Buffalo Bayou Regatta - Saturday March 10, 2012

[Oleander Kayaker]

I'm looking for a couple volunteers to man their own kayaks (or canoes) as safety/sweep boats through the course.
It'll be up to 4 hours on the water.
With nice weather, it's a pretty relaxing float.

http://www.buffalobayou.org/regattabayou.html

PM me if interested. I'll be the last boat of the regatta (as I've been for the last three years).

[Curmudgeon]

That looks little too much like work. Can I bring my fishing gear and some brews?

[Oleander Kayaker]

That looks little too much like work. Can I bring my fishing gear and some brews?

Brews yes,
Fishing gear, not advisable. Snag heaven.

The race organizer usually has some brews for us at the end, too. Saint Arnold's is an in-kind sponsor.

[corndog]

I use to race that regatta years ago. Lots of fun!! Always a good party at the end of the race.Do they still fire the cannon to start off the race? Thats was a trip wacthing everyone slide down the bank and try to launch!!

[Oleander Kayaker]

They use a starter pistol now.

My favorite part (besides the free beer at the end), is to watch the staggered start along the slippery slope of the bayou bank. Since I'm the last one in, I take a vantage point on the bridge overhead to watch the melee. Invariably, several canoes are swamped. Usually a swamped boat consists of a boy-girl team with the girl's hairdo completely drenched in bayou water.

For the last couple years, the start has panicked a water snake from the bank and it starts swimming off to get away, followed by a chorus of screams.

We've not had any serious problems on the regatta for the 7 or 8 years I've been volunteering (either as a spotter on the bank, or as a sweep boat)

Our company is a sponsor (and we have an entrant in the corporate cup).