NW CAPE CORAL 6th ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE

Instructions:

Exciting times, Boaters! We have some NEW things for you this year bolded in red and blue. Please read the entire email. The Parade Route remains the same. You can look at the attachment for the Notice and the Map. Just a reminder that this year’s SIXTH Annual NORTHWEST Cape Christmas Boat Parade will be held on SATURDAY, December 12th, at 6:40 pm. Please get the word out to everyone you know. If you have friends and neighbors who did not receive this email, please remind them to look for an email from GregSchilz@yahoo.com.

Think about getting your boat, your dock and yourselves lit up for the Holidays. We look forward to seeing you on the water December 12th! ~ Dean and Jan

Below are the Guidelines for the 6TH Annual NW Cape Christmas Boat Parade.

PARADE STAGING

Please decorate and light up your boats and meet us again on Saturday, December 12th, in the Main Spreader Canal just South of the Bonefish Canal at 6:30 pm for staging. Once we have a good number of boats there (about 6:40 pm), we will begin our procession heading East down the Bonefish Canal and circle around back out to the Spreader. In past years, we held back the start of the parade waiting for some late arrivals coming out of Bonefish to the Spreader. These delays put us back quite a bit on time so this year, we will begin the Parade promptly. If you are a late arrival, we still want you to join, but please HOLD BACK in the canal and connect to the last boat entering the canal. You will still be a part of the entire Parade, but you will just enter at the end of the procession. It has never happened, but we never want two boats to try and fit under a bridge.

PARADE ROUTE

The Parade will then head North to Wazee Lake, then East down Hermosa Canal and back out to Spreader, and finally follow the Spreader North to Horseshoe Canal and back out to the Spreader to end the parade.

Please keep a comfortable distance between you and the boat in front of you both for safety reasons as well as to allow the viewers to listen to YOUR music and enjoy YOUR boat as you pass by. Our viewers would like the boats to slow down a little because they do not have enough time to fully enjoy each boat. 3-4 mph should be a good pace, but don’t lag too far from the boat ahead of you. The size of a Cape Coral lot should be a good distance, but any more than that can cause a jam-up under the bridges, as has happened previously. Remember to ensure that your decorated boat will still fit under the three (3) bridges.

Our boat is a 27-foot deck with a flashing yellow light on top; we will begin the procession and pace the parade.

If your boat has any problems during the Parade, please drop out, allow others to pass you, and head back in at the end of the procession if you can – the viewers do not want the Parade to end! Don’t forget the essentials for your crew – food, beverage, toilet needs, emergency supplies, flashlight, etc.

GET THE WORD OUT!

Get the word out about the Parade by passing out the attached Parade Map and Notice. If you live on one of these 3 canals or the homes along the Spreader in between these canals, think about inviting people over to watch the Parade on your dock and encourage people to decorate and light up their Homes/Docks! The lights help us navigate as it can be very dark passing some of the vacant lots and through the Spreader. If you are viewing in a very dark area, try to wear a LumiStick or fluorescent glow stick necklace so we can see you in the dark. People use them for Halloween, so you can typically find them in stores now. Hopefully everyone will know that construction sites are dangerous and are not places to view the Parade. The attached Map has red dots identifying some possible viewing areas. The recipients of this email will have their addresses kept private.

PRIZES

BOATERS AND HOUSES/DOCKS ALONG THE PARADE CANALS

With the assistance of Kevin Black, President of the Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association, Inc. (NWNA) we will have PRIZES this year! There will be 3 BOAT PRIZES and Trophies given valued at $300 for 1st Place, $200 for 2nd and $100 for 3rd. The NWNA will be having its own 5 “celebrity judges” from the NWNA, its corporate sponsors, or people from the Cape acting as judges. The judging will take place from our dock located on the last canal about ¾ down from where you exit the Parade so please don’t exit early. Some of the things noted are best theme, lighting and creativity. As always, we still want to have all boats participate in the Parade. (Just in case you’re wondering, we will NOT be registering our boat for a prize because my loud mouth is not a category for judgment.)

LET THE COMPETITION BEGIN!

PARTICIPATING BOATERS - Every boater who wants to participate to have their boat judged needs to click the “Register for Prizes” link to the left to register your boat for judging. The information needed in order to contact you in the event you win a prize includes your name, email address, phone number, vessel size and name. You will also receive a numbered placard which needs to be displayed and easily visible at night on the starboard middle-to-rear SIDE of the vessel. It needs to be secured to the hull. We believe this will be a typical plastic, corrugated sign. A number will be assigned to you once you have registered. Unlike many things in life, the size of vessel does not matter. Every boat is welcome to participate! The houses you pass and the judges will be paying closest attention to the starboard side of the vessel. This is the side that is closest to the houses as you pass and closest to the judges.

PARTICIPATING HOUSE/DOCK PARTIES – Every boater knows that what we really love are the House/Dock Parties! The home participation has gone through the roof. Their creativity has shocked us, and each year seems better. There will be similar PRIZES and Trophies given for the 3 BEST House/DOCK PARTIES! Just do whatever you can to best show that your house is celebrating this occasion. For safety reasons, the judges will not include fireworks in their judging. House/Dock Party Registrants need to reside on the 3 main canals where the boats pass or on the Spreader between these canals. Registrants will also receive a similar placard to place on the middle-to-right side of their yard facing the water. This placard should be well lit.

Registrants can register their House/Dock Party through the NWNA by clicking the link “Register for Prizes box to the left.

Let us know if you have any questions by contacting Dean at scarabfox@aol.com.

Hope to see you ALL on SATURDAY, December 12th. Wishing you the very best Holiday Season!

THANKS!