A ReRun Of My Favorite ReStory – You Won’t Believe What I Found Out About Stinky’s History.

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We think this is her.

Today we revisit my favorite Restory from Oct 2018 –  Enjoy the unbelievable story of Stinky…again. After some digging, and root’n around in the Georgia area we have some shocking news. Now, we have found out who bought Stinky new in Atlanta. Actually a small town east of Atlanta. The boat was sold at a car dealership, that also was a Tractor Store and Boat Dealer. I guess that’s how things were done. Earl Thompson Chevy and Tractors.

Amazing! There it is! Gotta love the internet

Okay, this isn’t the shocking part. Turns out the man that purchased her was named Lester Pembrook, he was…. A HOG FARMER.. Lester liked fast cars, and Fast Boats according to his Grandson Melvern who we spoke too.

Lester moving Stinky to the barn after a race.

Now, according to his family, The Pembroks, Lester also had “Issues” with, well.. Smelling like his farm. Hey I can’t make this stuff up. Anyway. Now here is the shocking strange twist. She was called Stinky non officially. In fact Lester was called Stinky, so there is some confusion here. But the family member that I spoke with was laughing so hard at finding the boat and that it by coincidence has the name of the original owner. The rat turd gods preserved her name in spirit. I was just open to the universe.

Lester “Stinky ” Pembrok, would race around on the small Lakes of Georgia before the war. Actually I was told that it blew off a engine hatch during a race, and was from then on called “The Stink Bomb” Hey, I am telling ya, I can’t make this up.

Lester’s Daughter Mitzi Pembrok became “Miss Slaughter House 1944 in their town, and well, she got all in her head that she could go to Hollywood, and so Racing Stinky wasnt in the cards anymore, all the racing money went to Mitzi and her attempt at becoming a star.

And after that, the boat was tucked away and during the war, Lester’s Hog Farm turned into a big time supplier to the Armed forces because of Mitzi’s fame as Miss Slaughterhouse. I know. Crazy! But it’s all true. It’s right here on the internet.

The last photo known of Lester and Stinky. Maybe this is when it was sold? Feels like a 1940’s slide. It’s certainly not photoshop!

Which is where Paul Maddox came into the scene in 1945 after the war. Which is oddly enough where the trail ends, and why they don’t know the name of the boat. maybe, just maybe, and this part I am making up, they chose no name because of the whole “Stink Bomb” thing? Thus known as That  Maddox “Red White and Blue Boat” raced on Jackson Lake until the 1960’s when she was turned into a fun boat to run around in until the 1970’s when she was retired to a dairy barn in Georgia.

In the Dairy Barn several years ago

Last registered in 1977

Outside.

And that’s the incredible unbelievable history of Stinky, our 1937 16 Special Racer, or at least it is until we find another history.

The poster put on a Aqua Sled. in Algonac, the ultimate location to continue her Checkered Flag History. 

I have included all the comments. Its fun also to note, we made a fun poster of this Restory for boat shows.

40 replies
  1. Troy in ANE
    Troy in ANE says:

    Now that sounds like a story with a little bit of truth and a whole lot of imagination.

    (image may be subject to copyrights)

  2. Bilge Rat
    Bilge Rat says:

    Wonderful history! Yours came out in a good way, better than what my grandfather used to say:

    You pay someone to research your family history, and then you pay someone else to make it go away.

  3. Greg Lewandowski
    Greg Lewandowski says:

    I guess that is why they call you a “creative director” in the advertising world. Great story, great photoshop work, but I am still trying to decide how much of the story to buy into. You never cease to amaze me my friend!

  4. Garry
    Garry says:

    Thou smelled a story from the beginning.

    R u sure it wasn’t politicians riding around in le boat?

    U definitely rooted out the best story of the year!

  5. Flash
    Flash says:

    I hope everybody has a good pair of boots to wear to the Christmas Party this year!! The forecast is calling for 10-12 inches.

  6. Wilson
    Wilson says:

    Great story..

    We just back on internet after a week away dues to Hurricane Michael disruption.
    This may not be the place to do it but want to say thanks to all the boating friends who tried to contact us and inquire of our needs & safety…Nice to have friends and we thanks you all.

  7. Jimmuh
    Jimmuh says:

    So much for the little boat…..can we get Mitzi’s story? There must be a bacon connection in there somewhere too…… M-fine?

  8. Floyd r turbo
    Floyd r turbo says:

    Mitzi must have been Lady Gaga’s grandmother and influenced her with the first “meat skirt ensemble”.

  9. Matt
    Matt says:

    The entire Mitzi story according to Elma Pembroke her sister is kinda odd as well. She did move to Hollywood.. Florida.. She wasn’t all that bright. Anyway the war broke out and she did some tours of the airforce bases around Florida, and ended up marring a pilot, who turns out, came home safely. Dirk Johnson. Ya.. Mitzi Johnson became a housewife with 6 kids. She went from Miss Sausage to Mrs Johnson! That’s really all we know.

  10. Rick
    Rick says:

    Can someone check Matt’s generator? I think there’s a CO leak getting into his house. Matt if you can read this go outside and breath some fresh air.

  11. Rick
    Rick says:

    Hey everyone I just figured it out. Matt must be looking for barn finds in Canada; where they just legalized marijuana. Note to self: attend more Canadian Boat shows!

  12. don danenberg
    don danenberg says:

    You are right, I don’t believe it…,
    Given that they had already removed the ‘dollop’ from the end of the Stinky ‘y’?

    • Art
      Art says:

      Stinky and Old School playing nicely at 100th CC birthday party at Algonac in 2022. Yes Greg, I hope that they can play together in 2023…………BUT with NO Reedville excursions!

      Damn……for some reason I can’t up load the photo of Stinky and Old School at Algonac.

  13. jim g
    jim g says:

    A friend of my brothers bought a MGA that lived all of its life on a hog farm. Ended being stored in one of the barns for 30 years.
    Guess what it smells like every time the car gets damp.

  14. Greg Lewandowski
    Greg Lewandowski says:

    Stinky has a terrific story and it was great to meet her in Algonac last year. We hope she will come back for another visit this year. The Michigan gang is celebrating the 38th show anniversary and the 101st anniversary of Chris Craft at the Harbour Club on June 24th. Pre-war boats are being featured so Stinky will have a lot of friends there. Three days of fun with parties and on water events all weekend. All WoodyBoaters are invited to join us for the fun!

  15. Kelly Wittenauer
    Kelly Wittenauer says:

    Imagine when someone finds Stinky in a barn many years from now & begins to research the boat’s history. They find this story, don’t realize that’s mostly just Matt’s overactive imagination & this is believed to be the actual history. When the new owner realizes it’s not factual, but everyone else still believes it & no matter where the owner looks for further info, everyone just keeps quoting this story. Then what?

  16. Don vogt
    Don vogt says:

    For those of you with a Troy bend of mind check out the frankfurter queen of 1952 —Hebrew national . I think it was Sigmund Freud who said that sometimes a wiener is just a hot dog.

  17. Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P)
    Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P) says:

    Cool story. I remember seeing it in 2018. I saw Stinky in Algonac last summer.

  18. Rabbit
    Rabbit says:

    I love that a Chevy dealer also sold Chris Crafts and tractors. My dad had a small town Ford dealership in Baraboo, Wisconsin in the late 50’s/early 60’s. He was having trouble getting a large enough allotment of new Fords so he bought a few new Studebakers wholesale from a dealer in another town to sell as new. He had one sitting on his showroom floor when the Ford regional sales manager made a surprise visit. Ford was not pleased.

    The dealership also had some woody history: My hometown of Baraboo, Wisconsin was where the Ringling Brothers Circus was founded and was based until later in the 20’s when they decided all those lions, tigers and elephants might be more comfortable in Florida. The building that housed his dealership was originally where they made the circus wagons for Ringling Brothers and the two other circuses based in Baraboo. Still could find wood shavings all over the garage. Say what you will about the craftsmanship in a Gar Wood or Hacker, but few things of wood can compare to those wagons. There are still hundreds of them, perfectly restored at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo.

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