Looking For The Allez’s, You Have A Little One You May Have Not Known About.
Allez, actual size. Well, its just a photo of Allez, so thats not actual size. Its an 8 by 10. , Not Allez, she is 48 feet. Just read on it all makes sense.
Fellow Woody Model Boater John De Broske shared with the good folks of Woodyboaterville photos of his amazing Model he just spent over 600 hours building. John is looking for the current owner of the larger boat, to let them know there is a little one they may have not known about. Dad! Is that you, I am your long lost child!
A Woody Boater header shot by the Chris and Julie Bullen. We know she is around and alive and very well! It’s just more fun for all of us to look this way. Have you looked outside? Its a story!
Anyone out there have any info for John? Do you want to be the one letting the Allez family know they have an heir they didn’t know about.? Here is Johns note to us. Take it away Mr Dr Broske. and thanks for sharing your insanity.
Wow, and all from scratch!
Hi Matt and Texx,
Attached you will find photos of my 1/12” scale, scratch built rendition of a 48’, 1930 Chris Craft Commuter Yacht minus the forward cockpit.
The first photo is one of the prototype pictures I worked from to develop proportions.
Just for proportions!
And on to the final version.
Details, details and details
Finished and In the water finally!
I based building my model on two photos I have of the “ALLEZ” owned by a Louis Gagnon in 2013, according to the notes under one of the photos I found. I thought he or the current owner might like to see my work. If you can help me find a way to contact Mr. Gagnon—or current owner please let me know.
John and one of his other models. At least we hope its a model, cause if it isn’t… Well, lets just say, he is a giant in the model world.
Allez is indeed a great boat – both in real life and in this model.
I’ve cruised in company with Louis Gagnon on occasion on Lake Champlain, through the Chambly Canal, and on to Montreal on the St Lawrence. Louis and his lovely wife have been doing a great job on Allez’ restoration when last seen.
I forwarded this article to his last known edress.
Thanks very much for passing on this story. I’ll keep everyone up to date. Who knows what might come of it?
Is there BoatUS for towing models? What if it blows away after loss of power? After all that work I’d at least attach a string to it. Beautiful work an craftsmanship!
Sorry guys, I didn’t have a chance to read woodyboater yesterday. Rick and mike asked what happened to the guy floating next to his sinking boat.
Jim is fine, and the boat was located in about 60′ of water. It was floated and towed to a local marina. The boat was lifted out of the lake and then repaired. It needed new frames and part of the bottom. It was back in the water this summer cruising around the lake.
Thanks for the update
Really “funny” that you mention the unimaginable thought of any one of my models being stranded. One thing that has helped is where I go “boating”. It’s the South cove of Lynx Lake in Prescott, AZ. The prevailing breeze comes INTO the cove. So if a model is “down” I wait and pray the breeze will “bring ‘er in”. It happened with the tugboat shown in the back of my Jeep. Electric motors burned out (too high voltage–my fault). Fortunately the breeze brought. I DO say the real smoke coming from the stack was very realistic. 🙂
I also would use one of those single person blow up plastic boats to retrieve–or ask a kayaker to volunteer rescue.
What a beauty! Excellent work. She looks just like the original!
Greg Rice
Hi Matt and Texx- Our family owned the Allez- then called the Artemis from 1949 to 1964. We kept her on Lake Champlain and lived aboard during the summer months. If your readers would be interested I have extensive information on and pictures of this boat during our ownership. She has an interesting history that I would love to share. Thanks, Bub
Please, bring it on! This is the stuff we strive on.
I would LOVE to experience the logs you have regarding this magnificent prototype. “She” is truly a work of art. Nothing like it before or after. The person who invented fiberglass boats should be sentenced to living on one forever. 🙂
Please sir. Can I have some more?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZrgxHvNNUc
OK so this is weird! I read this story this morning and did not have much to comment other than “Nice Job!”.
Now late morning I am reading posts on the AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association) and one the the comments is signed with this:
Chief Engr Bob, Onboard ALLEZ! on the Great Loop
Lying Dog River Marina, Mobile Bay, Mobile, AL
Got an e-mail back from Bob. It’s a different Allez.
There’s an interesting Topic in Boat Buzz from July 2008 about ALLEZ and some of her owners prior to 1949 by Ed Crosby. The Topic name is “Our 1930 Model 123”. She was named Artemis by the Crosby family. When she was sold 16 years later she was named ALLEZ.
Here’s a link to the Boat Buzz Discussion;
http://www.chris-craft.org/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=2681
See if this works.
Chris & Julie Bullen also shared a short story with some nice interior photos of ALLEZ in a report they did for Woody Boater back in July 2013. Scroll to the bottom of the story. Here’s the link:
Interesting…I remember being at a convention at Pier 66 in Ft. Lauderdale and when I looked out of my room window, I saw this sea of white boats with one mahogany boat in the middle. When I walked down for a closer look it was a beautiful 48′ Chris Commuter…Alez. I thought I took pictures with my brownie. I left a note on her and got a call telling me she was owned by a Canadian and she spent her winter months in Florida and then back to Canada in the summer. I thought I wrote a story about her in The Brass Bell but memories fade so perhaps I never got around to writing it. I know there are some photos around here somewhere.
Found Allez in a story from September/October 1995 issue of Classic Boating magazine!
Dear Mr. De Broske, my name is Louis Gagnon and I am the co-owner of the commuter name ALLEZ. (At first, I want to have a special thank to Mr. Gene Porter who send me this conversation; he is alway my eyes on the net!). I enjoy to see your beautiful scale model. Because she is a very rare boat, very few thing as been done around that particular CC model so I was very please to see that you put your time and energy on such project. Please don’t hesitate to ask for any special info, her history or other. You are welcome to see her in person in Montreal if you have any interest. Again, congratulation and fell comfortable to communicate with me (Woodyboater can surely send you me email address).
Thank you so very much Mr. Gagnon for responding. I will be in touch when “WoodyBoater” share’s your email with me.
Attached is a waterbourne shot of “Rainbow Spirit” (“ALLEZ”) from her shakedown cruise. More action shots to come.
Here’s another shakedown cruise pix