More Oldie Memories From Fellow Woody Boaters!

My 5 Sons

Thanks to Mr. Andreas  Rhude for getting today’s Oldies day started, here is the note he sent along.

The boat is a 1964 T & T Boats, Inc. 17′-11″ Breakers, lapstrake outboard. My dad went to the liquidation auction in May 1965 after T & T after they went belly up. It was a typical auction of a failed business. They sold desks and file cabinets and chairs and finished work and work in progress and wood working machinery and lumber and plywood stock.

My dad bought two (2) unfinished boat for $300 ! He dragged them home on borrowed trailers. He used parts from one to finish off the other. The donor boat was sold to a co-worker. The completed one became the Rhude family speed boat. He went to Midway DX in Marinette, WI (a filling station that also sold Mercury outboard motors) and purchased a brand new 95 HP mercury outboard.

The new boat was named “My 5 Sons” in recognition of the five Rhude sons (I am son number 5). Two years later my mother is pregnant again. Luckily the new arrival was a boy. So, the boat was re-named “My 6 Sons” !

The boat is still in the family and it is used by second and third generations of the family.

I am the little dapper dude in the red jacket in two of the pictures! circa 1965 Brother Thomas, grandpa and grandma Jordahl and my mother are in the picture with Thomas pulling on the bow line.

Mr. Andreas Jordahl Rhude

From Bob Menzel -1958 Trojan Sea Queen with 35 hp Johnson and Dads first boat a Chris Craft Kit boat in BW

The Menzels Trojan! I love these sort of photos and how they show the subtile details of a time when things were simpler. Note the death trap swing set,I will bet there were hours of fun spent on that thing.

One more of the Menzel gang above

Fellow Woody Boater and Secret Spy from Tahoe, sent this in. Fiberglass rules!

One more from the Secret Spy from Lake Tahoe!

From John Smith. I GREW UP AT LAKE TAHOE IN THE 70’S AND 80′. MY FAMILY AND MY DADS BROTHER FAMILY HAD CABINS RIGHT ON THE NORTH SHORE AT CARNELIAN BAY. MY GRANDFATHER BOUGHT A 1956 CENTURY RESORTER 18FT FOR BOTH FAMILIES TO ENJOY. WE ENJOYED IT THROUGHLY. THE NAME WAS HOBANY AND THE SIERRA BOAT CO. TOOK CARE OF IT ALL OF ITS LIFE UNTIL MY UNCLE SOLD IT IN AUGUST 2011. I TRIED TO BUY IT AND KEEP IT THE FAMILY BUT IT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE. MAYBE SOME DAY I WILL HAVE A CHANCE. IT IS STILL AT LAKE TAHOE I UNDERSTAND ON A BOUY IN CRYSTAL BAY. I LOVED TO DRIVE IT AND PULL WATER SKIERS AND CRUISE. SHOW IT IN SOME BOAT SHOWS AND CHAMBERS LANDING AND TAHOE CITY. GOT A 3RD AND A 6TH PLACE IN UTILITY CLASS. IT HAS GREYMARINE FIREBALL V-8 MOTOR. AWESOME BOAT. MY MOM USED TO TAKE 8M VIDEO OF ALL OF US.

More from John Smith

John Smith – Lake tahoe

A beutiful Tahoe Day from John Smith

And these from feloow Woody Boater Gary Ruhs

These came from “screen shots” from old 8mm movies on Cedar Lake Indiana so not crystal clear. Not sure of make of the 14′ boat but was wood with old 25hp Elgin outboard. We always carried a coffee can to occasionally dip out the seepage thru the planked hull. It was a cool old boat that we had a lot of fun with when the kids were little.

Do not adjust your set, these are fuzzy, but look like fun

Below is one of our favorite shots. We have turned it into a banner so you can Pinterest it or place it on Facebook! Get the message out.

And here is todays header shot and story from  Jordan Heath at Pleasure Bent Boats in Castro Valley, CA. “Here is Chad (kid with glasses) with cousins and grandparents at the helm, circa 1956 at Don Pedro Reservoir (CA.)  Notice the early Coast Guard registration number.  The boat is a 1953 Crooks, built right here in Castro Valley, CA.  It is still owned by Chad’s aunt and uncle, Tom and Bobby Peek. ”

These shots were professionally restored and it shows.

Out water sking

From “Troy” Hersman –
No Woodies in this one, but that is me standing on the float in 1980. I was running the tri-hull Duo Gypsy. This picture was taken at the cottage of the girl who has now been my Boatress for 26 years on Lake Cobbosseecontee in Maine. BTW we got married about 25 feet from where this picture was taken.

And this from Martin Belcher From our lake home in Northern Indiana. M.Belcher

Fellow Woody Boater David Graham – Now here is an old boat
This me driving I am now 66

The thing that has struck me over the past couple days is that many folks still have these wonderful pictures. Some over 60 years old. It says alot about our time out on our boats, and the freedom and joy they bring. Hopefully we are all out there filming, instagraming, tweeting shots of our kids and grand kids. I thought this might be a good time to drag out a classic. If you have seen this, you might want to get out a hankie! IT’S PERFECT!

Thanks for participating and sharring your wonderful historys with us.