This is a good thread to hit 1000 on...

Cool, I got that milestone behind me...

How difficult are these for the smaller boats? Under 25' single sb engine.

I attend a few Poker runs a year, across SC,NC, and VA. I really look for bang for the buck. I could care less about a nice dinner, or prizes ( $ to cover gas and enty fee would do). I would rather have a low entry fee. Also as for Bands vs DJ, have a band early on and then do a DJ for late night.

My favorite part is meeting new people and socializing.;)

Oh, it has to be low hassle also, docks, ramps, all need to be easy to use and find.

Will:D

The women!:drool: :drool:

poker run
 

is the new casino in port lucaya open yet.we could pull up in our boats hit the casino win some bucks and then party all night.who will get us pass custom officials.the race in october in freeport had 40 + boats and the weather and people were fun:D :D :cool: :p .lets do it again;) :cool: :rolleyes:

some have mentioned some poker runs for the smaller boat , ive run several in a 24ft Reindl "Bat Boat" with sb power and had a blast, and kept up with the larger powered boats as well, if there is enough intrest in leasing the boats at a specific poker run, he will deliver.

Good thread, all of the organizers are lurking, and thats good.

Run length around 100 miles, this is mostly for the women, ya want the day to end before the fun and energy does, especially if it's choppy. Also gets rid of the fueling headaches.

Food, don't waste money on "impressive fare" thats not done well, ya gotta feed a bunch of people at one time it's not expected to be fine dining, keep it good and basic.

Awards and prizes, don't get carried away, sometimes these ceremonies drag on forever.

I agree with many of the points made up top, just had to add a couple more. JD

If Mr. Dietz says we gottago then I go ..... Period !!!!! Got in trouble last year with Cleveland ?!?!?! Hey some of my ideas work ???? Anyway, some of these runs need to bring something fresh to the table soon !!! It seems that there are way too many runs these days fighting for you boating dollars !!!! Guys that are out there running these things ..... keep the fun in 'em and the politics and BS out and you'll be OK .... Remember MOCA ?????

JM

BTW .... Skip the band on Saturday nite ... nobody has anything left for them ..... Unless of coarse it's LEOPA !!!!!

florida gator
You asked about the smaller boats. During the captains meeting the night before I brief "I'T'S NOT A RACE". On the big water legs (meaning space) there's room for the adrenaline junkies to get that go-fast rush out of their system prior to entering the inner bay/river portions of the run. The other thing I brief is to encourage "formation" running, in other words staying relatively close by so others can enjoy watching other boats running and get great keepsake shots, is at each stop we all regroup so we don't get strung out and to keep a timeline going (not too slow, but yet not too fast) which is courteous to volunteers manning the stops. That being said, the 5th and 6th stop ended up being every man for himself...:eek:

Also, depending on your size/configuration boat, we have a second run going simultaneously grouping cruisers and small family type powerboats that want to average 30mph vice our 55mph with a shorter less aggressive course with no open ocean legs. They remain inside the bay and local rivers. So we have a piece of the pie for everyone and let's not forget the other half of the event, the large sailboat regatta which is an awesome sight to go by...:)

Cig, we noted that lag time last year during our post-event debriefing and this year we're setting up a tiki-bar at the far side of the marina to serve margaritas and other beverages along with a steel drum band. We're also working real hard to increase our dock slip availability for simply hanging out on the docks. Finally, the gate will open a little sooner to the party area. This will hopefully make the immediate time after finishing festive and to allow for stories made during the run to be told. That being said, there are a majority who go back to trailer their boats or simply to shower and change for the evening festivities. BTW, as we did last year, we'll have a place to park the trucks/trailers adjacent to the party for those who so choose to do so...

Here's a question. Last year we used poker chips at each stop vice cards then pulled cards at the party. We had folks who broke down or had to bail out of the course early but our philosophy was you paid for a hand and you got it if you showed at the party. After all, the point was to generate funds for charity and have a fun social event. Not to mention logistically it was easier than dealing with the whole card thing at the stops i.e. putting in envelopes etc. and to prevent cheating.
This year we're thinking of going back to the card thing but want to ensure cheating doesn't become a problem. What is a good system for doing that and what are your thoughts on the chip idea....