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
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
Ya, ya, tool joke alert. Call the HR dept, again. Maybe, just maybe this is about an old tool bag. Like with old tools and shear pins and so on. A huge thanks to Bob Murdock for sharing the coolest detail on The Mercury Kid, it’s OG tool bag with tools. I know this seems
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
You may remember The Mercury Kid. We covered it once—back when it sat on Craigslist, waiting. Then Bob Murdock came along and claimed her. Now the Kid is home. And… wow. This isn’t just a machine. It’s a poem in wood. A sculpture in motion. This is art—pure and undiluted. The kind you don’t just
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
I love folks with passion. The guys at Roys Elctric in Richmond VA, clearly went the extra mile. The easy play was to replace the motor when parts couldn’t be found. But not the gang at Roys. They refused to not go for it. And are just as thrilled as I am that the Railway
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
A huge thanks to Lee Wangstad for saving the day and sharing some actual boat related content. Lee is one of the most knowledgeable people out there on our little universe. And we are lucky that he is kind… ( PITY’s Me ) enough to share. If you haven’t noticed, Woody boater runs on pity.
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
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
With the very high tides I was able to man handle SLIM and get her in the drink to soak up. Between the rain and now soaking IN the water, she held tight-ish. I did hook up a sump pump in case. But it did okay. Ish. I will see this morning if I am
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.
Just when you thought the world of restoration is headed away because of us old people. We bring you hope, and one more example of the next generation of restorers AKA Kids These Days. Young people. As stated before and before, even before before… Sorry. Anyway, we are in the generational transition of our passion
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
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
I have been getting a slew of plugs this year to promote local shows. And yes, I am all for it, but it’s also difficult to organaze them all between zoom meetings and life. And we did at one time have a calendar for such things. But that got coo coo for coco pufs to
Yesterday my sisters house and today Another Smith family home. Different Smith, the Chris Smith Smith. And to confuse things, my brother is also Chris Smith. So there is that. But today we are talking about the Smith’s of Algonac Michigan, okay, one of the Smith’s houses. Not sure which one, but I am sure
I have been sitting on this story for a bit, and to be honest not really sure how to even get into it. It’s one of those strange universe is smaller than we think stories, and even more small, the Woodyboater universe which is a Horton Hears a Who small. So, I will just lay
Yesterday before the real world woke up and made me earn a living, I was able to dash over to HQ and get some things started. Like Sweet Pea’s need to be ready for a summer of slow rides. AND, getting SLIM ready for her remaiden voyage. She has been in a carport for some
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.
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,
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
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.
As the years seem to creep up on me, okay, race up to me, I have become more and more convinced that the regrets I have are the ones where I stalled and didn’t do it. Oh sure there are times when it’s not right, and you then thank your other self for having restraint.
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
Today on Facebook marketplace is what could be a big winner. And possibly a chicken dinner. Or not. We are in that odd time slot of the classic boat time line that kinda is an unknown. Yes, the boat is cool, and yes it has Evinrude all over the place…including the trailer. But it also
One of my favorite pooches is Slim, Actually her name was Macaroni Slim, she was an amazing rescue who brought great love and joy to our entire family. Sadly Slim passed away a month ago down in New Orleans and is missed deeply. Always happy for some loving. Well, one characteristic of this little Row
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
Ever had one of those moments where, you just can’t seem to get anything done? All those fun winter projects are just all coming to a head, and yet, you can’t seem to get ahead… WAIT, another country music song? NO. Anyway here at HQ it seems to be that way. The Boatress is having
You all may be wondering, why did you restore that dumb trailer? On one level, I am 100% agree with the question. Maybe because it was there and in need, or was and is part of the Willys life. Irregardless…… Anyone? anyone? Rabbit? The one word in the universe that sounds like nails on a
Yesterday at 10 on the dot, Bill and his pal Gordon, showed up and started tearing apart the Hemi’s so they could harvest some parts. manifolds and some brass piping. Gotta say, it was impressive watching someone just go at it like it was nothing. He had all his own tools and by 12 noon,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
So? What is going on? 25 Sportsman for $40K? Has Jim lost his mind? Is the classic boat craze crashing? What’s happening here? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! PANIC PANIC… OR? Take a breath. Inhale… EXHALE.. Cough Cough.. WE ARE IN THE GENERATIONAL SHIFT OF THE CLASSIC BOAT PASSION! Stick with me here, it’s gonna be a wild non
Today could be the day your life changes for the better. You could get a 25 Sportsman. It’s beyond affordable, all the works been done, Bottom, engine, passion, love, cool stuff and all. This amazing 1946 25 is ready to go boating. Like today. And I mean really boating. No frame damage, or little issues,
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
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
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
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
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.
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
First, try and say this three times…Barbour Boat Name Plates, Barbour Boat Name Plates, Barbour Boat Name Plates. Ya, ya think thats hard, try finding some. Such is the case for our good pal and fellow WoodyBoater John England. John is a master boat builder and has a fun little Barbour boat he has had