Show L' L National fame Acclaimed After Successful River Cruise The Friendship Cruise taking in miles mites of ot the Green and Colorado rivers which started last year as a publicity gimmick for the Canyon Country River Marathon float Boat Race has has has' sud suds suddenly denly denty mushroomed into an event of national interest A figure of ot actual registrations registrations with at at least 15 or 20 more who Joined the cruise without without with with- out registering was reported as the tho number of ot boats making w. w the Cruise over the past week weeks end Although the actual cruise Was held on Saturday and nod Sunday Sunday Sun day several boats were starting starting start start- ing the trip Frida Friday afternoon and nd some even began going down doom the Green as early as as s Wednesday Wednesday Wednes day Jim Hurst Green River president of the tho Green Marathon Association said sald The Friendship Cruise was initiated in ins in 1958 almost as an after i I t V V Vt r f V few k Hundreds of cars and boat trailers parked In all available spots near the Moab boat dock Sunday gave evidence of the large number of boats taking part In the Friendship Cruises Cruise The cars were brought from Green River to Moab as a courtesy to the river runners runners by the Canyon Country River Marathon Association I Jf 9 ll ky M Yv w wd d N t 1 V 3 pt 4 x gyp f Boaters were completing their mile two two river cruise by noon Sunday and lining along the banks near the Moab dock awaiting loading onto their trailers Over boats were along the banks at one time during the rush hours thought and with the purpose of taking newsmen and other writ writs I ers en along the two-river two route beginning at Green River ant and ending at Moab It was thought by officials of ot the association that probably a ha halt half f dozen boats would be Included in iq the publicity pub pubs tour However even with shor short notice and little newspaper publicity 92 02 boats Joined the cruise many seeing for the first time the beautiful scenery to be found lound only along the route ol of the two winding rivers riven While White the decision was made then to continue the Friendship Cruise as a preliminary to th the tha June race it was not until two or three weeks ago th that t the committee in charge of the arrangements arrangements ar ar- found themselves suddenly confronted not with a preliminary but a major event I with registrations and reservations reservations reservations reserva reserva- I coming in by the dozens every day and from boating en ens enthusiasts from several states By Dy Friday night the town of Green River was literally saturated with boats and nod boaters as the the runners river-runners converged for lor the starting of the cruise It was estimated estimated est est- that at least 1200 people made the th trip Beginning early Saturday morning morning morning mor mor- ning most of the boats were in inthe inthe inthe the Green by that afternoon Low water made mad the first few lew miles of the trip somewhat precarious precarious precarious pre pre- carious but with few exceptions no trouble was encountered with only a few of the craft having minor difficulties with sandbars and protruding rocks The boaters tied up on the banks of the Green river at or or near V Valentine Bottom where they enjoyed a barbeque and ene- ene ning ning singing Early Sunday morning morning morning mor mor- ning they continued wending their way through th the r river cut ver-c ver canyons Deeper water was found at the confluence of the two two rivers with t the tae e Colorado flowIng flow flowing flowing flow flow- ing higher than the Green Around noon on Sunday the boats began coming into Moab valley headed toward the dock of the Grand Canyon Skippers club which marked the end ol ot Continued on Page 8 0 1 National 1 Fame Fa Fg m neil ne- ne e il d from from freni Page P g On One 3 the cruise From then until late Sunday night volunteer workers mainly as members of the Ch Cham nt- nt ber bel of at Commerce the Moab II Lions and Rotary clubs dubs worked steadily taking the boats from the water and loading them on onto oil oil- to their trailers While there were times when over boats could rould be counted awaiting a n turn to be loaded the loading operations by the volunteers under the direction n of Harold Jacobs was successfully success fully accomplished Enthusiasm over the trip was expressed by fay the great majority of those participating as they brought their boats Laats into the dock Sunday Even the time required in getting their boats from the I I water faked failed to dampen the ex ex- The main comments heard on the river banks or as boaters entered their cars to to return home was well be back next y year ar of thanks and ap ap appreciation for the manner in which they were treated both at Moab and Green River were al also O heard by practically ever person person person per per- son who had made the trip Especially were thanks given to the Jolly Rogers Boating club of Green River and the Green River Chamber of ot Commerce who arranged to have the automobiles automobiles auto auto- mobiles and their boat trailers brought to Moab One major disaster during the cruise when a boat with Dr and Mrs Delbert Rich filch Cedar City and his parents Mr and Mrs Frank S S. S Rich of California California Cal Cat capsized after accidentally accidental ly Iy getting into Cataract Canyon below the confluence of the two rivers Dr and Mrs Rich an ana Mrs Frank Rich were all rescued rescued rescued res res- cued but the fate of the father Frank Rich filch was still unknown Wednesday night The only other accidents were of ot much less seriousness These consisted mainly of running out of fuel or of motor trouble With the Friendship Cruise successfully completed boaters boatels are now looking forward to to the second annual running of the Canyon Country River Marathon race which will cover the same course on June 21 |