar and Grill. http://normansbarandgrill.com/
After dinner it’s a short walk back to the entrance of Mardi Gras. A walking stick/chair may come in handy. See website above for list of bands playing etc.  Parade starts at 9 p.m.

Sunday: Breakfast on your own or plan to share on the dock. Leave at your leisure by 11am. You may want to enjoy “Paws
at the Park” a yearly event at Riverside Park being held Sunday.  http://www.cocoamardigras.com/index.php?page=mardi-gras-paws-in-the-park

Contact: Chris Condon jcondon@cfl.rr.com to sign up for the cruise. Information
requested by Marina is:  your name, boat name, length, beam, tie up side, cell phone, arriving and departing date, and we would like # of people for dinner on Saturday.

Hope to see you there! Chris and John Condon

Chili was served at 4 pm, and we had 7 bowls to choose from. Judges chose John and Barb Offineer for first place and Doug and Terri Jarrett for second place. Gift cards and Tums were awarded, and the 50/ 50 was won by Jer and Jan Broadhurst after she pulled her own ticket. Great weekend was had by all that attended.

Thanks Ron and Peg

The annual Chili Cruise will be led by Ron Moffitt and Peg Jamieson at Hontoon Island State Park. Captain Ron will be there early Friday afternoon to welcome anyone getting arriving on Friday. A dock party will start around 6 pm. Finger food, chips or dips are all welcome.

On Saturday, the chili will be served promptly at 4 pm due to darkness and putting chairs and tables away. Please bring out your best Chili for judging and sharing. Prizes will be awarded for first and second place. Judging will start at 3:40 pm so please be ready. All side dishes are welcome like salads, breads and desserts. Please bring your own silverware and plates.

Call Captain Ron at 321-436-3426 or e-mail moffittdrilling@aol.com to sign up. We need a headcount, and no dock reservations can be made unless paid for.

Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Except for some light rain on Wednesday, the weather was fantastic the whole weekend. The weekend was spent socializing and doing some occasional boat repair work.

Friday night we had a very big group on Pier Pressure and it got a little loud, but no one complained (that we know of). We played Bingo on Saturday afternoon, with Andy Carlin and Nancy Schack splitting the cash prize. After Bingo we had 41 for Thanksgiving dinner.

Intermittent power issues again pushed our dining time back a little, but the park rangers ran the ferry until 6:30 so it wasn’t an issue. The turkeys came out nice, and as usual we had plenty of food for all with CFC members bringing a great variety. Overall a great trip!

See the website for photos, including a nice group shot.

We had 5 boats and 2 drive-ins for a total number of 14 people.

Weather on Friday was nice but a bit windy. Saturday was very windy (no cruise to Grills.) Saturday night the wind lay down, and it was smooth sleeping. Sunday was better with a light chop on the river.

Four boats arrived on Fri afternoon. All went to dinner at Ryan’s pizza.

Saturday the 5th boat arrived plus most of the drive-ins. Everyone went to lunch at Murdock’s and ate more than they wanted. We had 14 hands for Poker. Bob Poindexter won 1st place with $40.00 and Robert Lipe won 2nd place with $30.00 sent via Danny Baldwin.

Sunday morning Bob & Maribeth Mittauer cooked eggs and blueberry pancakes to order along with sausage, coffee, and orange juice.

Please click on the link to view the flyer for the 2011 Christmas Party.

Central Florida Cruise Club 2011 Christmas Party

The club will once again spend Thanksgiving weekend at Hontoon Island State Park on the St. Johns River. Hontoon Island is a rustic Florida state park on the river in Deland. However, it has modern floating docks with 30amp power and water, but no CATV nor Wi-Fi. The nightly dockage is only $20.25. Note: they do NOT take reservations, but it’s important I know what day you plan on arriving so we can attempt to save spaces (there will be enough room, just trying to get everyone close together). Some boats may arrive as early as the prior weekend and stay all week. However, there are no club-sponsored activities until the day after Thanksgiving (Friday).

The island is only accessible by boat, but for those driving-in the state park runs a free passenger ferry from the mainland. See their website for more info http://www.floridastateparks.org/hontoonisland/default.cfm. This is a very dog-friendly destination, but dogs must be on leash . There is a beautiful nature trail and lots of primitive roads for bicycling. There are a few small stores in the area but no restaurants close-by.

Friday: Friday evening docktails and snacks. Please bring a snack to share.

Saturday: The main activity will be a Thanksgiving meal on Saturday in late afternoon. CFCC will provide the turkeys, which I plan to cook in the roaster ovens like last year. Please bring a side dish or dessert. While the turkeys are cooking on Saturday, we’ll have a BINGO tournament for those interested and play for cash and prizes!

The primary ramp options are 1) Ed Stone Park at Crow’s Bluff (Rt. 44 at St. John’s River in Deland) http://www.volusia.org/parks/edstone.htm. No fees, unsecured parking. This is the closest by water.

2) Lake Monroe Park at 975 US 17/92 on the North side of river in DeBary http://www.volusia.org/parks/LkMonroe.htm. There is a small fee to launch and for each night, but it is a very safe place to park your rig (gates are locked at night). They only have 10 spaces designated for overnight parking, so call them at (386) 668-3825 on launch day to see if a space is available if interested in launching there.

3) Lake Monroe Wayside Park in Sanford on US 17/92 on the South side of the river http://1792cra.com/guide/parks/park8.asp.  No fees, unsecured.

4) the Astor ramp.

For those needing a hotel, recommended hotel is just across the river at the Hontoon Landing Resort and Marina http://www.hontoon.com/index.htm.  Hontoon Landing Resort & Marina, 2317 River Ridge Road, DeLand FL 32720,
(386) 734-2474.

Please let Mike Fleming know if you plan on attending and when you will arrive (reply to this message or call me on (407) 462-4016 even if you are driving in. This is normally a large group cruise, and I need to ensure I buy enough turkey!

The following signed-up at the October general meeting:

Mike Fleming, arrive NLT Fri, 2 people
Dan Baldwin/Linda Unger, arrive TBD, 2 people
Andy Carlin, arrive TBD, 5 people
Juan Sola, arrive Sat, 2 people

Cruise Leaders: Chip Millen/Jessica Brower, Gary/Nancy Schack, Bob/Anita Millen

Attendees by boat: Bonita, Chapter II, Nauti Nan, Ocean Therapy, and prospective members Chris & Amber Shrewsbury (Fender Bender) of Brandon

Attendees (drive-in): Jan & Jer Broadhurst and prospective members Larry & Candy Marshall of Winter Haven

A total of 5 boats and 2 drive-ins (16 people) attended the 2nd annual “Octboatafest” cruise to Longboat Key Club Moorings. The weather was wonderfully cool during the mornings & evenings…it really felt like Fall! Our group, though small, was a nice mix of long-time, recent and prospective members. All had launched at the Centennial Park ramp, just across the Intracoastal Waterway, which was a good thing since several boats (all 3 cruise leaders!) had experienced minor boat issues after launching on Thursday afternoon. But we persevered and arrived at the marina shortly after 5 pm. After getting settled, we opted to dine at Portofino’s Restaurant for yummy Italian fare.

The remainder of the boats arrived throughout the day Friday. Most attendees enjoyed lunch and a bit of shopping at St. Armand’s Circle; others enjoyed a walk on the beach at Longboat Key Club’s main resort. Docktails began at 6:00 p.m. at the end of the dock near the pool area, and we enjoyed a nice selection of hors d’oeuvres with our cocktails. Late into the night, we stayed dockside and exchanged boating stories…a nice way to unwind and get better acquainted with each other.

Saturday was another gorgeous, cool day. Chip & Jessica’s family took in the Pumpkin Festival at Hunsader Farms in Myakka City, which offered a full day of entertainment, crafts, activities and treats. Afternoon brought a ladies-only trip to St. Armand’s Circle, where we met up with Larry & Candy Marshall at the Columbia Restaurant and later found scrumptious cupcakes at a local bakery. The men took a boat ride on the Nauti Nan to Marina Jack’s restaurant, where they enjoyed lunch and checked out the marina for possible future cruises. However it was spent, all said they enjoyed their day.

Saturday night we held our group dinner, and we were happy to have Jan & Jer Broadhurst drive in from St. Petersburg (where they have their boat docked) before heading home to Leesburg. “Octboatafest” was the cruise leaders’ version of Oktoberfest, complete with beer stein beads, grilled bratwurst with sauerkraut/onions/
peppers, and German beer/wine tasting. We had another great selection of side dishes and desserts to round out the meal. After dinner and by lantern light, Jessica led us as we played Bunco for our 50/50 activity. What fun! Larry Marshall was the big winner, taking the $35 prize; other Bunco prize winners were Chip Millen (beach towel), Paula Lascola (set of cold drink cups) and Chris Shrewsbury (bucket, boat soap & wash mitt). Congratulations to all! After cleaning up, we sat dockside and socialized late into the evening.

Sunday came too fast and we checked out by noon. But the last day was not without drama! The Chapter II was still experiencing an overheating issue on the way back to Centennial Park, but made it back safely with the help of a tow. Ocean Therapy experienced trailer issues at the ramp but was able to overcome those obstacles and arrive home safely.

Thanks to all who joined us on this cruise. For those that haven’t yet experienced Longboat Key Club Moorings Marina & Resort, plan to go in 2012. They make you feel very welcome and there is a lot to do and see while you are staying there.