The Hope Of Lake Hopatcong!
Alan’s two happy kids say it all about our future.
Wow! man oh man did the Jersey Weather Gods deliver! Just as kapeeshed, around 9:45AM POW, Sun, puffy clouds and miles of smiles. The marina was beyond busy in the morning! Wow. I have never seen it like this. Boats flying in the water from all sorts of places.
The marina was hopping
Lets get these boats started
Here is a quick Instagram video right before we all left for the Show. To say I was nervous is a true understatement. So much perfection to screw up.
Well, the show and the Katz’s Gang delivered in spades, and a bunch of Woody Boaters showed up to say hi. WOW! What a fantastic turn out and it was fantastic to see many of you, share some laughs and spread the good energy Woody Boaters all share. Thank you for that. It was needed.
Arriving about 30 minutes before the show! Perfect sky!
Here they come!
Docks started filling up fast
Where is our spot
TAXI!
What a great day!
Father Daughter fun! There is hope for us all.
Perfect setting
Happy smiles, Mike Smith says come on!
The Hemi Coronado is perfect and complete
Outboards, and Washboards!
Killer Feathercraft
Ready to go! YIKES! I was hyper focused on not screwing up! AHHHHHHH
Don Plaotner and his Gull Wing masterpiece!
Setting up WECATCHEM with some vintage Fishing stuff!
More on all this later
Great New Jersey names
Elsie, True Grit win Big at the show. Oh and so did one of our boats. Guess which one?
This is one of my top 10 favorite boats of all time
1938 19′ Chris Craft Sportsman -Elsie
Best in Show Preserved
Seth and Renee Katz
Drop dead perfect Katzs Marina restoration!
Best in Show Restored – True Grit
1938 21’ Chris Craft Utility
Werner and Christine Mall
Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club Commodore’s Choice
Stinky! What the hell?
Loading them all up. No drama just smoothness at Katzs
Then around 3 Pm, we all headed back to Katz’s Marina to haul WECATCHEM and Stinky and head home to Reedville. A 7 ish hour drive. 8 when you stop at a diner. And arrived here last night at 1 AM. Everyone was up late with calls up til midnight.
Stunning drive though PA!
Literally burning the midnight oil. Bob Kays sending in reports. Dave VanNess checking to see how the engines ran, Telling Jimmy the trailer lights went out. it was a rolling boat show for sure. Thanks so much to many kind warm people on the lake, and around the country with your kind words and encouragement. You are the fuel that keeps all this going.
Slow going on the farm. 1 mph! 1 AM and 1 happy man!
WOW! wow wow wow. Stunning. Love the video, especially the audio. Thanks Matt and all for sharing.
Great stuff and thanks for sharing and I’m not surprised Stanky won something. 👍👍
That stinks that WECATCHEM didn’t win something.
Great pictures and great boats. Waiting for the Algonac pictures.
We did not enter with boat. So very happy to to ha e her there. And the boats that won are insane perfect.
Sounds like a great boat show with great weather. Really enjoyed the video.
Glad you home safe and sound, especially with no trailer lights.
Happy Birthday ! to the Boatress.
I am pretty sure that isn’t Don in the gullwing…unless he has “transitioned” recently.
I am pretty sure that was supposed to be Commode Door’s choice for Stinky’s award.
A golden plunger! HAHAHA
It was great seeing you, Jimmy and the boats there yesterday Matt! Wecatchem is spectacular and Stinky is a way cool rat-rod.
I would still love to see you bring Wecatchem back home to Lake Winnipesaukee some time.
Best of luck with your “new” boat.
Denis D
Matt-WECATCHUM is stunning as she should be coming out of a Katz restoration, all of their boats are truly phenomenal! Well you took the longest distance award, I beleive the only peeson to beat me out 🙂 Great to see you capturing the outboards here. Nice shot of 2 of the only 3 Ideal Craft I’m aware of in existence, Snazzy and Sweet Mahogany. We both took home 2nd place awards in the special class categoey with the Century Sabre taking 1st. The week before Sweet Mahogany took home the “30th Annual Antique and Classic Boat Festival Best Preserved 2017 presented by the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum” award presented at the Chesapeake ACBS show. OMG, is this how the disease begins, 2 for 2 awards on my 1st 2 shows, but wait, maybe if I repower with a period motor get period controls and make her a show boat (not a Comey showboat) the coveted 1st place award can be mine, ha ha ha haaa, yikes where am I going with this 🙂
Thats Great, Snazzy is very snazzy and a heart warming story! I think we won the longest distance because of the trip is now from Reedville VA, a 7 hr drive. Its worth the drive to be with great people and you are right. Insane quality work.
Let me get things understood : 1. That’s a pontoon thingy on the header photo and 2. It is now safe to go in the water of lake haptacong. ( the junk is gone).
There was no junk on our lake this weekend! Lots of beautiful boats and happy people
Its a Taxi Pontoon, I used it to represent the blite of modern boating in contrast with the texture and beuty of classic boats. And regarding the water. I will let some locals talk to that
Bob – Great to meet you! Yes great boats, happy people and a most enjoyable event!
The blite of modern boating? Classic boating has texture? I’m staying with the easy words like junk and wood.
Matt,
Spell check please. It is “blight”, not “blite”. Not trying to be a spelling freak, but this is in a magazine, not a Twitter.