You¡¯re one of the
countless proud owners of a 28¡¯ to 32¡¯ offshore performance
boats who also happens to be a loyal reader of this magazine.
You¡¯re dazzled by the graphics and engines in the big OuterLimits,
Skaters, Fountains, MTIs, Nor-Techs, Donzis and Cigarettes
that frequent the pages of Poker Runs America.
But you¡¯ve always wondered, ¡°Can I do a poker run in my boat?¡±
To answer your question, I put myself in your shoes. Well,
maybe not in your shoes, but definitely in your boat. At the
Sarasota poker run at the start of the 2007 Poker Runs America
season, I borrowed a 29¡¯ Velocity VR-1 powered by a Mercury
Racing HP525 EFI Bravo One XR to run during the event.
My goal was simple, to prove that, as cool as those big, million-dollar
boats are, you can also enjoy a poker run in a single-engine
entry-level, if you will, performance boat. The short answer
to the question is, Yes you can enjoy yourself in a poker
run in this size boat. There are some things you should know
and extra considerations to make, but whether your boat is
29¡¯ long or 50¡¯ long, you have equal chances of winning the
poker hand.
One of the reasons why we decided to do this story was the
response I used to get from owners of boats in this size range
when I asked them why they didn¡¯t participate in poker runs.
More often than not, I¡¯d hear, ¡°I¡¯d love to do a poker run,
but those big, 100-mph boats are intimidating.¡±
Poker Runs America publisher and president of the American
Poker Runs Association, Bill Taylor, wants to ensure that
owners of boats of all sizes are encouraged to participate.
¡°Poker runs are supposed to be fun, family-oriented events
and owners of all boats 28¡¯ long and over are welcome,¡± he
said. The 28¡¯ minimum length is required for insurance purposes.
In addition to 28¡¯ to 32¡¯ boats, Taylor also encouraged owners
of center console boats to give the events a try.
Joining me in the boat for the March 31 event were friends
Doug Seyler of Laconia, N.H., Pete Kraft of Fort Myers, Fla.,
and Ken Roberge of Nashua, N.H. The three had planned to participate
in the run in another boat, but it wasn¡¯t finished so I told
them they were welcome to ride with me.
At the driver¡¯s meeting on Saturday morning, Poker Runs America¡¯s
Dave Kirkland told the assembled masses at the Sarasota Hyatt
Hotel that the Gulf of Mexico was running about 2¡¯ to 4¡¯ with
gusting winds coming out of the east. We knew that we wouldn¡¯t
have the smoothest ride of all the boats, but we could run
in those conditions. No problem.
One of the new aspects of Poker Runs America events is a two-start
system that works perfectly for owners of smaller boats. The
bigger faster boats that plan to run 80 mph or faster go with
the first start. The boats that can¡¯t run 80, or just plain
don¡¯t want to, go with the second start. For the record, the
29¡¯ VR-1 with the HP525 EFI can run 84 mph, just not in 2¡¯
to 4¡¯ seas.
At the start, we took off and were running about 45 to 50
mph couple of miles offshore. I set the tabs and kept the
drive tucked in and we cruised somewhat comfortably. Then
Seyler who was sitting in the portside bolster, remembered
that Kirkland mentioned the conditions might be smoother closer
to shore. We checked to make sure we weren¡¯t cutting off anybody
and headed toward the beach.
This was our first lesson. Listen during the driver¡¯s meeting.
Kirkland was definitely right. The seas had subsided and since
the wind was coming out of the east, we felt less of it the
closer to shore we stayed. With the 28¡¯ Baja, Pure Adrenaline,
just off our stern, we cruised at 50 to 55 mph much more comfortably
than we had been running farther out to sea.
Now it¡¯s time for Lesson Two. Even a 29¡¯ boat is still going
to cost you between $75,000 and $100,000. Spend a few hundred
bucks on a decent gps and learn to use it. As one of the smaller
boats in the fleet, when you encounter rougher conditions
such as those we were in on the first leg of the run, you
might not have a lot of other poker runners around you. I¡¯ll
repeat lesson one again. Pay attention during the driver¡¯s
meeting and read your driver¡¯s pack. The gps coordinates are
in there. Program them into your gps so that you know where
you¡¯re headed. That way you won¡¯t end up like we did in the
middle of the gulf asking a guy in a 32¡¯ Sunsation, ¡°Do you
know where you¡¯re headed?¡± and hearing back from him, ¡°No,
I thought you knew.¡± If you decided not to get a gps, at least
get a detailed chart and some parallel rules so you can plot
your course like I used to when I raced offshore boats.
Another good piece of equipment to have on board is a vhf
radio. Even if it¡¯s just a handheld model, it¡¯s still a good
idea. That way if you need to call the event organizers or
a towing company such as SeaTow or Boat U.S., you have the
means to do so. It would be a good idea to join one or both
of the towing organizations if you plan to run out in the
ocean in a single-engine boat whether you participate in organized
events or not simply because if the engine conks out on a
boat with one engine, you¡¯re stuck. At $250 per hour towing
rates for non-members add up quicker than your wife¡¯s clothing
bill at the cute little swimsuit shops next to the restaurant
at the lunch stop.
We covered the 60 miles to the first card stop at Harpoon
Harry¡¯s in Punta Gorda, Fla., in little more than 1 1/2 hours.
The chop in Port Charlotte Harbor was only about 1¡¯ and my
little Velocity devoured it as we scooted along at 65 mph
with ease. Everyone was relaxed and we actually felt like
we had accomplished something, mastering the Gulf waters.
When you think about it, there¡¯s an upside to coming in after
most of the big boats. You get the prime slips that they just
pulled out of after finishing lunch. There¡¯s also no waiting
at the bathroom and your food gets to you quicker.
After we whetted our whistles and enjoyed a hearty burger,
we were back on the water, running about 70 mph back out into
the bay. We were headed to Captiva Island on the Intracoastal
Waterway, which involved some no-wake zones. Once the officials
recorded our boat number, we headed back into the gulf and
into the bigger water. Because we were running with the seas,
however, the ride was much more comfortable. We kept the drive
trimmed out just slightly and cruised steadily at 55 mph.
One great thing about a poker run is that you get to spend
time learning how your boat responds in myriad water conditions.
When we headed south on the first leg, I had the drive tucked
all the way in and the starboard tab trimmed down, but the
portside tab was all the way up. For the run northward, I
had the drive trimmed to where Velocity had marked it for
the cavitation plate being level with the bottom of the boat
and the port tab lowered slightly to keep the ride level.
If you plan to use your boat for poker runs, I strongly recommend
that you get good heavy-duty trim tabs such as K-planes from
Mercury or those sold by Dana Marine Produces along with mechanical
trim indicators. Additionally, any boat that runs faster than
70 mph should have hydraulic steering.
When we finally arrived back at Marina Jack in Sarasota, the
officials checked us in and we put our tough, trusty little
boat back in its slip. No poker run is a race, but we were
pleased that we were able to keep up with some bigger boats
on the return home and I was satisfied that my crew had arrived
intact.
The reality of running for a few hours in rough water was
revealed in a couple of things that had come loose, but this
was true for boats of all sizes that were in the run. Face
it, you run a boat hard in these kinds of conditions and things
can break.
With our day behind us, we enjoyed a cold drink at the Boathouse
restaurant and bantered about pointers for first-timers. ¡°You
might want to pick your runs based on course and in-shore
protected waters,¡± suggested Seyler. Indeed there are runs
around the country that take place on lakes or have shorter,
bay or coastal courses that would be better suited to 28¡¯
to 32¡¯ boats. Also, the aforementioned equipment recommendations
were reinforced as was owning and knowing how to operate a
gps.
Because I¡¯m a Poker Runs America employee, I wasn¡¯t eligible
to draw cards, but Seyler had received a playing hand with
his entry fee, so he had five cards waiting to be revealed
at the evening party. Unfortunately, his pair of deuces didn¡¯t
get him into the top three for the event, but in our little
boat we had just as good a time as any other crew in the poker
run. You should try it for yourself.
For more information on Velocity Powerboats, contact: Initial
Marine Corp., 650 Hickman Circle, Sanford, FL, 3, 407/321-1340,
www.velocitypowerboats.com. |
