Please Keep Classic Boating Politically Free?

Our boats are made in America, not blue states or red states!

Oh boy, this is gonna be a razors edge of a story. I hate the division in our country and also hate politics. Both sides. I get it, living in DC for 4 Generations. I see it as a business. I know government workers who work their asses off. Two cell phone 24/7 sort of stuff. It’s not what you think. So thats the disclosure.

Red white and Blue are our colors. Together. One doesn’t work well without the other. Its our super strength as a country

This past weekend in front of our house. boats ran by with huge TRUMP flags. In fact many boats had that. And there was even a parade in Charleston for TRUMP with flags. Like a big finger to the Covid people. Yes even this has become politicized.

I love my country, I love the diversity and the disagreements, the differing points of view, but most of all I love it when we all decide that we are better as one, than two!

And if this is the case and our classic boats are going to get all caught up in this crap. I am fearful that our boats would fall into the Make My American Boat Great Again. And oh boy! Please. PLEASE PLEASE! Can we keep classic boating politically free. No Boats For Biden either please. No nothing.  I don’t even want to argue over screw heads. Cause we all know Philips are far better than flatheads. I mean.. okay, okay,

29 replies
  1. Greg Lewandowski
    Greg Lewandowski says:

    Yes Matt, our love of classic boats may be the last semblance of a normal world that we still have. Let’s not screw it up!

  2. Rick
    Rick says:

    So this will be our safe place? If you need me I’ll be in the corner reading WoodyBoater with my blankly, at least for a little while.

  3. floyd r turbo
    floyd r turbo says:

    You’ve done a great job of keeping it non political. Well done, hope you can keep it that way. Then we can just continue to focus on more important issues below. Like isn’t that ships wheel too modern for this classic.

  4. John Rothert
    John Rothert says:

    I am, have been, and always will…ditch all that stuff and GO BOATING….this weekends escape will be participating for the 35 straight year…in the James River Batteau Festival…going by modern Canoe…but by god going! Peace and quiet with remote scenery and plenty of water…
    Sweet Pee is sure looking fine in the pic today…what a great boat!
    John in Va.

  5. Ron in Seatle
    Ron in Seatle says:

    OK, Patriot! I too hate the politics, but love our country and our flag! Tell us the story about the flag… I’m trying to figure out how many stars, it is a classic! Is it Antique & Classic? Is definitely not a reproduction!

  6. Mike K
    Mike K says:

    UH OH,
    dont kick me out, but if you live in Illinois you may have a different opinion. the chicago harbors are not even open yet!

  7. WOODYDIVA
    WOODYDIVA says:

    I agree and lets keep it an old white man fraternity. Lets keep exploiting a stereo-typical type of sex kitten that you think is hot. Can someone post a near naked hot young man of color driving a wooden boat? oh wait-there aren’t any ! AS one of the “3 old white women” that actually loves the hobby-then lets keep it a level playing field-No politics-NO female exploitation !!! Its not Playboy and even Heff was an advocate of “sexual liberation” and “freedom of expression”, and a political activist in the Democratic Party and for the causes of First Amendment rights, animal rescue. ….and restored the Hollywood sign. See he loved good wood! Peace my brothers!

      • Miles Kapper
        Miles Kapper says:

        Hugh started the campaign to repair the sign and was the largest contributor ($25,000.00 a letter) Alice quickly followed suit. The rest of the contributors for the most part were individual actors. Oddly the studios were not big on contributing.

  8. Damon
    Damon says:

    WOODYDNA. I found one. Here you go! He is a sexy man of color and on a wooden boat!!

    It’s hard for groups like this to be inclusive when the reality is Anglo-Saxon men are the only ones interested in the hobby. There may be some minorities interested in old boats but then there is the issue of means. This hobby isn’t cheap. Wooden boats are a luxury not afforded to many.

    The reality is men are the ones who gravitate towards buying and working on old wood boats. Women like to ride along and enjoy. Just what seems to happen. I almost never see a woman driving the boat. Why?

    As a GAY man with a husband and a wooden boat owner I too often feel way out on the fringe. I love to work on it and maintain it and my husband just likes to ride along. So pretty much the same, yet totally different.

    The reality is we are all more similar than different and this current era of divisive rhetoric is doing more harm than good.

    We should be coming together as a nation. Not battling each other.

    Oh yeah, more hot guys on boats!

    • WOODYDIVA
      WOODYDIVA says:

      AMEN!!! You need to come to our first Pride Boat Parade this weekend. Change is coming and it’s all good Damon! Thanks for the photo, not exactly me cruising with Rick Fox in a 1936 Garwood triple, drinking Veuve Clicquot yellow label-
      a “GAL” ( because we’re stuck in a time warp) can dream!

        • Troy in ANE
          Troy in ANE says:

          And since women don’t want to do anything but go along for the ride here is the third generation getting her hands dirty.

  9. Kristen
    Kristen says:

    Very few things in life are apolitical or genuinely neutral. Especially spaces soaked in privilege and cultural norms that systemically kept certain folks from entering. Boating is *definitely* one of those spaces and we need to face that reality if we truly want to fix anything. Truth hurts, but we can’t change what we can’t even talk about.

  10. Matt
    Matt says:

    I agree with all the issues. Especially the 50’s playboy thing. but I do try and ballence things acordingly. There just isnt the reference material from the past to use. I have done stories on this https://www.woodyboater.com/blog/2019/03/07/are-we-all-sexist-pigs/
    I find it even more interesting that any vintage photo of a man posing on a boat like a woman is considered gay according to ebay sellers? Why? I have no idea. BTW, I am perfectly okay with comments using hunky men if you can find some wrapped in lunch meat. I suppose in some sort of way, I see the entire Babe catagory kinda through a sarcastic lens. It seems so ridiculous and cliche it fasinates me that it still happens in marketing. So thanks WoodyDiva. Keep poking us in the eye. Its more fun that way!

    • WOODYDIVA
      WOODYDIVA says:

      Thanks Matt!!! And BTW we are having our first Pride Boat Parade on our Lake this weekend! As a straight upper middle age woman I will be the Sergeant Major of MY 1946 Sportsman and flying my rainbow flag as high as I can! Its a new dawn, its a new day….

  11. Al Campbell
    Al Campbell says:

    Drop dead gorgeous boat in the header today Mat. The lines, how she sits in the water, the nuanced pea green accent…. Immediately brings forth memories of cruising down the channel, up the coast or into an inlet to anchor for the night. That picture bring to mind life lived on a very high plane. Thanks.

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