NC/Mid Atlantic Gathering in 2015?

[Julian]

So who is interested in a NC area gathering in 2015?

Looking at the end of July sort of time frame.

We've had meetings at Lake Gaston NC and met with @andy07sx230ho at Lake Murray SC....

I wonder if there is somewhere on the intercoastal that would work?

 

[Andy S]

We are interested. North Carolina inter coastal sounds nice but I'm open to any location.

 

[BAC.94]

We might be up for that! I would suggest maybe not planning it too close to the Shelbyville Gathering as more Midwesterners might be able to attend?

 

[redthumper9]

I'm surely interested. Another vote for NC intercoastal.....but I'm biased

 

[BoaterGuy]

If @justason also shows I might be up for the 4.5 hour trek. Would this be a weekend thing? What is there to do there?

 

[Julian]

Just in the discussing phase at this point.....so we can make it whatever we want....but here's what I've learned from past experience organizing these events:

1. Ideally located somewhere with multiple lodging options (cabins, hotels, motels)
2. Ideally somewhere with docks or close to a place where you can rent docks
3. 3-4 day event that includes a weekend...others can stay shorter or longer as they choose.

 

[txav8r]

How far is the tow from here?

 

[txav8r]

TWENTY HOURS ONE WAY!

 

[Julian]

TWENTY HOURS ONE WAY!

From where to where?

 

[txav8r]

LOL...from here to Raleigh. I looked, though it would be hard for a weekend. But it would be fun to see the group there and that part of the country! I can live vicariously through ya'lls pics I guess! I will watch the thread!

 

[96Pirate]

I would be all for it as long as we can work it into or summer schedules. Let's get some possible dates out there.

LOL...from here to Raleigh. I looked, though it would be hard for a weekend. But it would be fun to see the group there and that part of the country! I can live vicariously through ya'lls pics I guess! I will watch the thread!

C'mon Mel @txav8r . I was going to do that trip when I almost was going to buy that boat around the corner from you. Of course that would have only have been a 1-way tow trip.

Can't you throw that boat on 1 of your planes?!?!

 

[Seadeals]

I figure we will eventually get to a point where we join in. Our friends took their 18' Searay to the intercoastal in August. They had a good time and with the dolphins they told us about, the wife and kids might get a kick out of it.

 

[Julian]

August 7,8,9 ?

 

[robert843]

I would be in I will even offer some locations for consideration as I live in Myrtle Beach we spend 90% of our water time on the inter coastal here in north SC and Southern NC. One to consider would be where i live which is Myrtle Beach SC. I know this is not NC but we can get to Wilmington in about 2 hours by boat and lots of wonderful southern locations in less such as Georgetown McClelanville, even Charleston is only about a 2.5 hour run on some of the most beautiful parts of the ICW once you clear Georgetown heading south its nothing but barrier islands and marsh land for about 50 miles you can stop in the middle at Mcclelanville and the native dolphins there will literally swim up to your boat and hang out with you thats where my profile pic was taken with the dolphin sitting next to the boat. There are several private islands down here only accessible by boat Sandy Island and Bird Island are two good ones to hang out at. Also lots of rivers such as the Pee Dee where the is a a water way that goes south through Plantersville with several old plantations to see along the way. Lots of place to stay one I would recommend would be that Marina Inn at Grande Dunes there is a Marina on site its a nice place with lots of parking so should be no issues to store trailers there and a launch point is with in 2 miles of there. There really is a lot to discover down here and a lot of good short trip that can be made and I have no problem leading the way on these as i have been doing them for years down here. Another good one we have done is Bald Head Island NC. If anyone has ever seen weekend at Bernie's that is where that movie was filmed not New York. Marina on site lots of homes and condo for rent but i would recommend doing this as weekend trip in May as once the June hits they are all weekly rentals only and it is really busy. This place is cool no cars allowed on Island so we would have to Launch from South Port NC and ride over to the Island. Every rental on the Island comes with a golf cart since there are no cars. It is an interesting area with lots of water to explore and thing to do on the island. It is a little more isolated only 2 restaurants on the island and one grocery store but we always shop before we go and carry the food over. I have been wanting to do a trip across the Pamplico Sound to Cape Hatteras. I have been by the ferry but never taken my own boat. It is a fairly good run about 3 hours on the ferry can probably be done in about 1.5 to 2 hours on a Jet Boat. Really nice area but I'm less familiar with Marinas and place to stay I only know of two hotels on the Island and not sure of the marina situation. Below is a video of a run down to Mcclelanville we did this summer we took our deck boat on that trip to give at run as we had not used it at all at that point inthe summer.

 

[redthumper9]

@robert843 .....interesting! I have been doing some thinking about the coast here and the ICW. The problem is that there are a lot of places to see and things to do, but its sort of spread out. Where we usually launch from, we are about and hour boat ride to Morehead City. From Morehead you can visit Shackelford Banks (where the wild horses are on the beach) and Cape Lookout lighthouse and national seashore. Go an hour south instead, and there is Sneads Ferry, Surf City and Topsail Island. Still another hour south, and you have Wilmington (which @Julian is familiar with). And there are hundreds of sandbars in between to enjoy. Things like dolphins are an everyday occurrence. So like I said, the coast is beautiful and would offer a lot for those who have never boated it, but planning would be a challenge. All the videos that I posted in the Gopro thread were taken from Morehead down to Wilmington this year. If you haven't seen them, check them out and see what it has to offer. (watch on your computer if you cant view them on your phone) On a side note..... We actually have a friend that owns a place at the Marina Inn. We plan to take the boat there next summer (probably launch from somewhere near Wilmington).

 

[Andy S]

August 7,8,9 ?

Those dates would work for wife and I.

 

[96Pirate]

It's far out there right now but those dates would most likely work for us.

I will need to do some research to see what we really want to explore and see if that fits in. I know one thing that the kids would love is dolphins swimming up to the boat, but it sounds like there are multiple areas for this. Another thing I have been wanting to do is ride by the USS North Carolina. I vacation in Nags Head in June so I would prefer to try another area but lets see what the group prefers.

 

[Julian]

We rode up to the Battleship NC two years ago and stopped for lunch in town at George's on the river (I think that is what it was called). Was a cool trip.

So folks....what places are there with boat docks on the inter coastal in NC or SC? @robert843 has offered some ideas....

 

[redthumper9]

Give me some time, I'll see what I can dig up on this end. I obviously boat this area every weekend during the summer, but haven't ever looked into places that could accommodate a group. In the meantime, are there any pics or a thread somewhere from the last meeting at Lake Gaston @Julian ?

 

[Andy S]

@redthumper9 the Lake Gaston get together occurred in 2012 and was corridinated on the other forum so no thread here to point to.