For any of you that have ever attended an antique & classic boat show, you know how busy these can be. The time just seems to fly by from early morning when you first arrive at the show until the evening events & hospitality functions end, usually late at might. But we do have some
The Brass Bell is the quarterly publication of the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club, and is considered by many folks within the hobby to be one of the top publications in the antique & classic boating hobby. One of the many benefits of being a member of the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club is the anticipation of
Ok – We had the day off on Wednesday enjoying ourselves on Lake Dora, but we were back to work on Thursday setting up the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club / Woody Boater Tent and “Thayer IV” display… And Mr. Basler, I can assure you it was “Strictly Business” all day! The boat slips were filling
After months of anticipation, we are finally in Florida for the big Sunnyland Antique & Classic Boat Festival this weekend. This morning we stopped by Wooton Park and the nice folks from the Sunnyland ACBS Chapter were there in full force setting up the tents and flea market areas, getting ready for the show –
Twas the night before Dora, when all through the lake, not a gator was swimming, only Fauna and Flora, When, what to my wandering eyes should appear, but a “Witches Cap” Bow Light, from a Chris-Craft Express… Freshly restored, which I’m sure will impress. Woody Boaters were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions
With only a few days to go before the kick off of the 24th Annual Sunnyland Antique & Classic Boat Festival in Tavares, Florida we want to take this opportunity to thank the Sunnyland Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society for making this event possible. Under the leadership of Boat Show Chair Terry
As we get closer to the start of the 2011 Sunnyland Antique & Classic Boat Festival on Lake Dora, FL our plans to cover this year’s event are beginning to come together too. One of our many objectives this year is to incorporate a few short live-ish video reports into our regularly scheduled daily coverage,
On March 8th, 2011 Woody Boater ran a story on “Tin Can”, a rare all aluminum streamlined sedan which we understand was originally built as an experimental boat, either in the late 1930’s or 1940’s. We ran the story for two reasons, 1. “Tin Can” is a beautifully designed, beautifully restored 19’6″ deluxe runabout which,
We just received this beautiful shot from fellow Woody Boater’s Paul & Karen Harrison of the sunset on Lake Dora tonight. The e-mail read… “We are on the dock with Chips & Salsa, and Beer enjoying the Florida Sunset… This is the life!” This will be Woody Boater Central next week when we converge on
The Century Boat Company was always known for their original, creative and sometimes aggressive advertising. Century’s advertisement for the 1954 Imperial Sportsman started out by saying… Century Imperial – For those who want to be different… If you have an appreciation for things beyond the commonplace, you will love your Century Imperial from the first
Yesterday, Woody Boater came up with a few ideas about how you could duck out of work for a few weeks so you could make it down to Florida for the big Sunnyland Antique & Classic Boat Show. So now that you have made the decision to go to Lake Dora and prepared your fake
This story really begins twenty years ago when fellow Woody Boater Jim Frechette originally purchased “Old Paint”, his 1940 25′ Chris-Craft Express Cruiser – Also known as a Red & White Express because of the distinctive color scheme. In the 1940 Chris-Craft Fleet Brochure, they describe the new Red & White Express as “The Boat
Jeff & Laurie Knudsen from Holland, Michigan currently own three classic boats. A 1946 Gar Wood 19’6″ Deluxe runabout which is now being restored, a numbers matching bright sided Gar Wood Ensign which is a future project, and “Tin Can” a 1940’s Gar Wood Streamline Sedan Prototype. Jeff is a relative newcomer to the antique
The 2011 New Zealand Classic & Antique Boat Show at Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes National Park was once again a great success for everyone who attended. Here are some more beautiful images from the big show courtesy of Fellow Woody Boater and Master Photographer Skinny.co.nz – You can check out his awesome photo gallery by
As promised all week, we are now Live-ish from the 2011 New Zealand Classic & Antique Boat Show at Lake Rotoiti. As the reports and images come in we will get them posted for everyone to enjoy. This is so cool, providing same day coverage (for everyone in North America) from a boat show over
March marks the beginning of fall in New Zealand. The first weekend in March also means it’s time to load up the boat, the wife & kids, and the cooler and head to Lake Rotoiti, New Zealand for the 12th Annual NZ Classic & Antique Boat Show. The big show attracts folks from all around
None of the above. Today we are in Lake Rotoiti, New Zealand. Thanks to fellow Woody Boater Pete Rainey, we are getting the opportunity to see some images of antique & classic boats from the other side of the world. And based on what we can see, the antique & classic boating hobby is alive
For Friday’s story on Woody Boater, Matt featured a great vintage photo of “Miss Catalina V” loaded with babes, which was kindly sent in by Al Schinnerer from California Classic Boats Inc. Matt also gave Brian & I a jab about our ongoing OCDSD issues (commonly known in the antique & classic boat hobby as
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyPtxGcV490&feature=related[/youtube] Fellow Woody Boater Allen Willey made a video request at the Woody Boater Wishing Well today… Did we forget to mention that it’s All Request Saturday today? Allen said… Hey Matt, how about including a little video link to some woodies we can see and listen to? That will warm the cockles of your
On Friday Matt kicked off the weekend with some warm thoughts from Virginia. In some parts of the Pacific Northwest it’s probably not going to hit 70 Degrees this weekend, so I was thinking that maybe it would help if we got out the old “Woody Boater Wishing Well”… And try to wish winter away…
While reading the “Marooned in Montana” story this week about fellow Woody Boater Paul Harrison, and his 3 day adventure dealing with the wind storm and giant snow drifts, the big rotary snow plow and wheel loader played a major role. Did anyone ever wonder how folks on the prairies got around during the winter
Every time we try to leave Montana this week, it seems to pull us back for more… Just kidding! While Paul Harrison was stranded in Browning, Montana last weekend, 90 miles down the highway the big Flathead Valley Boat Show was under way in Kalispell, Montana. Fellow Woody Boater Tim Salt sent us a summary
This story really begins at the Warner Collection Auction in Winsted, Minnesota last October. That’s when fellow Woody Boater’s Paul & Karen Harrison picked up their 1961 Chris-Craft Continental to add to their impressive collection of antique & classic boats. This particular 21ft Continental is one of only 96 – 21 footer’s built by Chris-Craft
LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING – By Faye Smith (SmithSkiff) Boating used to be the sport of gentlemen and ladies. You were able to count on certain codes of behavior from your fellow boaters and they could rely on you to adhere to those same unwritten codes. If you have launched or retrieved your boat at a
In 2007 fellow Woody Boater Dave Anderson was searching locally for a classic 1950’s style Lyman to restore, which can be a challenge if you live in Southern California. Dave, a life long wooden boat enthusiast, always liked the look and user friendly characteristics of the Lyman clinker-built hull design. Then one day he recieved
Day four of the “Feel The Lapstrake Love Week” is a simple pictorial celebration of Lapstrake boats. Or as known by some as there “Love Boats” And today the celebration starts by honoring Mr. Chris Smith, the Grandson of Christopher Columbus Smith and Chris’s awesome 1961 27′ Chris-Craft Sea Skiff “Odyssea.” And as we all
On day three of Lapstrake Love Week, today we are featuring “Miss Sparkle” who is celebrating her 50th birthday this year. But to change things up, we decided to do the story during her famous photo shoot on Lake Greenwood. Where else can you see action like this in February? In 2009 at the ACBS
In January Woody Boater published a story featuring the wonderful, fresh photography of Robert & Linda Miracle. For the story, Matt created a banner which highlighted a very nice Chris-Craft Sea Skiff, based on a Robert Miracle photograph. We received a number of positive comments and e-mails from viewers about the Sea Skiff in the
On Saturday, February 5th we lost Frank “Boat” Williams, he was 104. Frank Tracy Williams was born on November 24, 1906 in Waco, North Carolina and grew up in Cherryville, NC. His friends called him “Boat” Williams. Frank Williams was the oldest active dealer of motorboats and cars in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
On February 22, 1956 this 22′ Sea Skiff was delivered from the Chris-Craft plant in Salisbury, Maryland to Frontier Motors in Newport, Vermont. It was purchased by the town Doctor in Newport and was ordered from the Chris-Craft factory with every available option at the time, including a rare hard top. In the 1956 Sea
The Lake Tahoe Concours d’ Elegance which is held annually at the Sierra Boat Company facility in Carnelian Bay, is certainly one of the premier wooden boat shows in the country. For 2011 the popular show has moved back to their traditional date in mid-August, and for those of you who have not had the
Thanks to Texx holding down the fort and fixing the mess of reporting I was doing from the scene. They had to clump all the boats together.. But we got it done and crashed the web site again.. So thats good. More on the web site later.. Dinner with Carroll Shelby had something to do
Fellow Woody Boater’s Tim & Deb Salt thought it was time to chime in with their Perfect Lake. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains of Northern Montana, pristine Lake McDonald is located in Glacier National Park bordering the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. The park encompasses over 1,000,000 acres and includes over 130 named
Another vote for Lake Huron from fellow Woody Boater Mark Edmonson, his Perfect Lake. Here’s what Mark had to say… Matt, Thanks for the Awards about Michigan at the end of the year, and the Alex Watson story today is so true. Check out these shots when my family crossed Southern Lake Huron on our
Fellow Woody Boater Alex Watson wanted to make sure that the Great Lakes were represented in our perfect lake series. So on Saturday, Alex sent us these photos and comments describing his “Perfect Lake” – Les Cheneaux Islands on Lake Huron located on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. So… Ladies & Gentleman, we would like to introduce
Woody Boater is in Kissimmee, Florida and will be providing Live Reports from the big Mecum Auction on Saturday. One of the top six antique & classic boats scheduled to hit the auction block at 5:00 PM Eastern is this beauty, Lot S182 1996 Riva Aquarama Special Hull# 774, Last Aquarama Sold to the Public.
Beautiful Lake Chatuge is nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina and Northern Georgia, two hours north of Atlanta. Last week Woody Boater featured the wonderful photography of Robert & Linda Miracle from Miracle Photography. As we were preparing the story, Robert sent us this spectacular image that he captured from Lake Chatuge during
Woody Boater would like to recognize Robert & Linda Miracle from Miracle Photography as this month’s Woody Boater’s of the Month. Robert and Linda Miracle’s contribution to the antique & classic boating hobby comes from their exceptional photography, and as a result they are quickly becoming well known for their newly found passion. Robert, a retired
Thanks to Fellow Woody Boater Mike Mayer from Lake Oswego Boat Company we are Live-ish from the Portland Boat Show in Oregon. The nice folks at the Columbia Willamette ACBS Chapter are once again working hard to represent the antique & classic boat hobby at this year’s big show. The same sea of blue carpet
It’s not every day you run across a mint condition 1954 24′ Storebro Solo Ruff Express Cruiser. To be honest, before today I didn’t even know what the heck a Swedish Storebro Solo Ruff named “ZIZI” was… But after posting the story yesterday about the 1954 Kom-Pak fiberglass boat trailers and that unusual Bowlus aluminum
If you are planning to go classic boating this summer or maybe travel to one of the many antique & classic boat shows around the country, but hotel prices are getting you down – we may have the solution. This rare 1954 Kom-Pak Sportsman Travel Trailer will be on the auction block later this month
It’s been a busy few days in WoodyBoaterville but it appears that folks are visiting the new site by the boat load! And from all over the world too… We are working on some great new stories, and with the “Schmancy” new technology we can finally experiment with some new ideas and we look forward to
