Wooden Boats on Lake Tahoe, KCET

[rvrrun]

On now, channel 28-1 OTA in L.A.

 

[JB in so cal]

Not just wooden boats....


It's FUCKING HUELL FUCKING HOWSER!

awesome episode!

 

[rvrrun]

A boat with a 1957 Chysler Imperial interior. Including, the power windows and convertible top. That is too cool!

 

[77charger]

watching it too.

 

[JB in so cal]

I was up there 2 years ago during the wooden boatshow. Incredible workmanship involved.

 

[rvrrun]

That was too cool. If I knew how to find it and post it, I would.

The only negative, now I want one.

 

[Willie B]

That was too cool. If I knew how to find it and post it, I would.

The only negative, now I want one.

...I used to own one...1949 Chris Craft Custom Runabout...Just never got around to finishing to resto someone started...

 

[GRADS]

Come up and check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/LakeTahoeConcours/

 

[Boat Anchor]

A boat with a 1957 Chysler Imperial interior. Including, the power windows and convertible top. That is too cool!

That boat (The Golden Venus) originally belonged to Bob Nordskog, and was rigged by Norm Teauge.

 

[rvrrun]

That boat (The Golden Venus) originally belonged to Bob Nordskog, and was rigged by Norm Teauge.

I just Googled, but couldn't find anything under that name. I was hoping to find more pics.

 

[coolchange]

So did that show ever recover? I understand there was a lot of infighting in the show almost went away as they moved it to some private Marina?
Heard the cost was very high as they were trying to turn it into a Pebble Beach Concours type thing for boats?

 

[Tank]

Grads, why don't you have a wooden boat. If I lived in wooden boat mecca, I'd definitely have one.

 

[GRADS]

Grads, why don't you have a wooden boat. If I lived in wooden boat mecca, I'd definitely have one.

Maybe someday. I totally dig them but it seems like they would be a lot of up keep. There's a member on here that lives around here that has a really nice one, his name is escaping me right now.

 

[Taboma]

Grads, why don't you have a wooden boat. If I lived in wooden boat mecca, I'd definitely have one.

After spending every winter of my childhood, well into my teens, sanding my father's various models of Chris Crafts, I learned ----- You don't own wooden boats, they own you Whenever I'd point out a newfangled fiberglass boat, dad would scoff and run his hand over the beautifully varnished mahogany deck, as if to reassure the ole girl that she could never be replaced by epoxy and fabric. When that day that I thought would never happen, did happen, I was the happiest kid on Lake Arrowhead
That following winter was the best winter ever
But alas, wasn't long before dad got bored and discovered a new hobby for ME --- re-landscaping and re-painting the place
I love wooden boats, I could stare at that beautiful wood all day and the on the water character and solid feeling is unique and assuring, but damn they're a pain in the arm(s) and or wallet.

 

[Tank]

Maybe someday. I totally dig them but it seems like they would be a lot of up keep. There's a member on here that lives around here that has a really nice one, his name is escaping me right now.

Yea, my buddy has a couple. He took them down to the stringers and completely rebuilt. Ones an old Chris Craft and ones a Mercury. A LOT of work. But soooooo beautiful.

 

[Taboma]

Yea, my buddy has a couple. He took them down to the stringers and completely rebuilt. Ones an old Chris Craft and ones a Mercury. A LOT of work. But soooooo beautiful.

Which model Mercury ? Mustang or Sabre ? My dad's last wooden boat was a 18' Mercury Mustang with a 327 CI Greymarine (Packard), much flatter bottom than the Chris's and it hauled ass. My first boat was a 16' Mercury Sabre, with a flathead 6.
Those were and probably still are relatively rare.

 

[Tank]

Which model Mercury ? Mustang or Sabre ? My dad's last wooden boat was a 18' Mercury Mustang with a 327 CI Greymarine (Packard), much flatter bottom than the Chris's and it hauled ass. My first boat was a 16' Mercury Sabre, with a flathead 6.
Those were and probably still are relatively rare.
View attachment 643675

I'm not 100% sure (I just text him and asked) but I do believe it's the one in the ad. He re-built the original motor too. Pretty sweet. Took it down to the stringers and re-installed every plank with wooden dowels and all!! thousands of hours of labor. But he loves it. I think it's relaxing for him.

 

[Boat Anchor]

I just Googled, but couldn't find anything under that name. I was hoping to find more pics.

Google Bob Nordskog's Golden Venus. I should come up.

 

[RIVERDAZE]

I am taking a neighbors wooden Chris Craft to our local High School Car/Bike Fundraising show tomorrow. He is just trying to sell it. He's in his upper 80's and his kids have ZERO interest in it. I'll try to post some pics when we get it uncovered. From what I have seen is looks to be in pretty good shape!

 

[Taboma]

I'm not 100% sure (I just text him and asked) but I do believe it's the one in the ad. He re-built the original motor too. Pretty sweet. Took it down to the stringers and re-installed every plank with wooden dowels and all!! thousands of hours of labor. But he loves it. I think it's relaxing for him.

Yes, as a hobby & labor of love, certainly gratifying. My dad loved to work on them and his varnish jobs were a work of art. I more enjoyed tearing down and rebuilding the engines, but mostly the summers enjoying them on the water. But as a kid, I was most trained in the fine art of the annual re-sanding, from the top to the bottom. Most of all, hated laying on my back and wet sanding the bottom, with copper bottom paint dust flowing down my arms and all over my face But any kid-bitching was always met with the same stern response ---- "You want to go water skiing don't you ?, so suck it up and keep sanding "

Out of all our wooden boats I had two favorites. The 1953 19' Racing Runabout Chris-Craft, re-powered with a Chrysler Marine Hemi, which dad ski raced, including the Catalina Race and that Mercury Mustang, which had the fastest hull, but a much rougher ride.
My all time Chris-Craft favorite was the 21' Chris-Cobra my dad's best friend owned and ski raced. It had a nice sharp entry but flatten towards the stern, he was running a hopped up Chrysler Marine Hemi. He torque rolled that one a few times to hard on the throttle exiting turns.
I had boxes of boat pics from Marine Stadium from the 40's, Arrowhead back to the early 50's, 8mm movies of vintage ski racing, hell even an 8mm movie of my dad teaching Johnny Carson how to water ski up at Arrowhead --- all lost in the wildfire Could give two shits about losing the house, but those losing those pics makes me sick 10 years later. I also lost all the jars of chrome wood screws and mahogany dowels we used for replacing planks ---- yeah, I'd kept all that shit, just cuz !!

 

[spectras only]

Here's my friend's. 23' 1923 Dodge Watercar with a Chrysler Hemi V-8. We'll take it out soon with weather getting to high 20' C . He has a 19' Greavette i may buy it off him that needs some TLC.

 

[Tank]

Yes, as a hobby & labor of love, certainly gratifying. My dad loved to work on them and his varnish jobs were a work of art. I more enjoyed tearing down and rebuilding the engines, but mostly the summers enjoying them on the water. But as a kid, I was most trained in the fine art of the annual re-sanding, from the top to the bottom. Most of all, hated laying on my back and wet sanding the bottom, with copper bottom paint dust flowing down my arms and all over my face But any kid-bitching was always met with the same stern response ---- "You want to go water skiing don't you ?, so suck it up and keep sanding "

Out of all our wooden boats I had two favorites. The 1953 19' Racing Runabout Chris-Craft, re-powered with a Chrysler Marine Hemi, which dad ski raced, including the Catalina Race and that Mercury Mustang, which had the fastest hull, but a much rougher ride.
My all time Chris-Craft favorite was the 21' Chris-Cobra my dad's best friend owned and ski raced. It had a nice sharp entry but flatten towards the stern, he was running a hopped up Chrysler Marine Hemi. He torque rolled that one a few times to hard on the throttle exiting turns.
I had boxes of boat pics from Marine Stadium from the 40's, Arrowhead back to the early 50's, 8mm movies of vintage ski racing, hell even an 8mm movie of my dad teaching Johnny Carson how to water ski up at Arrowhead --- all lost in the wildfire Could give two shits about losing the house, but those losing those pics makes me sick 10 years later. I also lost all the jars of chrome wood screws and mahogany dowels we used for replacing planks ---- yeah, I'd kept all that shit, just cuz !!

Great stories! Your dad sounds like a cool dude that instilled responsibility and a "work hard, play hard" mentality.

I peruse the wood classifieds from time to time. I really dig the 26' Chris craft like the one in the last pic above. That would be a great run-about and ski boat. Looks like one sold recently for 90k

http://www.classicboat.com/boats.htm

 

[sirbob]

Last I heard it has been cancelled. I could be wrong but I think I heard that the marina decided to change the terms of the agreement they have been under for a long time and the cost were just too high to pull it off.

Too bad - it was one of the high points of the wooden boating season. It always ran in early Aug just before Pebble and it really was the boating equivalent.


EDIT:

https://laketahoeconcours.com

I stand corrected - it looks like they have found a place for it on the west side. It used to be in Carnelian Bay area in the marina next to Sierra Boat company...

From the concour web site

"This year’s 46th annual Concours will again be staged at the historic Obexer’s Boat Company in Homewood, CA., on Lake Tahoe’s beautiful West Shore with the two-day show open to the public on Friday, Aug. 10, and Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018"



http://sierraboat.com

Some cool videos on both those web sites I just posted.

So did that show ever recover? I understand there was a lot of infighting in the show almost went away as they moved it to some private Marina?
Heard the cost was very high as they were trying to turn it into a Pebble Beach Concours type thing for boats?

 

[Racer56]

I will leave this here.

http://stancraftboats.com/

 

[sirbob]

Great quality / epic builds & I love that they put big or exotic motors in them...

However, I just haven't seen one of their builds that I actually like the whole boat. Some, I love the interior, others I love the motor, other I like part of the boat i.e. the rake of the windshield etc.

But overall I keep looking at them and never quite feel like I have to have one of those.

I will leave this here.

http://stancraftboats.com/

 

[Tank]

Which model Mercury ? Mustang or Sabre ? My dad's last wooden boat was a 18' Mercury Mustang with a 327 CI Greymarine (Packard), much flatter bottom than the Chris's and it hauled ass. My first boat was a 16' Mercury Sabre, with a flathead 6.
Those were and probably still are relatively rare.
View attachment 643675

just spoke with him....It is a 57 sabre with a flathead 6

 

[Taboma]

just spoke with him....It is a 57 sabre with a flathead 6

Way cool !! Mercury Boat Company (No connection with Mercury Marine) -- Owner Bill Nollenberger, Highway 126 Piru Ca.

When I bought mine it was found by my dad's friend buried under a bunch of crap in some storage garage up at Lake Arrowhead.
Got it really cheap, like many wood boats back in the day after the introduction of fiberglass --- "wipe em off and park em boats".
Cleaned it up, new varnish, did a valve job and tune-up, ran it for a summer and made a few bucks.
My plan was to use the money to buy a 19' Chris-Craft racing runabout that I'd heard about that had been stored for years in some rich widow's garage. I made offers through a common friend, even knocked on her door a couple of times, she let me see it once. I was chomping at the bit to get that boat, but it had been her husbands "Pride and Joy", she certainly didn't need the money, so she wouldn't part with it.
Probably got inherited after her death by some spoiled in-law and ended up in some field to rot.
Meanwhile I moved on to fiberglass and never looked back -- well OK, maybe a little

 

[Tank]

Way cool !! Mercury Boat Company (No connection with Mercury Marine) -- Owner Bill Nollenberger, Highway 126 Piru Ca.

When I bought mine it was found by my dad's friend buried under a bunch of crap in some storage garage up at Lake Arrowhead.
Got it really cheap, like many wood boats back in the day after the introduction of fiberglass --- "wipe em off and park em boats".
Cleaned it up, new varnish, did a valve job and tune-up, ran it for a summer and made a few bucks.
My plan was to use the money to buy a 19' Chris-Craft racing runabout that I'd heard about that had been stored for years in some rich widow's garage. I made offers through a common friend, even knocked on her door a couple of times, she let me see it once. I was chomping at the bit to get that boat, but it had been her husbands "Pride and Joy", she certainly didn't need the money, so she wouldn't part with it.
Probably got inherited after her death by some spoiled in-law and ended up in some field to rot.
Meanwhile I moved on to fiberglass and never looked back -- well OK, maybe a little

I didn't realize they were built in Piru (30 minutes from me). I swear, if I lived on a lake full time I would have a wood boat. But we don't boat in lakes enough to justify it.

 

[Taboma]

I didn't realize they were built in Piru (30 minutes from me). I swear, if I lived on a lake full time I would have a wood boat. But we don't boat in lakes enough to justify it.

Unless they've got a plywood bottom and preferably glassed over, they're not made to be sitting stored then pulled out for occasional trips. Once we launched, slung and soaked ours so the planks expanded at the start of each season, then leave it in the slip, the bilge would stay dry. But that first week or so it would leak a lot Hence we'd run slings under it. Pre-soaking and keeping wet blankets under it in the garage did at least prep it. I'm not sure how these guys do it when they only launch em for these shows. Unless they've got some serious bilge pumps ? That Tahoe Show is on my bucket list !!

 

[rvrrun]

Unless they've got a plywood bottom and preferably glassed over, they're not made to be sitting stored then pulled out for occasional trips. Once we launched, slung and soaked ours so the planks expanded at the start of each season, then leave it in the slip, the bilge would stay dry. But that first week or so it would leak a lot Hence we'd run slings under it. Pre-soaking and keeping wet blankets under it in the garage did at least prep it. I'm not sure how these guys do it when they only launch em for these shows. Unless they've got some serious bilge pumps ? That Tahoe Show is on my bucket list !!

I always wondered if that was true. Pretty wild that you need to sink your boat to get it to float.