2015 Northeastern US Great Goat Gathering
It is time to start planning in earnest for the 2015 Northeastern US Great Goat Gathering.
For the newbies, this will be the second gathering of GISes and similar boats for a weekend of camping and sailing, held somewhere in the Northeastern corner of the US and open to anyone who can drag their boat to it.
Unlike, say, the Small Reach Regatta, this is a low key event. No frills. (I.e., we won't have a caterer. You are responsible for your own tent and food, although we did share a lot last year.) No net. (I.e., we won't have a chase boat or any sort of insurance. You are responsible for your own safety on the water.) Just a few days of sailing together and telling fish tales around the campfire.
I can't see changing much from last year. Dave really got everything right. Hard to improve upon perfection. But just to make sure we are all on the same page:
- Does the mid- to late-September timeframe still work for everyone? Summers are busy and it is hard to find campground space. But it does impose a burden on those with school-age children. Let me know if you'd prefer that we try to find a time before Labor Day instead.
- Salt or fresh water preferred? Or no preference?
- Where is everyone coming from? I'll try to find a spot convenient for all the likely participants.
Regarding locations, we want a campground which: 1) is near to a sizable body of water, 2) has, or is near to, a boat ramp and place to park trailers, 3) will be open in September, 4) is reasonably convenient to major highways, and 5) allows alcohol. At this point, I don't think ANY Connecticut state park or forest meets even 4 of the 5 criteria, although I'll make some phone calls this week to see if I've missed something on the DEEP web site. We could go back to Cayuga, which was lovely and friendly and met all the criteria. I don't think anyone would complain. But if you want to mix it up and you know of a place which will work, let me know so I can start working the phones.
Jump in with comments, questions, etc. Don't be shy.
Calendar filling already!
I can't even believe I'm writing this, but my September is already starting to fill up:
The first weekend I am open as of now. That's Labor Day weekend. Is that good or bad for scheduling the Gathering? Maybe that helps with time off from work? Maybe that necessitates advanced campsite bookings?
The second weekend I have a desire to do a cycling event on Sunday, 13 Sept. The NYC Century is an awesome opportunity to ride throughout The City and I'm trying to convince a friend I haven't seen/ridden with in years to do a 55-miler with me. Not locked in stone, but I'm fencing the time for now.
The third weekend I have a likely Boy Scout event. It's also not locked in stone, and I can sometimes find an alternate to take my place. But it's not my preference for this particular trip.
The fourth weekend is still available. Until it's not.