Live-ish From The Opening Day Celebrations In Seattle – “Woody Boaters Make Better Leis”
“ITCHIN” – a 1953 35′ Chris-Craft Commander powered by twin 350 CC “Q” motors.
Fellow Woody Boater Ron Stevenson sent us this Live-ish report from the 2013 Opening Day Celebrations hosted by the Seattle Yacht Club today – A tradition in the Seattle area going back to 1920. And our friends at the Pacific Northwest Chapter ACBS are front and center representing the antique & classic boating hobby. Nice work everyone! – Texx
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2013 Opening Day Celebration
by Ron Stevenson
Here in Seattle we have a very unusual sunny, warm day, in the seventies! First time this warm since last October…
A great way to celebrate Opening Day hosted by the Seattle Yacht Club, a tradition since 1920. The parade started at noon, approximately 250 boats parade through, with thousands lining the waterfront and tied up/anchored out for the spectacle.
Foreground – 1957 21′ CC Capri. Owned by Greg Price – Background 1941 34′ CC Deluxe Enclosed Cruiser owned by Karl and Lois Hoffman.
This years theme was “Hawaiian Magic” and of course each participant or group enacts their version of the theme. Does the sign above say it all?
1948 24′ Hackercraft owned by Curt & Marsha Erickson
So it stands to reason that our Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society would enter as we have each year for many years. This year we had 14 boats.
And for many years we have won an award as we hope we will this year by decorating our woodys. This year it is with hand made leis. Our theme is “Woody Boaters Make Better Leis”
Left at end of dock – 1957 21′ CC Capri owned by Greg Price. Left foreground 1953 19′ CC Racing Runabout owned by John Flaherty. Foreground yeah not a woody but a classic 1969 17′ CC Cavalier Ski Boat owned by son Brian Flaherty. Then the $100 cruiser “ITCHIN” (another great story) restored by Dick Dow and author Ron Stevenson. Currently owned by Ron. “ITCHIN” is a 1953 35′ CC Commander powered by twin 350 CC “Q” motors.
A great (sunny) day for the 2013 Opening Day Celebration in Seattle!
For more information on this year’s Opening Day events hosted by the Seattle Yacht Club you can visit the Seattle Yacht Clubs website by Clicking Here.
Best Regards – Ron Stevenson
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I am getting a sense that “Spring is in the Air” from coast-to-coast today.
Spring skipped the Midwest today Texx. With a high of 51 and the threat of rain in St. Louis we canceled our boat show.
Crazy weather man! (Not so say the weatherman is crazy)
When I drove through Columbia, Missouri early last March (en route to Florida) the piles of snow along the roadways were absolutely enormous.
Thanks for the report Ron. Looks like great fun on a beautiful day. Great theme for the Chapter, hope you win again. The Leis look great.
Nice restoration on “Itchin” Ron. As we have seen in an earlier story this week not too many folks have the skills, patience, vision and financial fortitude to restore a $100.00 boat, especially a 35′ cruiser! Thank you for saving her from the chainsaw. BTW what is that on the opposite side of the dock from Itchin?
Weather in Seabrook at K & W was perfect today, but a number of boats could not get here though due to the storms of a couple of days ago. I couldn’t believe how far south and how extensive the fresh snow was when I saw it from the plane on Thursday evening. What a spring in the west and north, terrible. Even here in Houston it was apparently the colder than it has been in well over 100 years on this date. However, that is still not all that bad…. then it got just perfect. Looking great out in the PNW as well!
It appears PNW has the nicest selection of woody cruisers in the world from Portland to Seattle. Would love to get out to the Portland cruiser show some day. Their mild weather seems very conducive to their longevity. Love to hear “the rest of the story” about the Commander.
Paul H’s flying? how did you find a flight with a trailer hitch?