Final Preparations For 2015 Woods and Water Events Are Under Way!

Richard Daley’s vintage 1958 Fellows and Stewart Junior Racer.

IN WORKSHOPS AND BOATHOUSES AROUND THE COUNTRY, boat owners and restorers are making final tweaks and adjustments to their classic boats in preparation for the big 2015 Woods and Water events – being held later this month at Gull Lake, Minnesota.

And as we all know, regardless of size, engine type or age – one of the most important things to check in advance of the show is to make sure the boat starts and runs properly. Nothing worse than travelling all the way to a major boat show only to discover your boat won’t start.

On the weekend, fellow Woody Boater Richard Daley decided to fire up his vintage 1958 Fellows and Stewart Junior Racer (known as a “Little Fellow”) before heading off to Minnesota for the 2015 Woods and Water show. Here is his story and video. – Texx
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You Know You Are Addicted When…
Story & Photos by Richard Daley

Texx – Thought you might like this. It’s a cold rainy day here in southern Alberta, Canada. I am bringing this boat to Gull Lake, Minnesota in a couple of weeks for the 2015 Woods and Water show and needed to know it was going to run.

“Knock on Wood Jr.” resting inside Richard’s cottage – will she come to life after 3 years of rest?

So here’s the deal – You have a real boat in the cottage and then you feel compelled to start it.

My plan was to take “Knock On Wood JR” out of the cottage down to the lake and start it, as it has not run in 3 years. But the weather is terrible here this weekend, so as I was sitting here having coffee and smelling varnish I thought “why not just start it where it sits?”

The “Little Fellow” is powered by a 2 cylinder 7.5 HP Scott Atwater outboard.

“Knock on Wood Jr.” is a 1958 Fellows and Stewart 6.5 foot junior racer known as a “Little Fellow.” Fellows and Stewart was a large boat builder on Terminal Island in Wilmington California – now a part of Los Angeles. It has a 2 cylinder 7.5 HP Scott Atwater outboard bolted in under the hatches. Thus has a rudder for steering with forward and reverse. A very cool little boat – Richard.

Firing-up the boat inside the cottage? I asked the wife and she just shrugged her shoulders, so why not…

I went to the shop and grabbed a spark plug wrench and a squirt bottle of gas. Pulled the spark plugs and verified that she still had spark. Then put a shot of fuel in each cylinder, put the plugs back in and handed the camera to my very understanding wife.

Then two-pulls and it started right up, burned it’s fuel charge and stopped – all caught on video!

Now you might not want to fire-up the Liberty V-12 in your Baby Gar inside the cottage, but for our little wooden boat it worked great. Looking forward to meeting everyone at the 2015 Woods and Water show at Gull Lake. – Richard Daley

Thanks for sharing your story and video with us today Richard.

Woody Boater will be on hand in Minnesota for the 2015 Woods and Water events – including the pre-events & boat show. The events run from Sunday, September 20th thru to Saturday, September 26th.

For more information you can check out the Woods and Water website by Clicking Here, as well as find updates on the 2015 Woods and Water Facebook page over the next few weeks leading up to the show.

A shot from the 2014 – 39th Annual Lake Minnetonka Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous courtesy of Dane Anderson.

Also, on Friday and Saturday (September 18-19) just prior to the Woods and Water event is the 40th Annual Antique & Class Boat Rendezvous at Lake Minnetonka – near Minneapolis. For more information on that show you can visit the Bob Speltz Land-O-Lake Chapter website by Clicking Here.

Question: Are you planning to attend the Woods and Water show this year? Let us know in the comment section today. If you are, we look forward to seeing you in person.

Matt & Texx
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