It’s The Lake Hopatcong WoodyBoater Film Festival – Put Your Drool Cup On.
Amazing image of the golden era of boating on Lke Hopatcong, this is now Katzs Marina on the Cove. The sign is still there. We have tried all the tricks to figure out the boats name.
Today thanks to the eagle eye of Allen Mackin from Katzs Marina and Bob Kays we are introduced to the Mike Muha Film Archive. OH DEAR GOD! It’s like going back in frozen time, and all the cool stuff that we covet in our little Woody universe are here inn living color. Not to mention, but I will, countless treasures of today baked into the footage. There is no sound, which allows your little drool droplets and slurps to be amplified through out the house. Think I ‘m kidding? Watch!
Okay here is the other one, and the reason I am showing both today and not milking the living hell out of these, is because you will see the other one on youtube anyway. BUT!!!!!!! The milking is going to come from you. And your eagle eye. Like I said, you will want to freeze from each one of the frames. AHHHHHHHH!
Well? Click to watch on youtube and put on full screen. NOW, with all this said, we are going to want to see the original film to see if there is a cleaner version. Which I doubt, but dammmmmmmm! Let the frame picking begin!
NOTE, much of the footage is backwards, so we have been screen grabbing and looking at details. LIKE THIS.
Screen Grab
By flipping the image, details emerge
Thats LIETENTENT now owned by Bob Rice and featured here a ton. It’s never been off the lake. WOW, and in the background is IRENE, the 25 Sportsman Racer. It’s mind blowing when you start digging
Todays header is a Racing Runabout with a Cadillac Engine. The boat is still around in the restoration shape. But around. Look at that dome on the deck.
There is so so much more. And thats the fun part. So dig in and lets pull out some more jewels.
GO TEAM!
I think that what is now Katz Marina was Hockenjos Boat Company. My ’63 Sea Skiff was delivered there on December 12, 1962.
You are correct! That is Hockenjoes!
Now Katz’s at the Cove
Cool stuff!
Wow, could some great stories be made up from some of that footage.
Looks like some great stuff, but I will absorb it latter. Headed for Port Huron for some show planning.
Wonderful old films, I want to go back in time.
Well, for about 20 minutes today you can.
BTW, that boats name is GROUCHO III, it is very possible that there is a realtionship with the Marx Bros here. Groucho lived on Long Island. But? We know that Bud Abbot lived on the lake along with a huge amount of NYC artists
Here is that screen grab cleaned up a tad so you can read the name
This is from the story we did on IRENE
This is Bob Rice in his U22 Lieutenant, which has not been off the lake, he dreamed about it as a kid, and is its caretaker now
Here is another of IRENE. OH HELL YA.
Very cool! I spot 2 Aristocraft Torpedoes tied to the dock. And at 28 seconds in, an Aristocraft taking over 2nd place during a race!
Those are some great movies/videos. People having fun on the water. It looks like a CC kit boat with a 10 Buckeneer. The other looks like aWagemaker with a 25 Johnson. Judging by the 55 Ford, it was summer of 56. I’m going to have to watch them again.
The Cadillac powered Racing Runabout wound up having a bad day…I don’t know what year this was…
Kent, that happened in 1956
Thanks Bob, I figured you would know 🙂
The “Mustang” landed in our front yard.
You should put up a historical marker. ONE THIS SPOT…..
Easy trip to the ‘garage’ for me to re-live memories of a better time!
Is the Lake Store in the background? Not sure if that’s what I see. And the gas docks in the header, what is that now?
What you are seeing was Hockenjoes Marina, an early Chris Craft dealer. Now one of two Katz’s Marinas on the lake.
The store you are thinking about is the Main Lake Market.
well, power off in ice storm all day, came back on just now and I find THIS! the best vid EVER on WB….substitute Chesapeake Bay, Gwynn’s Island, and Va. Beach and this is the movie of my youth mid 1950’s to mid 60’2. Drool? no, these vids made my cry…honest to god great stuff…thanks so much. John in iced in Va. Dora awaits.
Love the race footage. Given today’s sensibilities, I’m surprised races were permitted this close to the docks where many other vintage woodies were moored. Perhaps there just wasn’t too much concern about wake chop banging boats against the docks when the boats weren’t as old. While I think the “flybys” following a present day show in the water are awesome . . . . it seems concern about damage to docked boats (and Department of Natural Resources No Wake Zone enforcement) often precludes closing a waterfront show with flybys. Too bad.