****UPDATED INFORMATION****

MAY MONTHLY MEETING AT FAIRHOPE YACHT CLUB - BOATHOUSE BUILDING AND A MAY PICNIC & PADDLE...

The next meeting of the Mobile Bay Canoe and Kayak Club will be on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2006 at 7:00 p.m., at the Fairhope Yacht Club. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month, same time, same place. When you drive down the hill to the bay, take the last turn left into the parking lot, to the boathouse building.

Bob is putting together a slideshow presentation for this meeting...should be a good one!

HATS ARE IN....COME TO THE MEETING TO GET YOURS!

Club May Picnic and Paddle
Date: Saturday, May 6, 2006
Time: 3:00 PM into the evening
Place: Gary & Aven Warner's place on Dog River
Directions: Call Aven and Gary for directions to their house 251.473.1819

Comments: PLEASE RSVP TO AVEN (251)473-1819 to get a headcount and to let her know what you will bring for the potluck dinner, which will start at 6/6:30 PM. Bring your own beverages of choice.

The paddle will start at 3:00 PM and go into a nearby bayou, lasting for 1-2 hours or so, with other options for those who want to paddle a little longer. The paddle will be leisurely and most suitable for beginners with any kind of kayak or canoe.
This will be a great outing to meet your fellow club members and will be well attended, so make plans to come and call Aven and Gary, or you won't know how to get there!!!!

***UPDATE*** Boiling Creek Addicts...

Date: Saturday, April 22nd

Contact: Tony Dockery (anthonydockery@yahoo.com) or Harriet/Fritz Ingraham - hvk1457@aol.com - 928.4568 home - 604.3741 cell

Meet at 9 am at Wilcox Exit on I-10 OR if coming from another direction meet at Yellow River Take Out at 9:30 am(Directions: Take I-10 to exit 31 in Florida, which is Hwy 87 south, the last Milton exit going east, and travel south for several miles until you cross the Yellow River bridge (can't miss it) immediately on left is parking lot) - we may be a couple minutes late depending on traffic, just wait for us there. Shuttle required, all need to be at this Yellow River location to arrange shuttle.

Come and have fun on beautiful Boiling Creek on the Eglin AFB. Make sure you bring your Eglin recreation permit and other ID. We will stop for lunch along the way, so bring the usual food, fluids, sunscreen, jacket, etc. for a few hours of fun in paradise. Plans are to paddle up a couple miles from the put-in, then paddle back down with the current. Should be a wonderful day with full spring bloom in process.

***FLASH*** Help Required for Mulletman Triathlon

Mulletman Triathlon needs help on Sat, April 22. Helpers will get a tee shirt, 2 beers, and red beans and rice. Barbara Barnes is the Race Director for the Mulletman Triathlon at the FloraBama. She needs folks in kayaks to travel with the swimmers. Call 251-269-1477 or e-mail pearl1@gulftel.com. Race time is 7am to 8:30am.

***FLASH*** EASTER SUNRISE PADDLE

Easter Sunday Sunrise Paddle - 6AM
Meet at very north end of the Fairhope Pier Public Beach at the duck pond. We will paddle out into the Bay for the Easter Sunrise Service at the Pier which begins at 6:30AM.

Contace Gene Boothe at 421-7826

(Weather from the webmaster: low temperature tonight is supposed to be 65F. Winds will build from the SW at about 10-15kts, but should be relatively gentle that early in the morning)

There is a trip report posted for last weeks McVoy Lake paddle (same as McVeigh Lake), and a new canoe for sale...hurry, I bet it goes quick. Please let me know if you have plans to lead a paddle this weekend, and stay tuned for info about next week's paddles!

April Club Calendar and other notes...

For those of you who were unable to make last nights meeting, Brint is passing on the website torch to me as he gets ready to move on to a new job in Orlando this summer. If you have any questions about the website, please e-mail me at out2sea03@hotmail.com...as soon as I figure out how to change the e-mail over on the right side of the page, I will do so. Harriet will be placing the order for club hats sometime today and they should be here well ahead of next months club meeting! And finally, please start looking ahead to late-April and May and consider leading a paddle...especially if you have found somewhere new to paddle!
-Ian Brosnan

Up Boiling Creek (with a paddle)

Date: Saturday, April 8th
Time: TBA (mid-morning sometime)
Place: TBA
Contact: Bob Andrews 251-367-4144
Comments: The plan is to paddle upstream in Boiling Creek, with a possible side trip up Little Boiling Creek before returning to the put-in site. Bring lunch and drinks, and don't forget your Eglin AFB Recreation Permit!

McVeigh Lake

Date: Sunday, April 9th
Time: 1pm
Place: Meet at Bruno's in Spanish Fort
Contact: Harriet Ingraham
phone: 251-928-4568
email: hvk1457@aol.com
Comments: This should be a relaxed paddle...if you haven't been to McVeigh Lake, you should definitely make this paddle!

Boiling Creek

Date: Saturday, April 22nd or Sunday, April 23rd
Time: TBA
Place: TBA
Comments: Tony will be leading this trip, more details to follow... and don't forget your Eglin AFB Recreation Permit!

BluzCruz Kayak Race

Date: Saturday, April 22, 2006
Contact: BluzCruz
Comments: This looks like a great race, with a good cause attached, and a number of members are planning on competing so you won't be alone out there...WEAR YOUR CLUB HATS!

Excerpt from their website:

The BluzCruz Marathon is a 22-mile charity race for competitive and recreational canoeists, and kayakers along the Mississippi River. No running shoes required! The event will start at Madison Parish Port just north of Tallulah, Louisiana, and finish at Vicksburg Front, Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Marathon will have multiple canoe and kayak classes for competitive and recreational paddlers and is aimed at families and friends wanting to enjoy a safe paddling experience, as well as camaraderie with others who enjoy the great sport of paddling.

Our Charity Partner is the Service Over Self Organization (SOS), a youth based Christian group that helps less privileged families in our community with needed home repairs. The BluzCruz Committee is a volunteer, non-profit group. This event provides a way for these volunteers to give back to the community, and support a worthy cause, while promoting health and excellence through the sport of paddling.

The Race will be held in conjunction with Vicksburg Riverfest. Vicksburg Riverfest festivities include a Friday night street party, Saturday Arts and Craft Show, and then back in the street Saturday night for music and fun for the entire family. Other sites to see: the Vicksburg National Military Park, Old Court House Museum, Riverfront Murals, historic homes, casinos and much more.

Grandman Triathlon, Fairhope Municipal Pier
June 3, 2006 7:00 AM - arrive by 6:30 AM

MBCAKC has been the team of kayak lifeguards since the triathlon began several years ago. Harriet Ingraham - 928.4568; hvk1457@aol.com is the kayak coordinator for this event. 10-15 kayakers are needed to line the swim race course, keeping swimmers on path and aiding tired swimmers who need a rest. Kayakers need to be in the water at the Fairhope Pier between 6:30 AM and 6:45 AM - after connecting with Harriet about positioning for the race. Please contact Harriet if you would like to volunteer. We, and Mobile Bay Watch received numerous positive comments about the MBCAKC presence last year and how secure all the swimmers felt by having us participate.

Fifth Annual Dog Paddle Race scheduled for June 10, 2006

The Fifth Annual Dog Paddle Race is set for June 10, 2006 from 8 AM until 1 PM, at Luscher / Navco Park. Located off Navco Road on Dog River in Mobile, Alabama. The event will include kayak, canoe, and rowboat races. The races will allow all racers experienced or otherwise a chance at stretching their arms. This year, the racing events will include:

Men's 1-mile at 8:30 AM
Women's 1-mile at 9:15 AM
Junior's (under 14) ½-mile at 10 AM
Parent-child's ½-mile at 10:30 AM
Novice ½-mile 11 AM
Open Division 2-miles at 11:30 AM

The $20 entry fee for adults and the $10 entry fee for students (with student identification) will include entry to any and all eligible races the entrant wishes to enter and one t-shirt. Spectators who wish to just observe, will have the experience of watching the race, enjoying good company, and lots of fun at Mobile's only public access to Dog River. A limited number of kayaks will be available for entrants who do not have the proper watercraft to use during races, or to just try out. The kayaks will be distributed on a first-come first-serve basis. All proceeds from the Dog Paddle will go to Dog River Clearwater Revival. Profits will be used to support activities that promote the improvement of water quality in Dog River. Registration forms are available at Sunshine Canoe Rental, Michelle's, McCoy Outdoor, Blankenship's Universal Hardware, Boat US, Wigmans and local sporting and boating outlets. In the event of rain, the event will be held on the following day, June 11th, 2006. For more information call 510-0430 or follow the hyperlink at the following Web site:http://dogriver.southalabama.edu/

APRIL MONTHLY MEETING AT FAIRHOPE YACHT CLUB - BOATHOUSE BUILDING

The next meeting of the Mobile Bay Canoe and Kayak Club will be on Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at 7:00 p.m., at the Fairhope Yacht Club. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month, same time, same place. When you drive down the hill to the bay, take the last turn left into the parking lot, to the boathouse building.