I think of you all often, and trust you don't mind my saying, HELLO.

All is well here in Indy, and the family is fine. Have received three cards or notes from the folks that purchased our Barth, and each time they have THANKED us for selling it to them. We do miss it, but know that with our business demands it was the right thing to do.

I am very involved in building an exact copy of a 1956 20' Chris Craft cabin crusier at present. Found a set of blue prints and having a blast. Not a kit, just blue prints. Nearly all construction is of mahogany.

Sharon and I wish you all good health, and a great year.

Dale & Sharon Smith

Hi Dale,

Sounds neat. How about a picture now and then?

Sounds intriguing - gonna put a Crosley engine in it?

Takes me back to my uncles - Gar Woods and Edison Hedges - the Miss Americas and Uncle Sam!

Here's picture of Dale's boat

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Takes me back to my uncles - Gar Woods and Edison Hedges - the Miss Americas and Uncle Sam!

Those were your UNCLES?

Geeze, when I was a kid, just seeing a Gar Wood boat was almost a religious experience.

Our family was very active in the Miss America Pageant for years and years - my Aunt Lenora (Slaughter) ran it, and my Grandmother (Ted Shermer, who also invented the Miss Congeniality Award) was #2. As a little kid, I used to go backstage all the time, and remember sitting on Anita Eckberg's lap (yes, indeed, it was shady under there) when she was Miss Sweden.

I never knew Edison, but my Aunt Teresa (his widow) always remembered my birthday with a generous cash gift (and always directed me to spend it on "something fun!".

Gar Wood apparently was estranged from our sector of the family (possibly because of the perceived competition with Edison?); I think I met him once.

Naturally, we had dozens of photos of the Miss Americas and Uncle Sams...I don't know what ever became of those.

Rusty, there is a wooden boat show in Orlando in the spring, I think. Do you know anything about it? Is it a good one? All this Gar Wood talk has got a bug up.

Bill, google Seattle wooden boat show and browse some of the listings....i think you might find enough there to keep you busy for a while, and closer to you than Florida. Plus you can meet up with Ol Roy and some of the other NW Barthers! Also the museum of flight is there too. You could end up spending most of your summer there doing various things. >)

Check out www.shepherdboats.com and click on photo's. One of my dreams is to own is the 1935 listed at top of list. Check out the sliding top. The hardtop next to this is somewhat like the one I am building.

Dale

[This message has been edited by Smith Brother (edited January 15, 2006).]

Bill, there's a Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, WA, every Sept. - 9/8 thru 9/10 this year. P.T. is about 30 miles from us, and Barthmobiler Dennis Broderson lives there.

I've owned a couple woodies myself over the years, but both were cruisers. I'm of the mind that if God had intended there to be fiberglass boats, he would have made fiberglass trees.

quote:

Originally posted by olroy:
Bill, there's a Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, WA, every Sept. - 9/8 thru 9/10 this year. P.T. is about 30 miles from us, and Barthmobiler Dennis Broderson lives there.

I've owned a couple woodies myself over the years, but both were cruisers. I'm of the mind that if God had intended there to be fiberglass boats, he would have made fiberglass trees.

I helped my dad build several wooden boats and owned both wood and fiberglass boats, power and sail. I love the look and feel of a wood boat, but for low maintenance, fiberglass is for me. I currently have a lovely Eliminator bow rider jet with a rumpity-rump 502 in it. The only wood in it was the floor and seats, and there was rot. Had to replace the floor, full length. Used honeycomb. Also, I will do no more prop running on the lower Colorado River. I had a Miller Hemi flat-bottom which was glass, but had a wooden deck. A while back, a company made a ski boat of fiberglass, but had a mahogany veneer in the gel coat. It looked pretty nice. Seemed to be the best of both worlds. I admire a lot of glass sailboats with wood superstructure. In a perfect world, I would be like Leno, and have a hangar or two full of boats, cars, motorcycles and airplanes. Most of the boats would be wood, as I would have staff.


[This message has been edited by bill h (edited January 15, 2006).]

I personally am not into boats however, I live near a large lake called Lake Minnetonka. It is a huge lake and residents who live on it have last names such as Pillsbury, Dayton (Target Stores) and such. There is a number of great resturants on the lake and whenever we visit one there are a number of beautiful wooden boats which frequent them. Every year they have a tremendous show of these boats. Google "Minnetonka Wooden Boats" and you will find some great images of classic old boats.


------------------

Bill there is a good size meet on Lake Tahoe, can't remember the dates but google can. While googling take a look for Brass Bell, the mag of the CCABC, ChrisCraft Antique Boat Club.
Tim