Stockton Lake Messabout 2015

It's been a week and a half since the messabout, but I've had very little time to do an actual writeup about the three day small craft boating event. The event, like last year's, was informally hosted by myself and Gene Berry. Gene doing most, if not all, of the leg work on the campground, posting info and organization. We had visitors from as far away as Texas, Michigan, Iowa, Kansas and various other parts of the Midwest. Some new friends, some old. It was a lot of fun.

Friday the 10th rolled around and I threw my camping gear in the Subaru and piled some boats on top to head to Stockton Lake, an hour from Springfield, MO.

This year I wasn't bringing a sailboat, as I sold my Sea Pearl 21 last summer and gave away my Wa'apa outrigger a month ago. I did have three skin-on-frame options. My daughter's Kidyak Kayak, my Chuckanut 12 and the freshly minted Lanui SUP. All of which are Dave Gentry designs.

I reached the lake about 2:30pm and barely had my boats off of the car roof before being pulled onto a sailboat. Michael enlisted me as a (very lazy) crew member and I (sort of) helped man the jib when tacking his O'Day Daysailer.

We were in the company of Gene's PD Goose "Andy's Junk", Daryl's Welsford Tread Lightly, Craig's Michalak Wooboto, John's sailing canoe and Frank's production boat that I completely forgot the make of. He normally brings a 24' Wa'apa outrigger, but he and his wife Carol were sleeping onboard the big boat this year. Dale later showed up with his Dovekie, Bruce with his PD Racer and Eugene with a large Michalak design that I can't remember. It was a busy weekend.

I spent quite a bit of time in Daryl's Swampscott Dory, it was a blast to row and I really want to build a rowboat. Kicking around several ideas at the moment.

With the lake about 8-9 feet above normal, we were pushed off of the beach campsites we'd originally reserved. It also put us beached a little further up in the cove than before. That lent the event well to the paddle craft I brought with me. There were no shortage of takers when I offered to loan out my boats. My wife and daughter even made it up for Saturday. My wife, not much of a boat person, really liked the SUP and my daughter was expertly tooling around in her kayak after a few hours practice. The SUP is really stable. At one point I had myself and three kids on the deck of it and it paddled fine.

Again, a great weekend. Good to be out in the company of like-minded boat nerds for a change. It's often just me and my thoughts and interests with no one to share them. Messabouts let me open up and talk about boats without worry of boring or annoying everyone in the vacinity. It's pretty cool. :)