Craig Cat Boat Tour
311 S. Tremein
Mount Dora Florida
phone '352.816.9339
April 27, 2016

Notes and summary about this tour are at the bottom of the page.

A drone took pictures as the two RV Gypsies and the rest of the tour took off in their cat boat.

The lighthouse at the Port of Mount Dora

A bald eagle nest high up in a tree

The two RV Gypsies enjoying their cat boat ride on Lake Dora

Below: The tour guide said that the house shown below belonged to Buddy Ebsen - known as Jed Clampett, star of the TV Show, The Beverly Hillbillies and many times in the past, he was often seen in the yard.

Note: Buddy Ebsen died July 6, 2003 at the age of 95 in Torrance, California.

Below: Approaching a bridge and leaving Lake Dora and starting the no-wake area through the Dora Jungle Canal, a place showing natural Florida at it’s best. The two RV Gypsies photographed a red house with a place for a boat underneath the house.

This part was all a no-wake zone, and it was relaxing with pretty scenery.

A red stripe on an overhead tree branch, warning bigger boats to watch their heads. Plus lots of trees, Spanish moss, bridges and birds along the way.

Tiki Village is a small residential area along the waterway which welcomes alligators but of course, they do not allow the alligators to be fed by humans.

Only two alligators were seen by the two RV Gypsies while on the cat boat, and only the second alligator stuck around long enough to be photographed.

Notes: The two RV Gypsies thought this was a lot of fun; an excellent way to spend two hours. No boating experience was necessary for this trip. Bottled water and life jackets were provided. Each boat had a dry safe area for small items that should not get wet. Boating shoes or sandals are a must. Sun block and sunglasses recommended. Drivers must be born before January 1, 1988 or present a Florida Boaters Safety Card, or other state equivalent.

Summary: After individual instruction on how to drive the cat boat, the tour guide led the two RV Gypsies and several other cat boats across Lake Dora at full speed, then through a no-wake canal which was peaceful, relaxing, and a leisurely chance to enjoy the scenery and watch for alligators. The guide did a very good job giving explanations and tidbits about the area via individual walkie-talkies.

The Craig Cat Boat was very stable and the seats were quite comfortable. The catamaran boat literally glided on top of the water so it was a very smooth ride. There was one shallower point in the canal area, at which point the two RV Gypsies heard the motor gently hit the bottom. It was a nice warm day, perfect weather for this adventure. There were definitely times when the two RV Gypsies got a little wet but it felt refreshing.