The Boat Buzz gang in the library.. I think Col. Mustard is in there as well.. Joe martell was back in the stacks
Wow wow wow! What a fun time. I had to check out to get the boatress early before dinner, but for the record it was a jammed packed day of fun and eye opening moments. And great to see folks that we know online everyday! Jim Evens came in from Detroit and Jim Staib from Fine Wood Boats made the long drive. Al Benton, and John Rothert were wonderful hosts.. Woody Gal, Clif Aimes, Jimmy Scott, heck all the gang was all right there.. New pals as well, folks that are local and just never connected it all.
John running from the camera.. Honestly we could all have spent all day there.. The staff is AMAZING and extremly helpful.. This place ROCKS.. OK, More like a symphoney..
NOT FUNNY! OK it was, they all wanted to roll the files closed with me in there sneaking photos.. HA HA! The jokes on them.. I would have been happy to be part of all the stuff. My guts all smooshed in with all the records..
The staff at the Library is the big draw here.. They have been with this stuff for a long time. And this is the best place for this stuff. Its an actual library.. And you get to walk through an entire building of co eds to get there.. We looked like a lost band fathers and grandfathers walking around.. But once in the library it was all boats stuff.. To touch and see.. snnniffff the actual drawings and notes for your boat is amazing.. Small penciled in notes still in pencil say it all.. The coolest stuff is the stuff you dont think of.. Like I found out they were planning an optional hard top on my boat..
Optional top for a 1959-61 24 Chris Craft Sportsman
Huge flat files with all your plans... Priceless stuff
A cool moment for me.. A personal one.. I was able to not only come in and take stuff.. But bring stuff to the table. Suzy our beloved Woody Boater Boat, came with all the original papers.. Yikes.. And the hull card had never been delivered to the Archives. The boat had never been sold. So we brought all the copys for the archives.. A cool moment to be part of something helpful for sometime in the future.
The party ended around noon, we went off to a lunch in the snack bar.. Sat around and caught up on some stuff and then into the museum.. I can say this for sure.. if you are into boats.. Dear god! And if you are into the Civil War and the Monitor and Merimac..Iron clads.. What in the heck are doing tomorrow. Take off work, sell your kids.. That alone is worth the trip from California. The Monitor Center is a World Class Serious Big Deal. The small boats are just that, and the usual ship models .. which are amazing.. But the civil war deal is amazing! Now.. I was not permited to take any pictures so, you have to to there web site.. The one shot i got.. was fun.. shhh dont tell them.. It said boat buzz though!
Sorry, I will put the camera away!
Matt, that hardtop design is just like my sport fisherman hardtop! WOW You needthat for your boat.
I figured it was an off the shelf from the factory deal. I wonder what else it was on, so I can hunt it down.. I LOVED IT, it added a very cool, cool fator to the boat. Especially if we can make it so its like a removeable hard top
The fiberglass top appears to be the same as the one on the 1962 Holiday at Katz’s, without the opening t-top feature. It does have the little triangular hangy down side pieces with different supports. Ya just need to borrow it & make a mold!
Way cool top! I’m Grench Green with envy.
I’ve seen those ship models in the Crabtree collection and there is nothing usual about them. Wish I could have been there.
Darn, I was really hoping to finally see a pic of Joe Martell. Was Anonymous there? Didn’t see him in the photo either.
Joe was in the bathroom the entire time with some sort of issue.. Anonymous just came in late said something snide and left
Many thanks to all the attendees, museum staff and especially Al Benton and Matt for making this a truely successful event…more later….just got home from a sunday on the water…what a great end to a perfect weekend.
John in Va.
932 miles and 15 hours!! I’m back!!
A dedicated Road Warrior…
It was great to see you.. 15 weeks! Mt dora
Matt: how many sportsmans were sold with the top? Was the top fiberglass ? wood & canvas?
It said “proposed” so I am not sure if it was ever used. I bet it was a pick up unit from other use though.
let’s build one…
Well, better late than never (so I’m told). It certainly was a great day at the library, the museum and at The Crab Shack that evening. Drinking Moonshine from a Mason jar with new Virginia friends sure made sleeping in a strange bed tolerable each evening.
There were 20 of us representing 9 different states plus Australia. Yes, we were indeed International. WoooHooo!!!
Super cool event. No special thanks to Delta Airlines. But John made a great cat herder getting us all to the same place almost on time. The archive is just over whelming. I did get a look at drawings for my boat that might make my next project easier.
It was certainly fun to meet all the face that write to BB.
I still don’t quite understand Matt Smith’s comment to me that I look like what I write????