We Spent The Weekend Stalking Boats!
Bob Kays on Mfines Pen Yan out stalking boats.
This weekend I made a promise to myself while attending the 2014 ACBS International Show in Skaneateles to not sit on the dock! Now that’s harder than you might think to do, especially when you didn’t bring a boat.
Those deadly dock shots even put me to sleep. Oh sure there is the chrome and wood shot, the flag shot, the next to the dock shot.
Ohhh I got flag shots! Lots of flag shots
Here is a flag and dock shot all in one with a bonus Location reference kicker!
But nothing replaces the stalking shot.. Stalking you say? Yes, here is how it goes, first you find a great photo boat, we were fortunate enough to have several at hand, Arron and Ben Ledonnes Chris Craft, and the trusty M-fine Pen Yan.
Here we are on Friday stalking the little Amphicar. Photo Bob Kays
As seen before, here is that shot !
Aaron and Ben Ladonne and in the Green is Donzi Flyer Bert Harris ready to go.
The look on her face says it all.. Who the heck are you with that camera?
We would sit at the dock and if anyone, and I mean anyone went out, BAM, we were on them. Like chasing Jacki O.. Friday was easy, perfect weather and light.
14 miles of lake perfection to enjoy on Friday!
The multi award winning Chris Craft step hydro from Katzs Marina aint on no step thats for sure!
But Saturday was brutal. 3 foot rollers, and very windy.. And guess what? It made the best photos. Just needed folks to go out. Thanks to several who did, cause we got the shots.
OK, hanging out on the Woody Boater HQ was fun, here is mfine with Beth Lepping waiting to GO!
Rich Lepping having a good laugh on ..in the HQ
Even I got stalked! Photo Bob Kays
Famous author Tony Mollica saying hi to Peter Stephens and Paul Harrison
ALERT ALERT, ALERT, ALERT.. A Boat is going out! Drop the lines start up the engine.. GO GO GO !
So picture this, mfine is on one leg, the other is in some sort of cast. The boat is full of stuff and we are throwing lines at the dog and moving out!
BAM! We are headed out to chase a boat! Never mind that clip that keeps falling off the throttle! Floor it anyway!
Dennis Mykols looks on wondering if we have all lost our minds.. For the record, we got Dennis out next!
Go go go, .. wait, what the hell is that? You must be kidding?
What the? Is that a 17 ft Rocket? In 3-4 ft rollers?
We cant make this stuff up.. thats right! its a little trusty chris craft, taking the rollers with skill, and a rope.. and cowboy hat.. And wet passengers..
Tune in tomorrow for how the little Rocket held up! Did it sink? What? Did you actually think I was not going to milk this show for all its worth! And to think we haven’t even shown you the real magic!
OH THE SUSPENSE!
I don’t know if I will be able to concentrate all day long without knowing what happens.
Gotta LOVE M-Fine!
To be fair, the throttle cable only came unclipped once, and in reviewing the manifest, I see there were three souls on board at the time. Myself, Matt Smith, and…(shocker alert) Karen Harrison. Hmmmmm. At least with Karen the fix is quick and costs nothing. She is always preferable to Paul!
One more correction, no need to call the humane society, we threw the lines at the dock, not a dog.
Thanks for the clarification. I was looking for a dog.
Looks like you guys had a blast.
Matt is right, he’ll jump on any boat that came close to the long break water! I was passing by after a 2 hour cruise down to the other end of the lake, and I hear my name shouted out. As I got close to the break wall, BAM, There he was in the back of Lyman Tyme, yelling hit it, go get that green Sea Skiff!!!
We had a blast chasing down Brian Gagnon and his new FiberClassic Sea Skiff, and doing what Matt does best, directing where each of us captains should go, and how to get the best sunlight on his photo shoots.
It was the highlight of our day. And Ronnie didn’t even fall or get hurt this time!
I still can not understand why Matt is dressed to go hunting???
Hunting boats! He shot a bunch.
I think he was trying to hide from the throngs of adoring fans. Matt Smith walking the docks at the show Friday with his Woodyboater sweatshirt on was like Justin Bieber walking through an all girls middle school.
At least M-Fine was wearing his Woody Swag!
And for us organization buffs…You gonna tell us what went on at the meeting…Like new rules for judging glass boats, new chapters, chapter news letters, the budget for next year, where next year’s meeting will be, the president’s agenda for success ??? That kinda boring stuff, they sit in a room for two days and talk about ???? ..and what kinda good stuff was there at the auction ???
Actually, we only sit for one day… Look for Peter’s summary of the meeting this week, over on the ACBS website.
The Matt and Matt show……that mfine…he WILL….”just go boating”……nice pics!
John in Va.
What happened John was this – I did not take a boat at the last minute, due to distance. We had a place rented on the water with a boathouse, so I called M-fine and asked if he knew anyone who would rent us a boat for 5 days. No, but we could come and get his! So we went up to Penn Yan and got it, and aside from the afore-discussed wheel bearing issues, had no problem and M-fine just went boating. It was WB headquarters and Matt S. spent little time on the dock, and more in M-fine’s distinguished Penn Yan. That glass lapstrake was more than ready for any rough water and was great. Thanks to M-fine for making it available.
It was a difficult decision. I could spend two days standing on the docks with one leg like a plus sized flamingo, or spend the weekend on the water with a comfy chair a couple of coolers and a bunch of woodyboater nuts.
Yep, the M-fine aims to please…he is JET DRIVE all the way!
I cruised the Chesapeake this weekend with friends from his lake, Keuka….on their way south for the winter..
John in Va.
Guys, thanks so much for all the pictures, but imagine my disappointment when we arrived at 10 am Sunday to see everyone gone! ASBS calendar said show dates included Sunday. Sorry I just need to vent.
i learned a few years ago at the lake geneva show not to go on sunday!
its a bone of contention this weekend, the admiral wants to do other on sat and go on sunday!
i definitely dont want to miss inkmans correct craft.
ill try to get some pictures, (no iphone, samsung)
mike
Speaking of Lake Geneva, it’s coming up this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday. The weather forecast looks perfect and we have a great line up of boats this year. Take a look
http://genevalakesboatshow.com/Entries
A true inboard PennYann, I thought they only did I/O’s on ‘glass PY?
Years ago our neighbor at Lake George had a fibreglass Penn Yan appx. 21-3 feet, utility configuration with a big Ford V8 straight inboard—“Tunnel Drive.” Boat’s now long gone.
That is what they called a “tunnel drive” which is very much like a true inboard except the prop and rudder sit up in a U shaped tunnel in the hull.
Something like this?
Exactly like that.
Yup. Yep. (How do you spell yewp? I need more bacon.
These events may be advertised as going thru Sunday…But I recall when I was on the ACBS Board we had a quarterly meet at Skaneatles and at 4 AM Sunday Pat and I were tiptoeing down the steps of the Sherwood Inn only to be met at the front Desk by Gail and Bill Turner who were also driving to Syracuse to catch the plane to Atlanta.
Last year at Coeur’ d; Alene I met Don Ayres in the hotel Lobby at 7AM Sunday so we could drive to Spokane in order to catch a flight to Denver from which he went to Okala. and I went to Atlanta and Tallahassee.
On each occasion it was late after noon Sunday before getting home and for those of us peasants who have to go to work Monday it means not being at the show on Sunday.
It must be even worse for those who brought boats and faced a long drive home.
We hit the road at 8:30 am Sunday, pulled the old Lyman for the next 11 hours, thru thunderstorms, sunshine, strong head winds all day…
That’s the price we pay to take part in our hobby, tho.