Hey Gang! It’s almost here — the big long week-end (Memorial Day Week-end).
We are expecting a large attendance to enjoy the facilities and to explore the pretty area. Bring your boat or check into a condo next door for one of the nicest places we go on the West coast. I have reserved 14 slips, and as of last call there were 6 condos left to rent on the water. The staff is first rate, and we get an extra discount for the accommodations. Johnny Leverock’s Seafood House is on the premises.

For a side trip, catch the on-premises ferry to the scenic Palm Island Resort and visit the white Gulf of Mexico beaches. While you’re there, stop by the Rum Bay Restaurant for a special treat in a lush tropical setting.

Saturday morning there are free donuts and coffee at the light house. Take a cruise for some shelling at the close-by Stump Pass or water skiing down ski alley. This is a real treat for those who have never been here. There is so much to do and see.

Some of the amenities are:
1. Heated pool with hot tub.
2. Gas barbeque grill at poolside.
3. Kitchen facilities for gatherings.
4. Pavilion area with picnic tables.
5. Private restrooms and showers.
6. Washer/dryer facilities.
7. Power: 30amp and 50amp.
8. Waste pump out.
9. Bring your clubs for the near-by golf courses.

It is very important that you call me now with your boat information and arrival and departure times. I will be doing all the reservations and credit card information. There is a 24 hour notice required for a full refund if necessary. For the club discount, please have one person only call in the information.

As in the past I know we will have a great time enjoying the area with all our boating buddies. Please call me NOW for your reservations.

Please join us for our “Smoke on the Water” cruise at Astor Bridge Marina from June 1-3. The marina is located on the St. John’s River and offers a peaceful setting…and you can treat your boat to a fresh water run! Contact information is as follows:

Astor Bridge Marina
Contacts: Elaine or Mike
1575 W. State Road 40
1-866-237-6887 (same number for daytime or after 4 p.m. check in time)

The marina has fixed docks, pump out station, non-ethanol fuel, ship’s store, a dedicated hotel room that is available to boaters for restroom/shower, and a restaurant on-site that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on the weekends. Picnic tables and grills are available. The marina is pet friendly to most breeds; we recommend you call the marina directly to inquire about your pet(s).

Our group rate is $40.00 + tax/night, including electric and water (no cable available). This rate applies for all size boats in our group. Attendees should RSVP by May 17th to Skeetz73@aol.com and provide their boat name, boat size (so slips can be assigned), 30 or 50 amp electrical, and preference for port or starboard tie.

The marina also offers hotel rooms at a $79/night rate for those that may wish to drive in for the weekend (hotel reservations should be made directly with the marina). The accomodations are a little rustic (tile floors), but comfortably furnished and have a full kitchen.

Ramp Info: two choices recommended:

1) The Butler St. public boat ramp is located across the river from the marina and offers overnight parking. It is accessed off of State Road 40. Details:

Butler Street Boat Ramp
55400 Butler St.
Astor, FL 32102
Phone: (352) 253-4950
Hours of operation: From dawn to dusk
Body of water: St. Johns River
Type of ramp: Double paved ramp with courtesy dock
Parking: Paved 23 boat trailer, 5 car, 4 handicap
Cost: None
Amenities: Portable toilets

2) For those that like a longer run, we recommend the Ed Stone Park boat ramp in Deland, which also offers overnight parking. The Astor Bridge Marina is approximately an hour run from this ramp.

Ed Stone Park Boat Ramp
ADDRESS: 2990 W. SR44, Deland, FL 32720
GPS: N 29.00624 W 81.22.948
DIRECTIONS-LAND: From the West: Travel East on SR-44 (towards DeLand). After crossing bridge on St. John’s River, turn left into Park.
From the South: On I-4 toward Daytona Beach, at exit 114 take ramp for SR-472 towards DeLand, ramp right to US-17 North/US-92 North/US-17-92 North, left onto SR-15A, left onto SR-44, 3.9 miles and turn right into Park (immediately before bridge over St. John’s River).
DIRECTIONS-WATER: Immediately North of Whitehair Bridge (Hwy SR-44 over St. John’s River), entrance to ramp is on East side of river (just beyond Park on riverbank).
NUMBER OF RAMPS: 4 ramps, 8 lanes
DOCK TYPE: Floating
HOURS: Sunrise to Sunset
OVERNIGHT PARKING: Yes (Free)
RESTROOM: Yes
WEBSITE: http://volusia.org/parks/edstone.htm

Schedule of events:

Friday night
Docktails 6:00 p.m.: Please bring an hors d’oeuvres or snack to share. BYOB.
Dinner is on your own if you are still hungry. The on-site restaurant, Castaways Bar & Grill, has good food at reasonable prices. [The Blackwater Inn across the river will be closed the 1st two weeks of June.]

Saturday
Day trip to Silver Glen Springs: we will leave mid-morning and return by mid-afternoon. Lunch will be on your own. Don’t have a boat for that weekend? They offer pontoon rentals @ $95 for 4 hours. Silver Glen Springs is a state park and is located off the southwest side of Lake George (approximately 5 miles from Astor Bridge Marina). The area is very popular for boaters and you have the option to anchor inside or outside the park limits (no alcohol permitted inside the park). The water is very refreshing.

Our group dinner will be at 6:00 p.m. Your hosts will provide barbeque pulled pork and barbeque baked beans. Please bring a side dish to share (we can let you know a head count closer to the cruise date).

We will have our traditional 50/50 event.

Sunday
Depart at your leisure. There is no designated check-out time.

Hope to see you on the water! Please remember to RSVP by May 17th.

The marina info shows the number of slips, depths, facilities (showers, rest rooms, Captain Lounge, fuel, prices, and nearby points of interest. Restaurants at the marinas or nearby are also rated.

After reading the reports on some of the Marinas which Harvey has used in the past, this website would have saved a lot of aggravation in dealing with the marina staff. The marina/restaurant ratings are done by boaters who use them. There are marinas that rated some real nasty-grams from the boaters.

Also shown are launch ramps, and this is done on a MAP/chart just like the marinas.
Try them out — its free!

Also, the Marineland Marina is back in operation. The active captain website says good things about them. Maybe some of us can get together for a cruise there?

For those who are having trouble getting manuals for accessories for your boat, try “googling” the manufacturer. Most have a Customer Service Department where downloading manuals is free and easy.

The Villas of Grand Cypress
St. Andrews Room
1 North Jacaranda
Orlando, FL

6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

This venue is in the Buena Vista area, one that we thought would be central for most members. The Villas of Grand Cypress is a sister property to the Hyatt Hotel in that same area; the St. Andrews room is in their executive conference center bordering on the golf course and offers plenty of privacy and space for our group.. Dress will be casual to dressy…whatever way you like to party!

We are planning a fun evening that will include a cocktail hour (cash bar), dinner and dancing. We will also be having a silent auction. This party is open to members, their family and friends at a cost of $50.00 per person. Dinner will include salad, choice of 4 entrees, starch, vegetable, rolls & butter, dessert, and iced tea/iced water. Coffee will also be available upon request. Entree options are:

Pan Seared Chicken Piccata with Lemon, Capers & White Wine Sauce
Pan Seared Salmon with Maple Bourbon Glaze
Herb Grilled Pork Loin with Apple Fennell garnish
Fire Grilled New York Strip Steak

Deejay entertainment will be provided by Ken Doster of Dancing DJ Entertainment. We will also have our traditional Toys for Tots collection, 50/50 drawing, and liquor basket offering.

For the silent auction, we need everyone’s help in obtaining items for bid. If every member family can obtain at least 1 donation, the auction will be a success. Please be thinking about people you do business with and ask if they’d be willing to donate an item for auction. We will provide a receipt for their donation. If you receive an item for the auction, please contact Anita Millen or Nancy Schack and we will coordinate getting that item from you.

For members that like to stay overnight, there are multiple hotels at varying price points in that area (the Buena Vista exit off of I-4, which is just down the road from the venue). We have received a commitment from the Courtyard Marriott Lake Buena Vista hotel for a discounted rate of $79 + tax/night. The hotel will honor that room rate for 1 night before and 1 night after Dec. 1st for anyone that wants to make the event a weekend getaway. The rooms are comfortable, there are 2 pools, and there is a restaurant within the hotel that offers a breakfast buffet the next morning (not included in the room rate). Reservations can be made by calling toll-free 1-866-790-2197. Please be sure to identify yourself as part of the Central Florida Cruise Club to receive the group rate. If you have any trouble making your reservation, contact Anita Millen @ Skeetz73@aol.com or (863) 326-1608.

We also have a committed room rate at The Villas of Grand Cypress if someone wants to stay on property, but it is higher at $159 + tax/night. We will pass along that contact informataion for anyone interested.

We’d like to see our attendance return to at least 60-75 people. Remember that family and friends are welcome, too! We must submit a final headcount by November 15th; however, to encourage attendance and incent early payment, every person that signs up and pays for their ticket by October 15th will have their name entered into a drawing for a FREE hotel room at the Courtyard Marriott hotel on the night of our party, courtesy of our Club! The drawing will be held at the Club’s October meeting and the winner will be notified after the meeting, if not in attendance.

This party is a great time for us to come together and celebrate our achievements for the year and have just good ol’ fun and fellowship. We hope to see you there! Please convey your RSVP to Anita Millen @ Skeetz73@aol.com or (863) 326-1608, or, Nancy Schack @ kelgarie@aol.com or (863) 324-5644. You can RSVP now and pay later (we’ll send you a reminder), or you can send your reservation with $50.00 per person payment to Anita Millen, 300 Rydalmont Road, Winter Haven, FL 33884-2043. Please indicate your entree choice with your reservation.

Cheers from your hosts,

Anita Millen & Nancy Schack

Saturday morning saw some members up-and-at’em, having breakfast at Connie’s Deli and greeting one another. Many of our boats made a cruise down-river to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the St. Johns. For some, it was their first time on the river and they enjoyed it very much! There was plenty of time to sit back, relax, and work on the Trivia Sheet that Jerry and Gail passed out with a promise that the winner would receive Frank’s brand new 28′ Regal Express Cruiser (not true…but it sounded great when we said it!).

Saturday evening saw us at dinner in the shade. Connie provided pulled pork BBQ and potato salad, and our member chefs provided the accompanying dishes. This dinner was SUPERB!! Live music was provided by Jerry and John Condon and the evening was one that we will remember for a long time to come. Our 50/50 drawing netted the club $39.00.

Sunday morning the Trivia contest wrapped up with Bob and Marybeth taking the top prize (a bottle of wine, not the boat!). As the boats left for home we were all in sincere appreciation for the hospitality and good-natured professionalism of the folks at Boat Tree Marina that worked so hard to make sure our experience was memorable for all. Jennifer Golloway and her staff were just great. Amazingly, we even came in under budget…barely!

Sue Nerud and Gail & Jerry Fitzgerald, your hosts for the event, wish to thank all the members who attended, and we want to tell each of you that YOU made the weekend the success that it was. Your patience, good humor and friendship are precious to us.

SEE YOU ON THE DOCK! Jerry and Gail Fitzgerald

As the weekend approached, the forecast was good, although maybe a little mild, but still sunny and fun.  The weather on Friday was very nice, as “Bohica” (Nick & Peggy’s Boat of the Month) and “Pelican’s Roost” (John and Linda Stibich) were the first to dock at the Marina.  Neil and Suzanne were quick to greet and help the first two boats arrive.

Around 2PM, the 30’ club made their grand entrance with “PMS II”, “Pier Pressure” and “Blue Moor Money” arriving to join the fun, followed shortly afterwards by “Can’t Complain”.  Everyone got to meet the newest crew members from Pier Pressure (Gracie, a golden retriever) and Blue Moor Money (Lacey, a teeny Chihuahua) as their new family members got to go for a CFCC trip for the first time!

By dinner, the small group of six boats made a break for TJ’s for dinner.  TJ’s is a small bar and diner, just down the street from the Marina, and they easily accommodated the hungry group.  However, we were still missing four boats at this point.

The Winter Haven group was late and phoned in that “Bonita” had a little trailer trouble on the 417.  Apparently, a tire had come off the trailer, taking all five bolts and studs with it.  After getting a police escort across Lake Jessup, they were determined not to miss the weekend and pulled into the Marina as the sun was setting

Just as the dinner group was returning to the docks, “Bonita,”  “Nauti Nan,” “Sojourner” and “Boat with no Name” were pulling in.  Finally, the entire fleet had arrived!  Bonita filled the docks with enjoyable conversation about a simple trailering trip that had become quite a journey (which happens often in this sport…).  After some late night libations, the group
secured looking forward to a sunny, relaxing, and fun Saturday.

The sun was bright Saturday morning, but was not long lived.  As the early dawn turned to daylight, the winds picked up and the clouds came in strong.  The winds were gusting over 30 mph, and the waves were crashing some frequently on the beach, it looked like a blender on high speed.  Despite the overcast and very windy conditions, the group enjoyed some lunch by the Resort Pool and some good conversations.

Saturday evening, John & Linda Stibich (along with some help from their family Kenny and Cindy) did an “old-fashioned” fish & chicken fry on the dock, while the club members each brought a dish to share.  BarbarandJohns drove in for the dinner, and rounded out the party of 26 people who dined on the docks.  Once again, the CFCC had enough food to feed a small Navy, and everyone enjoyed the cuisine and dock conversations.  The 50/50 Drawing for $40 was won by J.R. Watkins.  After dinner, a number of folks camped out on “Sojourners” lovely new boat, and enjoyed some more drinks and fun.

Sunday morning came way too quickly, and everyone was able to make a slow departure back to Halifax.   A couple of boats took a trip out for lunch, and a couple of boats stayed later waiting for high tide.

The resort did a marvelous job in keeping everyone entertained and happy.  Don’t miss our next cruise to Hammock Beach,
which is one of the best resorts in Florida, and is right in our back yard!

Well…the birds are flying, the catfish are swimming and the alligators are…(doing whatever the heck alligators do) and the RIVER RAT RAMBLE APPROACHES! Here is some updated information for your review:

COSTS: Boat Tree will launch and retrieve your boat for $5 each way, so your car can be right there with you. Dockage charges are $25/Night up to 30′, $35/Night up to 35′, tennants $10/Night.
There is a $20 refundable deposit for the gate key (which also unlocks the baths and showers, which are very nice).

FEATURES: Boat tree Marina is a full-service facility with Connie’s Deli serving breakfast and lunch, Captain’s Cove Restaurant serving breakfast, lunch & dinner. Swimming pool with poolside bar featuring live music on weekends. You can check out the marina at http://www.boattreemarina.com/Default.asp and see pretty pictures.

ACCOMODATIONS: For those who are land-lubbering it, there is a Days Inn and a Spring Hill Suites motel just a 5-7 min drive away from the marina.

UP-RIVER: A short cruise across Lake Monroe is downtown Sanford. There is a cute little main street with antique shops, restaurants, a saloon or two and it is only a 3-block walk from the City Marina.

DOWNRIVER: This is the part of the river that those of us who cruise there love! It is scenic, wild and primitively beautiful. There are “beaches” to stop at, coves to explore, a riverside restaurant called the “Swamphouse” (how’s that for appropriate?) Further down is Blue Springs, and Hontoon Island State Park, all within easy boating distance from the “MOTHER-SHIP”.

ACTIVITIES: Friday Nite: “Docktails” Bring a munchie to share

Saturday: Pretty much on your own
Saturday Nite: Pulled-pork BBQ (please help provide accompaniments)

Sunday: Off to home at your own chosen speed.
There will be a trivia contest with prizes, and whatever else comes up (If you have a great idea, share it with us!)

RESERVATIONS: *** HERE IS WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP *** In order to properly plan the very best event that we can, we NEED your reservation NOW! Please let us know the following information:
NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE #
# IN YOUR GROUP
BOAT YEAR
MODEL
MAKE
SIZE
NAME OF BOAT

Thanks for your help!! Gail and I and Sue Nerud (your hosts) wish you all a HAPPY EASTER and we look forward to seeing you on the docks! I can almost taste those Bloody Marys already!!

Spend a weekend of fun in downtown St. Augustine. Reservations have been made for the group at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina.

St Augustine Municipal Marina
111-E Avenida Menendez
St. Augustine, FL 32084
904-825-1026
VHF 16/71
Web Site: http://www.staugustinegovernment.com/visitors/our_waterways.cfm

Please e-mail Andy@WeFixFlorida.com for all of the reservations with the Marina. Please include Captain’s name, how many in your crew, boat name, length, beam and power supply.

Marina rate information:
$1.95/ft – 20 ft min.
$6.00/day – 30 Amp electric
$12/day – 50 Amp electric

ITINERARY:

Let the fun begin!

Friday Night: “The Invasion begins” (around 6:00 PM): Put on your “Pirate Garb” and grab a mug as the rum will be free flowing matey – if you’re old enough. Bring an appetizer to share and win a prize for the best Pirate or Wench costume.

Dinner is “on your own” – If you’re still hungry.

Saturday (around 12:00 PM): (Weather Permitting – Plan A) Bring your pack lunch and take a ride up the Intracoastal for a raft up and lunch. (Plan B) Go shopping and eat in town.

Saturday Afternoon: (Plan A) Use what’s left of the day for shopping, site seeing or just relaxing.

Saturday Night (around 6:00 PM): Bring your favorite side or dessert and let the feasting begin CFCC will provide the pizza.

Sunday: A leisurely day to head back home after finding a nice place in town for brunch.

LAUNCH DETAILS:

On Friday around 1 PM, I will lead a group of boats from Halifax Marina in Daytona Beach up the Intracoastal to the Municipal Marina. When you sign up, please let me know if you will be following me on the trip up. The name of my boat is Takin’ Five, and can be hailed on Channel 68. The cruise from Daytona Beach to St. Augustine will take a little less than three hours.

Launch Location: Halifax Harbor Marina
450 Basin Street
Daytona Beach, FL 32118
386-671-3601
Info on Halifax Marina is available at: http://www.centralfloridacruiseclub.com/resources/halifax-harbor-marina/

If you prefer a closer ramp, an alternate would be the Vilano Ramp at St Augustine. This ramp is very nice, but the water can get a little “skinny” getting out. The deepest path is to the North (away from the Marina). It is possible there are no overnight parking signs posted; however, I was told that’s more for vagrants than boaters.

Alternate Ramp Info for St Augustine: Vilano Boat Ramp
GPS Lat: 29°54′42.37″ | Long: 81°18′30.56″
The Vilano Boat Ramp on the map is between San Marco Ave and the Vilano Beach Causeway on May St. The Boat Ramp is very wide and can handle 4 trailers at a time.
There are 2 large floating docks, one on each side of the ramp.
There are new restrooms and parking is plentiful.
HOTEL INFO: (For drive-ins)

If you prefer to stay in a hotel:

Arrangements have already been made with the newly renovated Holiday Inn and Suites located at 1302 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd St Augustine 32084. The room includes a fridge and microwave and is offered with either (2) Queens or (1) King w/ sofa bed (based on availability). The room also includes free parking, an on-site restaurant, room service and a pool. For more information, go to www.staugustinehi.com. There is already a block of 10 rooms set aside under Central Florida Cruise Club at a special rate of $119.00/nt. Reservations must be made by March 11, 2010. Call 1-800-569-8008. After that date the discount will no longer be available, and reservations will be based on availability. The hotel is located 8/10 of a mile N. of Marina.

WEATHER AND TIDE INFORMATION:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Saint+Augustine&state=FL&site=JAX&textField1=29.8949&textField2=-81.3151