Lake Hopatcong Show Deputs The Blue Arabian!

Rare Cadillac engine and transmission are in. Van Ness did an amazing job making sure it was all correct, and the Katz’s team is working around the clock.

Coming up on June 18th the long restoration / preservation of the Prototype Blue Arabian will be over. Long time fellow Woody Boater Phil “Duster” Andrew will be flying in from New Zealand to take the long awaited ride and drive he has been dreaming of for years. We have kept the Blue Arabian out of the news to let the team focus and figure out stuff that to be honest has been extremely complex. The boat part was just another day at Katz’s Marina and done to perfection, but the finish had its white knuckle moments.

More chrome needs to go on.

This special finish is deceptively simple and terrifying to do. Since it requires a leap of faith and each step can mean redoing the entire finish. Needless to say there are boxes and boxes of sample. But even that can only do so much. The grain is the grain of the wood and it takes on whatever the boats grain is. The team, had to dig into the heads of the original designers, and operations managers. The solution had to be one that could be mass produced. This must eplain why so few have been restored to original. Like one, and that was years ago. Not for the faint of heart.

The little white spots are screw holes

Add to that, that original finish material is no longer out there or even legal to use. So new material, stain, paint etc has to be matched. Its like some sort of 3 dimensional puzzle that evolves and you must go with your gut. We were part of hour long conference calls with Seth, Frank Myklos and some with Tommy Holmes. Everyone had great input.

Complex yet simple.

Classic disrupter

Getting ready to take the wheel Phil?

The final product will be ready for the show. By minutes. Certain parts are still on the way in. It will all come together including her owner on the 17th and 18th of June. Will you be there? One thing is for sure, you will have an opinion, this boat is polarizing and a very defined look. I personally will add that no matter what you think, its bound to disrupt the conventional boat show look. And after all, isn’t that what she was designed to do from day one at Century. Its fantastic to see all that emotion captured for all of us to experience. After all, you just don’t restore a boat, you restore a soul.

White magic

The name plate is on! Is there a name for the Arabian? Got any ideas?