Thanksgiving Woody Boating! Georgia Style! We Soooo Need To Go There!
Chase’s Very cool 1952 U-22
Thanks to fellow Woody Boater Chase Fulbright from Northern Georgia, for sending us in his reminder that he sure does not suffer from PMW! Take it away Chase.. you stud!
Now we’re talk’n – Take us there Chase! Can I have an Amen!
This year thanksgiving day brought 70 degree weather for us on Lake Burton in Northeast Georgia so we gobbled down the turkey and then went woody boating. My 1952 Chris Craft U22 has been the center of attention at our boathouse since I purchased it back in May of this year.
Ahhhh! Go Chase, love the boat houses on Lake Burton, and Lake Rabun!
I had been wanting a woody boat for several years and searched for the right one for a while until I came across this one. I am sure you guys are familiar with Lake Rabun and Lake Burton in Georgia and their rich history of wood boats. Growing up around these lakes gave me a love for wood boats at a young age and I am now the youngest owner of a wood boat on these two lakes at just 26 years old.
Wait… 26 years old! Chase, Chase, Chase, ugh, you just set the entire age average out the window. Now, I feel old. We all feel old! Lets just say you have dyslexia and are really 62? And man you look great for a 62 year old!
We also have a big wood boat parade down here every year on the Sunday of the July 4th weekend and I will do my best to get some good photos of it this year and send in for you.
WOW!
Thanks Chase, the 4th of July Parade on Lake Rabun is on the bucket list of things to report on next year.
Great story. Beautiful boat. We have to figure out how to clone a lot more Chases!
Greg hit it on the head! We have a big gap from not old enough to drive to 40ish. Hopefully Chase has a lot of friends he can introduce to the Woodyboater lifestyle.
Thank you Chase for sending in the story so my wife a I can plan a trip next year from the 20 below winter paradise in Minnesota. Will the Dogwood and Redbud be blooming in March?
Late March and early April is normally the dogwood bloom, however the best bloom in my opinion is the Mountain Laurel bloom that happens in the first 2 weeks of May! Just be sure to check the lake levels before coming in March or April, the 12′ winter drawdown is normally back full by April however some years it takes until the first week of May to reach full pool again!!
Now thats some good original stuff WB. Best way to digest a turkey. Chase has some many years to enjoy that U22.
Chase, you have a gorgeous lake with great Mtn views and a beautiful U22. On my way south visited the lake with 1976 Sleekcraft. Timing was such that forest fire smoke drove us out. My question, does the lake get drained down for the winter and is boating compromised. Heard different stories including the lake will not be drained anymore because of the drought and fear that it will not fill up again in the Spring. Any light you can shed on this would be appreciated as we are looking for an alternative to Fl.
Bill
It does normally get drawn down 12′ for boathouse repairs in the winter (November to March) but this year they have decided to leave it full due to the drought. They plan to resume the normal drawdown next winter.
Chase, great story and beautiful boat! Does she have a name?
It does have a name, the name is DAWG DAYS, we are huge UGA fans so that’s where it comes from. I am dropping it off next week to have it gold leafed on!
Great name!
Gorgeous photos! Looks like a beautiful lake.
My first boat a 16′ Chris Riviera had it’s maiden voyage on Lake Rabun in the early 1980’s….Gosh, that was before Chase was born. We had a water pump problem and Buzz Stone came to the center of the lake to rescue us…Towed us to the dock at his house, fed us tea and cookies while we worked on it….Next day Stuart Witham invited us an others to his place at Witham Point for cocktails…There were woodies in many boat houses and more at Hall’s Boat House…Years later ACBS Prexy Les Rue and wife Penny entertained us at their house on Lake Burton as part of an pre event to a ACBS annual meeting on nearby Lake Lanier…Wonderful people and great boats in that area.
To digress…I was in downtown Atlanta one day and stopped in Stockton’s, a men’s store not far from Rich’s Department store. There I found a pair of neckties, on a rack, one blue and one red with wooden boats on them. I asked the salesman of they had any more…He brought out the owner, Mr. Stockton who said he had 25 or 30. “How many would I like?”, he asked. “I’ll take ’em all.” I replied. He asked why I wanted so many neckties ( we wore neckties back then) all alike and I told him I manages an antique boat club and wanted them for friends who had helped me and if there were any left over, I’d sell them to members who might not otherwise find them. Mr. Stockton then explained his eye was caught by the ties because he had an old Chris Craft up on Lake Rabun. I quickly signed him up as a club member. Seems like Lake Rabun and Lake Burton were where “old Atlanta” took their families in the summer time. Looks like the third and fourth generations are there now.
Welcome to the Woodyboater world Chase. As he said, all of Georgia is under drought restrictions until lifted. Forest fires have been threatening North Georgia, eastern Tenn, and western NC mountain regions. To digress further on Wilson Wrights story, I was given a tie by Ham Stockton (yes, that’s his name) from his store having worked on his Chris Craft but never worn. It will be for sale in WB classifieds to raise funds to offset my daughters 4 week+ stay in ICU from unknown liver infection and possible transplant unless disease is identified thru her liver, muscle, and biopsies sent to Mayo clinic.
Floyd, so sorry to hear about your daughter. Please keep us posted on her progress and recovery. Did I meet her at Lake Chatuge a couple of years back?
I will open the bidding for the tie at $100.
KW, consider the tie yours and will ship it asag. I am bereft of words to describe the generosity of friends such as you during her hospitalization. Alayna last attended Chatuge making her own cardboard boat for the races there around 2001 with the help of Bill Turner in this picture. She was recently moved to post ICU for therapy after having respirator, kidney dialysis, and 9 IV pumps removed. She’s now receiving PT and occupational PT to eat and stand without assistance. Still no cause has been identified and every test given her according to doctors. You would have met my son Halden at Lake Chatuge when we were sitting around the fire ring making smores. Thanks again for your kind words, thoughts and donation. She has a GoFundMe page under Alayna Fabricius as she is considered an indigent student under Medicaid that will hopefully assist her from our meetings with social worker.
Hello Victor, This is Wanda and I am just learning about your daughter Alayna. I am terribly sorry to hear of her health issues. I want you to know I am thinking of you all and pray for answers to help her gain strenth through this and to find some answers. I send my best wishes for you all.
With Love,
Wanda
Chase: Looks like a great place and a Beautiful boat. Thanks for sharing!
Vic: Thanks for letting the WB’er world know about Alayna’s troubles.
Here’s my boat and I’m 17 making me the youngest wooden boat owner in northeast Georgia.
Go DAWGS! I’ll be on the lookout for Dawg Days on Burton next summer! The parade on Lake Rabun is pretty awesome.