The Crystal River Boat Bash -- 27 April
Crystal River Preserve State Park, Crystal River, FL
This Bash will be a celebration of small craft, nautical heritage, and fun on the waters of the Nature Coast.
Conditions in late April and early May are ideal in the area - temperatures, humidity, and winds are perfect for enjoying time on the water.
From around the country, owners of small sailing, rowing and paddling craft -- classic and traditional and modern - will be offered
the hospitality of Crystal River.
29th Annual Cedar Key Small Boat Meet -- 4-5 May
Cedar Key, FL
The 29th Cedar Key small boat meet will be Saturday and Sunday, May 4th & 5th,
the first full weekend in May. It is completely informal. Tides and weather are still
the organization. There are no planned events, signups, or fees.
Cedar Key is on the Gulf a hundred miles north of Tampa, a dozen miles south of
the mouth of the Suwannee River. It’s an isolated cape of offshore islands
separated from the mainland by miles of oyster flats and salt marsh. The great
logs of the cedar forests went to pencil makers before & after the Civil War.
During the War it was an active Confederate port & railhead. Now its sea and
shallows attract fishermen & clam farmers, naturalists, artists & writers.
There are no traffic lights, fast food, or golf courses.
All shallow draft boats are welcome: canoes & kayaks, catboats & catamarans;
trimarans, rowboats & sailing dinghies; scows, sharpies & sampans; punts,
pirogues, prams—& pirates’ yawlboats.
Over the last 28 years, weather has usually been mostly sunny, mid to upper
80s in the day, water temperature upper 70s. If it blows, even at lower tides,
it’s splendid for rowers & paddlers. For sailing canoes, Cedar Key is sublime.
Wildlife observers note the complete food chain. The nutrients flowing out with
the clean Suwannee mix with oxygenated water riffling through the cape’s islands
& channels. Birds, bugs, fish, shellfish, turtles, alligators, marine mammals—all
thrive.
For more info: Hugh Horton, 586/215.7060, huhorton@gmail.com.
Big Lagoon Messabout -- 17-19 May
Trinadad CA
ABig Lagoon Messabout '13 will take place Friday - Sunday May 17-19 at
Big Lagoon County Park, Trinidad, CA. Just like the last five years we should
have folks attending from all over northern California and Oregon.
Like most messabouts there is no formal schedule of events. The
messabout hosts will be there by Thursday evening, and anyone is
welcome to come hang out with us at the small group campsite. We will
host a potluck dinner Friday and Saturday nights, and hope for some
music and singing too. Weather permitting, we will motor, sail or row
towards the north end of the lagoon Saturday morning for a picnic
lunch, and plan to catch the prevailing north-west winds back to camp.
We will camp in the small group site at the County Park, near the
restrooms and showers, and stake out a few of the other campsites
along the shore. Since no reservations are allowed, not everyone may
be able to camp at Big Lagoon Campground.
Messabout participant's boats can be pulled up on the clay beach on
the north shore of the Big Lagoon County Park campground, or anchored
out from the beach overnight. With prevailing afternoon winds from
the north-west, the campground beach is a lee shore, but the swell
never gets very large and winds die down in the evening.
Camping on boats is not officially permitted , but enforcement is
unlikely for boats large enough to have porta-potties. We have seen
larger boats anchored further north in the lagoon in the lee of the
sandbar in the evening.
The lagoon waters are very protected (particularly near the sandbar)
and quite suitable for children's swimming, floating and boating.
Come on up and check out one of the California Coast's most
spectacular locations!
