airboat parade

[bondsman]

when does the ccaa christmas parade start on the 10th i want to take my girlies to go see the boats and lights.

 

[swampjet]

:reindeer: :santa: Yes, Citrus County Airboat Alliance is having their annual Airboat Christmas Parade on Dec. 10th at the Hernando Boat Ramp and Park. All boaters should be at the ramp at about 4:30pm. In the water by 5:00pm.
Entry fee is an UNWRAPPED TOY which will be donated to the CITRUS UNITED BASKET. Spectators are also welcome to donate.
The parade begins at dusk and will follow the shoreline of the Hernando pool of the Tsala-Apopka chain of lakes. For airboaters this is about 2 hours of ride at just off idle. Decorate your airboat with lights and come out and light up world. (most of us are using generators to power all the lights). The parade will end up at Armante's Resturant (SKEETERS).
We have been adveraging about 20-25 airboats in the last couple of years, help us make this year, "THE YEAR OF THE AIRBOATER" with your presence, gifts, envolvement, and support.

Lets do it for the kids......of all ages. :reindeer: :reindeer: :santa: :reindeer:

 

[swampjet]

If it wasn't clear, all airboaters are welcome to join us, as BE IN THE PARADE!!
Bondsman, you fersure, need to bring those girls out to see it. Maybe be in it? Yeah, thats the ticket !!!!!! :santa:

 

[bondsman]

i wish i could be in it but until they get older and more cold resistant we will just watch, but we will definitely bring a gift.does anyone know where i can get a couple of those tyco diamondback rc boats at, cause that would be a cool gift for a kid.

 

[Larry]

Hey Bondsman, I just got mine off of Ebay for 19 bucks, gonna be my daughters christmas present if she can get it away from me :lol: . that seems to be the best prices I have found. I have already been working on how to put a bigger motor with a 3 blade prop on it as well.

Larry

 

[swampjet]

Hey Larry, just cut about every other wire off of the cage to get more airflow thru it . It seems to be a little restrictive. ( yeah I got 3 of them for my grandson, niece , nephew.) :santa:
My other grandson gets the fisher-price Reed Marsh and Swamp Skimmer as seen in the pictures and wallpapers. :reindeer:

 

[bondsman]

dont run it around gertude at lake pan she will try to get yor grandkids arrested.

 

[Airboatcapt2]

I wish we had an AIrboat Parade around here or in Palm Bay/Melbourne Area. I would love to attend. It just to far to go up to Citrus County.
Maybe someone could organize one for next year.

 

[SwampMatt]

Swampjet, I'd like to go too... but for his birthday, we got my dad a ride in the Stearman down at that Lakeland Air museum on the same day as the Christmas parade. I can't miss seeing him fly in that! It was his first plane back in WWII and he about cried when he found out my mom bought him that ride.

I'll really miss seeing the parade and taking part in it! Ever since you mentioned it to me way back when I was looking forward to it, but the family obligation and all... you know. Laura and I will be there in spirit! Get someone on shore to take photos!!!!

matt.

 

[Dakota]

That is something to think about for Melbourne Faron. Not sure where around here we could have it but that is a thought. Maybe next year, you never know what will happen. I would love to be able to do that too.

 

[swampjet]

Mood, I know you would like to be here, but your Dad and Mom need you more. Knowing your Dad and the passionate man he is, well the thought of watching Hal Holbrook cry just about chokes me up.
Give them both a hug from me and maybe we can all get together on a sunday when they are over here in Citrus.

Dakota, You and Chris need to be here. Hows that for putting the pressure on. :lol: Even if you just come to watch and get an idea of what it's about. I still think it's better to be in it. The people and homeowners all along the way come out to watch and flash their porchlights in thanks to us. Even the ones that "dislike" us all year , love us that night. Some homeowners get together and have a bonfire in their backyards. It's a wonderful thing!!

For those of you wondering how to fasten all those lights or your rig, BUY LOTS OF NYLON TIE STRAPS. They will hold lights on in excess of 70 miles per hour on the highway. Do not let any lights hang behind the cage. This may look neat when moving forward but when you let off they get sucked into the prop . (OOPS) :shock: Yep, saw it happen, ONCE!

Bring an unwrapped toy to brighten a childs life and have fun too! Is this a Wonderful Country or what? :salute: :santa:

 

[SwampMatt]

I wish we had an Airboat Parade around here or in Palm Bay/Melbourne Area. I would love to attend. It just to far to go up to Citrus County.
Maybe someone could organize one for next year.

If you are serious about that Faron (& Dakota) then make a DEFINITE POINT to get out to this year's parade in Hernando. Go as a spectator. They've been doing it for years and have worked out a lot of the finer details.

It's a beautiful setting (a vast lake with several towns with densly packed residences located on several of it's shores - Hernando, Inverness & Floral CIty) and the parade is located in the town of Hernando, FL which has a great park and (I think) a few restruants on the water.

You don't have to take your boat, and the drive there is pleasant & all on new roads through beautiful territory - Especially the last half hour of the trip along the newly widened and re-paved Hwy 44 thru the Withlacoochee River basin and the quaint old town of Inverness. Perfect for a Saturday afternoon.

Rough directions from Melbourne are:
192 to St. Cloud - go north on the Turnppike
Turnpike ends at I-75 Go North and within 1/2 mile is the Hwy 44 exit
Take 44 west about 15 minutes (my favorite part of the trip)
Turn north on Hwy 41 for about 10+ minutes and you find the Hernando boat ramp a hundred yards before Hwy 200 peels off around the western edge of the lake.

You can call me on the nextel if you need help with the directions, I've been there several times now. But if you want to do it someplace else, seeing the parade as it is now would be invaluable towards your success. You've got only 51 or 52 weeks to make it happen!

matt.

 

[Airboatcapt2]

I wish I could go, just a long drive and I don't want to go all the way up there by myself. My wife has a final on Monday and can't leave. I don't think we have a location like they have to do a water parade, but maybe we can do a parade through town with the boats all decorated next year.
Just be a good way for people to see airboats who may not get to very often.

 

[Dakota]

Yeah there is no way we can make it either. They just brought my new home in and I am waiting to get that set up and finished this weekend as far as the set up goes. Too much other stuff going on right now to drive all that far.