It’s The Weekend, Stay In There!
There is still stuff to do! Marine Services Unlimited – Photo Eric Fraizer
From Spring through Fall we are always so excited to see Fridays and the hope of a perfect weekend of flat waters, bright sun and smiles of family and friends to share the joy of a fantastic woody boat ride. But with weekends like this about to face us here in Virginia and most of the country. Cold, damp, snow, wind, the chance of spending time out with your family on a boat is just a memory. BUT! And we are talking a big BUT.
You can still enjoy one of the most rewarding parts of Woody Boating. Going out to the barn/garage and do some over due work on her. Or you can call a woody pal and go over and help them.
A good pal can help the winter blues go away
Don’t have that ole chum? Get in the car and drive to your local boat place. Trust me, they are as board as you are. The good thing is they are surrounded with Mahogany goodness and in a way, it reminds you of your passion.
Land O Lakes indoor boat show
OK, check the ACBS calendar and look up shows and seminars. YES, boat shows and Workshops. There are countless indoor boat shows around the country. For example one of the best ones is coming up in Minnesota near the end of January. Wait, no on the 19th WOW, see…Click HERE.
That killed a month of cold weekends
Don’t have a boat shop near you? And your boat is in storage? Do art! That’s right, make a painting, paint boats on your wall, clean up all those photos you took last summer and put them here in the comment section.
OK, you don’t want to that either. Ugh… OK, Go find a can of varnish, open it. And just bask in the smell. until you pass out. Right before you die, you will no doubt hallucinate about something. And possibly it will be about boating, and there ya have it! You are Woody Boating! Inside!
Sometimes even all that doesn’t help and I just need to get out on the water. There’s usually some open salt water around near me so I drag out a plastic kayak and paddle as far as the ice will let me before I go back and hug Panther. The plastic has no soul so I don’t mind dunking it in ice water.
I’m still amazed at the fresco (I guess technically its just a border painting but fresco sounds much more sophisticated) you painted in your kitchen, especially in light of the half empty wine bottle sitting in the foreground.
It’s a nice thought and I do have a boat shop with 2 project boats inside just waiting for additional attention. BUT when its -4 outside you just can’t heat the place up enough to work in. When its +30 OK. So having no buddies near enough I will try cable TV.
It might not be boat weather, but it is perfect weather for bacon.
Ok, so I wimped out and did NOT stay aboard last night as planned….sure I got the cabin heat up no problem…but it was just cold and dreary and I looked out of the covered slip and could not muster the effort of shoving off into the chill. Had a nice dinner with a boat buddy and drove 2 hours right back home. Maybe after this weekends snow…..
Dora awaits.
John in Va.
This was forwarded to me as a “Typical” Algonac boat shop this time of year. I think the owner is one Lucky person.
Now you know why we live in Florida…Where it may dip down to 30 degrees tomorrow night in N. Fla….but still warm enuff to work on boats during the day. Don’t wait for Tavares…Do like Paul & Karen Harrison….Move on down early….It’s even warmer in Central & So. Florida
The boat shop with the deer hanging is Mackies Boat Works in Algonac. The picture doesn’t show the ducks and geese hanging on the right side of the door or the walleye in the live well. Alan and his son live the Algonac life style.
Wooden boats, hunting, fishing
And they also do some great boat restorations.
Love Mackies’!! Last time I was there they had a beautiful Red & White there that they were working on! First time I had ever seen the red (really maroon) seats!! And as a shop it’s quite unique too. They have the cleverest opening walls to accommodate different size boats.
Had to get out today. Maybe tomorrow.
The lake is starting to rise a bit. 16 feet to go til full. Pray for snow/rain.
So….. yesterday in Toronto I was placing the original stbd bottom planks from our 1937, 35′ CC cruiser on the driveway in their correct positions to double check my numbering system and to make sure that I wasn’t missing any. It all checked out and they are back, neatly stacked, in the garage. I will continue to make new ones. The neighbours now consider such events as ‘normal’ for me.
Just got my January/February issue of Classic Boating in the mail. I know what type of boating I will be doing this weekend. “Dream Boating”
You know the two coldest places in the winter are a Boat Yard and a Lumber Yard. I’ve got the Lumber Yard and it is cold.