Barn Finds – Classic Boats

After watching yesterdays big auction finale. SOLD for $34,000 I was emailed some questions about the 25 Sportsman. How many are left and so on. We have done stories on this, so today I will try and share what we know. Along with some opinions.…

While Waiting On More Boat Show Stuff. A Zipdate!

Art, Barn Finds, Restorations

So while folks have been having fun all over the planet, here in Reedville between Zoom calls Wayne Bomb and I were able to do some more touches on Zip, repair the docks around the Railway for the show, and sweat.. Sweat, sweat, and more…

A Out Back Next To The Barn Find – Rich-Line Racer

Around here on the Northern Neck, the guys back in the days used to race in a certain area known as Glebe Point. They raced everything and anything. And sadly many of the everything and anything of the day, have all gone the way of such things,…

RERUN FROM THE NEW ARCHIVES – The Rumored 3rd Thayer IV.. The Barn Find Of The Decade!

Woody Boater and U22-1460 Thayer IV - October 2010 This story is one of the most important stories in Woody Boater history. And marked the moment Woody Boater became a real thing in the wood boat hobby. Okay, not a thing.…

Black Duck Hail Mary To Montana On Some Flyer!

Barn Finds, Classic Boats, Woody Boaters

Okay, Meet Black Duck, clearly one of us. Insane, driven and has an eye for the good stuff. I mean I love Mr Duck, and wish he lived near by, cause you know there are always adventures ahead. Not to mention, the balls to leave at night…

Who Wins Barn Find Of The Year, This Year? Asking For A Friend.

In the world of useless debates, because we all are winners. Like little league baseball these days. I ask a fun question for 2021. Hey, it's that time of year. What was the barn find of the year? In my mind, it came down to three boats.…

Miss Butterface

She does her own sewing, cooks like a master chef, and will always be faithful. Three things that over time you knew would blind date code for butterface. Hey, don't judge me here, I am just saying what we all knew. Hold on.. But, we all…

Baby Chick Is Beautiful On The Inside As Well

Baby Chick is coming along. We filled up three large trash cans of dirt, rags, and other stuff unrelated to her or her life. I sifted through it all. Oh, even a number 2 pencil was saved. Even the smallest detail can be a fun story. Like…

Baby Chicks Hatch Tells Story

One of the most fun parts of cleaning out a Barn Find is, well, finding stuff frozen in time. You can just back story stuff and get an idea of what life was like back in the day. It's clear that she was a VERY well loved boat, but in rural…

Hatching Baby Chick’s Hatch

Today, okay yesterday I started the process of getting all archaeologist on Baby Chick. I swear I was sifting through dirt and crap. Looking for any small detail. But as I was looking I had forgotten to even look in the forward hatch.…

“The Milking” An Exxxtraction Film. Soon It Will Be A Broadway Show, Theme Park

The milking of Baby Chick just keeps comeing. Yesterday was spent doing other things, Fixing leaf blowers and grocery shopping, furniture etc. So no new news on Baby Chick except this new film of the moment she was extracted from her home…

Let’s Go Back In Time – Stuffing Box

Did you all change your clocks? I know its a lot to expect, and might be the only thing not politicised these days. Well, here, we decided to step back and interrupt the Barn Find Milking of stories and talk about Sweet Pea's Stuffing…

Barn Find 25 Sportsman – Picking Through Baby Chicks Years Of Sitting

Yesterday we got to pick through Baby Chicks time sitting in the shed. It's like, time stopped. And all the small details of how it was cared for come to light. This was a very well loved and used boat! No doubt at all. Just sifting through…

Barnfind 25 Sportsman Extraction, In Action.

Yesterday we had a window of time to do The Extraction" The universe lined up in short notice, tractors, tools, and people. So I got rolling fast and we all gathered to go to work. I will say, what looked simple at one point, was not. We…

The Extraction Plan Of Action

Later today or tomorrow, we execute "The Extraction" After about an hour of looking at it ll and discussing many options. Kinda like the comment section on a Facebook page. But in real life, there are so many little things. Like soft ground,…

Meet Baby Chick IV – 25 Sportsman Photo Album Barn Find

As promised, we asked the owners if they had any old snap shots. OH YA! Gotta love some rich family history. Including the time Baby Chick IV got rear ended. OUCH. And yes, baby Chick is still on the transom. More on that after "The Extraction"…

Down The Street Barn Find – Oh! This Is Gonna Take Some Time.

A friend sent me a listing locally of a classic boat for sale on Facebook marketplace. Ya ya.. but hey a click can open up so much joy.. Or not. This one had a twist. It said Sportsman. mmmm and literally down the street. In fact I was going…

FAY WOW Rare FAY BOW Barnfind

A HUGE thanks to longtime fellow Woody Boater and Oriental rug in the shop brother from a different mother Gary Michael for sending in this insane rare Fay & Bow Runabout. Maybe we are brothers? Gary just wondering? Did your mom work…

We Interrupt Step Hydro Milking To Find Out More About A Carver.

While we have all been yammering about the rare Step Hydro fellow Woody Boater Grant Sinclair is going to bring us all back to reality and asks does anyone know more about this very cool time capsule 1959 Carver Hardtop. Like what is the…

Breaking News. Ebay Hydro Typo Causes Confusion.

Barn Finds, Community/Web

Okay, okay, not huge news. But give me a break. Milking a story is an art form. So, according to Joe Morrison, who is the master of masters when it comes to Chris Craft history, and has original Hull Cards. The one number in the listing…

Old Photos Of The New HQ. Reedville Marine Railway

Art, Barn Finds, Destinations

One of the joys of this project is finding history and preserving it, as well as treat it with respect and frame it as art. It's a fine line, of cleaning up, while keeping the haphazardness that time evolves into a patina of harmony. And…

Weeding Through The Torso’s!

Yesterday right as I was leaving for lunch, a very nice man stopped by the Railway. To be honest, I was about to head out, and thought. Okay. this will be about asking to use the Railway. NOPE! He mentioned that he was going to sell his…

Two Words That Will Make You Sound Smart. LINE SHAFT!

A huge thanks to Bill Basler for providing the correct term for the gear belt thing in the ceiling. It's called a "Line Shaft" he claimed I would sound smarter by using that term. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! hold on! I need to wipe the dribble of…

How is it my 58 came with a 56?

Something has always confused me about Yip Yap. Its registered as a 1958, and if you track the hull numbers it kinda fits. Yet it has a 1956 engine on it, and all the details as well. And when I purchased it, I was told it was all original.…

Nesting – Getting Ready For Winter. Yes. I Said It.

The W word, and we are not even close to last gasping here in VA. Hell I got until November, and with Sweet Pea can go most through the year. But with all this Pandemic time on my hands, and I don't rest for a second. It started to be time…

Dang It! I Fell Asleep At The Wheel. You May Do The Same!

Well, if you kept clicking on yesterdays story to see the answer to the NOS box, I simply fell asleep. Yes around 8pm east coast, or 5 pm west coast, or well, you get the idea. Maybe someplace on the planet I am still on time? Or maybe its…

Basement Classic Boat Find Of The Pandemic!

Well, we all made it to another day, and Bob Weaver and Jeff Morgan found the keys. But of course the door wont open, so we tried the other method. Walking down stairs. Ya. Well. Moment of passion I suppose. Are you even reading this. No?…

Just You Wait And See This Covid Basement Find.

One thing is for sure, when you are trapped in the house you find all sorts of things that you have been missing. Or forgotten you had. Well today you are not gonna believe what was found in the basement of one of Bob Weavers pals house. Buffalo…

Recovery Of The Century.

Century Boats From Down Under To A Century Boat From Down Under.. The Ice. A special thanks to Reporter Ned Protexter from Lake Okoboji Iowa for sharing this story. Now, in the speed of the internet news, this story is out there all over…

Desert-ed Chris-Craft Trailer On Ebay.

If you have been looking for a cool Chris Craft Trailer today is your lucky day, cause right here on eBay, or rather, right there, in Arizona, is one. BTW, Arizona is a good dry climate for one of these. Sure it's been a little oven inside…

Boat House Find, Door Number One? Or Door Number Two?

Well? Carol Merrrill show them what's behind those doors. but first let's make this a longer story! Tell them what we have here Jay. SURRRRRE thing Monty. What we have here is an old boat in the boathouse that's been there for a while.…

Adlai’s Hacker Barn Find! Starring Steve McQueen

This is just the fun we all needed. Barn Find fun thanks to fellow Woody Boater Dave "Wicked Wahine" Anderson 1948 22ft Hacker that was in a garage in downtown San Francisco since 1984. Take it away Dave! It seems that January is a…

72 And Sunny Here In Woodyboaterville

First, I am sorry many of you are having rotten weather. But here in Virginia it was 72 yesterday, and I was able to clean out the barn, and weed the garden. Crazy, but its like that here. And then it will be 20 and icy and snowy. Ahhh,…

12 Years Of Woody Boater Joy.

Art, Barn Finds, Boat Babes, Boat Shows, Classic Boats, Community/Web, Destinations

Today marks the official 12th year of Woody Boater being in the world. Of course this should come to no surprise of many, since its clear that many of us are still 12. For some reason, my sense of humor and general observation of the world…

Time Capsule Lyman From Ohhhhhhh-io!

Today we are going to experience the calm power of times stillness. We can thank the great guys at Ramsey Bros in Ohio for sharing a wonderful estate purchase from a customer to gently preserve an amazing time capsule Lyman outboard. There…

Barn Find Higgins. Bring On The Higgins.

Since we have been having some fun with Higgin's Speedboats we are getting some fun stories in. They do have a special appeal for many, myself included. Now that son lives in New Orleans I have an itch.. Oh boy. Well fellow Woody Boater…

Is This The Oldest Higgins Boat Out There?

We got a wonderful note from fellow Woody Boater Brett Fecho regarding his fathers Higgins, they believe its a Higgins Sport Speedster owned by millionaire Walker Mccune he moved from the states to Canada and he ended up selling the boat…

Have A Seat Please, Kent-O. Is Weeding Though 4,050 Phot-O’s

We are gonna start showing Kent O. Smith Jr's photos tomorrow and into the big Lake Tahoe Show this weekend. Wow, this is always a very crazy two weeks from the east coast to the west. To keep us occupied look at these original seat cushions…

Mike Lang’s Got A Barn Find Hangover.

Fellow Woody Boater Mike Lang sent us this wonderful barn Find story. We all love Barn finds. The time sitting waiting for you to love to help her shine again. That's what we all live for. Take it away Mike! Let me introduce myself,…

Episode 8 – Were The Prototype Cobra, And Prototype Blue Arabian At The Same Show?

Barn Finds, Boat Shows, Classic Boats

Well, that didn't take long. In two days, she is cleaned up, flipped and dismembered. This is all being done carefully and every detail is being inspected. Thickness of wood, grain, cut, screws. All of it. That grey bilge sure looks grey. …

Tarp Find Cobra – One Word – Prototype!