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EDITOR'S NOTES
Welcome. You will note that Brightwork has changed its look with
its change in editors. Dick Sherwood has done a great job with the
newsletter in the past and just garnered another runner-up award at the
national level. I am looking forward to creating something equally
as successful.You will also note the addition of a few new sections in
the newsletter. Please contact me with your additional suggestions
and comments. Syd Marsden loaned me some menus & a diary of an
Auburn woman who traveled to Europe & the Middle East in 1925.
I will be including a few excerpts in future newsletters. Also be prepared
for a phone call from myself. I have been calling and e-mailing members,
for my "meet the members column". Recently, my husband and I have been
busy with a video project
for Mid-Lakes Navigation Co. This allowed us to spend a
week traveling the Erie Canal system on a pair of canal boats. We
had a great time and were pleasantly surprised how truly enjoyable traveling
on the system could be, especially with the ample free dockage and eateries
that line the banks.Also The World Canal Conference
will be held in our own backyard in 2000, combine this with the 175th
Anniversary of the Erie Canal, and I think a special September Antique
& Classic Boat Show is in order. We will update you on further
plans for these events.
Wendy |
PRESIDENTS
MESSAGE Have many of you noticed
how often old gleaming woodies are showing up in advertising copy these
days? Whether in magazines or on TV the people whose job it is to get our
attention are turning to the nostalgia and beauty of antique boats to get
the message over. This suits me just fine!
Interest in our hobby has never been
higher. The fact ACBS now has the largest membership ever and will be celebrating
its 25th anniversary in the year 2000 just points up how popular old boats
have become. This bodes well for the value of our boats and it also puts
the on us on your local Chapter to keep providing support opportunities
for our membership in the way of social interaction, boating activities,
educational workshops, and just plain fun.When you read over this issue
of Brightwork I think you will see we are living up to this responsibility,
but we are always looking for input from you and welcome any ideas, advice
or constructive criticism you may have to offer. Our Annual Meeting and
Banquet are coming up in January and I hope you will take the opportunity
to join us to see what the upcoming season has to offer, maybe pick up
a treasure at our silent auction and let your officers know how you feel
about the Chapter.Roger Townsend
Finger Lakes Chapter ACBS President
Roger Townsend 315-635-9695
Co-Vice Presidents Diane Schwenke 315-675-9755
Dana Ritchie (E) 617-275-6521
(D) 781-275-3306
Treasurer Shirley Marsden (E) 315-253-7505
(D) 315-252-9506
Secretary & Membership Dick Sherwood
716-265-1518
Directors Bernie Clapp 315-625-4568
Bill Gregory (S) 315-685-7646 (W) 602-981-2883
Steve White (E) 315-685-0252
(D) 315-685-7733
Directors-At-Large Jeff Schwenke 315-675-9755
Ron Svec (E) 607-657-2748 (D) 607-755-3779
Past
Presidents
Scott Buehler 1998
Arnie Rubenstein 1996-1997 Dick Sherwood
1992-1995
Sue Buehler
1988-1991 George Zeth 1987 Jim
Brennan 1984-1986
Bob Myllymaki 1982-1983
Syd Marsden 1979-1981 Ford Knight
1977-1979
Founders
Jim Brennan, Fred Curry, Jerry Feltus,
Ford Knight, Syd Marsden, Richard Morehouse,
Geore Zeth, Dick Wyckoff
BRIDGE
HOUSE BRATS
In the club's continuing effort to
support the use and enjoyment of the waterways in the Finger Lakes area,
while encouraging the involvement of today's youth, a $50 donation was
made to the Bridge House Brats.
Bernie Clapp brought this group to
the attention of the Board of Directors after reading an article in the
Syracuse newspaper about the bridge House Brat's efforts at Lock 1, on
the Oswego River in Phoenix, NY.
The group started in 1996 with a handful
of students under the adult supervision of Cathy Lee, but now encompasses
nearly 75 students ranging in age from 10 to 17. They serve boaters
as well as members of the community. Some of their services include
providing complimentary refreshments in Henley Park, ordering and delivering
food from local restaurants, providing information and free docking to
boaters, and maintaining the park for community activities.
For those not familiar with the Brat's
work, I have experienced it firsthand after traveling to the lock by canal
boat, and I was impressed with the job they are doing. The park at
the lock is well maintained and would be an enjoyable place to tie up for
the night, especially on a summer Friday evenings when Bluegrass musicians
are in the park.
BOAT
SHOW 2000 POSTER
A plan for the 2000 Boat Show
Poster has been made by the Board of Directors. For a new look for
this year, the poster will be a collage of boat pictures. So why
not immortalize your favorite boat, by submitting its picture to Arnie
Rubenstein by January 23rd. A great way to do this would be
to attend our Annual Dinner Meeting and submit your pictures at that time.
Make sure you have another copy of the pictures you submit, as pictures
will not be returned.
MEET
OUR MEMBERS
Recently, I enjoyed a phone call interview
with one of the club's more recent members (actually it was more of chat
as we talked about a variety of things other than the club). You will note
in my write-ups that my opinions have a tendency to be included along with
those of the member being interviewed.
Nate & Gert Nevins 322 Westminster
Road, Dewitt, NY 13214
Winters Are Spent In Florida
Member Since May 1999 Nathan is 70 and semi-retired. It is chiefly his
interest in wooden boats, although his daughter would like to have the
free time enjoy them with him. Nate was born and brought up in Provincetown,
Massachusetts, where he was involved in boats and boating. Particularly
Ocean Sailboat Racing, At one point he turned his interest in boats into
a business interest with a share in a commercial fishing vessel.
A cousin provided Nate with the wooden
boat, a 1950 Merritt Dinghy sailboat that led his membership in our club.
While working on the restoration of the boat, friends from his connections
in Boy Scouts, Phil and Arnie Rubenstein suggested he bring the boat to
the Skaneateles Boat Show and become a member of the local club. He did
just that, and enjoyed himself so much that he has since adopted a 16"
Comet built in Skaneateles in 1939.
He is looking forward to restoring
this boat, but he explains it will be done over a period of time, as he
does the work himself and being semi-retired the financial resources for
his restorations are limited. This ties into his concerns for the current
judging rules. Unfortunately, boats that are professionally restored are
judged right along with the basement or garage craftsman. Although both
preserve the boats and their history, they may not always be to the same
level of finish. In fact some of today's boats are in even better condition
than when they first left the factory. In other sports, such as showing
horses there are amateur and separate professional classes to give everyone
equal opportunity for awards. Fortunately what Nate enjoys most about the
show and the club is meeting people and enjoying their boats.
By the way the Merritt Dinghy that
Nate restored, was given to Bernie Clapp's grandsons Nate & Loren,
junior members of our club. That is one way to ensure the involvement of
today's youth in our wonderful pursuit.
INTERNET
CORNER
For those of you without internet service
we thought you might enjoy some of the comments that we receive on behalf
of the club's website.
We had a great time and are looking
forward to the year 2000 show. The running of all aspects of your show
could not have, in my estimation been more accommodating and the people
went overboard to please . So thanks again and we hope you have a Great
Holiday season. Bye: Dick & Jean Bell
735 Niagara Blvd. Fort Erie Ontario,
L2A 3J2 Canada
WORDS FROM THE
WEB...
Quote of the moment "It's important
to remember that computers do make us wait."
I started thinking what if... ? What
if Bill Gates, from micro-soft was somehow stricken with what we refer
to as "wooden boat disease"...?
Think of the possibilities... Ah yes,
the page has finally downloaded and it's not the information I was looking
for... try another search...
"Time on the computer is not like time
spent on the water." Back to work...
Yes Wendy..I will write my column.........
Writing a web section for the Brightwork
newsletter is no big stretch... except that my wife Wendy is the new editor
and I'm forever ranked as "Syd & Shirley Marsden's son-in-law~within
the boating community" You might say I married into the first family of
antique boating... but you never know... Anyhow, speaking of Syd, I got
to hear George Morse and Syd discuss their view of what's going on with
computers and the web. Zero interest. Both agreed," They where old
horses and they didn't need either." Well fact is, they are old, but if
there was a better way to fix a problem with any of their many project
boats, they would be first in line to evaluate that information, as long
as they didn't have to use a keyboard to get it. Go figure...
Speaking of new ways of solving the
old 'how do I do this or that problem, the web is a great resource. It
allows you access to resources on an international basis. One only has
to visit a wooden boat news group to find that out. Search engines are
fine, but news groups rule. Pat Ford's news group is one of the best. For
research and restoration information, it is worth submitting your questions
on his bulletin board.
http://www.halcyon.com/pford/wwwboard/index.html
To find out, " Which knots are kewl,
and which ones are just knots.", or to make sure you will never watch your
boat float away or look like a novice tying up your boat, visit my pick
of the moment:
http://www.mistral.co.uk/42brghtn/knots/42ktmenu.html
This is a scout troop from the other
side of the pond, excellent web site.
As always we welcome your feedback..photography
and participation:
Email FingerLakes@berkshiretv.com
Until later~~~web guy:>r.
Another year of boating is behind us.
Our husbands are back home for the season, unless there is a woodie in
a boat shop somewhere. Isn't it nice to have someone there to ask to help
polish the furniture for the holidays. After all, who has better experience
than the winner of last season's Best of Show. The shine is only due to
hours of experience.
It is fun helping put all the hardware
back on those beautiful refurbished decks, but the show circuit ran it's
course for another season. It's time to put covers on the "old girls" and
plan next seasons get together. I wish I could have more enthusiasm to
talk for hours about all that it took to get this heap of kindling to a
show quality "old woodie".
I do love to see that look on his face
when it not only looks good but it also floats and when he pushes the starter
button it fires on the third crank. The life of this "old woodie" returns
and with it takes my man back in time a gives him yet another new outlook
on life, and of course, with it goes another season of nothing but boat
shows.. I guess family reunions, weddings, grandchildren or any other event
will just have to be scheduled around the "old woodie"
I remember the HOT summer afternoon,
in a closed up, freshly washed down garage, oops, sorry, "boat shop" wearing
only a bathing suit and swim cap, not for swimming mind you, but hair and
dust control, when we set out to do the final VARNISH job prior to next
week's show. I am so glad no one drove in that afternoon, it was not a
pretty sight seeing two grown adults in those conditions. We have all warned
been warned not to inure. (fumes, heat etc..)
How about the time the vacuum cleaner
really needed to be replaced but the`boat shop" just had to have a better
cleaning system, so I bought a new broom for the house and ordered the
dust control system for, you guessed it "the old woodie".
Our kids are all very understanding.
We should have a few more of these "old woodies", because after all, they
each want one for their own someday. So nice of them to think of us isn't
it'? Sure wish they had been thinking of us when all those hours of work
were being performed.
Oh well another season of planning
is just beginning and the coming year looks like it might have a few more
"social" functions where we can all get together and talk about the children,
grandchildren and of coarse those "old woodies" It will be fun. So for
now I hope you all have a very happy holiday and the new year will be kind
and gentle to each and every one of you.
DeAnne S. Townsend
January 22, 2000 FLC Annual Meeting
& Dinner. Once again it will be a delicious buffet. 2000 Boat Show
sponsorship will be announced at the dinner. The dinner also includes our
annual silent auction fund raiser. This year will be a little different
with both a silent auction and a live auction for a few select items. We
need you to root around and find some items that you would be willing to
donate to our cause.FLC 2000 ANNUAL MEETING &
SILENT AUCTION
The annual meeting will again get underway
at the Sherwood Inn, 26 West Genesee Street, in Skaneateles, NY with a
cash bar from 5:30 -7:00pm. We will continue our traditional (and
very popular) three entree buffet of stuffed breast of chicken, pasta primavera,
and top round of beef.
The cost of dinner remains at $25/person
including tax and gratuity. Reservations are required. Call
Beverly or Steve White as soon as possible at 315-685-7733 (days) or 315-685-0252
(evenings), but no later than Monday, January 17th with your reservations.
Checks made out to Finger Lakes Chapter ACBS can be forwarded to Bev &
Steve in c/o White & White Antiques & Interiors, 18 East Genesee
Street, Skaneateles, N.Y. 13152. Please plan to attend
and encourage other members to accompany you. We always have a great
time! Special dietary requests should be made with reservations.
Steve
On February 16th-20th, FLC will once
again be participating in the Central NY Boat Show at the NYS Fairgrounds
in Syracuse, NY. We need volunteers to help get everything ready on February
15th. We also need help manning our booth. There will be a sign
up sheet at the Annual Dinner, or you can contact Arnie Rubenstein if you
can work any of these time slots, 2/16-2/18 1pm-9pm, or 2/19 10am-9pm,
2/20 10am-5pm.
WINTER WORKSHOP
FLC ACBS Chapter winter workshop is
set for Saturday, February 26th, 2000 at Cayuga Wooden Boat Works in Ithaca,
NY. Central NY's premier wooden boat construction, service and repair
facility will be featured. Participants are in for an exceptional
treat at this modern day renaissance wooden boat facility. The day
begins at 9:00am and will include expert discussions and demonstrations
of marine joinerwork, frame laminations and hands on seamanship
Established in 1991, Cayuga Wooden
Boat Works has expanded over time to include two full time facilities.
A beginning facility at the northern reaches of Cayuga Lake in Cayuga,
NY works in conjunction with Beacon Bay Marina, a deep water marine facility,
to service and repair area wooden cruising and tour boats weighing up to
50 tons and exceeding 70 feet in length.
A recent business expansion to the
former Ithaca Boating Center on Lake Cayuga's southern inlet off Rt 89
is owned by capable shipwright Dennis Montogmery.
The company's full staff of technicians
"provide (wooden) boater access to excellence and expertise" in all aspects
of construction, maintenance, service and repair. An expansive covered
docking facility houses a multitude of classic and antique pampered wooden
boats. Wooden runabouts are a specialty along with complete restorations
of large cruising and sailing boats.
Currently, work is underway on a large
36' Mathews Trunk Cabin wooden cruiser along with the unbelievable new
construction of a 1930 John Alden design 60' twin masted schooner!
Don't miss this chance to visit Cayuga
Wooden Boat Works . Bring your friends, your questions and your dreams,
all will be capably handled.
A mid-day lunch break will allow a
visit to one of the excellent nearby neighborhood restaurants prior to
resuming the afternoon program portion of this event. A full workshop
itinerary will be available at registration (at 8:30 am). Coffee
and donuts, door prizes and 50/50 raffle will be provided. See you
there!
SHIP'S STORE
If you are still looking for last minute
ideas to fill those Christmas stockings, then give Ron Sveck a call at
607-657-2748 and check into his wonderful stock of "perfect for the Antique
Boater gift supply. As you may recall from the show he has a number of
clothing and gift items. And don't forget a VHS copy of the club's video.
For new members it is a great way to learn about the club, its members
and its goals. For those of us that have been around since the beginning,
it is full of familiar faces and sights.
1999 ACBS ANNUAL MEETING SEPTEMBER 22 - 25
My wife Teddi and I combined a vacation in Minnesota with attendance at the 1999 ACBS Annual Meeting held at the Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Red Wing, Minnesota. We arrived on Saturday, September 18 and spent 5 days touring the Minneapolis area, including a ride on the 1906 steamboat 'Minnehaha' on Lake Minnetonka. That will be the subject of a future article. On Wednesday we traveled through Smithfield, home of Carelton College, and visited the campus from which one of our nieces graduated. We then went on to Red Wing, a small town on the Mississippi River. After getting settled in our hotel, we made a short tour of the town. The most prominent feature is Barn Bluff, a promontory which stands 343 feet above the town and the river. There is a trail to the top and spectacular views up and down stream. Several miles of the river can be seen downstream. We had dinner that night in the Port of Red Wing, the restaurant in the historic St. James Hotel. We had a wonderful meal in a peaceful romantic setting.
Thursday morning we drove up to the Treasure Island Resort and Casino, situated on an Indian reservation about 12 miles north of Red Wing, picked up our registration package and then wandered down to the on site marina. This is a huge (300 slip) facility with sturdy floating piers on an inlet about a mile from the main channel of the river. Some of the folks who had made the 300 mile trip by water from Dubuque, Iowa were there. All agreed that they had a successful and enjoyable trip. Thursday evening we had a cocktail hour and traditional Minnesota Walleye dinner, consisting of walleye pike, red potatoes, and veggies, served under a tent at the marina. Among others we ate with Syd Herwig, Rose and their friends Todd and Cathy, whose last name escapes me at the moment. Syd told a harrowing story of the trailer trip down during which he had a spring go adrift from the trailer after he drove over a curb. He jury rigged it for the rest of the trip down but it will need welding before the trip back to Manotick. Most of us stayed a while after dinner for continuing boat talk.
Friday was the ACBS General Meeting in the Casino. Since I will keep mentioning the Casino, in the interest of full disclosure I admit both Teddi and I played the slot machines while we were here and had a whopping loss of $0.90. If the Indians thought to become rich from the meeting participants, I fear we sorely disappointed them. I estimate about 45 - 50 people attended the meeting. I will not fill in all the details of the meeting, but only a few highlights:
- Hagerty Insurance has established an agreement with ACBS whereby members will receive a 10% discount on policies starting in the year 2000.
- As of August 1999, ACBS has a $71,000 surplus, $35,000 from the 300/300 raffle and $36,000 from ongoing operations.
- The new headquarters in Clayton, New York, is up and running, with the computer system and databases Y2K compliant. All are invited to stop in for a visit when in Clayton.
- The Archives Committee has video taped Chris Smith (grandson of Christopher Columbus Smith) giving commentary while viewing the 1929 Chris Craft Promotional tape. They are establishing guidelines for use of archived material by ACBS member and also want to build an archive on CD-ROM, starting with early Chris Craft material. The CD would be sold to members at nominal cost, enough to cover production and a modest profit.
- ACBS has 5719 memberships (but more members than that) as of September 19.
Many committees gave reports. These were in general positive in nature.
I had lunch with Kathleen Snyder (Thousand Islands), Rick Terry and Dave Burns (both Toronto) and the 3 Hagerty Insurance representatives. The meeting resumed and two items generated considerable discussion. The difference between a 'replica' and a 'reproduction' was widely (and somewhat hotly) discussed, with an agreement to further research the issue and perhaps resolve it at a later meeting. More positive discussion entailed how to involve youngsters in antique boating. One intriguing idea was to have families involved in building a boat in the manner of the WoodenBoat magazine shows. I have been too long away from the workings of ACBS (the last Annual Meeting I attended was in the 1980's in Alexandria Bay) and had forgotten how much is done at the national level. I was greatly encouraged with the amount and quality of the work being done by the ACBS. I think at times some of us take the national for granted; I know I have.
After the business meeting the main part of the annual meeting took place: HAVING FUN! One of the boats in the marina was the Nellie Bly, a 42 foot 1936 house boat built in Red Wing for the Vogels, who lived aboard her for years. In 1995 the wooden hull was deemed beyond economic repair and as part of a two year restoration it was replaced with a steel hull. At the same time the 1936 100hp 'Hiawatha' Red Wing motor was replaced with a MercCruiser. The boat still has interesting lines and is still used.
Some of the people who had traveled from Dubuque were offering boat rides. I originally was to go with Bob Johnson in his late 40's Chris Craft Utility, however Syd Herwig showed up and I opted to go in 'Calypso', his 1924 22' Dodge. I had not been aboard since Syd repowered her with a 318 Chrysler after the Ford flathead gave up the ghost. Years ago Syd told me when he repowered Calypso, he wanted enough engine that he would be afraid to fully open the throttle. I believe he has gotten his wish. After four of us idled a mile or so down to the main channel, he cracked the throttle and instantly (no cough, no bucking, no hesitation) came up on plane. He guesses 50mph plus and I believe him. I took the controls briefly and was impressed with two things: how sweetly Calypso handles and how narrow the river is when travelling in traffic at 50mph.
Friday night the social hour and dinner took place in one of the banquet rooms in the St. James Hotel. The room had huge windows and overlooked the river. I had dinner (an excellent buffet with wild rice, salmon, turkey and roast beef) with the Wilburn's from Missouri. They were marvelous story tellers who at one time owned a Chris Craft commuter previously owned by Al Capone, the Chicago used furniture dealer (or so it said on his business card).
Saturday morning was the most interesting part of the entire meeting for me. Two bus loads of us went to Red Wing Motor Company, a local motor and boat producer which was in business in various incarnations from 1902 to 1979. The two current principals, Harry Munson and Virgil Mischke, are engaged in restoration and display of Red Wing motors. Both of these gentlemen have encyclopedic knowledge and warm outgoing personalities. They have several trailers with motors mounted with a common cooling system (a barrel of water with piping to each motor and a conical screen which serves as a radiator for the returning water). This allows them to run the motors at exhibitions. For our visit about a dozen of them were running at varying times. The oldest motor on hand is a 1hp, 2 cycle, 2 port 'make and break' from 1903 or 1904. Its serial number is 112 and since the company started with serial 100, it is the twelfth Red Wing motor produced. All of these started on one turn of the flywheel for the smaller ones and about a one-quarter turn of the starter for the larger. I had a hard time tearing myself away, but had to allow the second bus load of attendees to visit.
The Saturday luncheon cruise was on 'Spirit of the Waters', the Casino's 70 foot, 130 passenger tour boat. The cruise had been sold out and several people had to be left behind as safety regulations precluded overloading the boat. We took a table on the open rear deck with Ken McStephens, Duncan and Sharie Hawkins and Rick and Karen Terry, all from Toronto, and enjoyed good conservation, the scenery and the spectacular weather - all week was dry, in the 70's and bright sunshine. After an hour or so we went inside for lunch and more conservation. Syd Herwig and Rose joined us and we stayed in with them while the others went back out on deck. The cruise took three hours and was a delight.
The Annual Dinner that night was in a ballroom in the Casino. We talked with Jim and Linda Potter before dinner. Jim looks and feels healthy after undergoing triple bypass surgery in April. There was a video running (whose show it was I don't know) with a horrible goof occurring. A Century runabout being launched started with the engine in reverse. The captain accidently increased throttle, narrowly missed another boat and a pier, then missed neutral and drove the boat up the launch ramp, breaking the shaft, prop and rudder in the process. The boat had to be pushed by hand down the ramp to refloat it to haul it out.
Dinner was a buffet featuring wild rice, pork tenderloin, roast beef and excellent cheesecake. Our table consisted of Walter and Barbara Weber (Hudson River), Dean Guy (Sunnyland), George Haynes (chapter ??) and David Prescott (Dixieland). Dinner was followed by introduction of the new officers and the awards ceremonies. Walter and Dean received awards as outgoing directors. Walter was also the retiring ACBS counsel and received the Founders Award. Dick Sherwood (Finger Lakes) took a runnerup award for the chapter newsletter, Brightwork. The final event was the annual auction. Our table was active: I bid on and won a brass bilge pump, one those items we carry but never want to use. David ended up with a shotgun, a print and a set (#1 of 500) of prints of the four 1998 Rudder covers. The latter was his after spirited bidding. One bidder paid $250 for a blind package which contained a framed Real Runabouts #2 poster. He turned it back to the auction and watched it resell for $275. The absolute highlight of the auction was President John Harvey paying $40 for a pair of HOT PINK colored Chris Craft shoes. They looked lovely on him. All too soon the evening ended and with it a successful meeting.
Submitted by Bob Myllymaki
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The motor boat, however, is now largely used for business as well as pleasure, and therefore speed and durability are essential, as well as desirable features, and the Lindley boats combine these qualities to perfection. Long practical experience, supplemented with the beauty of design, superior workmanship, the very best of materials, and a thorough mastery of the work, are the indelible trademarks of the Lindley boats. There are no better, stronger or speedier boats built, and there are few that equal them. Pleasure boats, fishing boats, speed hulls, family motor boats, passenger steamers, boats with or without motors, are among the output of the Lindley factory.
A twenty page beautifully illustrated catalogue has been published by Mr. Lindley. A perusal of designs shown is sufficient to convince the intending purchaser that he has before him pictures of nearly even variety of motor boats, all made along correct lines so as to insure the greatest speed.
Mr. Lindley is an indefatigable worker,
with firm faith, and yet higher ideals. He hopes greater things, and those
who know him best, believe in his achievement. The demand for the Lindley
has been large, and increasing all the time. Their builder has the confidence
of all his patrons, and we predict that each new customer will regard Mr.
Lindley just as highly.
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The above article was taken from the
August 1907 issue of the Village News Paper of Canastota, NY. and was sent
to Brightwork by FLC member Bruce Hall.
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