Inside Northside's June/July 2005 issue

NotSure Cruising Club

by Susan Owens

The northshore is blessed with an abundance of waterways that serve as nautical highways and byways for a wide variety of watercraft. From the vastness of Lake Pontchartrain to the rivers and the smallest inland bayou, boats are a part of the ever-changing daily panorama that greets locals and visitors alike.

In Mandeville, a walking path along the lake leads to the Lake Pontchartrain Yacht Club and a marina, where pleasure boats bob around in the water. In Madisonville, on the Tchefuncte River, hundred-year-old oaks provide shady spots to sit a spell and observe the river traffic. Little boats glide under the area’s bridge, and bigger boats go through the open swing bridge.

Some boaters stop a while, tie up their beautiful boats and invite the curiosity of folks walking their dogs or strolling by on their way to the local watering holes. It is the boats with windows, comfortable outdoor seating on the back decks, little kitchens (gallies), living rooms (saloons) and luxurious state rooms that attract attention and conjure up boat dreams. You may wonder, “Who are those people, and where are they going on such nice big boats?”

Ask them, and you discover that boating people are a very friendly and helpful group. Just watch how boaters greet a docking boat with a hand out, offering a pull on the line that will secure the vessel to dock. These folks that you see tied up at Madisonville or Mandeville are an adventuresome bunch. Many have navigated the local rivers, and some have traveled to ports all over the world. They all have stories to tell, and some of them are even true.

One group of local boaters refers to itself as The NotSure Cruising Club. They describe the club on their website as an “amalgamation of folks that like boats, like to cruise, and most important like to eat, laugh, float and have a good time.” They are now in their eleventh or twelfth year; they’re not exactly sure. They’re not even sure about the number of members that that they have, but have closed the membership until they figure it out. You get the picture. Indecision is the key to their flexibility, and they will continue to follow this motto until they change their minds.

The only thing that this group is serious about is boating. Twice a year, they gather together in local waters. The Lake Emfred Rendezvous takes place annually at Lake Emfred Park in Tchefuncta Club Estates. In the early spring, they set out together on their “Breakdown Cruise” to the Oak Harbor Yacht Club in Slidell, where they enjoy dinner, an overnight stay and breakfast.

While they are still in local waters, the yachtsmen—and women—check out all the bells and whistles on their boats before they set out to spend the summer in ports unknown, which range from the exotic locales of the Caribbean to the more familiar bends of the Tickfaw River!

In an area where there are so many boats, it is hard to say which is the fairest of them all. Ask any boat owners, however, and they will tell you why they chose the one they did.

Bob Warren and his first mate, Beverly, can be found most weekends puttering around on their 52-foot Sea Ranger, “Miss Tee,” named after their Golden Lab. One of the larger boats in the Beau Chêne marina, what distinguishes “Miss Tee” are the two saloons designed for entertaining large groups and the three state rooms that offer a private place to retreat from the unrelenting sun. All of the rooms are detailed in the calming pastel colors that are taken from the watery landscape they both love. Particularly notable are the beautifully finished wood cabinets and panels that house navigation instruments. The design and finish are the artistry of their son, Mark.

Frances and Warren Wood recently “kicked their boat up a notch” when they undertook the project to upgrade its interior. They did some of the work themselves. Frances upholstered the bunks and sofas in nautical navy tones with a traditional theme, and made the curtains, pillows and coverlets. The more technical aspects, such as renovations to the head (bathroom), they left to the experts. Stainless steel appliances and lighting update the main living area in the saloon. Big fans of the de Fever pleasure boat manufacturers and designers, they will tell you that the time they spend on “Open Wider” is about as good as it gets. Their dinghy, “A Little Wider,” is the perfect little boat to scoot around marinas, to explore the nooks and crannies in the river and to get to places where their floating home-away-from-home can’t go.

Chryl and Joe Corizzo’s “Root Beer Float” has found its way to ports all along the Gulf Coast. Inside and out, their boat is shipshape. Chryl, with the eye of an artist, decorated their 42-foot Carver in nautical tones of blue and white. The Corizzos anticipate a few summer time cruises along the Gulf Coast across sparkling blue waters under blue skies.

Sleek and sexy, Art and Norma Roberts’ 38-foot Sea Ray, “Lady Norma,” goes fast, looks good and allows them to live large. They enjoy the cruising, the harbor sights and sounds, and they anticipate the end of the day, when everyone gathers to swap stories and savor the sunsets.
It is obvious that the boating experience has seeped into the spirit of these seafaring souls, and their love of the sea enriches their lives. They enjoy themselves, and would really prefer not to discuss the standard boat jokes. You’ve heard them. There’s the one that goes like this: “A boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into.” Or another one that describes boat owners as “spending 50 percent of their time working on the boat, 40 percent writing checks and the other 10 percent in pure bliss.”

While that may be true, the NotSure Cruising Club members don’t seem to mind at all. Bon voyage, you all!

If you would like to follow the misadventures of the NotSure Cruising Club, visit www.notsurecruisingclub.com.