Cedar Key small boat meet 2026

[Doug SC]

I am awake camping on the Scamp as I write this. It's not yet daylight and my bladder spoke to me. I would still be sleeping otherwise. Bill join me on this trip and he's sleeping in a tent on the island shore at Lake Monticello, South Carolina. I just read Captain Kidd post and the whole reason for me to go to Cedar Creek key was his number four. It'd be an honor to meet you, Charles and I'd love to see the boat you put so much love in labor into. Bill and I are talking about going to the coast here in South Carolina instead. The positive thing about this is I have sent off the information DMV and will have a tag to travel out of state in the future. perhaps if I was on my own, the kayak option would work. Really hope to hook up in the future.

We launched here yesterday around 2 o'clock. The winds had been really blowing, but by the time we were on the water, they had lightened up, but they picked up again later and we had some excellent sailing. Found an island beach. We had spaghetti for supper. it'll be shrimp and grits for breakfast. We'll have more time to sail today, but the winds don't look like they'll be as good. The Newport NT 300 that I put on the scamp pushes the boat really well against the heavy wind.
 

[Charles Brennan]

Doug, I just received and installed my brand spankin' new Newport NV 300 series trolling motor.  Congrats on your new Newport NT300 electric outboard!   
That motor has TWICE the thrust of my humble NV-46 and at only 6 times the cost! 
You should never miss a chance to go boating with a good friend.
I would give anything, for another sail with my childhood friend, Jim, for whose idea my boat was named. 

Dale, In the neck of the woods I grew up in, (south Florida) the expression is: "La Familia es lo todo"   (Family is everything.)
So I completely understand your pressures. 
Family first; the Irish Pennant (and my handshake!) is not going anywhere and will be available for years to come.
(Hopefully!!    We're both approaching the age, where we're a little leery of even buying green bananas!) 
The good thing about the Cedar Key Small Boat Meet, is that they have it every year. 
They also have a similar gathering in November, that usually has lighter attendance, but every bit as much fun.
The Panhandle 180 sounds a little rugged to me, with its insistence on not using a motor.  I've sailed that area before and  there's a couple stretches in there, where that might be a deal-breaker.

Doug and Dale, I also recognize that's a pretty long drive at (currently) ruinous fuel prices. It occurs to me though, that Lake Alatoona is roughly central to all three of us and is also where Scott Widmeyer keeps a boat and where Ed & Becky Combs keeps their sailboat Urchin, (or whatever they're going to rename it to); so we might schedule something together there, at some future mutually beneficial date.

Thoughts?
Charles Brennan