Cherup – Wise Boat Co. Woody Boater Boat Of The Month And Our Pick For Top Boat Of The Sunnyland 2014 Show.
Christopher Wise and the boat his great grandfather built.
Many of you may gasp a bit at our unusual pick of this months Woody Boat of the Month and Winner of our Sunnyland Boat of the Show. Her varnish job is shot, bottom leaks, interior is a collection of vinyl samples from the past 9 decades she has lived. And yet. She is perfect. Absolutely patina perfect. Oh read on, I guarantee by the end of the story you will agree. Meet Christopher Wise. Yup.. Wise. just like the builder of the boat. In fact it was his Christopher’s Great Grandfather that built this boat back in 1924.
Chris handed me this little tag like it was made out of pure gold.
A member of the family had just given this to Chris. Turns out ole harry Wise was a huge help durring the war and ran Cherup as a Coast gueard patrol boat. This tag made harry an honerary captain for running over 600 hours. HOW COOL IS THAT. Right there on the boat. ya think that stunning patina wood is not just glowing right now. Thats the most beautiful varnish job I have ever seen!
Company logo still on the dash. Dang!
And Christopher tracked it down some years ago and was able to buy it at the infomas Mecum Auction. He brought it home back to The Orlando area where the Wise family also built boats. Cherup is her official name, but Watson called her Patina Queen, I named her Queen patina..
To think that old Harry built this and in the year 2014 his great grandson is still boating and making other happy is mind boggling. Living generational history.
Go Chris go!
As Christopher said, people looked perplexed as to why he was leaving her like this. It’s about her history, the fact that she is still in her original state, and guess what? RUNNING, Floating and best of all. Working.
Don Ayers giving direction, Watson shooting us, M fine wondering how he got into this mess while Chris is Driveing. Pete Devetto and his stuning Capri are the model of the day
Look at that patina! That area in the back is the perfect size to work. And did I mention, rides like Butta!
How embarrassing! Hell, if you were that age, you would pee all the time as well
Cherup was our official shooting work boat on all our shoots. Very very smooth ride, steady and could handle a crowd with little effort.
She purrs like a kitten.. OK a 90 year old kitten.. With a mange problem.. PERFECT
Chris used Toilet seal wax on her bottom and soaked her up at the show . And that’s that. In a couple hours we were all Woody patina Boatn. Thats what its all about.
Her Grey marine, runs like a top, with fresh rebuilt Van Ness Carbs!
Chris’s family came from all over to go for rides and have fun. So here is to Christopher, and his wonderful family for keeping the Wise family history alive….and floating.
You can read her history and more on Cherup here on Chris’s blog! BLOG? Why would anyone want to do that?
Thanks Chris for being a great, Great grandson!
Thanks for sharing this great WoodyBoater lifestyle story. I commend Chris for what he has done. Congratulations!
Chris was so generous with his time and his boat. Not only did he let us shoot photos on two occasions for about three hours total, I saw him take show visitor after show visitor out in her. It seemed like Cherup barely stopped.
This boat is wonderful beyond what photos show or words describe. I remember the first time I saw her, Chris was trying (unsuccessfully) to start her — dead battery. I gave her a brief look over, then kept walking. It was only after getting in her and setting out on Dora under that smooth Graymarine power did I feel the deep soul in her.
This boat would look beautiful all restored. But she would lose so, so much of her character. It’s great she’s in Chris’s hands, because he understands this completely. And it’s great he brought her to Dora because his instincts to keep her original were overwhelmingly supported by all who were in her.
The whole “patina queen” description came because Cherup is the opposite of a trailer queen. But make no mistake, this boat is a queen. Experiencing this boat was the highlight of my Sunnyland experience this year. Thanks again Chris!
P.S. I would, however, recommend you attach the steering wheel to the boat.
I agree completely, Alex…
KUDOS to Chris and the whole Wise family for resisting the urge to restore this family heirloom. She’s earned each nick and gouge, and wears them proudly, thank you. CHERUP is absolutely gorgeous just as she is, and the Coast Guard service award is the cherry on top.
Less IS more in many situations; careful stewardship is key to moving historic artifacts through the generations and into the future.
Thanks to all involved for the great coverage of this significant boat!
I had the pleasure of seeing this boat in person at the show. I was so glad to see it and the history that it evokes. Very cool for Chris to share his treasure!
Thanks Chris for a great ride on those photo shoots but better yet was to experience riding in that great piece of history!
Chris, thank you for the ride, the photo shoot rides and the starlight cruise. The only thing that could have made it better would be to move your dock tag a foot to the left or a foot to the right 🙂
We witnessed them putting it in the water for the first time, a friend went over to touch what looked like grease on the bottom who would have guessed it would be toilet grease, we were commenting that they were really brave to being putting it in the water that way as nothing was dripping as in a presoak before. What an great boat. It was my favorite boat of all at the show.What a great story also. We all had a good time inspite of the weather.
Sitting at the gate waiting for a plane. Good thing I brought a breakfast bar.
A secret about M Fine, he always has chocolate!
Wonderful story and boat. Congrats Chris!
The ONLY thing I would change… move the bilge pump discharge a little higher above the waterline.
Yah, my kind of boat, but I agree move that drain.
Just read Chris’ blog. An amazing story with a happy ending. I remember seeing her in 2011 on her trailer at Dora, she was intrigueing, but in the water, hearing her, feeling her, experiencing her in the starlight was magic! Thanks Chris for your diligence in getting her back to her family and sharing her with all of us.
My favorite boat at the auction – and I’m so glad it has found it’s way back home! Thank you all for the story and pictures. It will be a pleasure to see her on the water at one of the future events.
Is it too late to turn the plane around?
Chris, I’m guessing the original engine did not come with the boat. Do you have any interest in powering back to period 1920’s engine?
Also, it would be awesome if you could peel off the top layers of bad varnish leaving the original good varnish and stain below. Then put some protective varnish on top. This would be true preservation not refinishing. More akin to what art preservationists do. When what you have there is finally gone it will be gone forever.
Jordan, that’s exactly what I decided to do with my little boat, HAL, which was featured in another article on WoodyBoater.
The work wasn’t done by an art preservationist, but it was done by a trusted fine artist who knew what he was doing. The boat looks almost identical to what it was before the work, only it’s better protected from the elements.
HAL is a much different boat than Chris’, but every bit as original (though HAL is a bit newer, dating to 1938-39).
The reason I opted to do so it I planned to use the boat, not merely display it.
I expect Chris will face the same crossroads I did in the not too distant future.
(Oh, and Chris, I will recite the recipe we concocted, and methods we used, in exchange for beer.)
I look forward to it!!
Awesome boat!! Good show, SUCKY weather. 1250 miles and I’m back. 581 unanswered emails. I should have went south instead of North. Snow just in the shady spots.
Actually Jim you should have stayed for Sunday.
It was GORGEOUS!
Jim, just do what Jim Carrey did in Bruce Almighty. Answer all those parts prayers with one ginormous “Yes to All.”
Fascinating boat, Chris is the perfect steward. His passion showed as he spent a lot of time with the boat explaining it to all of the passing attendees. The engine purred like new.
saw her at the show and was intrigued by the builder/bus maker. thanks for the rest of the story
Don, Alex, Matt, Chris and the rest of the gang..
Thanks for the photo shoot of Knotty Blonde this weekend. The weather was great on Sunday and finally got some boating in. It was good to see many of the CC Club members at the show
After you guys left the show Sandi and I were walking down the dock when Chris says “Want to go for a ride?”
He had never met us, and being one to never turn down a ride we went. What a treat!
He even had his son (I think his name is Harrison) helping out. Ya that would be Great Great Grandson Wise.
Thank you everyone!
This has been one of the most rewarding weeks of my life. To be able to have this opportunity and receive this positive response has been way beyond what I ever expected.
I loved meeting the Woodyboater crew. All of you were so nice and very passionate about this hobby. I am proud to be a Woodyboater!!
This picture of my son sums it all up!! To have my family be there and get joy of from just riding around in a boat is what it is a all about!!
Thanks, Matt!! What an honor.
This is the magic of lake Dora! This show always produces magical moments. Chris’s story is pure gold!
This kind of story with these types of people are what drew me to this hobby. Linking today with yesterday makes tomorrow brighter. Thanks to Chris, his grandfather and Woodyboater for the inspiration to go forward with a nod to the past.
I recall Chris calling me before the auction stating he had tried to purchase her several times before without success. Not having reviewed all the buyers from the sale I was thrilled to see him here with the boat. Very excited for them both!
While you were all fighting the rain Saturday Warren Greatbatch, his brother in-law Tim and I were loading the superchargers for Miss America VIII across town in Eustis. We all planned to come over after we finished but we couldn’t even get to our trucks in the parking lot at Tony’s Pizza because of the rain! Warren tells me Miss America VIII is nearing completion. Very excited for him too!
Yeah, I’m still keeping an eye on you all! Looks like you carried the show despite the weather Gods.
Awesome.
Anyone can take any old boat and drop tens of thousands of dollars and hours into making it into a piece of furniture.
But in that process, they loose the tens of thousands of hours that everybody before-hand has put into that old craft.
Nothing captures the imagination of a classic nicely preserved in its true patina.
Looking forward to seeing her in Sunnyland!