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Pirates cove/Park Moabi

69hondo

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Heading to Pirates this Thurs- next Tues
Been doing a big family/friends trip for the last 15+ years there. Think this may be the last trip like this at least for a while. It is so hard to get a peninsula anymore. Use to be I could call up a month before and have no issue. Now everyone knows about it LOL . Cant even get it a year in advance now. Last time we were there people were lined up at the office at 4am for when they open reservations at 8am. No chance for the online people. The place is awesome. Once the RV is parked, hooked up and the boat is in the water I am done until its time to go home.

If you go by yourself or one other family and only need two spots its probably not a problem. we just dont vacation like that. We got a group every where we go.

Anyway just some semi boating content LOL.

PS, I miss Park Moabi!!

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sintax

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yea, we book a year out now.

Seems to be the only way for us to get 2 full peninsulas (we have a pretty big group)
 

69hondo

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yea, we book a year out now.

Seems to be the only way for us to get 2 full peninsulas (we have a pretty big group)
Yeah that is us as well sometimes 3. Same with @Meaney77 .
We Usually get peninsulas 16-18. It just sucks it’s gotten to this point. I wish there was something similar. We tried needles and while it was nice it’s just not the same.
 

69hondo

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We book a year out for Easter.... usually have 20-25 trailers....

Takes a spread sheet that is submitted to office to get our group booked.. Been 30 yrs (wife's family) now and only 1 year skipped due to the China flu.
Second time I have heard the “spread sheet” thing.
We did that once and the office didn’t start inputting ours until 10am and we got screwed 🤷🤷
Maybe it’s better now and we should try that again
 

Todd Mohr

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Might be up that way on Friday, I'll stop in for a cold one if I see ya. Todd
 

JFMFG

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We may run up river Friday as well.
 

spark2678

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We booked Penninsula 7 recently for early August. Wasn't an issue. Seems more available this year than years past.

I just hope it fits all tag axle motorhomes and not too soft.
 

sintax

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We booked Penninsula 7 recently for early August. Wasn't an issue. Seems more available this year than years past.

I just hope it fits all tag axle motorhomes and not too soft.

from my experience, it totally depends on the sites.

some sites will be a HUGE struggle for any rig big enough for a tag axle. Usually that first one on the left as you come in is fine (Usually spot A on a 4 spot), and the same position on the way out (usually spot D on a 4 spot). The ones further out can be a challenge

Thats usually where I'd stick my dad in his rig, which is a 40+' diesel pusher, and I absolutely have had to strap up and help tug him out of some sand there before.
 

Hypnautic

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Miss Park Moabi. Hate Pirates Cove.

We kept our trailer at the storage for over 15yrs.

Used to be able to go to the Park on any Friday night without reservations--just drive through the gates, set up and Ranger Rick would knock on your door in the morning to give you a vehicle/trailer tag. Go to the office and pay and enjoy the weekend. Peninsula spots were always empty--many times we were the only ones on that peninsula anyway.
Then it started to change. Art took over the park concessions, stores and storage lot. Then slowly moved into the Park operations. At that point--it lost all "OG River" appeal for us (similar to Topock) and we stopped going. That was 7yrs ago.
Now there have been some nice improvements to the park (sewer lines to peninsula, paving, etc) that I am happy to see--but for us, we enjoyed the river portion much more as it was not exploited or commercialized.
 

77charger

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For about 3-4 years we booked a spot 8 months ahead easy. Was about 2015 or so. Get all spots on top usually cove 4-6 and four of us went.

Since sold camper and not doing 2 cars to get trailer and boat there only pay upper 100s for a spot when a hotel is cheaper for me.
 

Done-it-again

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Second time I have heard the “spread sheet” thing.
We did that once and the office didn’t start inputting ours until 10am and we got screwed 🤷🤷
Maybe it’s better now and we should try that again
Its a pain in the ass, my wife did it for 10 yrs for the family. The problem now is no one stays working there year after year so its dealing with new people all the time.
This last years reservation for 2025 was the hardest its been for the new person making all the reservation. Basically its a spread sheet with all the people names, spot # and their CC#'s to charge.
 

Bigbore500r

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Heading to Pirates this Thurs- next Tues
Been doing a big family/friends trip for the last 15+ years there. Think this may be the last trip like this at least for a while. It is so hard to get a peninsula anymore. Use to be I could call up a month before and have no issue. Now everyone knows about it LOL . Cant even get it a year in advance now. Last time we were there people were lined up at the office at 4am for when they open reservations at 8am. No chance for the online people. The place is awesome. Once the RV is parked, hooked up and the boat is in the water I am done until its time to go home.

If you go by yourself or one other family and only need two spots its probably not a problem. we just dont vacation like that. We got a group every where we go.

Anyway just some semi boating content LOL.

PS, I miss Park Moabi!!

View attachment 1389748 View attachment 1389748

That peninsula is amazing! I got your message about staying till this weekend, we wanted to try and do it but we had to come back to reality lol. But keep the pics coming, looks great on my work monitors!
 

Bigbore500r

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Miss Park Moabi. Hate Pirates Cove.

We kept our trailer at the storage for over 15yrs.

Used to be able to go to the Park on any Friday night without reservations--just drive through the gates, set up and Ranger Rick would knock on your door in the morning to give you a vehicle/trailer tag. Go to the office and pay and enjoy the weekend. Peninsula spots were always empty--many times we were the only ones on that peninsula anyway.
Then it started to change. Art took over the park concessions, stores and storage lot. Then slowly moved into the Park operations. At that point--it lost all "OG River" appeal for us (similar to Topock) and we stopped going. That was 7yrs ago.
Now there have been some nice improvements to the park (sewer lines to peninsula, paving, etc) that I am happy to see--but for us, we enjoyed the river portion much more as it was not exploited or commercialized.

I hate how they pre-arrange how you park the rigs on the peninsulas now. They tried to tell me I couldn't pull nose-in and have my door side towards the beach and the river view out my front windows. "Park rules". GO F YOURSELF!
 

Done-it-again

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I hate how they pre-arrange how you park the rigs on the peninsulas now. They tried to tell me I couldn't pull nose-in and have my door side towards the beach and the river view out my front windows. "Park rules". GO F YOURSELF!
We have people in our group that park nose in on 16 so they can have doors that face there neighbors.
 
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Bigbore500r

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We have people in our group that park nose in on 16 so they can have doors that face there neighbors.
I've done the same before, but last time I was there they tried to make me move the rig and flip it around.
Nope.com !
 
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Bigmutha

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We just got back from Moabi yesterday, it was a great trip. We had peninsula #18 (two trailers), booked about two months in advance.
 

GreenEnergy28

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Wife books our big trip a year out as well. This will probably be our last trip for a while. We book the full peninsula so we can get our group out there. Last year we ate the cost of one spot because we only got 2 others to come out. This year we only have 1 other coming with and 1 coming out for half the trip... My wife doesn't want a rando in the group so now we're eating the cost of the other spot again.
We have #4 this year I think. Never booked that one before but that's what was available. We scoped it out two weeks ago when we were on the river and one spot barely fit the 23-ish foot trailer that was in it. Kind of a disappointment.

We will be there July 12th-19th.
 

Meaney77

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We have been staying at Moabi/Pirates for almost 17 years, and this year was the 1st year our group didn't rebook.

We were some of the 1st paying customers waiting to get in for the 1st drink at Pirates Cove when it 1st opened.

We usually always book Peninusla 16 and some of the others in our group have spread onto the surrounding spots. All of my daughters have grown up camping there, and we have spent a ton of time and money there. It was our go to during Covid- we had many weeks out there- remote working and remote learning- all great memories! It was like our river home away from home. Over the years, we dropped a ton of cash in there like everyone else. It was a tough pill for my kids and me to swallow when my wife said F Pirates Cove after receiving conflicting information on cancellation policies and not being reimbursed or even a partial reimbursement when several of the kids in our group became sick, and we all ended up canceling over New Years.

I love the place, but it's changed...

I am hoping my wife will come to her senses and rebook a year in advance 🤣
 

Rayson1971

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All it takes is people getting fed-up with the bs and not booking there anymore and they will change their tone real quick.
 

Meaney77

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All it takes is people getting fed-up with the bs and not booking there anymore and they will change their tone real quick.
I wish what you were saying was true, but unfortunately, there seems to be a line a mile long of people waiting to book spots weekend after weekend year after year. PC knows what they have there and not much compares for riverfront camping. No other place on the river where you can walk a few steps from your camp spot to a nice sandy beach and enjoy the river.
 

Done-it-again

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How do you guys get your wives to organize, book and plan shit? Teach me your ways........ 😂 All mine seems to specialize in is shopping and busting balls!
When making reservation for 20+ trailers that shit needs to be simple for the people working there, cause next year they are gone.... Helps when your wife worked escrow for a bit and organized as fuck.. even our closet is organized by color/shirt style all the same hanger... F'me... I work better with organized chaos.

Names, spot #, address trailer info, CC info all on a spread sheet.
 

the510

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how far in advance does on have to reserve a beach cabin? also what is the price?
 

Socalx09

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How do you guys get your wives to organize, book and plan shit? Teach me your ways........ 😂 All mine seems to specialize in is shopping and busting balls!
🤣 I plan every trip. Robert is usually the last to know about a trip. He just gets in the truck and then will complain about how hot it is this weekend at the lake
 

gqchris

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🤣 I plan every trip. Robert is usually the last to know about a trip. He just gets in the truck and then will complain about how hot it is this weekend at the lake
Can I send my wife your way for some lessons? Hehe. I swear I could dream of that type of treatment😂
 

Justsomeguy

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How do you guys get your wives to organize, book and plan shit? Teach me your ways........ 😂 All mine seems to specialize in is shopping and busting balls!
Mine does those well. But she's definitely the planner. I'm a spontaneous kind of person. My wife needs a plan. Part of the ball busting is my lack of a plan.

She figures it out, I do the grunt work.
 

77charger

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I wish what you were saying was true, but unfortunately, there seems to be a line a mile long of people waiting to book spots weekend after weekend year after year. PC knows what they have there and not much compares for riverfront camping. No other place on the river where you can walk a few steps from your camp spot to a nice sandy beach and enjoy the river.
Exactly there’s always someone willing to try something new. But for me I haven’t been in about 5-6 years.

Doesn’t make sense for us to do anymore sold camper so need someone to tow a trailer out now as well. Cost of camp spot and other expenses gettting there doesn’t pan out when I could tow boat with truck to havasu and get a room for about same price.

Was nice to just pull up on beach after topock dinner and drinks though but like said for me not worth the cost and hassle anymore. My cousin was there recently too said might end his trips there too.
 

calkid

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Miss Park Moabi. Hate Pirates Cove.

We kept our trailer at the storage for over 15yrs.

Used to be able to go to the Park on any Friday night without reservations--just drive through the gates, set up and Ranger Rick would knock on your door in the morning to give you a vehicle/trailer tag. Go to the office and pay and enjoy the weekend. Peninsula spots were always empty--many times we were the only ones on that peninsula anyway.
Then it started to change. Art took over the park concessions, stores and storage lot. Then slowly moved into the Park operations. At that point--it lost all "OG River" appeal for us (similar to Topock) and we stopped going. That was 7yrs ago.
Now there have been some nice improvements to the park (sewer lines to peninsula, paving, etc) that I am happy to see--but for us, we enjoyed the river portion much more as it was not exploited or commercialized.
Sound like you were around during the time Dick Dahn and his Wife were camp hosts.
 

Rbcconst

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They took down the post because everyone was bashing them for all their other fees and crap
I don't think many were paying the fee's anyway. Most that I know told them where to stick it.
 

Dunerking

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Mine does those well. But she's definitely the planner. I'm a spontaneous kind of person. My wife needs a plan. Part of the ball busting is my lack of a plan.

She figures it out, I do the grunt work.
Haha…X-2 on being the grunt/donkey worker.
 

69hondo

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@69hondo Where are all of the pix??!!!
LOL, just got back.
I dont post pics of my trips here like I used to but I will put a few up when I get some time.
It was great but in true Pirate cove fashion there were problems. First We walk into check in and the line was 4 customers deep. Not a big deal if all 4 people in there were checking us in but no only one was working. My power didnt work 2 hours after we were plugged in and the office was now closed. Took two hours to get someone there to mess with it. Luckily he got it working. Next day when one of my buddies showed up he had no power. This was during operation hours and it took 4 hours to get it up and powering. Watched the shit truck drive back and forth for 5 days and never hit our peninsula so when I went to dump yesterday before we pulled out it overflowed out the hole in the ground. Couldn't dump.
I mean its almost comical at this point how bad they run the place.
 

Bigbore500r

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LOL, just got back.
I dont post pics of my trips here like I used to but I will put a few up when I get some time.
It was great but in true Pirate cove fashion there were problems. First We walk into check in and the line was 4 customers deep. Not a big deal if all 4 people in there were checking us in but no only one was working. My power didnt work 2 hours after we were plugged in and the office was now closed. Took two hours to get someone there to mess with it. Luckily he got it working. Next day when one of my buddies showed up he had no power. This was during operation hours and it took 4 hours to get it up and powering. Watched the shit truck drive back and forth for 5 days and never hit our peninsula so when I went to dump yesterday before we pulled out it overflowed out the hole in the ground. Couldn't dump.
I mean its almost comical at this point how bad they run the place.
So its basically the Nautical Inn, up river :D
 

Meaney77

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LOL, just got back.
I dont post pics of my trips here like I used to but I will put a few up when I get some time.
It was great but in true Pirate cove fashion there were problems. First We walk into check in and the line was 4 customers deep. Not a big deal if all 4 people in there were checking us in but no only one was working. My power didnt work 2 hours after we were plugged in and the office was now closed. Took two hours to get someone there to mess with it. Luckily he got it working. Next day when one of my buddies showed up he had no power. This was during operation hours and it took 4 hours to get it up and powering. Watched the shit truck drive back and forth for 5 days and never hit our peninsula so when I went to dump yesterday before we pulled out it overflowed out the hole in the ground. Couldn't dump.
I mean its almost comical at this point how bad they run the place.
That's a bummer to hear... Hopefully, once you were able to get those issues resolved you were able to enjoy some river time!

With the amount of money that people spend in that place between camping, ice, food, drink, etc... you would think they would be able to update the infrastructure and hire/retain some decent employees to keep around.
 

69hondo

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That's a bummer to hear... Hopefully, once you were able to get those issues resolved you were able to enjoy some river time!

With the amount of money that people spend in that place between camping, ice, food, drink, etc... you would think they would be able to update the infrastructure and hire/retain some decent employees to keep around.
Oh yeah we still had a great time.
Just sucks we pay all this money and an extra electricity sur charge/fee and they cant get us electricity. LOL 🤷‍♂️ 🤦‍♂️
 

GreenEnergy28

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Heading out in 2 more weeks... Hopefully they have all of their issues resolved by then. LOL!
 
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