Growing The Classic Boat Community – All Those Clichés.
Labor of love
“Wow, I love these boats, but yikes, thats a lotta work.” “I am not rich enough to have a boat like that.” “I don’t live on the water so can’t have a boat.”
We have all heard these a thousand times, and I know we try and counter them, but let’s be honest for a second. We like to brag about how much work we have done to our boats. Hell, it’s pride, a natural emotion. Oh no, not a lot of work really. ya see, yada yada yada.. Here is a new thought on all these clichés
Got “IKE” running yesterday. In shorts. T shirt and some fun music. Work? Depends on who asks. HA!
Is it really work? Really? I have a saying at work, about our work. “If it feels like work, change it.” In other words, doing something should always feel effortless. Like hitting a baseball out of the park, or a golf swing done right. Yes the mistakes and the trial and error can be daunting. I had forgotten that feeling until the WILLYS, have done things several times. But its not work. It’s been fun and rewarding. Just like our classic boats. Working on them should be fun as much as going boating. In fact, SHOCK ALERT, I enjoy working on my boats MORE than the boating part.
This is fun for me! – Roy Furchgott Photo
That’s the secret Kryptonite to all the dumb clichés. You make room in your life for the things you want to do. AND, really what they are saying is they don’t know how to even start with such a dream. When I started down this path, I noticed that this community was so all over the place that I would never be able to even have help.
Back in the first days. Dang, 20 years ago!
Two people changed that. Lou Rough of The Antique Boat Center and Greg Jackson from Carolina Classic Boats and Cars . In two simple phone calls they took all my anxiety away and I got a boat the next day. My first hail Mary drive up to upstate NY. WITH the Boatress. Before she was the Boatress. That’s another story. Oh boy! Imagine for a second being married to me? No way, It’s too much work, and I am not rich enough to be married to me.
She is about to choke me! – Roy Furchgott photo
That’s very accurate! I love boats. I have 4 wood boats…none float…yet! I just love messing with them. I like the looks, the smells and the feel of them. When I’m down, I just go out to the barn and look at the books…and dream. Do I want to go boating? Sure, one day, maybe. I just want to enjoy where I am in this journey, right now, not work through it at a break neck speed just to get to the end.
Nice photo of you and Suzy!
Matt,
Wow you are up early today!
You are spot on with we should not call working on our boats or hobbies as work. I enjoy doing it at this point and I hope that doesn’t change.
I love to see the finish products, the fruit of My labor. I have been lucky to have a job with the same rewards.
Lou Rough, Brian Keen Antique Boat center. Were a big help to me when I bought the GarWood 10years ago. Jeff Funk was a big help also.
Then I stumbled into WoodyBoater after finding the story on the boat that I just bought Mom’s Mink with the original owner at 89 yrs old taking it to a boat show. I was hooked! I started to read it ever since when I can. I don’t comment too much. I love to read all of the comments.
I have met several people that do comment at shows over the years and their always great people. I love that what you do here on WoodyBoater does bring us together. Thanks for keeping this going.
Loved Roy pictures of you guys!
The picture of you under the Jeep reminded me of how my nick name came to be. I was working in the hot sun in the early stages of restoring our Lyman scrubbing decades of oil gunk from the ribs, stringers and bilge when a friend stopped by climbed the ladder and looked at me working away. He said “that’s the biggest bilge rat I’ve ever seen”. The name stuck.
Love the story!
We live on a lake so most of our friends are boaters, but we are the only ones with a wood boat [ok – we have a plastic boat too]. While I constantly talk up wood boats to our friends, they have little or no interest in getting one which is OK – to each there own. They like and appreciate the style and beauty of classic boats, but the emotional draw is not there. For those who do appreciate and would consider a classic boat we do need to reassure them that it is not an overwhelming position and invite them in with open arms which is why participating in boat shows is so important. Not only bring your boat to the shows but talk with the non-boaters that come to the show about your experiences with classic boats.
At our local waterfront restaurant its always interesting to see how many people stop and look at our classic boat and how many don’t give it a second glance. Some appreciate the beauty, history and style of the boat and some would rather look at the nearby shiny wakeboard boat or huge center counsel with 3-4 massive outboards. I guess it’s just “whatever floats your boat”.
“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing–absolutely nothing–half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” Kenneth Grahame‘s classic The Wind in the Willows
One day I was up at the Boat Barn in the process of restoring Yorktown when my Mom (it was her boat) called and asked what I was up to. I replied “I am at the barn playing with Yorktown.” She loved and remembered that response till the day she passed.
Oh and yes Greg Jackson is one of the finest human beings I have ever met.
Oh, and daughter Sam helped out also.
As per usual Matt and I agree totally, a scary thing in itself…but I don’t mind if something seems like work and don’t really need to enjoy the process, as long as there is a chance for satisfaction and pride at the end. Just me. John in Va…..been boating…..going more…..
I’m in that camp as well. Many projects are a ton of work, with the pleasure being only in enjoying the result.
Completely agree Matt and I can really identify with that wonderful picture of you and Suzy too.
Well, especially the “getting ready to choke me” part…..
I snapped this picture the other day as we were wrapping up the northern boating season.
Just to walk down that craneway with all the wood everywhere was about as good a feeling as an old boat nut could have.
Uuuuuuuummmmmmm…………😊
Suz is a ROCK STAR
Great photo of you & the Boatress!
“20 years ago” and now
That is a great angle for a shot of a post war CC Deluxe Runabout. Photo by Texx.
I know EXACTLY what you are talking about here, cuz’ after a few years already on this project some people ask about all the work that still needs to be done.
This is a passion, and every step of the way we see satisfying progress. If instead we had been sitting around all these years doing the mundane things life throws at you, where would we be now? Well, we would probably be wishing we had been working on a project like this!
I find that if you don’t put a deadline on things it doesn’t feel like work — it turns into fun!
Anyone can follow our progress on:
Miss Madison Restoration Page
Matt, Several years ago you made a poster the dispelled the myths of classic boat ownership. We did a version for our boat club, Land-o-Lakes, and try to display it every show. It was so good. Can you share that again? The gist of it is that someone with zero mechanical or woodworking skills or desire can buy a fully restored boat for a lot less money than a new plastic boat (or pontoon) and the upkeep can be so manageable. I mean, I have zero skills and just love boating. (That said, I am pretty darn proud of myself every fall when I winterize my boat… small victories.)
I can’t tell you how many times people ask me “do you have to varnish that thing every time you use it”? Doh!
Fully agree, and to be honest I don’t see a huge difference between the annual maintenance of a wood boat and a fiberglass one. The engine is easier to access than my fiberglass stern drive, and waxing fiberglass is almost as much work as applying another coat of varnish, but varnish doesn’t need to be done every year or more.
I tried clicking Carolina Classics. It went almost no where… I guess cuz that was only 1 “phone call” I ll try to “call ” them later or tomorrow