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OWNERS CLUB
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CARVER
OWNERS CLUB
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May 2004 Newsletter |
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Members Update |
Club News |
Please HelpThe Club needs writers/editors for the newsletter. My work demands have increased to the point that I cannot consistently produce the newsletter in a timely way. If you would like to help, please contact me ASAP. Likewise, I’m looking for someone to help with the web site. You need to have some technical skills with this – html, MS Access, JAVA, and asp. I really need some help to keep current. Thank you. Featured ArticleNo featured article this month. We try to have a feature each month of topics of interest to our members. If you have a suggestion or would like to write an article, please let me know. JR Willard Attacked By SharksOkay, not quite, but here’s the real story.
J. R. Willard is one of our youngest members.
He’s an ice hockey player – a good athlete.
He was tubing just off the west coast of Florida while on spring
vacation. A wave, a moment of inattention, and, suddenly, JR is off the
tube and into the water, along with his tubing partner.
JR was wearing his PFD, unhurt, and a good swimmer.
He wasn’t concerned until he saw the fin and the gray shape in
the water. Convinced he was
about to be eaten by rampaging sharks, JR sounded his auditory alarm
device. In other words, he
was screaming his head off. His
tubing buddy shouted that everything was okay – the gray shapes were
dolphins, playing with new companions in the water.
JR quickly recovered and ended up with a remarkable experience. Boating ExperiencesI received several nice notes about how much fun
it was to read about others’ boating experiences – stories about
strange things that have happened.
For example, several people have asked if I really did run my new
boat into a drawbridge (I did). I
also have a great story about one of our members having to drop her
pants to draw her pistol (she’s a cop) which is not strictly a boating
story but pretty darn funny. If you have a funny story, call or write me with your story
for a future newsletter. Hmmm.
I may have to tell the story about how Patsy saved a life by
cooking on the boat. When
we called the local fire company for a return visit, they knew exactly
where we were to transport the victim. Saturday Night OutWe started something in April for the upper
Chesapeake Bay members. Someone
suggests a restaurant where we’d like to have dinner and we convoy to
a nearby marina to spend the night.
We have dinner at the restaurant (on our own) and share some
experiences. In April, we
went to Harbor House in Worton Creek.
At Harbor House, they personalize the menus to each boat – it
was nice. On May 22, we’ll cruise to the Wild Duck Café
on Frogmortar Creek off the Middle River north of Baltimore. You
can dock at the restaurant to eat, but can't stay overnight in the
restaurant slips. The restaurant is located at the Maryland Marina
where you can spend the night. Book
your slip by calling 410-335-8722.
There are also nice anchorages nearby, where Cygnet will be
found. Drop me an email at webdude@carverownersclub.com
if you would like to attend. I’ll
make restaurant reservations and everything else is on your own. June 26 we’ll go to the Wellwood Inn in
Charlestown. They have 25
transient slips. Dinghy CruisesAs fuel prices set new records daily, we’ve received an unusual request. Anyone wanting to cruise by dingy to remote locations please contact me. Cruises under 60 miles will not be considered.
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Please accept my apology for making so many
omissions on the Rendezvous Update listings.
My thanks to everyone who wrote in to request clarifications. Rendezvous UpdateWe had an unusual experience with the Florida
West Coast Rendezvous that causes us to more clearly state our policy
concerning boats for sale attending Rendezvous.
Boats attending may not be represented by a broker or display for
sale signs that are visible outside the boat, unless your boat is being
shown by a sponsor. If your
boat is for sale, you are welcomed to attend and show your boat.
Brokers or other agents cannot attend on your behalf without
paying an additional sponsorship fee and receiving the Club’s prior
permission. Please call me
if you have any questions about this. Chesapeake Bay Rendezvous – Solomons
Maryland – Solomons Yachting Center June 11, 12, and 13, 2004 Everything is set for the Chesapeake Bay Rendezvous at Solomons, Maryland. We are planning:
After we get closer to the date, you’ll get
more information about everything.
We tried to arrange a tour of Vera’s remarkable house, but her
insurance will not permit that. Please make your reservations soon.
We already have about 12 boats registered.
Cost this year is up only slightly, to $85.00 per person.
We can make some accommodations for children, if you choose to
bring some. I’ve also
heard from several members who have expressed a concern about Solomons
being too far away for a weekend by boat.
There are two hotels nearby, the Comfort Inn (Patsy and I usually
stay there) and a Holiday Inn. You
may drive down to join us. This
is a great opportunity to expand your cruising range with a group.
Solomons is a nice place to go by boat.
From Solomons, you can go anywhere in the Southern Bay, such as
the ICW, Crisfield, Onnancock, and Smith Island.
Solomons is about 40 miles south of Baltimore.
From the C&D canal, it is about 80 miles. That is about a four and a half hour cruise in a diesel boat
and six hours in a gasoline boat. President
Bush promised me that fuel prices would not exceed $3 a gallon until
after the Rendezvous. You
may want to fill up as soon as you arrive, however.
The Solomons Rendezvous will not be repeated anytime soon – it
will be a great adventure. Everyone who offered to help at last year’s
Rendezvous, please contact Patsy at events@carverownersclub.com.
She needs some help putting all of this together. Upper Lake Michigan Rendezvous This rendezvous has been cancelled. Lake Ontario Rendezvous, Port Dalhousie Pier
Marina, Port Dalhousie, Ontario July 30, 31 and August 1, 2 2004 We are still looking for sponsors for this event.
We are preparing budgets with the expectation that we will not
have dealer support. Our toll-free number (800-835-1996) now works in Canada.
We are completing the budgets tomorrow and should have the
reservations page up later this week. We are preparing a package of forms US members may need to
cruise into Canadian waters. Tidewater Rendezvous, Tidewater Marina,
Portsmouth Virginia August 27, 28 and 29 If you have ever considered traveling the ICW
from Portsmouth to Florida or points south, this is the Rendezvous for
you. We will be at Mile
Marker zero. Again, we are
completing the budget and should have reservations up soon.
This would be a great trip for boaters all along the bay and
Outer Banks. We have 25
slips reserved and can expand to 40 if we begin to sell out. New York City Rendezvous We are currently considering making this a
four-day event, so we can spend one day in Manhattan by taking the ferry
from the marina. We are
waiting on dates from the dealer in the area. Price IncreaseEffective May 15, 2004 the cost of membership
renewal will increase from $25.00 to $40.00.
You can renew between now and May 15 for $25 and your membership
subscription will be extended for a year from your normal expiration. In other words, if your membership period runs from November
to November, renewing now will add on a year without changing the
renewal date to April. If
you renew more than once, it will keep adding years to your membership.
The cost for joining the club increased from $35.00 to $50.00.
The reasons for these increases are primarily linked to increased
shipping costs and costs associated with software virus prevention. Hope
to see you soon. Safe boating, Dave Bishop, webdude@carverownersclub.com
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