A Difficult Story To Write About Clayton.

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It starts with Pie on the roadtrip. I just wanted to lick the glass. AHHHH

We arrived as you know to Clayton, and enjoyed the show regardless of weather. The museum has done an amazing job keeping the history of boating alive and fresh. The volunteers did an amazing job and were very friendly. The boats that made it were all jaw dropping as always.

The boathouse was full of the top boats around. Bigtime stuff

The show was down in size, no question, and attendance down by what we could feel. but not because of the passion, more weather related and water levels.

The displays amd way the museum is set up is PERFECT

But to the museums credit, they made it worth the visit. The dang museum in its self is an amazing show. The market place / flea market was fantastic and still one of the top ones in the country. The area is ripe with old cool boat stuff, and it shows up.

I love the Antique Boat Museum! I am going to go when there isnt a show and we can really dig in

So, you ask, hey Woody Boater whats the difficult part of the story? Why is today story kinda late? Well. …………. Okay, what do I write about? I mean I can do stories in the middle of winter and make it fun, yet go to one of the best shows in the country, and be stumped? Have I lost it?

I think I saw this same transom on facebook and Instagram about 30 times.

Well, ya see, if you are reading this, chances are you also see others out there. Facebook, instagram, and others, and guess what? Its all been covered. A bazillion times over this weekend. There were a limeted amount of boats, and a limited amount of space to shoot them and talk to people, who clearly had there banter down. Heck we wondered past a booth and they guy was just talking like a robot about fishing. No one was in the booth. I wondered if robots had taken over the culture. HA.

Phil Jones brought his amazing Shepard

And limp stern pole.

This isnt a rant, its an observation. The Museum folks are so good at promoting and using social media that finding stories is competitive. And that’s a good thing BTW. It raises the water level for all of us, and is better for all of us readers. Just a bitch for the writers.

Maybe a photo of a sparkplug will inspire a story?

So? What to write about today. It’s 8 AM and I am still writing in and out of rabbit holes of nothing. The saving grace is photos we have that are our strange point of view see’s. Maybe thats what we write about?

Maybe a story on how dam HUGE Pardon Me is? Dammmm Ya know our boats look so much larger on land. But oooofff, that thing is huge. The name is so perfect!

Writing about what to write about? Phew that wasnt so difficult? Wait? Are you even still reading this? Why? I promise this week as I milk this to death, we will find fun ways to weave it all together. Stay tuned!

A story on seeing old friends, which makes any trip worth while. This show did that in spades. Thanks Kent, Arron, Ben, Ken, Margret, Jimmy, Andrew, Stu, Bob, Bob, Bill, Phil, Betty, Andy, wait this is turning into Romper Room. Thats to all our Romper Stompers

This is what a show is all about. Getting together with old and NEW friends

Taking rides with friends

My drool did not help the water levels

The level of boats is so amazing

I want to own one of these, just so i can do the graphics this way!

The water was flat for the second we shot this. We all know whats on his mind. Do I go out there?

The Wicker Sisters cousin. She lost her legs fishing… Hey, I said i would try and see the world a different way.

GOOG GOD that thing is huge

Parts is arts!

24 replies
  1. m-fine
    m-fine says:

    It is hard to appreciate the size of Pardon Me until you stand next to it. If I remember correctly, her PT boat packaged engine displaces the same amount as 11 Chris Craft K engines. It makes even a Merlin look small!

  2. Troy in ANE
    Troy in ANE says:

    How about a story on that little two axle trailer under Pardon Me.

    I hope it is just a yard trailer, don’t want to hit the road with that.

    I can feel the pain of those 4 tires screaming for mercy!

    • Jim Staib
      Jim Staib says:

      From 1000 miles away they look like Dexter axles. Generally used on Heavy equipment, like bulldozers, trailers. Or they could be an old set of mobile home axles, which are generally only used one time. Don’t follow it on the road.

    • m-fine
      m-fine says:

      The trailer I remember was pretty heavy duty, like massive I beams and lots of supports. I doubt they plan to take it on the road anyway. I would think it will only move between work shop, storage and the launch. Hauling it cross country would be more effort than it would be worth, although pulling up to the Palm Garden in it would be fun…until you had to stop.

    • Dave
      Dave says:

      The trailer is only two axle but 4 tires per. She is unstrung and moves boat very slowly from storage to launch or display. About 4 miles per year.

  3. Bob from Mazeppa
    Bob from Mazeppa says:

    This was the first time I have seen the pictures of the transoms. I’m glad Woody Boater is at the show to report for us less connected folks.

    Matt, I agree with you one of the best parts of the show is getting together with friends and going for rides.

  4. larry forget
    larry forget says:

    Great time of summer , glad the sun is shining. many times in Clayton from the mid 80’s’. Back then the one or two building were always talk of Master Plan to expand the whole street. .Directors really had a vision of a wood boat dream land… Like the cover photo , Think # 112 – N is the famous Scott Smith of Fishers landing race team.. Early success of Riggs Smith.

  5. Dan T
    Dan T says:

    Interested in knowing more about the elevated lake water level. Is this something that has happened periodically in the past, or a relatively new phenomenon? Thanks!

    • m-fine
      m-fine says:

      The lake has been high before, but this year has crushed all records by large margins. The peak was over a foot higher than the previous record. The group that manages the lake level adopted a new water management plan in December, with the intent of having the lake get both higher and lower. The idea was based on some crackpot environmental theories about improving the health of wetlands along the shore. The result has been an absolute disaster from every perspective, including wiping out the wetlands they were trying to help.

      • Clayton
        Clayton says:

        Just to clarify, the high water levels are not because of Plan 2014 – that was debunked earlier in the summer. The dams have been letting out water at record rates…it just hasn’t stopped raining!

        • m-fine
          m-fine says:

          It was certainly not debunked outside of their spin machine. The total precipitation from January 1 through the peak in May was well above average but about half of what it was in prior years like 1973 when lake levels were not near as high.

          The analysis of plan 2014 I saw estimated that the lake level would have been near record levels under the old plan but was an additional 8-12 inches higher due to 2014. That extra foot is what is responsible for the vast majority of the damage to lake shore property, the shoreline, and wetlands. What makes the situation extra sad is it is exactly what the stakeholders were predicting was going to happen when they started talking about this more than a decade ago.

  6. floyd r turbo
    floyd r turbo says:

    One more time in spite of math capture crap…If I recall, Jim Lewis acquired Pardon Me and donated it to the museum? and I have a picture of him operating it on the water with his adopted son Cedric (from the Bahama Islands if I remember correctly) on the bridge and it was always somewhat cantankerous to operate. Cedric was like a riding mechanic of sorts. The Lewis’s were huge benefactors of the museum as are many others. It couldn’t exist without them thankfully. The museum was kind a like Jim’s private boathouse at one time with all the boats they donated. Throw me in that briarpatch. So many people in that museum have come and gone. Would have loved to attend as the flea market is to die for. And the cruiser dock was also a fabulous place to hang out. And what about this year? seems they have disappeared except for a few. A little disappointed in that coverage especially knowing all the cruiser love that exists.

    • larry forget
      larry forget says:

      Good Info.. Remember Jim L & Cedric from the years we attended.. I believe He / They had a big beautiful cruiser MIDNIGHT LACE that had a jumpseat way up on the bow.

  7. Scott Ales
    Scott Ales says:

    I’m not on any other social media except LinkedIn. So pictures alone would be awesome. Your ramblings make it even better!

  8. Johnny V.
    Johnny V. says:

    Nice pictures! Yes, turnout seemed low this year, probably a combination of lower participation in general and concern about the high water levels (and that the Alex Bay/1000 Islands Chapter show was cancelled). Jim and Toni Lewis were still around when I attended in the late 1980’s-early ’90’s and yes, they were a huge part (among many others) of making the ABM what it is today.

    Thanks for the picture and caption of Bill’s Continental-it’s really all about connecting with old friends and making new ones.

  9. Dean
    Dean says:

    Matt, Woody Boater is where I go for all the important current events and important news. I don’t Facebook, Instagram, heck I don’t even use instant oatmeal! If it weren’t for your report on Clayton I wood be in the dark…

  10. Doug P. from Maine
    Doug P. from Maine says:

    I wouldn’t worry too much about other reports on social media. Just keep doing what you are doing. You have a good thing going here.

  11. John Rothert
    John Rothert says:

    I am with Dean on the other medias, and with Floyd on the frustration of often doing the math, correctly, and having to re write your whole post because the robot ditched it….anyway…great pix and post and sounds like a great trip and mister skinny avoided all donuts etc. Hang in there.
    Anyone want a 50 HP Johnson exactly like the one in the pic?…except not chromed…..looks cherry, 1972….replaced period power with power, period!

    John in Va.

  12. Scott Smith
    Scott Smith says:

    Cool pic of my boat (112-n)! Oh wait, you weren’t actually taking a pic of my boat, were you? It just happened to be in the same pic as the Pardon Me. I guess that happens when you have to back up a hundred yards to get the whole durn thing in the pic! Huge, indeed!

    Scott

  13. Mike P
    Mike P says:

    I just wanted to thank the guy who is driving Grandpas dream for giving me a ride ! I am the guy behind the driver in your photo… He just met me , we talked Hacker boats and off we went .. ripping around the river .. the ride on the 30 footer was smooth! Thanks Again

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