G-1 WEST

Hear & Discuss Everything that Happened at the 2016 Gathering of Glen-L Boatbuilders!

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Locutus
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G-1 WEST

Post by Locutus »

I've brought this up before in the context of the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, Washington. For us boatbuilders out West, especially in the Pacific Northwest, a trip to participate in the annual Gathering waaaaay out in Tennessee may be impractical for most of us.

So I propose a west-coast version of the annual Gathering, which I'll dub G-1 West. Incorporating it into the annual Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend might be an obvious choice, maybe reserving a section of of the marina for Glen-L boats. But there are other possibilities as well, and perhaps we could meet in different locations each year. Some examples:

Anacortes, WA (Several marinas and a jumping-off point to the San Juan Islands, cool downtown area next to main marina.)

Friday Harbor, WA and Roche Harbor, WA, (Both on San Juan Island. Friday Harbor is accessible by Ferry. Roche Harbor is on the other side of the island.)

Spencer Spit State Park, Lopez Island. (Lopez Island is accessible by ferry. Would require anchoring out once launched. Large campground but no town ammenities.)

Kirkland, WA (On Lake Washington, city's marina, next to cool downtown, or a bit further south at Carillon Point marina. No nearby camping though. Some lodging available.)

Port Townsend, WA (Perhaps at a different time than the Wooden Boat Festival?) Probably the best location in the state for such an event, with a cool downtown and meeting spaces next to marina, nearby camping with a few sites next to the marina at the beach, and many more sites at the nearby fairgrounds and state park. Plenty of lodging in town. Nearby is also the Northwest Wooden Boat School.

Some eastern Washington locations I know less about, but which have a lot going for them:
Lake Roosevelt, WA
Banks Lake, WA
Moses Lake, WA
Lake Chelan, WA

A great place for small sailboats might be somewhere in the Columbia River gorge, where the geography creates some pretty fresh winds. A mecca for sailboarders. Maybe someplace like Hood River or White Salmon.

Other suggestions I'm even less familiar with:
Marina Del Rey, Sand Diego, CA
San Diego harbor
San Francisco Bay

What say you West Coasters? Any interest?
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Gayle Brantuk
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Gayle Brantuk »

Locutus,

Your idea sounds great, but judging by the responses, I'm not sure there's enough interest! One of our members put together a gathering which he called a "Rendezvous" some years back. It was in the delta area of Northern California. My husband John and I and our dog went and it was a lot of fun. There were about 30 people and maybe 10-15 boats. The guy who organized it was unable to do it again for various reasons. There may have been more than one--I can't remember.

Some folks also put together another gathering at Lake Powell and only had a few people attend. I couldn't really tell you why this is, but it does seem that most of our most active Forum members and builders tend to be in the middle of the country and closer to Tennessee.

Let's see if anyone chimes in...
Gayle Brantuk
Glen L Witt's daughter
Past Glen-L Marine President
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Jimbob
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Jimbob »

Here's an idea.

Living near Sacramento, CA I was wondering how many other Glen L boat builders are on the west coast, and how they could be contacted if we wanted to have a get together.

I recently joined the Antique Classic Boat Society under the Lake Tahoe Chapter. One of the slick things about their website is that when members join they provide information about the member's boat(s) including but not limited to:

Year
Model
Length
Engine, Cyl, & hp
Chapter (area)
Boat Name

In addition they collect email addresses and contact information, with the option of not disclosing that information to other members.

You can search for other members on the information above, and on additional information narrowing down your search results.

I think the search and contact ability of this would be a great addition to the Glen L website. (as if it's not great already!)

For example I could search for fellow Glen L members that have built, or in the process of building the Barrelback and narrow it down to my region. I could then email them or contact them by phone. It would work great for notifying members of group get togethers.

Anyway just my thoughts.

Jim
Jim Neeley
Building a Barrelback in Sacramento, CA
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Bill Edmundson
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Bill Edmundson »

I put this together a while back. Maybe it will be useful.

Making “the GATHERING” Happen

Gayle asked me to put his together. I’m not sure that I’m the right person. I don’t qualify for the things I might say.

Beware: Not everybody will be happy. Get over it! Don’t take it personally.

The first step is to see if anyone is interested. That sounds small but, you have to have an idea of how many people and will want to come and where they are coming from.

Second, YOU’RE out there on your own. So make it easy on yourself. Look at places you know.

Picking a place:
What do you want to do? How many days?, Food?, Lodging? We went for broke; Cabins, RV, Hotels and Camping. We picked a place where major river runs were possible.
You will need a place where everyone can get together such as pavilion or other covered area. Look at our pictures and think about what you want.
It is best if dock areas and dry display areas that are close together to facilitate ease of viewing both completed boats and those under construction. Many state parks have the best combination of facilities. Be aware that state workers may not care if you are there or not. City Chamber of Commerce will want you. However they don’t really care that you are a “Do It Yourself” group. So far, private facilities aren’t a lot better. Good luck.

Food:
Catering is not going to happen unless you have lots of money (i.e., Breakfast $6.50/head. Lunch $9.00/head & Dinner $15.00/head). We’re at over 100 people. Two dinners, two breakfast, and one lunch comes to $5200. Sorry, I can’t front that.
Most people love chipping in and cooking. It is a major part of the fun! Let it happen.

Things to Do:
Everybody has an idea and that is part of the fun. There is just so much time: Raffles, Auctions, Swap Meets, River Runs, Morning Paddles, Bat Caves, Haunted Dam Tours, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Boat Rides… You can’t do it all! With a great group of volunteers, you may be more successful than you can imagine.

Awards:
Best of Show, Best Deck, Fastest, Best Paint… Drop it! How do you compare a Mahogany Runabout with a Mini-Tug made for a child with love? How do you compare a boat made for cruising thousands of miles with a boat made to run crab traps? All built with pride. Awards should be for fun! This year we recognized two little girls as best mini-tug captains. One went back to her cabin to call her mother. Who got that award, the committee or her?

Leadership:
Somebody has to step up. Help with coordinating food, registration, dealing with facilities is a must have. Thing are always coming up. Someone will have to be the point. Most of the time, I just don’t care. It helps when someone is able to speak up for the group. Who will stand up and speak to the group? Who will do the awards? Who will listen to the complaints? Be prepared to have your emotions conflicted after you have worked months for a successful Gathering and the immediate feedback on the forum is not so complementary (it stings).
Up front! Somebody will have to step out and say this is where I’m going!

Liability:
This is the part I hate for sure! I contend that I’m going to a lake on a given weekend. If you want to come there I would enjoy seeing you. If you get too organized, if you start charging… you may get into a legal liability situation. I want to keep it fun and keep people coming back.

I took a picture of my map of west coast forum members. Maybe, this will be a help. I don't have a list of names.

Bill
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Gayle Brantuk
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Gayle Brantuk »

Bill, you are definitely qualified to say all of those things and you're probably the most seasoned "Gathering" organizer on our Forum! Great info--thank you for that. Jimbob--I love that idea and we will seriously consider doing something like that. Thank you for the suggestion!
Gayle Brantuk
Glen L Witt's daughter
Past Glen-L Marine President
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Roberta
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Roberta »

In addition to the ACBS data base being a good resource, joining and participating in the ACBS chapter boat shows is a great way to show your boat and meet other builders and boaters. Home built boats are becoming more common at ACBS shows and we are very welcome to join.

Roberta :D
Roberta "Queen of the Boat Builders"
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Dave Grason
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Dave Grason »

Folks? Tell me if I am wrong on this assessment.

Anytime I’ve ever been out west and doing the touristy things, I have always encountered lots of tourists from the West Coast. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen any particular group with this amazing mindset where they will rush home after work on Friday, with everything already packed, drive all night to get a thousand miles away to have a fun weekend and then be back home to go to work on Monday morning. I’m not talking about a run down to the local lake for the weekend. Oh NO! I’m talking Yellowstone, Glacier or even Banff if they have more than just the two-day weekend. I don’t know how they do it.

By the same token, I think that this particular mindset also explains the vast array of get-togethers for all of the various interests that Left Coast folks have – for example, hot rod shows, VW shows, Harley Davidson shows, Airstream camp-ins, poker runs, equestrian congresses and the list just goes on and on. And these folks seem to get very wrapped up in their whatever activity is shared by their particular group of fellow enthusiasts. There appears to get to be all these social clubs and no one really wants to miss out on an event that all their buds are attending. I've seen some people do this for like... 48 to 49 weekends out of every 52. It's crazy to my downhome simple, country way of thinking.

Do you suppose that West Coast folks could actually reach a point where something as “mundane” as a Gathering of boat builders would actually seem boring? And, if so, could this be part of the problem?

BTW Bill, you did a wonderful job sizing up all the necessities for putting together a group of boat builders.
Isn't it amazing!! The person that never has the fortitude to pursue his own dreams, will be the first to try and discourage you from pursuing yours.
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Dave Grason »

Roberta wrote:...Home built boats are becoming more common at ACBS shows and we are very welcome to join.
I think that I might know the reason for this and, if you think about it, it just makes sense.

1. Restorable classic boats are getting fewer and farther between all the time.
2. Even once they are restored, the owners cannot always just pound those poor boats around on any given body of water and expect them to stand up to the punishment.
3. Even as much fun as tooling around in a classic is, new boats are just SO much more comfortable, reliable and fast.
4. Glen-L builders, along with others, have proven that they can build boats that rival any boat on the planet for charm and beauty. Isn't that right, Roberta?

It would be my guess that the ACBS is wisely looking towards the future and thinking about how they will keep interest alive in the face of the changing of the times.
Isn't it amazing!! The person that never has the fortitude to pursue his own dreams, will be the first to try and discourage you from pursuing yours.
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Roberta
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Roberta »

Very true, my friend.

Roberta :D
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Dave Grason
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Dave Grason »

Ok, I'm just tossing ideas into the mix here. I know very little about the way things are out west but I did have this one idea. If it turns out to be about as valuable as a clay pigeon, go ahead and blow it out of the sky.

Actually, we did a LOT of kicking ideas around when we moved from Guntersville and it was quite a while before we actually settled on Hale's Bar. So I think that, to have a successful event, these growing pains will need to be addressed out west as well.

What about London Bridge Resort in Havasu City, AZ?

It's a mere 300 miles from LA and about the same from San Diego. That is a commonly crossed distance for those of us who travel to Hale's Bar.

And Havasu City is only a mere 1800 miles from Nashville.


...I'm just saying....
Isn't it amazing!! The person that never has the fortitude to pursue his own dreams, will be the first to try and discourage you from pursuing yours.
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Bill Edmundson
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Bill Edmundson »

Locutus

Looking at my maps and our western builders, It looks to me like Shasta Lake in Northern California might be a good place to look. It is central to many builders. Easy driving on I-5. I don't know anything about facilities there. ACBS should be a good source.

It's amazing to me how home builders and ACBS have become closer over the time many of us have been on this forum! Good work from our builders is a big reason for this!

Bill
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Jimbob
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Jimbob »

Shasta sounds like a good place. It's a BIG lake and is known for house boat rentals. You could have quite a flotilla. Lots of people rent house boats and tie their boat up to the houseboat when on the lake.

Jim
Jim Neeley
Building a Barrelback in Sacramento, CA
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mrintense
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by mrintense »

I can attest to the fact that Lake Shasta is a beautiful lake. I went on several houseboat trips there in the late 90's and it was some of the most fun I have ever had. It's what really got me started thinking about building a boat (a houseboat at the time). There are several marinas there. However, I cannot speak for the camping or sleeping arrangements, we always stayed on the houseboats.
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Dave Grason
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Dave Grason »

mrintense wrote: ...we always stayed on the houseboats.
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Rich Coey
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Re: G-1 WEST

Post by Rich Coey »

Shasta's houseboat rentals are lower priced than most, probably because there are so many on the lake. Most models sleep about 15. In the off season ( the middle of August to June) with 12 to 14 people the basic cost would be about 50 dollars per person per night for 4 nights for a mid range model ( plus tax & fuel and deposits )

Last summer my wife and I went to an ACBS get together and spent $450 at one of the resorts for a small cabin for 3 nights.
Even with the extra costs added , by the time it is split up by everyone it's not much different than staying on land and a lot more fun.

Shasta lake is great but one thing to note is most of the banks are fairly steep, finding a place that isn't already taken to tie up and get off the boat is just about impossible.

Rich
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