Marina/Ramp: Currently mostly out of Jamestown but spend a lot of time at the other Marinas.
Pre2012-Conley Bottom Mostly, Waitsboro, Alligator I&II ramps, Leesford, Pulaski County Park (when it has water), Grider, State Dock (via boat), and Jamestown are a few places you might find me.
Marina/Ramp: Currently mostly out of Jamestown but spend a lot of time at the other Marinas.
Pre2012-Conley Bottom Mostly, Waitsboro, Alligator I&II ramps, Leesford, Pulaski County Park (when it has water), Grider, State Dock (via boat), and Jamestown are a few places you might find me.
It is not easy to come up with the $$$ they want to come and put on a "show".
Then you have the issue of them only having a dozen competitors show up and spectators being disappointed due to the race appearing like a "fast, broken up parade". (that is what I was hearing)
It cost Bill at State Dock $$$ to get them here when it was on the west end. It wasn't even close to a break even event. The folks in Tourism really seemed disinterested in taking it over themselves, many of the volunteer fleet were not happy, so away it goes.
I know I personally will NEVER offer to help OSS again. If tourism or the marinas asked I would, but not for OSS.
Marina/Ramp: Currently mostly out of Jamestown but spend a lot of time at the other Marinas.
Pre2012-Conley Bottom Mostly, Waitsboro, Alligator I&II ramps, Leesford, Pulaski County Park (when it has water), Grider, State Dock (via boat), and Jamestown are a few places you might find me.
Thanks for the insight MA, I was pretty sure we had to pay for them to show but I didn't realize even for the west end event that it was not even a break even show.
(glad to have you pop in)
Buy American, the job you save just might be your own.
OK, well to make this a little clearer.... i hope,
Bill at State Dock and one of the crew from OSS from Lexington were the driving force behind getting the OSS race to come here. The Tourism board then got the money together to pay OSS their fee by way of sponsorships, donations and the like. It was over $100k by a good amount. There were a ton of other considerations outside of the OSS fees that had to be dealt with. Everything from getting electric to the remote launching areas to having bathrooms for the volunteers. Most of the on-water items needed came from State Dock the first year and Burnside/Lee's Ford/Cumberland Sea Ray the next. The marinas set anchors for the bouys, installed temporary docks, supplied houseboats to use for race command and for volunteer relief. All of this work and support for the event was all for no charge. It ends up amounting to a large sum of money contributed for these items, and it is something that they simply don not see any return on.
The issue is, people.... generally... were unimpressed with the show. That means sponsors were not as gung ho as they were in the beginning and volunteers became harder to come by. Then logistically the race was hard to see from land.
If the race orgainizations every get their crap together and can put together a true race and 30 boats... then you would have something.
I have been to several of these races in Florida when I lived there and ran a tow boat there for them several times. I was always somewhat unimpressed, but I figured that was just me. I did my very best to be upbeat and helpful the first year, and even the second right up until they screwed me.
Well if you look back I said before the first race if they went to the east side they would never come back. A lot of what MA is saying is true and it may have never came back. Staying on the west end was the only it stood a chance to become an annual event. I for one was unimpressed both years and will not miss it. NBD if you ask me.
Marina/Ramp: Currently mostly out of Jamestown but spend a lot of time at the other Marinas.
Pre2012-Conley Bottom Mostly, Waitsboro, Alligator I&II ramps, Leesford, Pulaski County Park (when it has water), Grider, State Dock (via boat), and Jamestown are a few places you might find me.
I don't think which end is what mattered. As you can see the west end was just as big of an issue. AND the east was setup better for shoreline spectators with easier access at Waitsboro.
It seems it just isn't successful at either end and at many other places either.
(ps, glad to see ya logged in)
Buy American, the job you save just might be your own.
Just Chillin wrote:Crwky, where ya been? You still at State?
"and just like that, he was gone".
It's been a rough year, a lot of changes for me. My boat is still at State I guess it's been so long since I've been there I'm not even sure. If not someone let me know so I can call the Ins. Co.
Good to hear from ya. Hopefully 2011 will be better for ya buddy. Give me a holler if ya get down there this spring or summer and me and ___ will stop by and see ya. Take care.
