Looks good. Is that a fishing pier - didn't see any boats on the sat view?

Attachment 16561

Attachment 16562

my bad - I see they have 7 slips.

Speaking of slips. Does anyone have an idea of how many boats are, or were expected.

Well just off the top of my head, we have me, Eric, Moose, Bones, GFS(?), T-3 just for a quick starter. If it's only seven slips we can fill that easy and might be short.

That was my thought. Assuming that there might be others (rooms) already booked, that could cut into those seven really quick.

Four Fish Marina next door might have some space.

BULLETIN

Dat dada dat duhduh dat........

OK, just got off the hook with GM George at River Palm... 5/11-13/2018 is basically booked..
No surprise...

Good news is 6/1-3/2018 is for the most part wide open ! :)

He is willing to wave the dock fee for our group !
It holds 7 but we can tie up to the lead out pier and side saddle
or just anchor off the beach.

Soooo, on this short notice I vote lets do-it !

I am VERY familiar with that section of shoreline. There is a public boat ramp literally 1 block away.

Two things I would caution:

1- with a strong easterly breeze that shoreline will be very choppy. I have seen it so bad I wouldn't leave my boat in overnight.
2- that whole area is VERY shallow. I think someone should check to see the depth at that dock. I would be surprised if it is more than 2.5-3 feet. The marina next door has it's own maintained channel.

I have been buried at work and NoBones called me to break the news to me as I haven’t been on the board. This is a big issue for Mel and I as this was a 2 week planned vacation for us to which we have committed time off from work that more than a challenge to arrange with coworkers to cover for us and reschedule their vacation plans. It will take a day or so to see if we even have an option to change as well as the issues it posses to our overall plan. This is really bad news for us.

"This is really bad news for us"

Yes Sir I was just sittin' here all fat and happy then BOOM the Dockside calls me and I'm not as fat and happy!! I know what you mean and the mess it makes for you and others that work.

In any case, I'm good with the move. I'll be calling the Dockside and cancel my reservations today.

Ok, just got back from my "leg work" mission. I first went to the ferndale, which is .3 mile south of the sportsman. The nice lady there said she would probably have only 3-4 efficiencies available then. Good news there is, it was 75-85 dollars a night and no charge for boat dock. When I told her about the sportsman, she said that they had sometimes taken overflow from big parties from there.
I went to sportsmans and the lady at the desk said that she would have to check with the owners and get back with me. She sounded optimistic about it, so we'll see.
Went to capt butchers. they have 4 studios and 3 townhouses available then. (125 and 175/night ) Townhouses sleep 4. $1/foot for boats for people staying there.
I have to get back with the manager at capt hirams.

dock space
 

A lot of space at the dock of hirams. My friend says they have security there at night.

Ok, the lady just called me back from the sportsmans and she said that she just couldn't hold rooms that far out. She said that if it changes, she would give me a call. Kmoose, just to let you know,if you can't or don't change the date of your weeks vacation and the plan gets changed for June, the Sportsmans does have a river room available for your week.

Thanks very much! I just got off the phone with Mel and she has aready pre-approved the option. She really likes that option and it keeps us closer to the start of grouper season and early enough to catch the seasonal gaffer mahi run. If the group sticks with the new dates we will likely just come down a second time for a day or two.

Well, I just dumped my reservations at dockside and picked up the river room at Sportsmans in an effort to stay happily married. It would be great if it worked out for everyone at other places nearby and I would just reserve the pavilion at Sportsmans for the big dinner. Unfortunately all the vacation time surrounding the revised date were booked on my end in my department. I got in early and snatched up the original date as my first pick but my options now are greatly diminished.

I understand the pavilion, but what is a River room? I liked the Sportsman, where I met you guys for the first time in the fall of 14?, and purchased the Seafari spring 15, I believe. I have invited a buddy from grade school down that weekend, former Marine, who flew Marine One for GWB a few years, and I’d like to do Mother’s Day. I may book Thurs thru Sunday.

Vezo, Part II

Ken, could you give me the contact again for fuel tank builder in Hudson area? No hurry. Thanks.

I was talking to the woman at the front desk this morning and she asked the owners again if they would go on daily basis. (no go) I said to her that there was one guy that was looking for a week and I think he was at the last room by the water 2 years ago. Hence river room. But, you could give it a try.

I know this is not what any of us wanted to have happen, but it did for a reason...

Hopefully all that planed on coming still can..

I canceled Dockside reservation, plan to book River Palm Cottages with George
in the AM... DonV already did !!

It will be a great gathering no matter where we go !

Check out the rooms, they are all nice.
Capt Chuck said they did a total re-do recently and all is top notch...

More later...

New dates put me up against my wife's retirement trip. Might take some convincing to let me go. But just in case - any special pricing on the rooms? Do we have rooms blocked off?

Looks like we had around 12 - 14 rooms booked at the Dockside for the May date. With this late change in date and venue we probably won't have the turnout we were looking forward to. That being said, if we could get some definitive yes/no commitments maybe we could try and hold that many rooms. The last gathering at MacRae's they were very generous holding the rooms for us with a 30 day deadline before that gathering weekend. However with June 1,2 being the middle of prime fishing season it's time for us to "put up or shut up"!

Personally I cancelled my Dockside reservations, made some at the River Palm and if that does not work out for our gathering I'll cancel them also. It hurts, actually it pisses me off that our gathering dependable members like Mel and Moose got "screwed" on the Dockside issue so let's hope we can pull something together. If not we'll move on.

Awesome Moose sauce.

The WPB fishin club got some similar emails and calls.

I will wait until morning to cancel...
New fuel tanks?
That is not the same as dock renovations or is it?

I`m sorry gang, but we will move forward.

Tom at the fishin` club got the same news.

They are switching to RPC as well.

Fly Eagles Fly.

We really didn’t want to make alternative plans but if anyone wants to spend a day or two with us fishing offshore just let us know. We’ll have room and will be fishing every day weather permitting.

Not sure we will drag the boat down for the gathering but we will likely be there for the festivities and cornhole tournament on the Eagle boards.

You could fish on slacker...

That would be a no for us. Leaving Memorial w/e to mosey on up to Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, the last three states on my b-list of 49. (hope to try for the fall gathering)

Las Palmas?

Is Sportsman’s Lodge “Toast”?
 

Dang, I go down to Boca Grande for a few days and “off line” and the wheels fall off the East Coast Gathering....! I got an e-mail from them about their dock work delays and I wrote them back and said “We’ll (I) deal with the dock situation when I get there” and they e-mailed me back and said “You are Canceled”. I e-mailed them back earlier today and said “I didn’t cancel. I said I’d deal with the Dock situation when I get there”.

Did someone cancel the whole group? What the heck is going on? I had a dang manual lever King Autopilot that “held course” better than this. Tighten up - Archey Bell and the Drells.

I think they must have changed their name to the NoDockside Inn and the Sportsmans Lodge was out of it a while ago.

T-3 They pulled the rug on us with there dock b-$#it...:mad:
Those of us that canceled did so individually.

Said our best option was to load boats on trailers everyday and
park across the street ! I don't think so....

They left us with no choice then to bail out..:mad:

We had to hussell to find another location like NOW.
Hence River Palm Cottages down the road a piece in Jensen..
For sure we are losing some that booked, but on the other hand we
will gain some... :)

If it is just Don, Deb, Patti & I, so be it... we will have fun either way !

Si Senor! And Mel can’t stop thinking getting crab cakes at the market. We really appreciate you thinking of us and priming the pump at Sportsman as an option.

I’m a little concerned Mel might be utilizing this trip for a real estate recon. She really likes the area but I don’t want to work myself into the grave so her and the pool boy can have a nice home on the ditch with a custom SeaCraft on the lift.

Cancelled my reservations yesterday. DANG! Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend in June. My daughter graduates from high school this spring and there are functions that weekend. Maybe next time.

Hooray for River Palms! I can hardly wait to meet some of you all...

I'm in and have reservations for Fri & Sat nights (6/1&2) at River Palm.

Count me it too! Just made my reservations.

Jim

I made my reservations :D

Time is of the essence due to the fact of short notice and the size of the
complex... They are basically wide open for us that weekend..

I promised George the GM we would do our best to get everyone
booked as soon as possible !

The Tiki hut fee will be waived for our fish fry Saturday night if we
get him close to filled up. Also waiving the dock fee for us.. :)

He asked that we do not leave a mess, responded that is a non issue with us !

This may turn out to be a better venue for us versus the
No Dockside Inn..:cool: (Thanks Ron for that one)

Sorry uncleboo you had to cancel, was really looking forward to meeting you.
Same with Moose & Mel... Hopefully you will come for just the weekend..

I was so excited, but, fall is coming. I'll be looking for the chatter!

River Palms
 

I suspect Anita and I will attend; but with daughter's house about 15 minutes away, will probably stay there.

You will regret that remark.

I am so glad you are going. I have many questions as you might imagine.

Booked 22 today.

UncleBooHoo will be sadly missed .
We`ll save some branch water for the fall gathering.

This freaking sucks! Everything was planned, vacation, dog kennels, child care..... The new dates didn't work for any of them. The whole world seems to booked for that week. :(

We need Morgan & Morgan...:eek::eek:
They will get us 1.2 million for our grief and aggravation ! :rolleyes:

I know Ken it blows for sure ! Not what any us wanted to have happen..:(

We have cottage #17 They all look nice for a Cracker kind of place ...