Entries by Matt

Memorial Day 2025

As I age—perhaps not as gracefully as I’d like—I find myself reflecting more deeply on how sad and unfair it is that so many good men and women have died to secure the freedoms we often take for granted. The official start of summer feels especially poignant—a reminder of the joy and ease we get

Wait? What? It’s Already Summer?

It’s been in the 50’s here in the mornings and a wonderful 70 during the day. Summer? No way. Summer around here can be a little toasty, humid and thick. Perfect boating weather. Flat water and warm thick air. Maybe not for you, but those early morning runs are amazing. DO NOT GO THERE! Anyway

Rainy Day Love

There is something magical about a good rainy day. It’s like the universe is taking in a good drink after the thirst of everyday life has left you dehydrated from any emotion. Dang, can you tell I have been maybe working a little too hard on actual work. Here is an observation on life, you

Beer’s In The Fridge, Have Fun Today.

I am on the road today at 5AM, like in 10 minutes to head home from a 2 day filming up here in the NY area. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, and honestly writing a story laying in bed at a hotel is about as inspiring as. Well. I would say watching paint

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1 In 800 Chance Of A Heart Attack.

Well, yesterday, SPOILER ALERT.. I am alive and writing this, or am I? Has an AI bot taken over Woodyboater? Yesterday I had a chance to try out my rowing skills with SLIM, the new / old 14ft skiff. Now, to make it more interesting, I did some internet calculations. Vegas style. Will..or when will

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What Sort Of Art Is State Of The Art.

One of the fun things about keeping HQ alive and real is making sure all the old stuff is still working. After all, it would be easy to just go buy all new state of the art stuff. But what sort of art is that?  Yes, not that art. Anyway. recently the large motor stopped

The Most Boring Milking Ever.

Well, I thought there would be more drama so I could drag this out. And maybe this morning when I head over to HQ there will be. Like a snake in the sunken boat.  And there was the high drama moment when I unplugged it all and paddles over to the rail in a shallow

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Get A Collage Degree In Classic Boat Conservation / Restoration.

Yesterday’s story about students immersed in the art of boatbuilding struck a powerful chord. It wasn’t just inspiring—it illuminated a clear need in our education system: a dedicated, structured path for students passionate about working with their hands. Specifically, we need two- and four-year degree programs focused entirely on boats—their history, design, construction, and restoration.

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I Made $1,000 Stripping In One Day.

Yes, sorry ahead of time to all you here for the wrong reason. That headline is a classic click bait throw back. And if you really think about it, do you really want to see me pole dancing with dollar bills stuffed in my cargo shorts? You don’t have to even think about it. In

Momma’s Day

Today we celebrate the one thing 100% of us all have in common. Mothers. Yup. When you whittle it all down, no different  in the ways we are, we all have a mother. That special person that gave you life, love, and encouragement to be the best person who you could be. Over the years

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Crazy Idea That Just Might Work.

In my business ya gotta throw out the wacky ideas to cull threw them to find a jewel. And today I thought. mmmm Why not get our collective brains working on how to attract new folks to your shows, clubs, garage gatherings. in general create your own network. After all thats really what it’s about.

A. C. C. o. C. C. C. C.

Today we feature a cool shelf art, not that Art,  A…. WAIT FOR IT……Cool Can of Chris Craft Chrome Cleaner. This CCoCCC is available on ebay, and if you are so inClined you to CC in on the CCoCCCC. Okay, wait this about to get real silly… Craig, the charismatic captain of the Crimson Current,

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Late Rainy Day Sunday Start

Sorry for the delay in todays story. Late morning here at HQ. yes I was up at 5AM but got caught up in stuff. Ever dusted a light or removed 30 screw drivers to dust. How about organze a winters worth of screws and bolts? Well I have, and guess what? There isnt enough loud

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Slim Is Done, And Ready For?

Well, it’s been a fun distraction between meetings and trips. On Tuesday and Wednesday I had to be up in NY for a big shoot coming up. I have also been trying to get HQ ready for the Boatress’s big real estate event this Sunday right after the blessing of the fleet on the Creek.

Remember That Hold My Beer Boat? You Can Own It.

I found it, it’s back on that wacky flea market of crazy, Facebook Marketplace, and it does not disappoint. Okay maybe it will disappoint, and so what? The guys that built it, clearly had fun with it, and  that of course was the best part. To be honest, I have often thought the same thing

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Pony On Up To The Barboard, Watch Your Feet.

Yesterday as part of the pre-clean-up at HQ for the Boatress’s event on Sunday, Waynebomb had a great idea for all those pesky Outboards that keep showing up at the railway. I sear they just keep growing. I have planted all the props out in the yard as a Proppy Feild. And nuth’n. But old

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Haul’n Hemi’s Home

Today, long time pal Bill Hancock, or Darthtrader as we all know him here are headed to HQ to pick up some Hemi goodness. Bill is the king of all that is Hemi related and exactly who these have been waiting for back behind the barn on Jimmys farm. Okay this is sounding like a

And Now A Message From Hagerty Marine Insurance.

It’s springtime and as you are getting ready to plop that water sucker into the drink, you may also want to make sure your drain plug is in… And therefore your insurance. Is your policy up to date? Well, you may be surprised to see here that Hagerty now has some expanded options. This is

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In Between Conference Call Refresh

In between calls and meetings, I have been stripping and cleaning up the Skiffany Skiff, and she is surprisingly clean. The heat gun did a lot of the work on the sides, Bottom painted and now the fun part. Color. As many of you know, I have a thing for the color pink. Not sure

Want A Project Boat?

The other day I was stopped in a parking lot and asked if I wanted a free boat? The WoodyBoater name on the side of the truck did the talking I guess. Anyway, I went to go look, and there it was, a fun little Thompson, in parts, but there. Anyway, after some back and

Happy Easter, You may Want To Sit While You Read This.

The real first sign of spring, summer and rebirth of life is here. Regardless of your beliefs, Christen, Judaism, Hindu, Buddhist, etc, the sentiment is the same. A time of rebirth, spring. We all share that feeling of hope. And this year in the Classic Boat Community, there is a rebirth of sorts happening. New

Hello Ladies, How Was Your Winter?

Yesterday I had the chance to check out my old ladies and see if they are doing fine. So fine I might add. They have been hanging out at The Secret Lair Of Repair. And man oh man, there was some repair. LAWN MOWER REPAIR! But thats another story, a boring story, and well one

It’s Friday, It’s Spring, And, And, And?

Well? headed to the boat ramp with your buddies? Let’s just say from time to time, a winters dumb project can be just enough to make it through the coldness.  Now, you may be thinking.. what in the heck is that up there? Well, it’s a golf cart boat of course. And yes its for

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One Very Sweet Kit Boat.

We all know that Chris Craft made kit boats, and even later in life, James Craft had gotten the templates and sold kit boats. So they have been around the and around again. And with all that, most are done to the builders own inspirations. Dolled up and so on.  But this one looks like

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Match Matchy, The Trailer Is Done-ish

I know, where are all the boats? Trust me, I am trying to clear the decks of the winter projects. That and the weather has not been kind to me. Rain, rain, and wind. But there are little slivers of time between work, and rain. The obsession with getting the trailer done makes zero sense

Big Bubba’s New Shoes

You may be wondering what or who Big Bubba is, and Shoes? Okay, okay, Big Bubba is our 1958 Apache Truck we have had for over 30 years. Needless to say, it’s evolved several times. Started out Red, then black and now, and for the past 15 years, Blue. She has a 6 cyl with

“IKE’s Trailer Gets A Refresh

As you may recall, when we got the Willys in the fall, it came with a cool little trailer. It was a mess to say the least. Lots of paint over paint, over rust. in fact when I sent it to the sandblaster, I wasnt sure how much of it would actually come back. Needless

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The Joy Of A Road Trip All In One Image

One of the most fun parts of a road trip is the road food. Now of course in my slowly decomposing age scenario, this sort of thing comes with a cost. But the 12 year old side of me is like. OH FROZEN CUSTARD! So? Who wins? Well depending on the moment and the place.

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Special D To NC and SC

Yesterday I had to head to South Carolina for a business meeting, and well, why waste a good road trip on just one destination. So we loaded up Jimmy’s GMC beast and I headed to Lowell Boats to drop off an engine they needed. A wonderful 431 big block beast. If you have ever driven