What’s Your Woody Boater Gang Name?
Bald Peak Water Rats
One of the more interesting things when we purchased WECATCHEM was the burgee on her bow pole. What in the heck is that rodent and what is BPWR? I knew it was cool, but the more we found out, the cooler it became.
WECATCHEM with her Rat Flag
Well, as it turns out according to Phil Spencer of Lakes Region Restorations in New Hampshire, the BPWR stands for Bald Peak Water Rats, It turns out his Grandfather, Col. Hugh Wilkin(British Army) and another member at Bald Peak formed the club of lakefront owners of this wonderful club. HA! And even cooler is that Phils grandfather owned a very cool Penn Yan Swift that flew his flag, as does Phil today. But he cant find a flag, and we have one. Karma dictates the flag be handed back to the club for free. That will be done very soon.
The Reedville gang out causing trouble. Hide your paint thinner
But it got us thinking here at Woody Boater? Wouldn’t it be cool to have other gangs out there. Fun small groups of Woody boaters that want to just go out and have fun, heck we already have The Sons Of Varnish, and the Varnishers, Now the Bald Peak Water Rats. Are there others out there? If not, why not? No board meetings! Just think, you can all gather in a club house and sniff varnish together.
Our usual hang out. Down the great Wicomico on a sand bar.
In Reedville the concept of buying a cool old place to gather and just hang out is starting to really sound cool. Not a business, but a club house. Where we gather and help each other, and support others that want to keep the old woody alive. So whats your gangs name? Make it real.
Draper road irregulars. Meeting of the minds every Friday. Look for the barn with the pickups parked around it.
My wife Jan has enjoyed her home in the Isle View Condominiums in Gills Rock, WI (Door County) since she purchased it 35 years ago (remarkable for a bride who is only 36!!!). The association has a heavy duty dock facing Lake Michigan at Death’s Door. Over the years, many boats have used the slips, but we were down to one salmon fishing boat in our boat census.
This year we have added two woodies. Another neighbor is adding a fishing boat for himself.
Jan came up with the plan to name the dock the Isle View Yacht Club. No real club, no real members, no real rules and no real organization, just getting us in a boating frame of mind. Jan purchased four burgees each with the individual letters of I…V…Y…C! We opted for using lettering on each, instead of using the International Code of Signals so more people might read the name. You can almost see them on the flag pole. IVYC is our own club and safe harbor for enjoying boats!!!
Maybe this next season, we will have a more true and authentic burgee made for all the boats and to trade with new woody friends we make!
YES!
This is the Matt I know and Love! The whole idea is to congregate, boat, have a doughnut or pizza, a beer or two, swim if you want. Just enjoy the “Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer”.
As John in Va would say “GO BOATING!”.
Video by Darryl B.
They have a group in Dallas that has rented connecting bay’s in a mini warehouse with one double bay full of woodworking tools where they get together on weekends and work on each other’s boats. Bill Baldwin took me there once. It is quite an operation. ..and it has a name…I just can’t remember it….Old age….
That would be the Wooden Boat Association, Wilson. Great bunch of folks who are very busy. Activities on local lakes nearly every month!
OCDYC The Obsessive Complusive Desire Yacht Club. Well, I call it desire, but most call it disorder. An offshoot from the Chris Craft Rendezvous group, it exists primarily in your mind…and on Facebook. Started by Michael Craft, premier photographer, and Chris Craft cruiser owner. There are impromptu gatherings on Lake Union in Seattle, announced on FB. Most all of you qualify…and can see a picture of the burgee, join, get your burgee from Michael via FB. Sorry, I cannot post the copyrighted pix of the bungee! Didn’t we just talk about this?
Talk about new age social media groups!
Thanks for mention here Ron!
Yes check it out – http://www.OCDYC.com
The OCDYC is actually the first “International Yacht Club for the Obsessive Compulsive Boater.” We are over 150 members in 7 Countries and having a ball sharing information, stories about our boats, travels and beautiful photos. Most of all we are about sharing our persistent desire to be on the Water…come join the fun!
To quote Groucho, “don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.”
Horse feathers!
What loophole allows the posting of Professor Wagstaf and Connie Bailey the college widow?
“I don’t know what they have to say. It makes no difference anyway. Whatever it is, I’m against it.”
Swordfish!
In the 80’s there were several families that cruised together out of the same marina on the Detroit River. While cruising, and wanting to talk about points of interest, we would use the VHF RADIO (remember those, kinda like an early cell phones, but much more clumsy) and call out “OSCAR, OSCAR, OSCAR”. Each of the cruising captains would then pick up to listen. It was much faster than to call out each boat name, as was/is the proper procedure.
We quickly became known as the “OSCAR, OSCAR, CRUISIN CLUB, or OOCC. We adopted and flew the red/orange nautical signal flag for the Letter “O”, which is to signal “Man Overboard”. Lucky for us, we never had one over, tho…
OK, everyone in the central to eastern part of VA….. Ocran Boat Shop could be a clubhouse. It has a large workshop with tools and marine rail, lumber rack and bed & breakfast home for out of town guests available on Dymer’s Creek which leads out to the Chesapeake. It is approx 15 nautical miles south of Reedville. The house is in good shape, workshop, rail and docks need work. Sitting vacant. Assuming we could set up a shell club to protect everyone, could we get 10-12 or more interested parties to buy in?
I recall a group of fishing boats out of Truro area, back in the sixties, that went by the name, ” Hells Anglers”.
Don’t know if they still exist.
In the St. Louis area we have the OBBC that hangs out on most Tuesday evenings to share their talents of telling tall tales and at times, actually work on their boats and on various projects for their ACBS Chapter. They are the Ole’ Boys Boat Club. Oh, women are welcome, but must know the business end of a varnish brush, and share in the tall tale telling talents.
I love it! Is there anyone else willing or interested in starting one up in SE Michigan? We need a place to store the boats in winter and work on them.
Let’s get together and varnish!
Seeing you are on the burgee topic, what could this be? A little history… It is believed to come from my grandfather’s early production Correct Craft American Skier. It was found in his camp in Milton, NH when my aunt was cleaning it out after his passing. If not from that boat, then the only others he had were a 16′ Thompson TVT and a home made plywood outboard. Is it a club?
Thanks,
Rick
It’s a battle axe flag it means the old lady or the mother in law is on board
I recognized that river rat! My grade school in Menekaunee had a “mascot” when I was there K-5. We were the Menekaunee River Rats, really and honestly. I had a book bag with the school name and a rat picture in the middle. I also had a sweatshirt with the rat upon it. A few years after I matriculated, some parents of subsequent students got in a snoot about the name. It was changed to the Menekaunee Indians. Well, you can imagine how that went over when Native American names were out of vogue. Can’t recall what they became. Wish I had that rat book bag and sweatshirt still!