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Friday, October 30, 2009

Coney Island Woody Boat. Circa 19??

This eBay item Coney Island Amusement Park Boat claims to be circa 1910.. if so Mr Gar Wood has some spain'n to do. Cause he ripped off a 1910 boat that really looks like one of his 40's Gar Woods.... That might also explain how Chris Craft came up with that nice bow on my 1941 Barrel back... Dang, to think it was all inspired by a Coney Island boat ride.

All kidding aside, it is a very cool little boat. Here is a shot of what it could look like. This must have been taken in 1910 with a very futuristic color camera... And very fashion forward kid.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Crapping My Way Through The Classics.

I found a complete set of Classic Boating Magazine a while back. Worth every penny by the way... This is a timeless series of magazines.... More like a book that one gets a fresh chapter each month.. At first I thought it would just be cool to have around, but as time went on, I would grab a pile and read on a train trip to NYC or something. But the other day, my wife... The Woody Boatress, said, what in the hell are all these magazines doing in the bathroom. I realized that I had been reading my way through each issue one toot at a time. I have to say, the early issues had a soul, a passion for the hobby. Many of today's Woody Boaters are in there featured with there boats. The Jersey boys and girls are all over the magazines. There's John and Kim in one of a gillion killer boats smiling and Don and one of his museum boats zipping around the lake..... Jim Staib from the tundra and one of his boats ...I have found great stories that are timeless and I have already used many of the ideas in there..It's also interesting to see how the prices have changed and what has been trendy and then poof - gone. No website addresses in the ads. So once they are gone, they are gone. No long tale of the web.
Another thing I noticed... other than I had corn last night, the older issues had fire, and passion. Shows were covered with a twinkle in the eye of the photos, boats were taken out for runs, babes were on them...... lots of classic boat babes... The featured boats were treated with a special touch. Also Dannenberg was on fire. His articles were dead on, and you can see how that all turned into a book, two books. Also many of the guest authors brought cool stuff to the table. I suppose this was because the web had not exploded yet. But now with forums like the boat buzz and web sites all that content is spread out. I miss having one place for all the info. There is a place in the world for Classic Boating. And it's not in my crapper. I removed them and placed them in a much more sacred place..... My garage.....crapper.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

BREAKING NEWS. Stolen Chris Craft Racer FOUND!

Woooohoooooo!
This just in. Woody Boater is breaking the news.. Which is news unto it's self...

Dublin Ohio.
The Chris Craft racer that Woody Boater reported on several weeks ago has been found, thanks to the hard work of the Dublin Ohio police dept. It was found based on a statement that the boat was in a storage shed in town. The person of interest ( No Name as of yet) had toured the open house that is for sale with the boat in the garage. Asked about the house, and later returned, jarred the back door open and stole the boat with a rented truck...The realtor was suspicious and that led police to that man. The man had lived down the street at one time and is known in the area. Police are still looking for him, but the boat is safe.
The original interior had been removed to be reupholstered. Ugh! The gauges are out and the flat head motor and trailer had been repainted silver. He had bragged to all his friends and family that he had gotten a boat and was restoring her. I am not sure for what show... Maybe prisons are now doing boat shows... You know, all made from popsicle sticks and varnish... wait that would be kinda cool....any way back to the news. So a big shout out the the Dublin Ohio police department. You earned your donuts this month... Wooohoooo!

Have Your Woody Boat Turned Into Metal. It's OK, The Dryads Will Approve.

I met these folks in Lake Geneva. There work is stunning and very affordable considering that it's custom and is beautiful art. There web site is www.rwragsdale.com hit products and then sailboats. They will custom make your boat if you like. And possibly create a part for a car or factory machine... Amazing stuff. Another Christmas item with the header "hint" by the way...

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Don Quixote Is Alive And Well In... What? McHenry Illinois?

To heck with La Mancha, windmills are popping up in McHenry, Il.. Thanks to fellow Woody Boater Jim Staib of Fine wood boats. You can now fight windmills with your boat hook and varnish cans. Jim has been working on this for 11 years... For some reason I think it was in parts under stacks of wood for 11 years .. We all have those projects. The cool thing is that it's done. It is for the record for all you windmill geeks that found this... A Aermoter 702 of unknown vintage on a 72'tower. You can see more shots of it on the Chris Craft Boat buzz Forum here.

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Life And Times Of A Morgan Hacker- It's A Short Story, With A Happy Ending.

Thanks to fellow Woody Boater Bob Robertson from Nevada, we have one more Woody saved... or being saved. The video created by Nickolet Robertson is a photo journey of the start of her restoration, it's 22 minutes long...actually that's 20 minutes longer than the wood lasted that Morgan Hackers were built with....so sit back and enjoy your coffee.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Crank It Up!

Power Options for Your Classic Woody Ride

What's under your engine hatch?

While traveling around to the various Antique and Classic boat shows this year, it was always fun to check out all the different types of marine power being used. This 1955 Chris-Craft 21' Cobra "007" had a Chrysler Marine Hemi c/w twin supercharger's....Very Cool!

Dave Wright & Mike Grannis brought out "Apache II" for the Lake Tahoe Concours, a 1922 29' Hacker Gentlemen's Race Boat powered by a 400hp Liberty aircraft engine. Ear plugs anyone?


Also at the Lake Tahoe Concours was "Nine Lives", a 23' Gentleman's Racer sporting a 400hp Jaguar V-12 capable of 60 mph. Imagine what it sound's like at full song?

"Truant II" a spectacular 1939 28' Gar Wood Model 936 Triple Cockpit is also powered by an immaculate 316hp V-12 Scripps engine.

A rare Javelin outboard on display at the Sunnyland ACBS show in Tavares this spring.

A Model 208 Scripps 6 Cylinder on display at the Big Sky ACBS show.


Cole Franchini's 1960 Skeeto is powered by a West Bend engine.

A blown big block Chevy powers this flat bottom race boat in Tavares. The rules for the passenger's are 1. Get In... 2. Be Quiet... 3. HANG ON BABY!!
It passes everything on the lake except for the fuel station.

Vintage Johnson's at Tavares....

Vintage Mercury Outboards on display at Tavares.

Another perfect V-12 Scripps in an early Chris-Craft in Tavares.

This wooden hydro was on display for everyone to enjoy at the Inland Empire ACBS show in Sandpoint, Idaho this year. Didn't have the engine installed yet, but you can bet it won't be a 131 KBL Hercules or a Javelin outboard.

It seems like you never tired of looking at Chrysler Hemi's when their installed in classic boats. This one was in a 1953 Shepherd 110-S in Sandpoint.

"Bootlegger" is a 1937 24' Hacker Triple powered by a 169hp Scripps 6 Cylinder.

With matching Woody Cooler....
No Grey Poupon jokes please, Matt's still recovering from this 20 course dinner.

And last but certainly not least, this beautifully restored 1921 33' Robert Yandt named "Greyhound" was powered by a 750hp Rolls Royce Meteor engine.
"Greyhound" was down from Seattle for the Columbia Willamette Chapter ACBS show in Portland, Oregon.

Texx


Friday, October 23, 2009

Food Hangover, I Need A Woody Barge!


OK, here's the deal. I have been doing this for 2 years. Not missed a day....... But...Last night I had a 20 course meal with a client and all our friends from Africa. I can't move. I think I am still digesting course 13 now.. Something with lots of legs as I recall.... Dear god...

There aint nuthn on ebay worthy of a joke.... and no one has found the stolen boat yet we featured, It's fall and everyone is sick of there boats. it's dead out there ( Cricket sounds), no not one of the courses......the only thing to talk about is that there is nothing to talk about ... which is boring and should not be talked about...I was planning on doing a great story on how to price a U22 , but it would take a week to read, because for the life of me the prices are so all over the place I can't make heads or tails of it. So. Here I sit in a food coma,...wait... burping up course 16.... Veal Cheek as I recall. mmmm that reminds me I saw this cool Sea Lion for sale on McCalls Website....there... something of value... Wait... burp... oh dear.... Honeydew soup with shrimp.... Really.. in a shot glass. actually that was good.... it was all good until 5 AM...

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Get The Gift This Christmas Guaranteed To Make Your Face Shine

If you are in the classic boat hobby, chances are buying a Christmas gift for you is a royal pain in the patootie. So... forward this email to your spouse with the subject header. Hint! Trust me, getting gauges done is not on any spouses list of gifts. Some lame ass matching Christmas sweater is, socks, underpants..... maybe if you are lucky a watch... But secretly you want gauges......Call Dale Kacian at Kocian Intruments at 920 336 1591 or click here www.ccgauges.com Now is the time of year to get this done by the way.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Buy The Truck, Get A Free Classic Chris Craft. Dang!

Well, only on eBay. Here is your chance to have a killer set up at Mt Dora. A very tasty 1957 Dodge truck and a winter project. Dang again! Click here and let your dreams ... or nightmare come true.shhhhhh.....Don't tell him there is a ski in the back... You might get more...

Is Woody Boating Season Over In Michigan?

Fellow Woody Boater Jim Staib from Fine Wood Boats went on a journey from the Mackinac Bridge to Cooper harbor, Michigan to find out.
Not a good sign
Oh boy, maybe there is a week left. But hurry, and bring your snow shovel
Nice
Not so nice. It just looks cold.. Copper Harbor lighthouse..
Head South. Start here... MT Dora only 6 months away. ugh!
Someones boat'n
State building...
Fall Colors... The last gasp...
And back home over the Makinac bridge.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Vintage Wood Boat Signs-It's Worth The Risk!

Click here and you can make your family room look like an old boat house. Your future X wife can complain from her new home down the street. Forward the link to your new girlfriend so she can give you one as a Xmas gift... Then over time you can put in the garage with all the other boat stuff, because your new girlfriend is now the next Mrs.. and she hates this stuff and the fact that you smell like varnish is getting on her nerves... and oh, by the way, that collection of old boat books and magazines needs to go to the yard sale............ ya know what...just window shop and save the marriage.... or not...

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Live From Colorado. "Falcon Classic Boat Trailer" A Hoax!

Colorado officials have not only declared the Balloon Boy indecent a hoax, but now claim that the WoodyBoater experimental "Falcon Classic Boat Trailer" is also a hoax. Stating that Woody Boater was just out to capitalize on the publicity created by Balloon Boy. "Hey it seemed like a good idea at the time" claimed Woody Boater....... Not realizing that the entire boating community would flock to the web for more information. Lobbiests for the boat trailer industry have cried foul from the start, stating that trying to find hot air to fill the balloon would be tough... considering they held the monopoly on that commodity. The hoax came to an abrupt end when it was pointed out on WoodyBoater that the eye rings on such boats may not hold up at 3000 feet. Officials are putting together charges. More to follow, stay tuned.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Antique Boat Center On Facebook, and Twiiter.

Now finding a place to repair, restore, buy or sell an antique or classic boat is fare from the old antique way of snail mail and just word of mouth. Antique Boat Center one of the leading places for such things is stepping up it's game with a great Facebook page and you can follow on Twitter and get this, see boats being worked on on a web cam on the home page. It's great to see it being done well, then again the guys there do everything well. Click here for the facebook page or here for the Antique Boat Center home page or here if you don't know what Twitter is.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Experimental "Falcon" Classic Boat Trailer Underway!"


Live From Our Boulder Bureau, work underway for a new experimental boat trailer. No more bouncy roads, soft landings in the water. Folds up and can be tucked away in the hatch. Stay tuned. The new Falcon Classic Boat Trailer will sure be a hit at the shows.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

O'Bama For Sale On eBay

It was bound to happen, only on eBay? Click Here

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Bent Bow and Bulge on Bjorn Bakken's Barrel Back...

At some point it comes down to duck tape, cinder blocks and a big hammer. Fellow Woody Boater Bjorn is at the Cinder block stage...... You can read all about here on Bjorn's Beautiful Barrel Back Blog.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Home Made Woody Boat Up For Auction This Weekend


Fresh barn find. A sweat homemade 22 footer .... Been sit'n in the barn for some time. Have a closer look at the trailer, I understand the builder of the boat and trailer was a plumber... I suppose the boat has the kitchen sink in it as well. No caulk, just wax toilet ring stuff. He used to "flush" the motor out...badoomchi! All kidding aside If you are interested the boat actually is supposed to be a solid boat and is up for auction this weekend here in Virgina. It comes with a very strong V8 and maybe a plunger? Click here if you want more info.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Christopher Columbus.... Smith?

Sorry for the delay this morning, I was ..digging .. through my archives of old paintings, and found this...mmmmmm I thought something was fishy about that first landing. Maybe Christopher Columbus Smith came first. mmmmmmm.. makes you think. Happy Columbus Day either way.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

1949 U22 on eBay, Could This Be The One?

One thing is for sure that I have found in my quest for a Chris Craft U22. There is no shortage of U22's... Another thing is that they are priced from the mid $70,000 to $2,000 and there does not seem to be a rational reason for any of the pricing. So here I am on eBay and this one pops up. One owner, old couple, all the things that you want to read. BUT, in the classic boat hobby... words to watch out for. It was all fixed up in 1998...like its new! That was 12 years ago, the life expectancy of these boats from the factory was 6 years. So what that they spent $18,000 on it in 1998. BUT.... again, this nice sweet U22 has something that very few have. Love! And with love , comes history and with history comes stories that are worthy of continuing. I once owned a home in California. On the property were 8 redwood trees. I realized that I did not own the Redwoods. I was only a caretaker. And that is the same with many of these classic boats. They are not cars, they are made by hand and out of a living substance, and therefore in my book, hold emotions. And this boat has all of that. All the scrapes, dings, and stains. Even the location of it's life is worthy of note.Lake George is a perfect place to have lived ones life as a boat. So? is $6,000 to much for her, since she will need a 25,000 bottom and another $10,000 in misc stuff. Making little Julie here worth, $45,000? I don't know. What's a story worth. I suppose we will find out. The reserve seems to be have met. Click here and enjoy.Oh! wait, it comes with spark plugs! All kidding aside, there is a paper trail as you can see in the listing. I would also want old photo's and such to really make the story complete.