True
 

Rice Hauler............

You hit the nail on the head. It's about getting out there with people that have the same passion for boating that we all do.

timucin......around here there a a few pokerruns every year, ranging from $100 per person, where the prizes are paid out, and a portion of the proceeds go to charity (everyone who goes gets a card), to $1000 plus per boat for a few meals & prizes.

I've only driven in 1 run so far (cause I just got my boat done), but I've been in a few. Personally, I rather enjoy the lower cost runs, becuase everyone that's in a boat gets a chance to win.............there is a wide range of participants (all out race boats to cruisers), you typically spend a little more time at the stops (where you can check out all kinds of boats), and it feels good to do something you enjoy that benefits someone else (like a charity run I described above).

What it all boils down to is a lot of people having a lot of fun !

RJ

We finally got a group together in September to run from Metro up to St Clair for lunch and then rafted out on Muskomoot. I think we ended up with nine boats and it was a hell of a lot of fun. I would like to see more of those get togethers next year and we could even stick in a poker hand there just for fun. I think we had 3 24 Sunsations, 29 Scarab, 24 Outlaw, 38 Hustler, 272 Baja, and a Phantom joined us on the way back. Great bunch of people and I look forward to it next year. Keep these runs in mind.

I plan on doing some this year. My biggest fear is beig blown away by the true performance boats. I am told many of the runs here in Florida have participation by smaller boats. I have 21' Donzi.

I agree
 

What we should do is come up with set days every month (say the 1st and 3rd saturday), let everyone know, and meet at the same place...............Basically open invitation. The first one......we'll have a plan as to where to go, add the cards (for the pokker hand), and whoever gets the best hand pics the next weeks course. Maybe we should throw in $100 per boat, and winner takes that (kind of a fee for picking the next week's run & making photocopies of where the sotps are).

Just a thought............But, I think if you keep the price reasonable, and the length (maybe we limit it to a ceertain number of miles), a lot of people would participate ?

RJ

Gator, like some said, it's not a race...................It's about finishing all the legs, and having a great day ! (although in some events there are minimum requirements (26 & over).

We had the best hand once!!
 

WOT for 4 hours is not good!!
:(
We had a great time at the OPBA, St Petersburg
Florida poker run. Ron Long really does a great
job putting these things on. Very, very inexpensive compared to the PRA, OPC.
It was $100 per hand, boat and $50 for extra hands.
Hubby likes the running, I like the stops too,
checking out new habors or marinas we've never been
to. We had 65 boats all sizes.....................
:p kitten

When you start getting into these poker runs with massive amounts of boats, like the 65 in this poker run, don't you get into liability insurance and then its a promoted gathering? In additon, I ran the Sunsation rally last year with my 25 Aggressor and with 65 boats spent way too much time in wash getting the snot beat out of us. I would rather keep these smaller and more manageable and give the smaller offshores a better opportunity to enjoy it, even if I am running a 32 next year.

Florida Gator, I suggest getting your own runs together and keep the max size of the boats down so you can actually enjoy it. Running a boat that size with 30'+ boats sucks.

You're most likely right....thanks for the insight. If I recall, if you read most insurance policy's closely, I'm not sure if you're covered in races, regattas, large gatherings, etc.

Anyways, I'd like to be in on it, unfortunately I missed the last one. :rolleyes:

I forgot to mention that in some of the larger ones, I think you had to "sign a waiver" saying that the organizers are not responsinle for.................

So maybe we shouldn't get this thing overly organized

Poker Runs / CJC
 

CJC,
Have not had the pleasure of doing the 1000 islands yet.
I hear that it's a great itme though. Looking at the pics. I can see where navigation has got to be a key to getting there and back.

I'm off to Key West next week with the Florida Powerboat Club (FPC) for the annual Key West offshore races.
Our launch is out of Miami on Friday and talking to Stu Jones the President we are looking at 70-80 boats.
With an additional 30 boats leaving on Tuesday before.

I enjoy this run because of the variety of boats and length of the run 160 nm. Also the trip length of 4 days long Friday to Monday makes for a great break.
But at times the "crowd" gets wearying. lots of wild water in the intercoastal and such.

But hey it could be worse I could be still in Ohio watching it rain with 40 for the high that day.
And yes that is my boat in the Lincoln Commercial and also the new Cigarette Racing Team Ad with the woman blowing smoke.

Best,

Rice Hauler