Dinghy Poker Run

A Poker Run is a social event where people visit multiple stops (restaurants, bars, campgrounds, etc.) in one day to obtain a card for their poker hand. At the end of the event, everyone gathers together and the team with the best poker hand wins a prize. Events are organized by motorcycle groups, snowmobile clubs, and even horse riders.

On the water, people use their boats to visit marinas and waterfront restaurants in a poker run. The Rock the Bay Poker Run is a popular event for cigarette boats on the Chesapeake Bay. Those of us without a cigarette boat would never be able to keep up but that doesn't mean we miss all the fun. Instead we have the Middle River Dinghy Poker Run.

The rules appear to be simple:

1. Dress up like a pirate. (Optional, but apparently highly suggested.)
2. Fill your dinghy to capacity with friends (and lifejackets - safety first).
3. Bring anything you can find to get others wet -- water guns, buckets, an old laundry detergent container with the bottom cut out (my personal favorite because of the helpful handle).
4. Converge on Red Eye Yacht Club.
5. Set off with everyone for the first stop on the Run.
6. Get as wet as humanly possible between Red Eye and the first stop.
7. Get willing participants on spectator boats as wet as possible.
8. Return at the end of the day exhausted.

We did not officially participate in the Poker Run but we were anchored in Sue Creek which is a major thoroughfare for the event. Many of our crew partook of the opportunity to splash and be splashed.

The first dinghy makes an approach for our raft up.

Streams of water from fireboats can be seen in the background.

Prepare to get soaked.

Watch out for SUPs that trap your dinghy in a wet zone.

And at the end of the day, if you don't want to ride your dinghy all the way back to your home marina, perhaps you can find a friendly boater to transport a few.

What fun events happen in your boating world?