Hooooocheeeeemoma! This Is One very Cool 1939 Boat.

The year 1939... The concept. Build one very cool boat to go out and tear up the water ways. With an Inboard/Outboard Drive. Yup, Along with other goodies, like a flathead 8, Hudson steering wheel,.. even the trailer is cool. With Kelsey Hayes wheels.. Dear god, even the paint chips are cool on this thing... AND it can be yours... eBay awaits you....push the button... click... you are getting sleepy... click the button and it could be in your boat house..... cllllickkkkk the button....and all your dreams will come true.....really.....

The Rebirth Of A Lake George Hacker

I found this on Upstate New York Boating. A cool forum. But this story is a neat photo journey of the restoration of a nice Hacker named "Peggy". Make sure you click on the little numbers on the bottom. There are three pages of photos and story line... Click Here and start your Sunday off right.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About An Amphicar. But Were Afraid To Ask... Because The Geek That Owns It Would Go On and On About it...

Here is a great 7 minute video of all the ins and outs of an Amphicar!...Just think of all the time you just saved at the next boat show...

Vintage Boating Life..

It's a magazine, it's a web site.. wait it's a webazine... wait its a book.. What ever it is, it's cool and has some neat stuff on it. Well worth the click.

Classic Boating 1991-2007 on eBay! Just In Time For Christmas.

Start building a bookshelf in the potty. Cause you got some private time reading to do now. I just got a set like this and it has been a joy. The older issues had cool stories, useful tips, and some amazing boats. Timeless stuff so who cares that there is an ad for a fully restored cobra for 20,000 bucks...and YOU missed it... 10 years ago... If you have it shipped. Do the pre sized post office box deal. I did and it was about 50 bucks from Nevada to Va... And they are heavvvvy!. Click here for the sale on eBay... 1 day left so chop chop...

Thanksgiving In Woodyboaterville.

Today, not only marks another Thanksgiving, but also our 800th story! Yes there are now over 800 different stories here on Woodyboater.. With over 250,000 hits and an average of 10,000 a month. For a daily journal .. not bad. I am thankful for all the kind words and help along the way. In a way woodyboater isn't just one person but all of us. This is merely the vehicle in which we can share fun and interesting stories. I am especially thankful to Texx, Pat, Paul, John, Kim, Jim, Dpron, Bill, Al, Don, Brian, Phil, Jrprops, David K, Chad, Joe Martel, Woodygal, our sponsors, and of course the most active member anonymous....
This month we tried something new with U22 month... I have to say, it was fun for about 5 stories. Then it started to become a game, and now I want to puke thinking about U22's.. So it's done. Unless of course you find a cool one to talk about, then bring it on...I am sure I won't be able to stop myself.. Another thing that happened this month is since there are no shows out there, or boats in the drink... All we have to talk about is stuff being bought and sold. Also the U22 month focus kept me from doing the fun strange stories.. like this item from eBay... Dang.. I want just one..... So if you are sanding, or varnishing something cool... let us know..Find a strange item out there that relates to classic boats....or even better ran your boat in to the barn while backing it in..... We are always eager to share and comment. Thanks again and may you all have an amazing holiday...

The Chris Craft Utility Used As The Image Boat For U22 Month.

After close to a month long slog through the U22 world out there. One boat keeps coming back to haunt me. It's actually the feature boat on our mast head this month as well as the image boat for the U22athon at the Antique Boat Center. It's a magnificent 1940 Utility named Encore. Woody Boater Bob Robertson had purchased it in nice shape and upped the anti with a rebuilt motor, new 5200 bottom and some wood work like a middle seat.... 1940.. This is the year for me. Blue gauges, cool bow, full cutwater, and that very cool clunky Utility on the side. The killer photos taken by Don Ayers only add to the fantasy... What a glorious day out in California that must have been. Encore is for sale and ready to go. Trust me I have tried every idea on this one... but ... with a kid in collage and another about to go, only trades are in the cards for me these days. And no one is in a trading mood for a Barrel Back with cash....So she is all yours.. click here and enjoy the utilityness of it all.Here are some photos of Encore from some years back thanks to Jim Staib of Fine Wood Boats you can see the whicker chairs that have since been removed and replaced by a seat. .

U22 Custom Sedans.

Up until now all we have really focused on is the topless version of U22's. Well! Shame on us. Because one of the most attractive designs in the classic boat hobby is the roof line of the U22 Sportsman sedan. Starting in 1946-1949 with painted white sides and later like all the other sportsman from 1949-1954 with varnished sides. Chris craft made 436 of them. One cool feature is that the windshield opens for venting and actually helps while docking... Here are two examples.

This 1949 two owner Custom Sedan can be seen at Macatawa Bay Boat Works with the full restoration documented in images....with great cedar touches..... Well worth the click..This 1951 is at Sierra Boat Company in California and is for sale.... Interested? click here.

How Many Golden Pond Boats Are There.

If you look around, chances are you have come across a Golden Pond U22... Or have you? One fellow owns a U22 and advertises it as a "Sportsman, just like the one on Golden Pond", the next owner uses it and the story gets streamlined to "it's the Golden Pond Boat"...and so on. The truth is there were three and a half of them. Two were used as shooting boats, these are the ones you see in the movie. One was bought and never used or filmed and sold off at the end of the film to one of the shop guys. And one half of one.. or more like two thirds of one was used in the hitting the rocks scene. That's it! Of the three and a half boats out there, only one is known for a fact to be around and that is the wrecked one. And it is rumored to have been taken to the dump last year because it was termite infested. It sat outside of a hotel in FLA as an attraction. The were abouts of the one sold to the kid in the shop is not known lost in a broken trail of sales.... That leaves the two shoot boats. The prize... To date there were abouts are unknown. One sold on eBay a while back as we reported, but the sale can not be confirmed or can the boat. The other is with a family... or was years ago. And no one knows its history either.
Enter Pat Curtin of Old School Boat School. Pat was the movie wrangler on the film. He bought them and sold them. He is the sole person that knows how to prove the authenticity of these boats. Him and only him. And to date has not confirmed any of them except for the termite boat in FLA. It's actually tragic that this is happening. There is a wonderful story to be told if only we could find and confirm one of these. With so many Thayer IV's out there...The real ones may be lost in a sea of U22's.....

Last Day For U22athon Savings!

Just one day left in the Antique Boat Center U22athon savings. 10% off ends November 22nd 2009. Poof, kapow, zip. Gone! Operators are standing by....

Rare U22 On Golden Pond Poster. For Now!

For your eyes only, and now about 8 gillion other folks around the world...Here is a image of what is believed to one of two posters made for a sales meeting at Chris Craft when the movie came out. Fellow Woody boater and Dean of Dreams at the Old School Boat School Pat Curtin was invited to that sales meeting as a celebrity guest to talk about his work as boat guru on the movie On Golden Pond. Pat was given this poster and has been kind enough to share with us as we celebrate U22 month here.So there you have it... All you readers in Taiwan can now go run out and copy it, make t-shirts and fake posters. Print it on hand bags throw a Micky Mouse image with a Coke logo on it,, and you have gold... GOLD! Sorry Pat.. it's now officially not rare anymore...

Mahogany and Cedar.... A U22 That's Moving Even At The Doc!

Doc Lane is a magnificent U22... Stunning in it's details...and quality of craftsmanship...Doc Lane came with bait boxes, and a rear steering system... That on top of a period color combination of Cedar, green and mahogany...

One Foot Shorter, With Something To Prove!

Meet Rat Rod. One mean mahogany machine. Mark McIssac of McIssac Boats added a twist on his 1936 U21. Thew caution to the wind and had some fun with his restoration. This is what it's all about. Fun on the water. He dropped a Chris Craft 283 in, and some extra seats for the family. The three dice in the logo stand for the three deuces on the motor... ohhhhhh! Image this aqua sucker pulling up and thinking its got some dink KB in it... Ha. One look at the exhaust and things take on a new perspective. Now if he can only figure out how to peel out, that would be cool. I wonder if the shift lever has a skull with red eyes on it.... Oh yeah... Way to go Mark... Thanks for keeping it fun....

Was This The First U22?

OK, its 21 feet, and its from 1936... But all great things are inspired by something at some point. Jay Smith of the Chris Craft Smith's had this 21 foot utility made for himself. With 2 engines. Why... In case one breaks down. One can only imagine what it must have been like out on the water back in the 30's. Not much traffic and not tow boats, no GPS, Cell phones, two way radios...... Just you and a megaphone... So the idea was a smart one. But in the end, I am sure proved to be not worth it. But here she is. Nicely restored and look'n good. This boat was for sale a while back at Carolina Classic Boats... But seems to have disappeared.... Maybe Joe Martel bought it.

Christinia's World Meets Chris Crafts World!

Fellow woodyboater Jim Staib of Fine Wood Boats sent us this great photo of an abandoned U22 in a field. I have loved this image and had it for a while and could not figure out why I would like a photo of a ratty boat in a field. And then it hit me. It's the dream, the what if, and as an artist the composition of the image. Andrew Wyeth would be proud. Jim should check his gene pool though... Cause there may have been a visit to town from Mr. Wyeth at some point... Rumor has it he would wonder in to towns looking for subject matter posing as a milk man or pool guy... All kidding aside. This is the time of year were our dreams of restoration kick in. Imagine, driving along a country road. You see out of the corner of your eye... a familiar shape. As you look closer you see its a boat, a wonderful Chris Craft... Hacker, Gar Wood..... Could it be. You go up to the farmers door, knock... and an old man comes to the door... "yup, used to use the boat out on the lake fish'n with my pal Chris... Chris used to make these things... Great fish'n buddy"... You ask... "Would you like to sell her? The farmer says... "Well according to the Antique Boat Center and the chatter on the Boat Buzz and Woody Boater's story on U22's the 1951 Chris Craft U22's are worth $40,000 when restored, also did you know they are having a U22athon..... and Dannenberg's book says "..... You realize at that point that you are about to rear end a truck. Cause you have been asleep at the wheel....Sweat dreams!

Antique Boat Center Open House.

Yesterday was a fun filled day at the Antique Boat Center Open House. The U22athon in in full sales mode and folks from all around showed up. You can visit the U22athon on the banner on the right. Remember, on top of the sales price. you get 5% off if you are a Woody Boater, and another 5% if you are a Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club member. 10% folks. That's over $5,000 in some cases. This offer ends in a week! I hate to sound like Cal Worthington here. But as we said, this is a social marketing experiment. And it will end. Poof, gone! Just like that Cobra you could have bought back in the day for $2,000 bucks... history... vanished....

Fellow Woody Boater Steven Gray from Stillwater Boat Company ( No Website yet) had sent us some shots of the progress of his restoration of his personal 1951 22 Foot Chris Craft Sedan. A U22 with a hard top....What struck me was that even striped down to its bones it was still beautiful. Once again making my point... These wonderful classic boats are moving art. And thus should be treated that way. This one is a nude, for example... A tasteful nude... not a cheap sleazy nude...... for the record, if this gets your motor running in that way... you have issues... and should go back to your shoe fetish! mmmm shoes.....the red tipped with a big heel kind.......with the curved back end like a barrel back... mmmm barrel backs... wait... stop....

What A Perfect Day In Virgina For A U22!

Ya gots your "Pre War U22" and your "Post War U22". But no U22 is designed better for the current conditions here on the Eastern Shore of Virgina today than the "During The War U22" We have been flooded here some kinda rough... in a underwater kinda way. Enter the versatile U22...submarine. Leave it to the Germans to come up with a version that works in any weather. OK it aint no fish'n boat... and take'n the Fräulein out on a picnic could be rough... But think of all the jet ski's you could finish off..... ohhhhhhhhh! I am gitt'n me one of these... Und then the collection will be complete.. und then I will get barrel backs, und then Sea Skiffs.... some of those little whirlwinds,,,ya,,,skeetos...... und LYMANS all of them!!!!! und then I will need a bigger boat house und then a town... a shtate.... The World! oh boy.... maybe I should just be happy with my dreams....

Two Odd Balls From Idaho!

This is not a circus act or comedy team. It is though two fun restoration projects that without doubt must have a colorful history. Or at least you can make a good one up! Thanks to our fellow woody Boaters ( not the two Odd balls) Don and Molly Hardy at McCall Boat Works we can dream of a 1951 U22 with a pink interior and black alligator trim.... Wait... there's more oddballness. It's got a Hemi....So you can go fast enough I suppose so folks don't laugh at the pink interior. With that said though, WOW, what a fun and cool color combo, and if you are looking for another boat to restore and have been blocked by the boss.... Well, buy her a pink interior one... sexist? yes... But a brilliant chess move in my book. Clearly not original. But with U22's a story is worth more than originality in some cases. Do the pink and alligator and you have a show winner for sure. Here is a concept of what she might look like when finished.The other oddball is a 1948 U22 with a Deluxe Ventilating Optional Top..That's as much as I know. I suppose it ventilates in a deluxe way... Maybe it makes the air inside smell like rose pedals... If any of you have any information on these deluxe tops. Comment below and you can be the expert of the day. If you find yourself compelled to go pink... Hemi pink, or need to ventilate your top in a deluxe fashion... Today is your lucky day. They are for sale! So pull out your alligator man bag and start writing checks... Click here...

1951. An Iconic Year For The Chris Craft Sportsman.

Imagine it's 1951 and you want to go boat'n... You have looked around and you say... self... we want a Chris Craft 22 foot Sportsman, the kids say OK.....your wife June Cleaver who is standing there with make up and your dinner says OK dear.... the dog says OK and all is well in Palookaville. Well. wake up, it's not 1951. But you can have a great freshly restored 1951 U22 now.... According to some, the 1951 year was a great year for U22's. It was just something about the fact that Chris Craft had perfected the craft over the years. No real weak areas like the early ones. The three spoke wheel is a certain giveaway to identify one. If you look closely in this case they did a custom version of the three spoke standard wheel witha banjo wheel. These are the models for example that Pat Curtin Mr Golden Pond boat wrangler man and U22 guru swears by these models of U22's..... So here is your chance to get that new varnish smell in your garage ... Click here for this one featured...... A Tohoe winner by the way...it ain't cheap, but compared to the cost of a restoration.....it's at the U22athon so take the sale price and subtract another 5% for reading it here, and Join the Chris Craft Antique boat Club and save another 5%.. On this boat that's over $5,000 ... see it pays to read Woody Boater.... There is also a wonderful history of a restoration on one here.. at the Antique boat Shop. And of course a very well known 1951... Lucky 7 at Fine Wood Boats. This is one of Jim Staibs personal boats... That tells you something...