This event is March 7th. You will need to have your boat in the afternoon before the event.
Sunnyland St. Johns River Cruises 2020
I bet some of you are just about ready to get out of that cold weather. Well, come on down to the St. Johns River Cruise and the Sunnyland Festival!! While permanent docks are not yet installed in Tavares for the Festival, we will again enjoy temporary docks with finger slips. They worked well last year. Two Cruises again this year. The opening banquet for the South Bound Cruise will be Sunday, (Mar.15) in Palatka. Yep, the Florida Yacht Club docks are not yet repaired so we will have to run out of the Quality Inn, Palatka, again this year. The opening banquet for the North Bound Cruise is also at the Quality Inn, Palatka, on, Sunday, (Mar. 22) after the Festival.
So come on down. Wonderful sights, great company and always a grand experience! !
Southbound Cruise Sunday 3-15 to Thursday 3-19
Northbound Cruise Sunday 3-22 to Friday 3-27
Captain Guy will lead us South. We launch Saturday or Sunday, (Mar 14 or 15) at the ramp in Palatka just south of the US 17 bridge and dock at the Quality Inn just under the bridge to the north. Trailer parking is in the lot across the street from the motel office. Space is limited so be sure to tighten it up. On Monday (Mar 16) we will cruise north to Green Cove Springs for a feast at the Elks Lodge before returning to Palatka. Dinner on your own. Tuesday (Mar 17) we cruise up Dunn’s Creek to Crescent City where Amy and Jeff Haston will host a great lunch at their magnificent home on Crescent Lake. Then back to Palatka & dinner, again, on your own. Wednesday (Mar 18) we will stop for lunch in Welatka at Shrimp R Us with Zarka and Jim Wynn. It’s spectacular!! Then on to Silver Glen where you can take a dip in the beautiful clear 72 degree spring water if you like. That evening we will be in Astor at the Astor Bridge Motel or Castaways. Dinner on your own at the Blackwater Inn. Thursday (Mar 19) grab breakfast and we will head back north taking Blue Creek from Astor to Lake George. Once we cross Lake George we will stop at Renegades, for another great lunch before pulling out back in Palatka and heading to Tavares and the Sunnyland Festival!! The Festival is a must!
Captain Gerald will lead us North. Sunday afternoon (Mar 22) after the Festival we will launch in Palatka (see directions to ramp above) and enjoy our opening banquet at the Quality Inn. Monday (Mar 23) we will run to Astor stopping for an incredible lunch at Shrimp R Us! Then it is on to the Astor Bridge Motel or Castaways in Astor. Tuesday (Mar 24) we head south to a fun destination, De Leon Springs, stopping at Lake Beresford Yacht Club for lunch and back to Astor. Wednesday (Mar 25) we will head for Palatka with lunch at Silver Glen Springs where you can take a dip in the 72 degree water… if you like cold water. Thursday (Mar 26) we will run up Dunns Creek for lunch with our hosts, Amy and Jeff Haston at their home on Crescent Lake. Then back to Palatka. Friday (Mar 27) we will cruise to Renegades for lunch just north of Lake George. Then back to Palatka to pull our boats and share memories of a great Cruise!
If you elect on registration, luggage will be taken by trailer so you don’t have to take it in your boat!
Please note on your registration form there is a place to order 2020 St Johns River Cruise shirts and hats. These are collared golf shirts with your boat’s name on the sleeve. A fellow woody boater supplies them and they are very nice. If you want these items, please place your order now!
Also please note motel rooms have been blocked for our stay. When we confirm your registration, we will include information on making reservations. Please identify yourself as a St. John River Cruise participant when registering. REFUND POLICY – After Feb 1st, less 25%; Mar. 1st, less 50%!
Please come on down and enjoy the fun! !
Laurie & Guy Marvin, III, Cruise Captains, South (Guy Marvin, III, Phone – 904-334-3885, email – gmarviniii@gmail.com )
Katy & Gerald Dake, Cruise Captains, Northbound (Gerald Dake, Phone – 904-221-6698, email odyssey1947@bellsouth.net )
To Print The Southbound Registration Form – CLICK HERE
To Print This Cruise Itinerary – CLICK HERE
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WELCOME TO THE 39TH ANNUAL SUNNYLAND ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC BOAT FESTIVAL
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To Print This Letter Out CLICK HERE
Dear Fellow Boaters:
I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday. Now it’s time to start thinking about the Sunnyland Antique Boat Festival and getting your boats ready for the 1st show of the 2020 Boating Season. As most of you know, we have suffered the wrath of Hurricane Irma and the City of Tavares is working very diligently to re-build the Marina. A contract has been issued to rebuild the entire water front and the completion date is scheduled for 2020.
The City has gone the “Extra Mile” to arrange for temporary docks for the up-coming show and we will use the same temporary docks as last year. These floating docks worked very well and we will be able to accommodate 70 boats in the water. We realize that we won’t be able to accommodate all the water requests and our plan is to put the larger Boats in the water and the smaller boats on land.
The Boats that will be assigned to the Temporary floating docks have several launch options. You can use any of the ramps in proximity to the show and launch and recover on your own. Manage your launch and recovery and store your trailer off site. If you choose to use the new ramp at the show site, we will have a Launch crew on site to help you. We will have limited trailer parking and tow vehicles will need to be disconnected and vehicles parked in the public parking garage. We no longer can provide Tractor Valet service at the launch ramp.
Time to put the snow shovels away, get the boat ready and come on down to Florida for some fun in the sun. Rest assured that we are doing everything possible to accommodate everyone and this will be another outstanding show. Joe Sabatini, who runs the very successful FESTIVAL OF SPEED programs throughout Florida, will be bringing a display of up to 60 antique and classic cars, as well as some modern supercars to complement our beautiful boats. The Thursday night City of Tavares reception at the Pavilion and the Friday night Captain’s Party will offer some unique and different experiences that you won’t want to miss. The Friday night captain’s party will feature a Country Band and everyone is encouraged dress in a western theme—-Boots—Jeans—Hats!!
All boat show participants are encouraged to park in the City parking garage which is two blocks from the show. There will be a shuttle to and from the show site. The 2020 show promises to be a spectacular event as we celebrate the 39th year of the Sunnyland Antique Boat Festival.
As most of you know, we have the famous St John’s River cruise the week before our show and if you can’t make the southbound cruise, we will have the northbound cruise following the show. When you combine the North and Southbound river cruises and our spectacular event, it’s more than three weeks of vintage boating on pristine lakes in central Florida. If you are a Race Boat Fan, the new Florida Vintage Race Boat Association will host their event the week before our show.
This year, the ACBS Board will have their Quarterly Board meeting on Mar 19, 2020 at the Tavares Lake Side Pavilion at the show site starting at 8am. This meeting is an open meeting and you are cordially invited to attend. If you would like to join the board for lunch, there is a charge of $25 to cover the cost of the meal which needs to be paid in advance. Please call Stacy at ACBS Headquarters in Clayton to sign up for the meeting and make your reservation for lunch, if desired.
All the Sunnyland volunteers will be in place at 8am on Thursday Mar 19 to start the show, and we close promptly at 5pm. If you arrive after 5pm on Thursday, you will have to come back on Friday morning. We will not be accepting boats on Wednesday Mar 18. If you arrive early, you will not have access to our facilities. All participants must pass through our registration facility located on Joanna Street. There will be multiple signs to direct you to the show entrance.
Flea Market vendors will be allowed to go in and out of the site on a daily basis. We will allow you to drive in on Thursday, set up and remove your vehicle. If you work out of your vehicle, you can leave it on site for the duration of the show. If you are a Flea Market Vendor, you must set up on THURSDAY Mar 19. There will be limited vehicle access to the Flea Market on Friday, Saturday and Sunday prior to 8am. The Flea Market area has new concrete. If you use a tent, you CANNOT drive tent pegs into the concrete.
We advertise and sell tickets for our show based on three days; all day Friday, Saturday and until noon on Sunday. Thursday is our set up day and WE HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU ARRIVE ON THURSDAY. THERE WILL BE LIMITED ACCESS ON FRIDAY BECAUSE THE GATES ARE CLOSED FOR TICKET SALES. ON FRIDAY OUR LAND DISPLAY AREA IS NOT ACCESABLE FOR TRACTORS BECAUSE OF FOOT TRAFFIC. Our show ends Sunday at noon and if the weather is great, the crowd is usually slow to depart.
Thursday evening March 19 at 6pm, we will have a City of Tavares reception at the new Pavilion at the show site. On Friday March 20, we will have our traditional picnic at Hickory Point. We anticipate that many people will travel by vehicle to the picnic. Friday night we will have our famous “Captains Party” at the show site in the big tent at the center of the show. This will be Country and Western Night and live music will be provided along with food and adult beverages. On Saturday we will have something special for the ladies; a Style Show Luncheon at the Tavares Civic Center starting at 12 noon. Also on Saturday we will have the informative Sunnyland Symposium designed around the wood boat hobby and this will be open to the public. Saturday night we will have several cash bars and a dinner party catered by Carrabas.
Although our show is a non-judged ACBS event, our Corporate Sponsors will present recognition awards on Sunday morning. This will be followed by Church services at the Main Tent.
The Cities of Tavares and Mount Dora are working in concert to accommodate the large crowd and there will be many activities. The Sea Plane Base at Wooton Park will be operational and rides will be offered. Train rides will not be available this year.
The show location is Wooton Park on Lake Dora in Tavares. There are several new restaurants in Tavares. In addition, we have a block of rooms reserved at the beautiful Mission Inn Resort located at Howey-in-the-Hills, a short distance from the show. Reservations can be made by calling 352-324-3101. Mention the Sunnyland Boat Show and you will receive a reduced rate.
The GPS address for the show site is: 123 South Joanna Ave, Tavares Florida 32778 or GPS coordinates: 28.48.043N—–81.43.655W
Show registration opens January 1. We have updated our on line registration system to be much more user friendly. It’s also the easiest way to register for the show. You can choose all the activities you want and with pay with Pay Pal; much simpler than mailing a check or paying at the registration trailer.
To register on line go to our website www.acbs-sunnyland.org or if you prefer a paper form to register by mail, call Bill or Kathleen Root at 352-324-6010. They will be happy to assist you.
On behalf of the Sunnyland Chapter of ACBS, we welcome you and your guests to this historical and charming community. We certainly look forward to seeing all of you at this Spectacular Boating Event. You will have a great time.
We guarantee it!
Sincerely,
Terry
Terry Fiest
Chairman
Sunnyland St. Johns River Cruises 2020
I bet some of you are just about ready to get out of that cold weather. Well, come on down to the St. Johns River Cruise and the Sunnyland Festival!! While permanent docks are not yet installed in Tavares for the Festival, we will again enjoy temporary docks with finger slips. They worked well last year. Two Cruises again this year. The opening banquet for the South Bound Cruise will be Sunday, (Mar.15) in Palatka. Yep, the Florida Yacht Club docks are not yet repaired so we will have to run out of the Quality Inn, Palatka, again this year. The opening banquet for the North Bound Cruise is also at the Quality Inn, Palatka, on, Sunday, (Mar. 22) after the Festival.
So come on down. Wonderful sights, great company and always a grand experience! !
Southbound Cruise Sunday 3-15 to Thursday 3-19
Northbound Cruise Sunday 3-22 to Friday 3-27
Captain Guy will lead us South. We launch Saturday or Sunday, (Mar 14 or 15) at the ramp in Palatka just south of the US 17 bridge and dock at the Quality Inn just under the bridge to the north. Trailer parking is in the lot across the street from the motel office. Space is limited so be sure to tighten it up. On Monday (Mar 16) we will cruise north to Green Cove Springs for a feast at the Elks Lodge before returning to Palatka. Dinner on your own. Tuesday (Mar 17) we cruise up Dunn’s Creek to Crescent City where Amy and Jeff Haston will host a great lunch at their magnificent home on Crescent Lake. Then back to Palatka & dinner, again, on your own. Wednesday (Mar 18) we will stop for lunch in Welatka at Shrimp R Us with Zarka and Jim Wynn. It’s spectacular!! Then on to Silver Glen where you can take a dip in the beautiful clear 72 degree spring water if you like. That evening we will be in Astor at the Astor Bridge Motel or Castaways. Dinner on your own at the Blackwater Inn. Thursday (Mar 19) grab breakfast and we will head back north taking Blue Creek from Astor to Lake George. Once we cross Lake George we will stop at Renegades, for another great lunch before pulling out back in Palatka and heading to Tavares and the Sunnyland Festival!! The Festival is a must!
Captain Gerald will lead us North. Sunday afternoon (Mar 22) after the Festival we will launch in Palatka (see directions to ramp above) and enjoy our opening banquet at the Quality Inn. Monday (Mar 23) we will run to Astor stopping for an incredible lunch at Shrimp R Us! Then it is on to the Astor Bridge Motel or Castaways in Astor. Tuesday (Mar 24) we head south to a fun destination, De Leon Springs, stopping at Lake Beresford Yacht Club for lunch and back to Astor. Wednesday (Mar 25) we will head for Palatka with lunch at Silver Glen Springs where you can take a dip in the 72 degree water… if you like cold water. Thursday (Mar 26) we will run up Dunns Creek for lunch with our hosts, Amy and Jeff Haston at their home on Crescent Lake. Then back to Palatka. Friday (Mar 27) we will cruise to Renegades for lunch just north of Lake George. Then back to Palatka to pull our boats and share memories of a great Cruise!
If you elect on registration, luggage will be taken by trailer so you don’t have to take it in your boat!
Please note on your registration form there is a place to order 2020 St Johns River Cruise shirts and hats. These are collared golf shirts with your boat’s name on the sleeve. A fellow woody boater supplies them and they are very nice. If you want these items, please place your order now!
Also please note motel rooms have been blocked for our stay. When we confirm your registration, we will include information on making reservations. Please identify yourself as a St. John River Cruise participant when registering. REFUND POLICY – After Feb 1st, less 25%; Mar. 1st, less 50%!
Please come on down and enjoy the fun! !
Laurie & Guy Marvin, III, Cruise Captains, South (Guy Marvin, III, Phone – 904-334-3885, email – gmarviniii@gmail.com )
Katy & Gerald Dake, Cruise Captains, Northbound (Gerald Dake, Phone – 904-221-6698, email odyssey1947@bellsouth.net )
To Print The Northbound Registration Form – CLICK HERE
To Print This Cruise Itinerary – CLICK HERE
This “Appreciation Picnic” is for the Sunnyland Chapter Boat Festival Volunteers.
SCAMPY is planning a chapter wide poker run April 19th on Lake Dora. Although plans aren’t final, the intent is to have the entire chapter participate with a special poker run for the SCAMPY boats. Details to follow.
This is a AOMCI event (Antique Outboard Club)