It Hit Me Like A Ton Of Mahogany. I Am In Love!

Up in the attic.. Love in the dark!

On Wednesday, my pals Jimmy and Shaun all had a opportunity to play hookie and squeeze of a day of woody boatness. Our mission for a quick day run started at 3AM. We headed up to Katz’s Marina to deliver a stranded boat that will be a story into itself. A very rare U22 that was purchased in Florida that broke an axle in Virginia on the way up to New Jersey. Jimmy repaired it and we headed north. Now, ya’ll know that I love my U22’s. This one is a rare blond interior one. And I thought I was in love..

Its dirty, its rough and its gonna be a major show winner one day soon.

We got there around 9 Am and hung around looking at all the cool new projects there. Shaun had not been there before, so it was a fun opportunity to expose him to some varnishness. As usual Katz’s did not disappoint.

Shaun is caught drooling on the floors.. Those amazing clean floors.. Oh, right there is a boat right there.

more clean room fun

An amazing triple with very fresh stain

Jimmy says hi to Thayer IV.. The barn find of the decade!

Wait.. is that the fancy pants man suit that was on ebay a while back?

A bottom job on a 18 Cobra

Along the way, we went up to the attic in the new larger Katz’s on the Cove marina. Its on the other side of Lake Hopatcong. Yes.. TWO marinas on one lake loaded with yummy mahoganyness! Anyway, I was able to rub all over a 1961 21 continental hardtop… In love again…. OK, I am easy.. I love everything I see. But I am prepared for that. After all I fall in love about 50 times a year. Its one of the curses of doing this. I see all the good stuff. So there I am up in the dark attic, natural light. And BAM, it hit me like a ton of mahogany.. I mean a hard lightning strike. What in the hell is that? Wait.. it’s a model 99..

There she is.. a model 99 in the dark

Now, we had done not just one story on model 99’s, we had done a week of 99 stories. I think we had found almost every one made. And here Seth had found one more! YOU CAN SEARCH IN THE SEARCH BAR IN THE UPPER RIGHT OF THE THIRD VOLUME FOR ALL THE STORIES. I had only seen a Model 99 here on Woody Boater. And to be honest. I thought they were cool, but just like everything else, I could not understand  the reason for a week of love. WELL SLAP ME AND CALL ME SALLY! I GET IT NOW. IN ALL CAPS LOVE!

Yes, wrong gauges. Perfect design. Like a cool vintage jag..

WOW.. This little sucker is perfect. Maybe it was the cradle, the light or lack there of? Maybe it was the possibilities. Or maybe its just that these are cool as hell lines. A mini triple., only she is a double..  Dang dang double dog dang. I can see myself just motoring around.. on a sunny day taking in all the wonderment of life in my 99.. I even had a name for her. Dang Dang…… And then it was time to go.. BAck on the road by 1130 and back to DC. Leaving Dang Dang up in the dark attic all alone!  Maybe I need to head back up there.