Yeah!! That means your bringing GFS's yellow fantasy boat!! Super! Looks like we will have the world's best of the old 21'ers and the coolest of the 23'ers!! :)

Gathering
 

Hey guys,
How many boats are going to be over that way for the gathering.

Sponge, It looks like nine or ten at a minimum. Did you get the Zuke bolted up or are you looking to hitch a ride over to Cabbage. We'll gather ya' up, Brother - just get to Pineland.

I will be thinking about you guys while i am up in the north country.... The wife is working in Lafayette, In. until at least Jan 1... and may get extended between 1 and 2 years there after working 6 days a week and tskeing off the occasional long weekend... I make my way home to the Beach after my 14 days at work and work arounfd the house or on trucks / boat for 4 days then boogie up to lafayette with her for 10 and repeat... this has been the last 4 months...

Looks like I'll be done. We are staying at the Tarpon Lodge and launching from Pineland Marina. Plan to get there Thurs afternoon.

The path to Cabbage Key
 

Great. We'er glad you can make it. For a minute I thought we might be "Expunged" of Sponge and we all want to verify how well the 140 Zuke does on the 20's.

The channel running out of Pineland is like a giant question mark or a "sickle". After giving right of way to incoming boats, run straight down the channel to the west and the start a long arc to the north. When you get to the last two pair of "cans" (look for 'em) you will be facing Useppa Island to the west. Ease down to the south end of the Useppa Island past the last dock, but north of the oyster bars and mangrove islands. Stay about 100' off the land and swing around the south end of Useppa. You'll puch out in the anchorage of Cabbage Key so throttle down so the blow boaters don't get there speedo's in a wad and come around to just north of the water tower. You'll see the Cabbage Key channel sign just across the ICW. Idle down the Cabbage key channel because Rob Wells, who ownes the place don't want you to scrub his 23' Scepter hard against the pilings.

Terry I got a 18 with a 115 suki.
Thanks for the info. Let me know if you guys are around Thurs and Fri

The Road to Cabbage Key
 

Well that is even better than a 20 with a DF140. It's the same chain drive motor with out the salt encrusted oil cooler (that will insight a comment or two!)

By Thrusday evening Kmoose and I will already have a croaker sack full of mullet on the smoker or fish box full mango snappers fry'in in the cast iron skillet depending on the weather, if we can get offshore and if his chain don't break!

Tarpon Lodge is a first class fishing resort at Pineland and the landside base for Cabbage Key. Make sure your shirts have epaulets on em' when you walk down the dock or you'll be underdressed. It's the perfect place for Psudo-fishermen, so clear out as quick as you can and git out to Cabbage where the tee shirts are just right if da' got holes in em' and there ain't no weddins' gone on to give you the heeby jeebys!

Donny gits a nervous twitch just be'in in the general vicinity of a wedd'in, 'cause he's like a "Human Annuity". Thats why we can't stay there. That's the main reason he's always concockt'in some kinda special elixer to settle his nerves. Trouble is he's always lookin' for a "pathfinder" to scout it out for him and the rest of us to make sure nobody goes blind or nothin'. The weird thing is they're are so many volunteers at these CSC Gatherings that I never even get a sip to make sure it ain't "Poison"!

I'll PM ya' with my cell phone so we can 'Tighten Up", Archie Bell.
Why do I suddenly feel like the Air Traffic Controller in "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" when Buddy Hacket buzzed the tower in Jim Backus' plane?

What wedd'in??? I'm getting nervous :(

Me and wife will show up in the 25 some time Friday afternoon. We will have to get out of Sarasota about then cause the kitchen section of the house will be a gutted wreak. Somehow I did not plan too well when it came to cooking up food for the trip.

Dude, You are good to go - Oysters on the half shell, Oysters Rockefeller, Steamed Oysters, Smoked Oysters, Highlands Oyster Mignonette, Fried Oysters, Baked Oyster Brownefeller, Oyster Fritters!

I might need a ride if I can't fix/get a new lower unit in time. Found a crack in mine today.

Not an issue Dave!!!! One of us in our, inferior to your Seavette, old clunker SeaCrafts with Terry's navigation prowess will pick you up!! I'm coming down Friday morning to Elrod's in Placida, we can work something out from there.

I'll be on the same route on Friday pm.

Connor

Does anyone have one of those bag toss sets they could bring to the gathering. Mel has had me on a hunt for a set but she is too picky about what is on them and I don't have time to order any.

Awesome, thanks you guys. Don you crack me up. I'm the one with the clunker as evidenced by the huge crack in the lower unit lol.

I think I may have found a replacement drive (thanks Rusty!) so hopefully I can get it going. I'll know more by the end of this week. Fingers crossed.

Let one of us know for sure. We certainly can take you down in the "Old and slo" 21...:cool:

You mean Corn-Hole?

Eldred's Marina
 

Donny, It aint "Elrod's" - it's "Eldred's". The are an old Commercial Fishing family from Placida and they don't cotton to no dag gone Costa del Mar, mauve colored Colombia, Sperry Topsider wear'in pseudo-fisherman. They know real fisherman wear shreadded ball caps, white boots and tee shirts what got some 5200 finger prints and bottom paint splattered on 'em.
So ease in there and sprinkle a dollop of "yes sirs" and "thank you ma'am's" around and you'll get more milage than act'in like you are from New Jersey!
(Just kidd'in Pelican)
You'll do fine - just tell 'em yur from that little fishing village, up the road a bit, that's sam-witched between Cockroach Bay and Bull Frog Creek!
If you need to, follow Conner's lead. He told 'em his mother's maiden name was Eldred and he was their long lost cousin from LA (Lower Alabama). That guy is smooth.

Hey!!!....I knew it started with an "E"!! They are NOT the friendliest folks in the world, however at "$6 per calendar day" you can't beat it to launch/park your boat, truck and trailer. Bad but true story, me and my buddy launched out of there many, many years ago and we were about an hour into fishing and I don't know why but I asked him if he remembered to put the ramp fee receipt on the dash. He said "hell no I did not even pay the fee", long story short I had to loan him $200 to get his truck and trailer back from impound!!! Dumb ass! Eldred's had the thing towed, they do not mess around!!

Yes, cornhole.... Mel really likes that game

I'm pretty sure when they see the utilitarian gun ship roll in with her 4 coats of roller applied gelcoat we'll be welcomed with open arms.

Is there a fish house around to fill kill boxes with ice? I'm going to need 3-400 lbs of chips to cover me for the week and I really hate to drag that extra weight weight on the trip down.

Thats funny...it is a big midwest game,played at every party.

I was going to fabricate one for our big Xmas party this year . I will check c/l and see if I can find a used one around here someplace....;)

Eldred's

You ought to see what they do to jerks they catch trying to steal something from their customers trucks or trailers. Or the remains of the jerks.

Good ol Florida crackers. Very safe place, if you pay the ramp fee.

Nice.

Bokeelia Fisheries
 

Kenny, duck under the bridge to Boca Grande and ease south in the ICW. When you get to the Pass, turn southeast toward the fishing village of Bokeelia and run to about 26-42-13 / 82-08-47 which is near the east end of the structures and the mouth of Shell Cut. Shoot down that channel to about 26-42-09 / 82-08-56 and throttle down. Come around the the Fish house at 26-42-03 / 82-08-57 and ease up under the monorail crane and you can buy ice by the basket. Be careful using it for Mel's cocktails though - instead of an olive it might have a mullet eye ball lookin back at her.

When you get topped off go back out through Shell Cut and head back NW to 26-42-52 / 82-10-57 and pick up the green markers on the ICW "Cut Off" Channel. Point toward 26-42-45 / 82-11-58 which is just east of Mondongo Island. Stay tight to the green marker next to the island or you'll find the bottom. Run down to 26-39-14 / 82-12-44 and tuck around the south end of Useppa Island and you'll punch out in the Cabbage Key anchorage. Idle over to 26-39-22 / 82-13-07 which is the mouth of the channel into Casa Del KMoose, for the weekend. Your place is just north of the covered dock.

This is a Fox News Alert!

A Cornhole game has been found and will make its appearance next week at the annual seacraft fund raiser... :D

All is well!!! Next on our "to do" list, the CSC folks will find a cure for Ebola. We should have that done by next Friday's gathering! However we can only make that tight deadline as long as we have NO Government intervention! :)

I hear you make some good "medicine"!!

I don't make it, a Sheriff who's a "friend of a friend" makes it. I heard that it was illegal to make the stuff. I would not do anything illegal. :)

However as NoBones said a while back, you could mix 50/50 Deet with the shine and cure a lot of things!!! You might be a bit goofy, but you're mosquito proof among some other quirky side effects.

If it is brandished with Classic SeaCraft or Eagles logos I will be bidding to win! Thanks Terry!

Could anybody give me some ideas of where to go nearby,I also own a CSC 78 18 and was thinking of coming over,I live in Palm City. I'll admit I've been a lurker for years thought I would go to one of your outings to see all the other CSC.

Last train to Clarksville and Cabbage Key!
 

Rick, You'er good, just come on over. Denny Bush and GFS are dumping in at the last lock in the ditch and roll'in through Ft. Myers and eas'in north in the ICW to La Costa Island and Cabbage Key.
Or work your way across to SR 78 and run it to the end. When you get to the 4 way stop turn right on Stringfellow and go a couple of miles north to Pineland Marina and splash in there. It's a 12 minute run to Cabbage Key in your 18. Call them at 239-283-2278 if you want a room there or you can stay at their sister property at Pineland - Tarpon Lodge. Ask for "Mazie".
Or there is the Cayo Costa State Park option. The camp sites and the dock are a mile apart. Call them at 941-964-0375.
Or there is the Casa De la Costa Hostel / Homeless shelter. That phone number is
727-365-1092 if you need to bunk there. Bring your own pillow and air matress. Ask for "T-Bucket" - he's moves about like Uncle Joe at Petticoat Junction and he talks like he has marbles in his mouth. Don't call him too late in the afternoon because he starts happy hour about 9:30 AM and he don't make no sense after 3:00. You might see if you can find a "Cracker" interpreter too.

FINAL Schedule of Events
 

Here is the slightly modified Schedule of Events


Fall Florida West Coast Gathering - November 7 - 9, 2014
Cabbage Key / Cayo Costa (Boca Grande, Fla.)
Camping option - www.cayocostastatepark.com. ph - 941- 964-0375
Island Resort option - www.cabbagekey.com. ph - 239 - 283-2278
Mainland Resort option - www.tarponlodge.com. ph - 239 - 283-3999
Cayo Costa Homeless Shelter / Elderhostel - no web site - ph. 727 - 365-1092

Danny's "Cat Wrangler" Schedule of Events
Friday - 4:00 PM Cocktails - Cantina de la Kmoose
6:00 PM Dinner - Cabbage Key
7:30 PM Captians Meeting - Cabbage Key Bar
Saturday - Fish, boat, BS, Dive, beach walk, raid Connor's Oyster bar, etc.
12:00 SeaCraft Parade to Barnicle Phil's (Upper Captiva) for Lunch
2:00 PM Corn Hole Championship
3:00 PM Cocktail Hour Cayo Costa
4:00 PM cookout at Casa del la Costa
Sunday - Sort Everything out

(approved by Snookerd, Commodore, Southern Seacraft Command - 10/29/14.

Mel and I will be getting in mid day Wednesday to set up camp at our shack and get a feel for getting around. Weather permitting we will be heading offshore Thursday morning for grouper and whatever else swims in front of my steel bait. If it's nice I may have room for one or two riders if any one wants to go.

Clams: I will be driving out to Cedar Key this weekend to pick up clams go the gathering. They are $20 for a 100 large if they are available. I believe Conner is in for a bag and if anyone else wants some, just post here and I will pick them up for you.

Hey Ken...bag for me...please.

Do you still have my phone number...? If you need anything I am just 20 miles down the shore...so let me know.

I'm still in for a bag, wish I could join you on Thursday.

Connor

Still got your # Terry. Look forward to seeing y'all.

Clams bought and happy. If someone was to gather some nice key west pinks, we could have quite a good steam pot mix for Friday evening.

I don't know about keywests but I know the Lobster Pound(Mainers that fly there catch in a couple times a week) here has some real tasty frozen...we buy them all the time, and they are good.

I could get some of those...