Disintegrating XI – Riva Aquarama By Artist Fabian Oefner

A huge thanks to Hank for sending in this amazing find on artist Fabian Oefner. As many of you know I am a huge fan of great art. And yes, you too Art. It's a fine line between true art that captures a real feeling, and just someone…

Stay Tuned For A Special Week Ahead And Backwards Here On Woody Boater

, ,
Starting Monday, we’re kicking off a special week of stories diving deep into the world of classic boats—where we’ve been, where we are, and what’s next. We’ll explore the pros and cons, the current lifecycle of the hobby, and put…

I Sure Love Me An Old Tool Bag. Ya, I Know. Grow Up.

,
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…

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…

The Mercury Kid Stops Time – WARNING, IT GET’S DEEP.

,
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…

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…

Franklin The Electric Motor Has Been Saved. All Hail Roys Electric

,
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…

A Brief History Of The Amphibian Water-Land Craft. Very Brief, And Not That Well Written, Okay And SIlly

,
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. …

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.…

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…

CBS Sunday Morning Brings Us All Hope Again.

, , ,
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…

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…

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…

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.…

A Special Name For A Special Reason. Introducing Slim.

,
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…

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…

To Many Things To Do, And That Pink Color Is Da Bomb

,
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…

The Next Crazy Idea Floating Around In My Head. Oh, Wait, A Pony.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

“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…

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…

Looking For Barbour Boat Name Plates, Oh, And The Holy Grail, Or Your Glasses, Wallet, Car Keys…

,
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…

Old Storage Unit Chris Craft Photos Are Back, And, And, And…

Here we go, AGAIN. This time, stuff is priced a little in the cray cray area, but the fact is, it's all here and now you can own your own archives. And maybe a bundle price would take care of all this. It is a little like watching a 3 year…

Wishful Thinking, Carb Cover For Stinky

,
Each year with Stinky I have tried to give her a little something to made the journey a little more fun. And yes I know to some there is some blasphemous stuff here. But the fun part of these little boats is, at many points in their little…

Are The Late 70’s Early 80’s Our New Future?

Now, you may want to just sit back and make sure your breakfast is fully digested. I know. For many of us, this stuff we are gonna talk about today is still a little wonky. BUT. In a way, some of this stuff is bad ass cool, and does evoke…

Sorry For The Tardiness. But I Had This Little Thing To Look At.

,
We had a major internet failure in our entire area last yesterday, and stuff just got back up. And well. Back to the Facebook Marketplace craziness. Today we have this, this, this.  Amazing and confusing and very cool, and yet crazy cruiser. Okay,…

Analog Digital Reboot With The CHUZHAO Digital TLR (Twin Lens Reflex)

With all the amazing photography out there in todays world, why would one, me, want to explore older options? I suppose it's to try and understand moments captured from our past. Asking questions like. Was the world BW back then? Or was…

Leftovers, AGAIN?

,
We are clearing out some amazing images from Holly Webber from the fridge. And today, marking one week from the Dorastravaganza we are gonna try and make a story. No Sausage, left pics from some Tupperware before they go stale. OKAY…

Thanks Mike Hodes, Holly Weber And Jenny, For The Photos

,
As you may recall the other day we did a story on the Correct Craft Storm Boats, and if you were in Florida you no doubt met or saw Mike running around the lake.  You may have wondered, dang, what is that little boat doing going back and…

One Hell Of A Day From Moment One – CLICK! AHHHHH

, , ,
Today, I am on the road at 5AM, like in 20 minutes, and these amazing images came in that show a little tease of the action, at around 7:30 AM yesterday. It was insane. Here is how it wend down. I showed up at the show early to set up, and…

Holly Weber Nails The Pre Show On Lake Dora

, ,
Yesterday was in the 80's but some stronger winds, which brought in a nice super calm day with 65-70 and with that Florida sun, PERFECTION! No clouds in the sky, boats, friends and funnel cakes. The trifecta of happiness. THERE IS STILL…

Are You Ready For Fladora? The Party Is Already Started

,
Okay, okay, Karen and Shannon are always ready for some fun in Florida But this year the fun is going to be historic . This year you all are in for a special treat, with the reintroduction of VIA, The Harrison's newest part of their…

The Deal Of The Year?

,
If you are following The Majestic sale going on, on, Bring A Trailer you are no doubt watching and wondering.. Dang, how is this possible? When you break it down.. Sorry, bad use of the wording here. There is 10's of thousands worth of goodness…

The 2025 Stuff Bonus For Fladora -11 Days

,
It all came in, and is all packed up ready to make the trip south. Yup, Hats, and a special surprise by special request. I know it may seem nuts.  I will save that for last today. In the mean time, you get Hats and Poppy and Mr B picks…

The New 2025 WoodyBoater T-Shirts Are In And Ready For Fladora

,
Here we go, just 12 days til the 2025 Fladora Adventure, with a truck load full of cotton goodies. Today we feature the entire collection of T shirts. Our biggest year from a variety standpoint.   And ONLY available in Florida at the show.…

REWIND OF A REWIND STORY OF A REWIND STORY – Set Your Classic Boat Clock Forward?

TODAYS STORY IS A REWIND REWIND RERUN STORY, WHY? Well, this seems to be the same situation every year, and that in itself confuses me, and since I am obsessed with trying to freeze time, it makes my head hurt. So enjoy the story. again..…

We Need Answers, Cause We Got Questions, Flag Color Questions That Is.

Well, yesterday we posted an ad with multiple color Chris Craft flags for different series of boats. Well, as Erin Mink said, maybe this was due to an over  zealous ad person. Not really sure what hell he would unleash 75 ish years later. …

A Little Hump Day Sausage

Today we clear out some of the small tid bits of what could have been entire stories into one giant tube of Sausage. Enjoy! mmmmmm just TWO WEEKS til we head off to Fladora! …

OH SHIP! Less Than 20 Days Til Dora.

, ,
Well, it happened again. BLINK, and it's Faldora time. How does this happen? I mean I know it does, but really? Before we know it it will be Christmas decorating time. Or back to school? AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. You, me, we have just 18 days til…

Catching Up On Last Weeks, And Next Weeks News

, ,
So, where were we? Lake Hopatcong Film detective work, and the Delavan Lake stories, and also some info on New Zealand. The first and last boat show of the season, depending on where you are coming from. Our first, their last. Don't try…

And Now A Winter Break From Delavan Lake

While we wait for some digging into a pile of Hull Cards, and the venturing into rabbit holes all over the internet. And there are a bazillion of them. And back to back Zoom meetings with work. A very busy time for us. I had to step outside…

Almost Solved, The Barrel Back Film, Delavan Lake, Family, No Crime Was Committed… We Hope.

, ,
Okay, here we are as of this morning. Warning, it gets kinda stalking like. After some sleuthing, and search for family name Renzas in Chicago, we found a Wesley L Renzas and then the entire family. Father named Andrew..... W.L, and ANDY. Too…

Detectives Needed – Another Amazing Color Film. This Time A 1940 Barrel Back.

,
Thanks to longtime fellow WoodyBoater Don Ayers, who years ago purchased this film we featured it as an ebay sale, and Don got around to getting it transferred into a digital format.  And MAMAMIA! It does not disappoint. But does raise…