There's a big difference between the Billy B 25' and Under event at Pirates Cove and other boat shows. The biggest difference being, that just about every boat exhibited is not only a piece of History, but they all actually ran the boats to the event itself! That might not sound like that big of a deal, but if you have ever been to it, and examined the hardware, to a guy like me it's extremely impressive.
I guess to me what is so cool about it, is not the fact that there's a large amount of boats at a static display on the water in Moabi, but rather the fact that for just one weekend a year we get to wind back the clocks to the "good ole days." The boats mostly Launch out of Needles and head south to the Pirate, but there's also more then a handful that come North out of Havasu.
If you haven't had a chance to see these guys making the run, then you are missing the best part of the show! This is the one weekend a year where this section of the river rewinds the clocks, and if you are driving some big open bow cruiser, or a modern day hot rod cat you are the "odd ball" not the blown flat bottom, or hydro.
The event started with Humble Beginnings of just some "Friends" going to the river, and has exploded into quite literally the largest "Nostalgic" event on the water that RDP attends. On some level I hesitate to even call it an "event" because technically there's no permits, there's no sponsors, there's no schedule, or judges. It's basically a large group of guys that have some bad ass boats, that like to come out this time of year and run them down to the Pirates Cove, and show them off for a few hours.
[video=youtube;mdUa_ajA6p8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdUa_ajA6p8[/video]
Even though there are several thousand people in attendance, the event stays true to its roots. Everybody is there for a single purpose and that's to have fun and enjoy their own vacations, it just so happens there's some serious Hardware on display at Pirates on Saturday Morning / Afternoon.
Every year we go out and we pick out some of our favorite boats. This year it wasn't plural, it was singular. The Twin Turbo Rayson Craft with the shotgun exhaust stole the show from my perspective. Not only was it show, apparently it's all go as well. According to a few of our members it "terrorizes" it's local waterways laying the smack down on most if not all that challenge.
Whom ever owns this boat is more then welcome to shoot me a PM on RDP, and step forth and claim a prize. A couple of t-shirts and a hat isn't much compared to the work you put in, but you'll always have the glory of being #1 for 2015.
