Including a Mellow, Yellow Project Update!
March, 2021

Power Failures, Freezing Temps Take Toll at Marinas

  

Trey Bull's boat slip neighbor on Eagle Mountain Lake was just one of many boat owners who suffered significant damage or loss from the recent frigid temperatures plaguing the state of Texas. This photo is a frame grab from Trey's Feb. 18 video. In this case, the strainers on the raw water intake lines froze and burst, causing lake water to enter the bilge. The boat nearly capsized. More video of this event is available on Trey's Facebook page. Many marinas sent out emergency warnings to all their slip renters, citing power outages, freezing water lines, and potential catastrophic damage to boats left untended.

February Planning Meeting Fleshes out Calendar for Events and Programs!

 

 

Our February meeting, as always, was our planning session for the upcoming season. The officers came to the meeting with a list of suggested events, and each was shared with the members present at the February 18 Zoom gathering. In addition to the events, monthly meeting programs were suggested, with several program slots being filled by members in attendance. If you would like to present a topic at a WBA meeting, let VP Mike Gomes know.

Finally, a list of planned and potential casual boating rendezvous were presented. Most are awaiting the assignment of specific dates. Once the dates are fixed, the events will appear on our website's Calendar of Events. You can see all the activities discussed at the meeting in the meeting minutes that were distributed via email after the meeting.
New Yellow Jacket Donation, Other Projects Advance!

(Above) A hardy band of WBA members and friends gather in North Richland Hills to pick up the 1956 Yellow Jacket Cruisette donated by Kathy Nerwin (far right) from the estate of her husband, the late Glenn Nerwin.

(Above) The donated Yellow Jacket is in familiar condition. Most Yellow Jackets have their hulls intact due to the preserving nature of the Resorcinol glue used in the hull molding process. Decks, as usual, will need to be replaced.

(Above) In other news, this is the underside of the top cowl of the Mercury Mark 58 40hp outboard on Steve McCune's '57 Yellow Jacket Riviera. On the left is the recoil pull start mechanism, which has been cleaned, lubricated and rewound. On the right is the electromagnetic choke mechanism, taken from a second parts engine that was part of the donated stuff Steve, Bill Mott and Bill Kimball hauled back from Nevada.

 

(Above) Phil Wolff furnished the tow vehicle and trailer for the move of the boat from Nerwins' storage space in North Richland Hills to its new, temporary home at Rick Schaffer's property on Eagle Mountain Lake. Video here.

(Above) Special thanks to Rick Shaffer for offering to store the Yellow Jacket until we have room for it in the Lucas Shop. We'll be looking for a reasonably priced, period correct trailer for this 16-footer. Let us know.

(Above) Still in its protective wrapping, the new windshield for Steve's boat fits just fine. The windshield was made by Regal Plastics in Irving, using the old, broken windshield as a mold. Given the plexiglass firm's workload producing Covid barriers for businesses and other organizations, the windshield production took more time and money than planned. The boat will be finished and ready in plenty of time for Keels & Wheels in May.

Next WBA Monthly Meeting March 18, 2021. Join Us On Line!

Our next meeting will be Thursday, March 18, 2021, at 7 p.m. Current COVID numbers and the likelihood of continued restrictions on indoor gathering sizes compel us to continue our virtual meeting format. The meeting will take place on line, using the Zoom application for your cell phone or your home computer. To make things easier at meeting time, it would be a good idea for you to go to your normal smart phone app store to download Zoom Cloud Meetings, or go to Zoom.us on your home computer and sign up. Prior to the meeting, you will be sent an email with a link to join the meeting, and further instructions. Those who wait to download Zoom will also receive a link to do that just before the meeting starts. If you are among those who need a few attempts to be successful with technology, you may want to get the downloading taken care of ahead of time.

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. Please join us on Zoom to be a part of our monthly fellowship!

Shop Talk and Musings

Now that the temperatures in Texas have risen to normal levels, we have thawed out enough to produce another Bilge Pump. We trust that you, your family and your home survived the big freeze with few adverse effects, and if you know any idle plumbers or pool techs, please share! We've been getting questions about the May 1-2 Keels & Wheels, and we've refrained from full-scale promotion until the K&W board makes its go/no go decision on March 15. Assuming that decision is a go, we will again provide the launch crew for the event. If you plan on going, and you haven't already made your reservations at the Spring Hill Suites in Seabrook, you should do so now. Call the hotel directly at 281-474-3456 to get a room in the block set aside for boaters at Keels & Wheels. Launch crew members should book three nights, arriving Thursday evening, April 29.

And finally, please take a look in the shed or garage for leftover parts or other salable items you can spray with Lysol, then donate to the Club. Contact David Kanally at david@historywithheart.com for more info.