Christmas Boat Parade Dec. 9, 2006

Never and Always are two words I avoid at all costs.

Marion says I swore off Doing Boat parades after our successful 2004 campaign.
I really swore off doing the TMCA Boat Parade entry. It was time to pass the torch.

We love the parade and would never miss it. Actually we did miss in 1999 when we were away on the Great Loop.

Last year we invited our neighbors to ride with us and we watched the parade and partied up a storm. We were planning to do the same until 10 days before this year's parade. Instead we decided to do our own entry and make it a Seagate Community project. We had a planning session with Kirk and Linda Koepsel and Hans and Karen Bauszus. Gale and Ed Shearer were out of town but they agreed to help as well.

The Planning session took about two hours and a box of Cardboardeaux. I asked Kirk and Linda to bring a big Christmas lawn decoration. We would supply the Inflatable Santa and the Little Village of houses. We all had spare lights and Marion came up with a 9 foot tree that Randy and Paula were not going to use. We were definately not planning to spend any money on decorations. Just spend money on stuff to eat and drink.

I have found that a Large Object in motion was a key to having a winning entry. We have mimicked the motion Rides at Kemah Boardwalk: The Ferris Wheel, the Merry go round, Pharo's Fury. We have converted a sleek yacht into a Mississippi River Boat with giant side wheel paddles and twin smokestacks. We have built an 18 foot diameter Planet rotating on a sail boat's fore stay. The 28 foot tall Nutcracker had a marching Leg action. He was used several times. We did not have time to recreate any of these projects.. The best we could come up with was to Fly Santa up and down the fore stay... but what would be his propulsion? Someone came up with having Santa Fly like Mary Poppins using an Umbrella. The Idea was enthusiastically supported by all. I had a large red, white and blue golfer's umbrella: it would carry Santa aloft. Karen got the job of lighting the umbrella. Kirk brought an 8 foot tall teddy bear clutching a Christmas present. He said he could borrow a 10 foot Polar Bear. Those were the main elements of our flying Circus.

Construction

Above shows the first stage construction on Dec. 6 at Seagate. Houses and tree are lit.

On Dec. 7 we moved the boat to Clear lake shores because of impending Low Water.

There we finished the Construction and added the final bear at right.

Participants

Marion and Ed	Karen Bauzsus and Linda Koepsel
Hans Bauzsus in his role as Bartender Unphotographed Participants: Ed and Gayle Shearer Mike and Cathy Piazza	Dr Nancy Phipps was our Official Photographer
Bill Berg ==> As Santa's <== Kirk Koepsel

At South Shore Harbor December 9

How we looked at Dockside

Just before Parade start.

Scenes from the Parade

The parade may be best described as Disciplined Chaos. The Tides were at their lowest point of the day;

tide

Water depth was almost .5 feet BELOW Mean Low Low Water at Parade start. This was due to the North Easterly winds of the previous two days.
In order to make it to the Parade we left Seagate at 1600. We plowed out to the Clear Creek Channel kicking up mud and sand all the way. We drug Bottom several times on the way to the Parade but it was even worse during the Parade. Remedy Draws 6 feet ... Our depth sounder read 5.0 several times. For most of the way we were plowing 6 to 12 inches of mud.

Remedy was probably the deepest draft boat that did the Parade route all the way from South Shore to the Bay. The Power Boats and smaller sailboats typically draw Less than 5 feet. We had to dodge some of the boats who were anchored out to view the parade IN THE Channel. Several unlit boats crossed our path. Throughout this chaos were were going slow enough that there was time to avoid collision.

It was great rollicking fun. We had the Mannhiem Steamroller Music blaring, and the Santa was hauled Up and Down the fore stay by Karen and Hans. All of our crew were dressed in white suits (provided by Ed Shearer) and red Santa hats. Kirk and Bill Berg were in Santa costumes and danced around on deck. We put on quite a show for the watching crowds.



	The TMCA entry Eagles Wings

Awards Presentation December 10

Remedy receives Second Place Sailboats Over 42 feet	Second place award Plus the Old Salt Award Participants with over 10 years of entry were Honored as Old Salts Andy Upchurch and I both received Old Salt Recognition
Cindy Porterfield, Ed and Marion Herndon, Andy Upchurch, Joanne and Richard Collins, Philip Kropf and Elaine Snowden The TMCA entry, Eagles Wings received Second Place in Sponsored Sailboats 35 feet It was a Grand Evening For both the TMCA and the Seagate entries. As Andy Upchurch would Say: "We broke the fun meter."