Phantom1 - Thanks for posting the hotel info. I just made reservations at the Econo lodge. We are bring the OSO Swipes poker run boat for display and will have the booth set up along side the OSO rig.
See you all there!
Dan

Here are a few links to good info on Washington, NC. Gonna be fun-

City Information

Visitor's Center

Public Boating Information and Policies

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City of Washington
Department of Parks, Recreation & Civic Center
310 W. Main Street, Washington, NC 27889
Telephone: (252) 975-9367
Fax: (252) 946-8433
E-mail: [email protected]
Boating - Washington Waterfront


36 boat slips with electricity and water available for a charge of 75 cents per day per foot of vessel or $180 per month, paid quarterly. Short-term docking also is available for $5 for up to six hours per slip.
Additional boat tie-ups are available at no charge for up to 48 hours along five 80-foot parallel docks. Water and electricity are not available at these locations.
Reservations are accepted for boat slips by calling the Washington Recreation Department at (252) 975-9367, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Friday (closed holidays). Call early for popular weekend, special events, and holiday periods. Reservations are not required (nor are they accepted) for tie-ups at the parallel docks. This area is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Dock attendant is on duty on the west end of Stewart Parkway.
All vessels are required to register with the dock attendant.
Boat slips can accommodate vessels up to 35' long and 15' wide with drafts up to 10'. Longer vessels can be accommodated along the ends of the boat docks and along the parallel docks.
Boat slips have standard 30-amp maritime connections with provisions for 50-amp connections.
Canoe launch area available from the dinghy dock on the west end of the bulkhead.
Pump-out station available at boat slips with assistance from dock attendant.
Shower facilities are available for registered boaters.
To open train trestle, phone (252) 975-1017 or blow horn; a trestle attendant should be on duty at all times.
The Washington waterfront is approximately 25 nautical miles from the Intracoastal Waterway, and 65 nautical miles from Ocracoke. Channel depth is 12-25 feet at the Washington waterfront. Thin water east of the train trestle.
Time limit for free docking may be waived prior to and following special events. Call the Recreation Department at (252) 975-9367 to confirm schedule.
Water, showers, and pump-out station may be unavailable during cold weather.
Rules and Regulations for Boaters on the Washington Waterfront


A no-wake zone is in effect on the Pamlico River between the U.S. Highway 17 bridge and the railroad trestle. No-wake zone may be lifted for special events.
No swimming or diving from the bulkhead.
No dumping of flammable liquids or solid wastes.
Leashed pets are allowed in the Stewart Parkway area. Owners must clean up after pets. Scoopers are provided.
Pets are banned from the waterfront during special events, such as Summer Festival (last full weekend in July) and Fourth of July activities.
During special events, the City of Washington may reserve dock space for public safety and/or official vessels.
Free Boat Launching Facilities


City Boat Docks at Runyon Creek, East Main and Park Drive. Two boat ramps, docks, parking for cars and trailers, and a covered picnic shelter. Restrooms and outside showers located across Park Drive in the Havens Garden park.
Mason's Landing at Tranters Creek, Clark's Neck Road. Handicapped accessible facility with two ramps, docks, and parking for cars and trailers.
--Policies in effect as of March 1, 2003

Hilarious article from a local NC paper - Odometer?????

Satisfying that need for speed via powerboat
July 29,2004
Mandy Schulz
Sun Journal Staff

Ever since I can remember I've always enjoyed things that move at great speed. I always jumped at the chance to go in a fast car, or when I was little, fly down the steepest hill possible in my snazzy purple huffy.

On Wednesday I got the chance to satisfy my craving for speed when I took a ride in a Fountain powerboat -- the same kind that will be racing next weekend for bragging rights as well as the Fountain Mercury Super Boat International Grand Prix title in Washington.

The Fountain Mercury SBI Grand Prix will be held August 6, 7 and 8 on the Pamlico river. The events kicks off at 7 a.m. on August 6 as powerboat owners will try and break the current record of 160 mph, held by Reggie Fountain. The best place to view the race is at Whichard's Beach. The next event is a 7 p.m. parade on the downtown waterfront.

On Saturday all boats will be tested from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Again, Whichard's Beach is the place to be. There will also be the Down East Rods and Classics Car Show from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Party in the Pits, which is free and includes beach music, will take place Saturday night from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

On Sunday the big race kicks off at 1 p.m., which various classes of boats all racing at the same time, which lends itself to stiff competition and many close calls, according to Fountain. The weekend ends with the awards ceremony which will take place at 5 p.m.

After finding out about the upcoming events I wanted just a taste of what some of these racers experience. Depending on the type of boat, world-record speeds have reached 160 miles per hour.

Imagine going 80 miles per hour in a car. Now take off the roof and trim down the sides so you can easily fall out. Suddenly 80 miles per hour seems much faster. I tagged along with some others and went that fast on one of the speedboats.

In the beginning I opted to stand up, lean forward and brace myself against the seat in front of me. I figured that I was strong and could certainly keep balance. Well that theory held true -- sort of.

Up until 60 mph I could stand up, but it wasn't the prettiest of sights. My cheeks were flapping as all of my skin was pushed back towards my ears and I was hard pressed not to drool on myself. Now I understand how dogs feel when their heads are hanging out of a car window. Drooling isn't a choice, it just happens.

The wind continued to blow me and my clothes back. I found no wrinkles on my shorts or shirt due to the oncoming wind. It was as though I had my entire body pressed at the cleaners.

Also, for those with crazy and seemingly unmanageable hair such as mine, I have found a solution. Try breezing through the water at 60 mph. My hair became instantly straight and my ponytail no longer hanged from my head -- it stuck straight out.

Once we surpassed 60 mph, I sat down. Actually I had no choice in the matter. I was forced to sit down.

Given all the conditions you'd think that I suffered a bumpy ride, but the exact opposite held true. I've taken rides on boats before and it can be downright painful if the water is choppy. In this boat, going up to 83 mph, it was incredibly smooth. The front half of the boat lifted up off of the water all at once and we never slammed back down on the water.

I was thrilled with the first speedboat ride but I still craved more.

Reggie Fountain, owner of the Fountain boats, took out a speedboat that was similar to the ones that will be in next weekend's race. And just by asking he took me out on the super-sleek boat with the enclosed top.

He showed me the odometer which went from 1 to 10 and I quickly found out that each number you reach is multiplied by 10 mph. So went the odometer read 9, we were actually going 90 mph.

After showing me how easily the boat handled and finding the best stretch of water, Reggie yanked down the throttle and I watched the needle steadily increase until we reached 110 mph.

That's correct. 110 mph.

And the faster we went, the smoother the ride was. Again, as the boat increases speed it is lifted off of the water, thereby reducing the chance of a bumpy ride.

Now that's riding in style. Who wants a pesky thing like water to get in the way of a boat ride?

Link to Article

Phantom'
The pic of "Cat Can Do" reminds me of that race, where they blew it over on the Kilo Run. They came back the next day and won their class. Total surprise!
Russ

Yep, and their competitors whined about them winning. That accomplishment was one of the most amazing things I've seen in offshore. The damn boat was half duct-taped back together.

Who else is going to Reggieville. We have 7 Jersey Boyz teams heading down.

We"ll see you there Augie...

Frank
"Koolhand"

Augie we looking forward to seeing every body in NC Team Taboo

Deep V Cats will be there with entourage. We expect a minimum of nine (9) Super Stock teams to join us. Should be good. SQ

Cash Bar will again be in the drivers' seat of Oceans 234.

See you there!