A Day Of Pure Insanity In Woodyboaterville!
Red and white sitting next to an amazing twin engine sportsman. Hessel Michigan
Yesterday all started out as a very nice easy day. before I hopped into the Orange Chariot headed to our final leg across the Kansas to Boulder, I did a fun short story about headers. Little did I realize the hypnotic effect that it would have. Clicks on the site were up over 10 times the normal amount It wasn’t until this morning that I actually tried it. DEAR GOD. I forgot some of those suckers. So for those of you that were late for work or blew your law final exam. Sorry. I have to say though, the comments made the trip across Kansas a tad more fun. BUT, as all this craziness was going on. I started getting update emails from Alex Watson with trailer pictures of a new boat?
Alex Watson trailering home a new boat!
WHAT? Turns out Alex Watson bought another boat! That’s right. He did it again. Only about two weeks after he picked up the little plywood cavalier featured here. The emails were flying, and the jokes. All with pals begging Alex to not go over board. Yeah, right.. It got me thinking though. What we are all watching publicly is how a collection is built. Usually you just walk into a guys barn and see the insanity of it all. We get to actually watch it happen. A much more fun time I might add. And to be honest, if i could, I would be doing the same thing. As one pal said, put it. Alex you are crazy, but I will buy that boat from you on the spot for more than you paid for it. Way to go Alex, SAVE THEM ALL! We are right behind you..
Another Red and White saved. Thank you Alex!!
a ’40, just like yours Jim – a couple hulls older I think. I have been teasing Alex about his restoration manTommy Mertaugh ordering a nice new truck and moving to a bigger house, but what a worthy boat!
I swore “never another project” and I think I heard Alex make the same oath, but apparently he forgot…..
Jim, it is such a neat model worth saving. I wish I knew more about the individual or individuals who conceived of it.
I’m doing a little story for WB about the experience of buying it. Guess what? You’re in it.
Instead of “Where’s Waldo?” “Where’s Alex?” You are having a hard time keeping up the travel log between this and the Cavalier. Oh, I forgot, they are all one big circle route with a pass through Bell’s Mecca.
Congrats! You know how much I love this boat. I’ll keep looking for that next one for you.
I love that boat, but I keep hitting refresh and it just stays there.
Alex, you are going to love that boat – I constantly regret that I sold mine, which I restored in ’86-’88 here in Seattle and used all over the NW for nearly 12 years.
I’ve worked on a bunch of them over the years – At one time, I had three of them in my garage!
If you have any questions about this model feel free to contact me.
Dick, thank you. Positive reinforcement helps after the ribbing Harrison gave me yesterday. 🙂
Your name has come up a few times when I was pondering buying this boat. Thank you for the offer to provide advice / expertise. We’ll certainly reach out to you.
Here’s the first question of what will probably be several. The hull card for this boat shows it came with a rear seat and cooler. They are long gone. I’ve yet to see a photo showing the cooler, and the only rear seat I’ve seen shows two folding jump seats. Have you seen what would be correct for this boat?
While I’m at it here’s question two. My boat and Jim Frechette’s have the rear bearclaw vents facing the rear. Yet the catalog illustrations I’ve seen, strangely, show those facing forward. What is correct?
Thank you.
Alex, I seriosuly looked at one of these in Seattle a few years ago – a sad story of a restored boat being neglected, and Dick was a wealth of information and help. I think, if I recall correctly, that he went and checked it our for me. Lean on him – between him and Frechette you’ll nail this thing.
Please tell me you didn’t tow it from Detroit to hessel with that tractor! No, make that ” please tell me you DID tow it with that tractor”!! Bucket up or bucket down?
Is this the one that was for sale in Detroit on Craigslist?
Glad to see it found a good home.
I was in DET for a wedding last summer, and the father of the bride took all the groomsman for a boat ride. Saw this boat shrinkwrapped and sitting in the yard next door, unfortunately a fence was in my way otherwise I would have gotten closer.
There is a post war red and white rotting away in a farm yard about 10 miles from my house. I have some pictures somewhere, I’ll see if I can find them.
Dan, yes it was. Originally shipped to that market. Would love to see pics of the one near you.
“The emails were flying, and the jokes. All with pals begging Alex to not go over board. Yeah, right…..”
So,uh, is Alex becoming nothing more than a Cat Lady, except with boats?
Ok…….uh……is Alex going to be called the boat lady? We can call him Alexandra the boat lady.
If you look through the ACBS directory, you’ll see people in way more advanced stages of “the disease” than I. Some of them collect boats without — gasp — motors!
And shoe people? They’re the worst. Remember Imelda Marcos?
And her’s weren’t even boat shoes!
Alex,
One of the first signs you have a problem is justify it! :~)
I tried to bill all the time I wasted on those headers to a client. It didn’t go over well.
Also, I promised my spouse that I would only have one woody at a time. This Alex is making me rethink that.
A very worthy boat for any hoarder! You can always get rid of others you no longer “love”! You can even have more kids, theres plenty of room on a red & white.
You can get a lot of shoes on a red and white.
There goes his extra dock space. Maybe time to purchase a marina? Considering the length of the boating season up there (1 day on either side of July 4th) how many hours can he put on each boat?
At least a woody boat bilge smalls better than a cat box (or a cat house).
I’m hoping the CDC has an immunization program for Alex’s disease ’cause I’m pretty sure he’s he a carrier.
*smells* not *smalls* okay, you guys s/be able to figure that out. btw, amazing how much the R & W dwarfs the normally huge 24′ Sportsman next to it. Better move those bow stops up a little higher so they’re hitting the rub rail and not damaging your planking, but I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now.
Thanks floyd. It’s sitting on the trailer for my 25′
Sportsman. I just used that trailer to bring the R&W up from Detroit.
Point taken re adjusting the bow stop if I ever use that trailer again to tow this boat. Thanks.
Floyd – I agree – the R&W in the cradle pic does nothing to show the size – it is not until it is seen next to the Sportsman and the full size tractor that the scale becomes apparent.
Maybe Alex just had a bad dream the night before, and woke up chanting, “I’m gonna need a bigger boat.” ……
Where have I heard that before ?…….
A 25 with a small cabin! Close to cruiser heaven. Or hell depending on your point of view.
a month ago i bought another boat, #6, a ’38 deluxe sportsman. i told my friend at work, bill, i thought i had a problem. he just looked at me and said ” admiting you have a problem is the first step toward recovery”. dan, hurry up with pics of the that rotting r&w.
Sweet Mary – at first glance I thought that was a horse standing on the boat !
…maybe not a horse but a small pony. That’s one big Great Dane, hope your deck is reinforced.
More importantly, thomas d, I hope the head is working on your boat. A Great Dane emits Sportsman-sized doo-doos.
it’s brown, i use it for stain…….