What was your favorite boat trip.
#41
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Gallatin, TN
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When I bought my 540 Sundancer in Miami and took about 10 days checking her sea worthiness to Bimini, Grand Bahama and Nassau... Could have been the greatest time of my life so far!
Emerald Coast ain't bad either...
Emerald Coast ain't bad either...
#45
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West Palm Beach to Panama City round trip in my Sea Ray 40 EC.
We went north up the ICW to Port St. Lucie. Took St. Lucie/Caloosahatchee waterway through Lake O to Ft. Meyers...ICW west coast north to Tarpon Springs...185 miles across the Gulf to Panama City. On the return we came south all the way to Marco Island then straight shot to Dry Tortugas. Left Tortugas for Key West and around Hawk Channel on the outside to port of Palm Beach and home.
Best month I remember so far in my life.
Made several trips to Freeport/Lucaya and Bimini from
' Lauderdale and West Palm in Formulas.
There really is nothing like running across 50~60 miles of open ocean and ending up where you intended to be...great feeling of accomplishment. You really have to know and trust your equipment.
We went north up the ICW to Port St. Lucie. Took St. Lucie/Caloosahatchee waterway through Lake O to Ft. Meyers...ICW west coast north to Tarpon Springs...185 miles across the Gulf to Panama City. On the return we came south all the way to Marco Island then straight shot to Dry Tortugas. Left Tortugas for Key West and around Hawk Channel on the outside to port of Palm Beach and home.
Best month I remember so far in my life.
Made several trips to Freeport/Lucaya and Bimini from
' Lauderdale and West Palm in Formulas.
There really is nothing like running across 50~60 miles of open ocean and ending up where you intended to be...great feeling of accomplishment. You really have to know and trust your equipment.
#47
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Some people come to my area to piss in the same toilet as Capt Billy Tyne did at the Crows Nest. In 1999 my pilgramage, was bringing my 30 Velocity to visit friends in Fort Lauderdale and Miami . One particular, almost full moon, New Years eve stands out. Meeting up with some friends at Shooters, cruising up the New River to the Riverwalk, met a few girls, grabbed a pizza at Roselli's at 2 am, then tooling around off Fort Lauderdale beach till 4 in glass calm water. Still love visiting South Fla.
#48
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It was 2005, dragged my Top Gun from Maine to LOTO for the Shoot Out. Dropped the boat in and parked the truck. Spent close to 10 days travelling by water. Ran the entire poker run, Big Dicks etc. Just had a great time with zero issues.
Looking forward to visiting the lake soon with the new boat.
A close second was the 2001 Cigarette Reunion Poker run, based out of the old Thunderboat Row location. This was during the Cigarette Playboy Edition years. The party (at the factory) was epic. Sponsored by Patron with several Bunnies in attendance. We all got to see Don Aronow's famous office with the large black marble shower stall...why so many nozzles???lol! Later in the evening, former Playmate of the year, Julie Cialini, took a buds brand new Top Gun (Spinetickler) for a WFO fly by past the factory! ....heading directly for Hi-Lift at the end of the channel!!!! Yikes. Thankfully she got it shut down before disaster. Many of the legends were in attendance, Knocky House, John Crouse, Roger Munn and many otheres.
The poker run was a blast, we won it. I've even got pics somewhere of Sy Goldberg sound asleep in a 42 Tiger, driven by Titos, while crossing Biscayne Bay!
Good times!
Kurt
Looking forward to visiting the lake soon with the new boat.
A close second was the 2001 Cigarette Reunion Poker run, based out of the old Thunderboat Row location. This was during the Cigarette Playboy Edition years. The party (at the factory) was epic. Sponsored by Patron with several Bunnies in attendance. We all got to see Don Aronow's famous office with the large black marble shower stall...why so many nozzles???lol! Later in the evening, former Playmate of the year, Julie Cialini, took a buds brand new Top Gun (Spinetickler) for a WFO fly by past the factory! ....heading directly for Hi-Lift at the end of the channel!!!! Yikes. Thankfully she got it shut down before disaster. Many of the legends were in attendance, Knocky House, John Crouse, Roger Munn and many otheres.
The poker run was a blast, we won it. I've even got pics somewhere of Sy Goldberg sound asleep in a 42 Tiger, driven by Titos, while crossing Biscayne Bay!
Good times!
Kurt
Last edited by Biggus; 01-28-2012 at 08:07 AM.
#50
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Boating up North......
I grew up on my parents cruiser in the Summers during the 60's and 70's. Our vacation for the entire time was a 3 wk trip through the Great Lakes. Leave Sandusky on Eries South shore, north to Detroit River, up it (as already posted that is a gorgeous area!) , cross Lake Saint Claire, up the Saint Claire River and into Lake Huron.
From there we would alternate going up the Michigan/U.S. Western side one year to Mackinaw Island on Michigans West coast and the next year up the East side (Canadian) of Lake Huron and into Georgian Bay. That was 30 and 40 yrs ago and is still THE most beautiful scenery I've ever seen!
Cool too that this was in the era that was pre affordable electronics and was all by plotted courses on paper charts.
I remember one of our first trips was in a 26' Chris Craft Cavalier w/a single motor and we hit pea soup thick fog in Lake Huron. We were headed for Goderich Ontario (7 to 9hrs depending) for the first time. It was a mostly commercial shipping port w/a a harbor entrance lined w/boulders the size of small cars.
The old man had me on the stern watching for ships and my sister on the bow! The fog would play games with you and you'd swear you saw one that would end up nothing.
We kept hearing a horn and couldn't figure out if it was a light house or ship.(of course the charts told us that) So the old man is signaling back w/our boats hand pump, air horn which was mounted too close to the bulkhead and I remember it destroying his knuckles and blood flying everywhere.
Came in right through the middle of the harbor entrance after several hrs w/zero visibility on compass course! The old man was/is a stud!
Most of the town and people from the boats in the harbor were out on the break wall giving us a standing ovation when we made it in.
Many, many similar stories from those trips.
I grew up on my parents cruiser in the Summers during the 60's and 70's. Our vacation for the entire time was a 3 wk trip through the Great Lakes. Leave Sandusky on Eries South shore, north to Detroit River, up it (as already posted that is a gorgeous area!) , cross Lake Saint Claire, up the Saint Claire River and into Lake Huron.
From there we would alternate going up the Michigan/U.S. Western side one year to Mackinaw Island on Michigans West coast and the next year up the East side (Canadian) of Lake Huron and into Georgian Bay. That was 30 and 40 yrs ago and is still THE most beautiful scenery I've ever seen!
Cool too that this was in the era that was pre affordable electronics and was all by plotted courses on paper charts.
I remember one of our first trips was in a 26' Chris Craft Cavalier w/a single motor and we hit pea soup thick fog in Lake Huron. We were headed for Goderich Ontario (7 to 9hrs depending) for the first time. It was a mostly commercial shipping port w/a a harbor entrance lined w/boulders the size of small cars.
The old man had me on the stern watching for ships and my sister on the bow! The fog would play games with you and you'd swear you saw one that would end up nothing.
We kept hearing a horn and couldn't figure out if it was a light house or ship.(of course the charts told us that) So the old man is signaling back w/our boats hand pump, air horn which was mounted too close to the bulkhead and I remember it destroying his knuckles and blood flying everywhere.
Came in right through the middle of the harbor entrance after several hrs w/zero visibility on compass course! The old man was/is a stud!
Most of the town and people from the boats in the harbor were out on the break wall giving us a standing ovation when we made it in.
Many, many similar stories from those trips.