The Other Shots From That Day At EJ Mertaugh Boat Works

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We have all seen this image of EJ Mertaugh Boat Works, the first Chris Craft dealer in the country in 1925.  Mertaugh is still in business up in Hessel Michigan and a fixture up in that area of Michigan, if not in the entire Northern part…
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Mike Greens Chris Craft Family Films Feature A Houseboat

This morning I found this comment from yesterdays story caught up in the filter that screens anything with a link. And was about to approve it, but thought. WAIT. This is gold, pure gold milk. Mike Green has a wonderful Youtube channel that…
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Chris Craft Made Pre War Houseboat – Any Still Out There?

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During the flurry of B resto chaos, I did come across a little moment. I was so focused on any 99 details, that I missed the housebout. Until one day on Ebay, I saw THIS. A 1936 Houseboat ad from Chris Craft. Now the image above is 1930?…
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Everyone Should Drive A Four Banger Boat.

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I learned something huge over last week, that driving the B engine is a sweet, nice, simple endeavor. Words like innocent, kind, romantic, joy, everyone that got behind the wheel felt it and had a smile on their face. But that wasn't the lesson…
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Bo And Kathy Show Us Another Way To Go Woody Boating

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Today we feature Atlas, and the Mullers. Bo and Kathy Muller as you may know are also working on a restoration of a model 99.  It's a stark contrast to the last three ish months of Woody Floater fodder. This is another way, and far nicer…
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Ralph And His Lyman

We got this wonderful note from John Mears from Port Clinton, Ohio while we were in the throws of the Floater challenge so it got put in the freezer for when I got back. We also have some other cool stuff from the freezer, so stay tuned.…
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Live-ish From Dora, One Word. Pastrami.

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Well we made it here around 2PM and are in the Dora HQ and LOVING IT. Shannon and Scott have made up an amazing place to stay on the Lake, and it's like a large family compound here. The park where the show is, kinda setting up, and there…
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Retaining The Soul Of A Factory Part, I’m Speechless.

Okay, I may be speechless, but not wordless... today we are going to get rather zen, or deep into the real joy I find in this process. And I mean its gonna be deep. So get out your boots, I am more than fine, I love this SHIP. Are you ready. The…
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Working Towards The Charm Time

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Well… here we are. The Final stretch. And right on cue, things are starting to get a little “interesting.” Not full-blown disasters this isn’t one of those stories (yet) but the kind of stuff that makes you stop, stare at it for…
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Happy St Patricks Day And A Tangential Moment

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Yesterday was a cray cray weather/work day and when I was able to get over to HQ, Wayne and Dave were working away getting all the electrical going. Which turned out to be rather complex. Mostly ground wire issues. The cool part…
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A Sign We Are Getting Close

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Yesterday we had a sliver of a chance to get some stuff done before the wind and cold took over. Wayne Bomb was able to test some parts we repaired and some of them just failed, so a scurry to fix that. And the search for what we thought…
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The Classic Boat Kairos

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Yesterday I had a full day at the office, no breaks, so I headed over to HQ before light to get some stuff done. It was around 72 degrees, and man oh man am I happy I did that. Cause around noon, it was in the 30's here with snow. BTW, it…
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It’s Getting Real Now

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Okay, here we are. All the planning and getting stuff done is starting to all come together for Lake Dora. And yes, we are going to officially start the engine this morning at around 9:30 AM. Very dramatic I know, and if I could, we would…
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Small Unnoticeable Details.

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Yesterday we got back in business and was able to tackle some simple yet complex details. For example, the Stern flag pole. NO JOKES. And the fuel vent. And a new project.
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Is My Pole Is Too Small? You All Are Pigs. Okay…We Are All Pigs.

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Here at HQ, between work again, I have been tackling small projects that oddly turn into bigger ones. B didnt have her stern pole, so I am trying to configure out whats right or wrong. The good news is I have some options to play with. …
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The Stuff Store Is Closed, Permentally. Big Sale In Florida.

At this years Lake Dora event, Our tent will be packed-ish, with all the goodies left over from a massive over order on coffee cups and some left over shirts and hats. I want to clear them all out. Not sure on pricing yet, but will not be…
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Blinging Up HQ For Dora

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I know we have been reporting on this for a bit,  and at this point I know many are getting tired of the same type of images, but part of the fun of this project has been sharing even the smallest details. I have been slammed at work, so…
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12 Years Ago, Bob and I Took These Photos

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I remember where I was when I got the news that the building had collapsed up on Lake Hopatcong, and quickly went up there to either help, or grab images, little did I realize that exactly 12 years later, I would be getting B ready for…
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We’ve All Been Waiting For It. Boot Stipe.

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Okay, maybe not all of us, me for sure, and Wayne. Get that dam boot stripe on. I will say, its about one of the most transformative visual things one can do. It's up there with that first stain, or coat of varnish. The boot stripe just…
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Old School Polish Finishes off The Final Coat

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Because I am doing this in a open environment, no matter how clean Waynes Big Ass Garage is, and it is, dust loves wet varnish. And since I have been experimenting with finish alternatives. Pumice, Rooten stone, 2,000, 3,000 grit sandpaper. …
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WoodyBoater PSA- Are You Ready?

Well, here we are again, our 19th Valentines Day Card Special. The day where you get to choose from a gillian Valentines day cards and make them your own. To give to the one you love, or use as a trigger to smooth over the inevitable expenditures…
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Prepping For Dora, 2026 Shirt Designs

This here we are going to be cleaning out the online store and bringing it all to Lake Dora, so there will be some left overs there along with the inventory of Cups and hats. We are rethinking the entire stuff store experience so stay tuned…
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To Pumice Or Not To Pumice Or 3,000 Grit Sandpaper, Or?

Gotta say right off the bat, this aint what I thought it would be. But I had to try. First ya got your pumice powder, very fine. And you mix a little water or oil with it. That allows you to kinda buff it out. To…
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Mr B Solves The Outlining Problem

The other day I mentioned that I was not happy with the outline job I had done in the dark blue, I had done it several times and was just frustrated. So yesterday morning I tried again. But with one simple change, and it went like butta. …
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My First Time Doing Gold/Alum Leafing. What Could Possibly Wrong? Plenty.

The leafing process is something I have wanted to try for years. And to be honest, it's scared me, or I was intimidated about it. But Doing B this winter is all about trying new things. And taking the drama and intimidation out of all this.…
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Chris Craft Name Placement, It’s Not One Size Fits All

Okay, todays story may start a good debate...fingers crossed.  Baby needs new clicks. Anyway, the simple answer is of course, the dash on the CC logo, goes under the windshield. ON ALL  Chris Crafts. Okay, now. While digging around on B, I…
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SAUSAGE! WHO WANTS SAUSAGE?

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A huge thanks to the comment section over the past week or so. Its been the joy of my day between zoom calls and avoiding falling on the ice. THE BEST COMMENT EVER,  in 19 years of doing this came yesterday from Gregory Wieckowski "Before…
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It’s Down To 4 B’s, And A B’s Bee

The gold and alum leaf is here, boats ready, and gotta get this over with. Not for you, I am secretly enjoying your mundane pain. But you do get a glimpse into the mind of a designer. Like Lapkin, or Holly, Kent, you take a bazillion images…
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Even More Varnish, MORE, MORE, MORE.

Varnish is one of those things that you just have to trust the process, and I always forget that, but it works, I am about 8 coats in and going gloss with these and several more. You think you will sand it all away, but the build and sane…
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Harsens Island Revenge, Here, Today, On WoodyBoater. Yes The Entire Film. We Apologize Ahead Of Time.

Last night I got all snug in bed, Freezing outside, 50 mph winds, and started scrolling for a nice film to watch. BAM, Harsens Island Revenge. WHAT? Could it be our Harsens Island? Or some sort of other place called that? What? And so I…
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Is That What I Think It Is? Oh This Changes Everything

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I was sanding B with some 400, and soon will go all the ay up to 2000 grit to get "that look" But while I was sanding something happened. At first I thought I was seeing things, and then, there it was again. A heart beat! A F'n heart…
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If I Could Turn Back Time

The ease of finding parts, not that calling Jim, or Dave, or a bunch of the guys isnt great, and far more personal. But imagine being able to pop over to the marina and just pick up some of these goodies. Then again, it would be less special.…
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I Pulled Some Sausage Out Of The Freezer

YIKES, HQ is under about a 1 inch layer of ice, maybe thicker. Like no way you can even drive on it, the truck wont crush through. UGH. So, today SAUSAGE from the freezer known as home! …
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A Break From The B’s – Some Saturday SAUSAGE!

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It's Saturday, I have PTS"B" and I am sure many of you have become lactose intolerant,  but it is what it is. Winter, nothing going on, and a big deadline. In .....70 ish days til Dora. YIKES!   …
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Sorry to Do This To You. A Swarm Of B’s

So, where were we? Oh, ya brass B's, and simple to the point to match the vibe of the boat. But to me honsest, the perfect B has yet to apear, and becasue its one simple letter, it gets lost. So of course that opened up more options. It…
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Ugh, I F*&ed Up

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Well, I suppose it's all part of the fun when you are trying new things. But when you are dealing with Varnish, it's all kinda scary, cause once you start, Going back is not really a good idea. But as build coats you have another chance.…
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I Thought I Was So Smart, Then The Chinese Bots Came To Woodyboaterville

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Here I was thinking that I had done something special. Or was it Mary-Ann and Ginger, Or Marsha Marsha Marsha. Nope, Chinese Bots. Little AI driven bots that scrape and crawl all over the site. They just click and leave. Like mosquitos, but…
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B’s, Color, Obsessiveness, And WTH?

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Yesterdays readership went through the roof, Like 5 times normal. WHAT IS GOING ON? I can only think that its the Babe thing, Mary-Ann or Ginger? Jeanne or Sam? It certainly can not be which B do I choose. Maybe there is a human connection…
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Mary-Ann And Ginger Bring The Heat – And Looking For A Good Nice B…

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Yesterdays story was one of the most viewed stories in about a year. Was it Mary Ann or Ginger? Or did we hit a nerve? Russian Bots? It's certainly not all the Which B talk.  Well, yesterday I went into the parts room at HQ and dug through…
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I Don’t Know What’s Real Anymore – Two B’s And A Good Old Rant

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I am in a state of tortured hell. And yes, I know, it’s mostly on me. But I’m obsessed with bringing back the original feeling. Not just how it appeared, but how it felt. That’s the torture. The difference between is measured in emotion,…
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What Is The Correct Pre-War Chris-Craft Side Logo?

As part of the OCD thing, I have also dove into the logo deal on the side. First off, yes a long time ago Bill Basler made a perfect vector file of the side logo. And yes I also know these are available as decals in silver and gold. I think…
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Two B, Or Not To B? Or Maybe A Different B.

Today you get to take a peek into my obsessiveness regarding typography, lettering, whats right, what fits. Okay, now I dive deep into this. From some of the orig first images there is a very cool font…
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Watching Varnish Dry

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We are now on coat 5 and gonna stop-ish. Yes we will add one more coat, but there is something happening that is cool as hell with the satin finish. Actually several things that are changing the way I think of all this. Less is more real.…
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Welcome 2026, Just 80 Days TIl Dora. What? The Next Step.

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Eighty Days, Or 7 More Weekends. And with work having hammered me since October. Weekend and little bites are all I got. It's gonna be close, and yes close on the old budget part. Just dropped another $200 on varnish and sikaflex. We also…
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Paint, Light, and Smoke, Just Another Day At The Railway

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It was 60 yesterday, so I jumped into it early, which gave me a wonderful sunrise and some moody light. Art won over any functional work, and then again, it was bilge cleaning and painting time.
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Man Overboard – Adding Grain To Scratches And Dents On A New Varnish Job

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Okay, today I am going to expose a little of my obsessiveness, I have never tried this, but often wanted to. Doing it with Filler stain is impossible, but the Jeld stain makes it possible, Filler comes right off once you apply a varnish…
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Stain Day, I Tried Something New, To Me. Jel’d Stain.

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I have now done more digging in on this than anyone should. Jel'd Stain vs Filler Stain. I know many feel very passionate about one way or another. And regardless of money and whatever, this is a big choice, because if its wrong, its a long…
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Bleach Baby Bingo

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Where were we before we got interrupted by Christmas? Oh, ya, bleach. Sorry for the late morning, I slept in and man oh man, its like a jet back recharge. I keep thinking I have to work, but NOPE! Just NUTH'N. So Bleach it is.  OH…
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