Happy New Year!
January, 2019
WBA Christmas Party a Fine Evening of Holiday Cheer!

(Above) Host David Sheets welcomes WBA members and guests to the 2018 Christmas Party held at the Sheets' home. David and Loretta's house was beautifully decorated, and provided the perfect setting for the gathering. Our hosts home-smoked the meats for the dinner, complemented by Babe's catered side dishes.

(Below) Jim Donovan gets his antlers at the kitchen table, just part of the fun of being at the WBA Christmas Party. More than 30 people were present, making for a lot of conversation and laughs. For most of us, the WBA Christmas Party is the kickoff of the holiday party season.

  

(Above) The old saying, "No matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like the kitchen best" held true at the Sheets' house! We're not sure if the bar's location just behind the kitchen table had anything to do with it.

(Below) WBA Treasurer Scott Reichardt received a framed vintage boating ad as an expression of the Club's appreciation for his support of the WBA. Scott won't be able to make the Banquet on Jan. 19, when the other officers will be recognized. Special thanks go to First Lady Loretta and Smokemeister and President David Sheets for hosting the Christmas Party!
RSVP Now for the the Jan. 19th WBA Banquet!

There's still time to register for the 2019 WBA Banquet! Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch will again play host to the event. The banquet is a long-standing WBA tradition, giving members and their guests the chance to recognize the service of the Club's officers, and to hear a program of interest to classic boating enthusiasts.

You should have received an evite to the event by now. If you haven't, please drop an email to David Sheets, dgsheets@verizon.net, as soon as possible. All you need to do is RSVP to the invitation, then select a method of payment, either via PayPal (link provided in the evite) or by sending a check in to our treasurer, Scott Reichardt. Let's have a great turnout for this enjoyable and informative evening!

  

Donated Hafer: Flipped and on the New Trailer!

1. (Above) Jim Donovan, Dennis Fisher, David Kanally, Robin McGeorge, Steve McCune and John Ables raise the stern of the Hafer with the shop's gantry, and prepare to lower it to the floor for flipping. The lifting board in the foreground was used to raise the boat, allowing the removal of the old, oversized trailer before lowering.

3. (Below) Once the boat was flipped, the lifting board and gantry were used once again to raise the boat so the new trailer could be rolled underneath. (Seb Borrello photos)

 

 

2. (Above) After the Hafer was lowered onto tires on the floor, the team flipped her carefully, moving the tires as needed to provide safe cushioning for the roll.

4. (Below) With the boat positioned safely on the new trailer, the crew took a breather to contemplate final fitting options. A new bunk will be needed to support the bow, which is temporarily held by a carpeted 2x6 in the photo below. Seb Borrello (far right) seems pleased with the operation's progress.

Next WBA Monthly Meeting February 21st, 2019, Mark Your Calendar!

boatOur next meeting will be Thursday, February 21st, 2019 at 7 p.m. at Two Guys from Italy at 11637 Webb Chapel Road, just south of Forest Lane. We'll be continuing our door prize tradition, giving out a classic boating book from collections donated by Pat Baldwin and Bill McNally to a lucky winner.

Our meetings are a great opportunity to socialize with fellow WBA members and to talk shop on questions on everything from paint and varnish to carburetor kits. We'll be swapping stories of our various boating and project adventures. February's meeting is extremely important, as it will be our planning meeting for the coming boating season. Please come and share your ideas for our activities for the year. And, of course, we'll have generous helpings of fellowship and Italian food.

Join us for a light meal and moderate libation at 5:30 p.m. at Two Guys from Italy prior to the meeting. We encourage you to join us for dinner, so we'll always have the required minimum number of diners to avoid a room charge.

Shop Talk and Musings

I read somewhere that a guy was contemplating opening a fitness center on January 1 that would change into a bar on or around February 15. The idea was that people would have every intention of keeping their New Year's resolutions about diet and exercise, but the commitment would only last for about 6 weeks, and he wanted to profit from the backslide. I'm not very good at New Year's resolutions myself. But the turning of the New Year can inspire some thoughts about what we can do in the coming year to sustain and improve our Club. The WBA is what we choose to make it, and can be no more or less. Join us for the February planning meeting and help the WBA be better than ever!

From all of us here on the Bilge Pump Staff, Happy New Year and best wishes for a safe and prosperous 2019!

And finally, please take a look in the shed or garage for leftover parts or other salable items you can donate to the Club. Bring them to any WBA meeting, or contact David Kanally at david@historywithheart.com for pickup.