Bilge Pump Masthead

Complete with a Project Update!
April, 2021

May Filled with Classic Boating Events!

After a year of cancelled shows, curtailed activity, and less boating than we would have liked, we're very pleased to announce that May, 2021 is going to change all that! With the easing of Covid restrictions in Texas, and the careful consideration of event organizers, our hobby is getting a big shot in the arm this spring.

  

Check out our three main Texas events highlighted in the articles below, and be sure to register for as many as you can. May promises to be an active and busy month for classic boating. We encourage all our members to receive their vaccines, and to continue to observe safety precautions in any public settings.
Keels & Wheels, Seabrook, May 1-2

 

 

Keels & Wheels celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, as one of the top classic car and boat shows in the country. The WBA has participated in the show each year, not only by bringing antique and classic boats to the event, but also by volunteering for the launch crew.

Registration forms and further information are available here. Be sure and register promptly, as the show is only a few short weeks away.

We still have a few openings on the launch crew. If you are prepared to arrive Thursday evening, April 29 and work the launch ramp with us, please let David Kanally know. Participation in the launch crew is offered on a first-come, first serve basis. Join us for this fabulous show.
Wood, Waves & Wheels, Ft. Worth, May 8!

Our friends at the Eagle Mountain Classic Boat Club and the Fort Worth Boat Club will host the annual Wood, Waves & Wheels show at Eagle Mountain Lake on Saturday, May 8, from 12 until 5 p.m.

This is a high-quality show in a scenic setting, and offers a day of enjoyment, not only of antique and classic boats, but also of vintage cars and motorcycles.

WBA's own Trey Bull is coordinating the boating portion of the show, and encourages you to register early. Get the downloadable flyer and registration form and make your plans to attend this fun event. See you there!

 
Rudders & Rods, Texoma, May 22!

 

 

Steve and Denise McCune will again join forces with Highport Marina and various local classic car clubs to host Rudders & Rods on Lake Texoma on Saturday, May 22. All WBA members are invited to attend.

There will be on-land and in-the-water boat displays, and a gathering of area vintage cars in the parking lot.

The group will enjoy a lakeside lunch at one of the Highport restaurants, and have plenty of time for fun runs, or just relaxing at the dock.

Further details will be provided as the date approaches. If you would like to participate or have any questions, please let Steve McCune know.

Watch Trey Bull's video of the 2019 show!

VP Gomes Presents Gar Wood History at March Meeting

 

 

The March meeting of the WBA was held on Thursday evening, March 18, at 7 p.m. via Zoom software. We had a good turnout, and our President, Scott Myers, led us through the business of the club. Minutes of the meeting contain full details.

Our VP, Mike Gomes, who has been an avid Gar Wood fan and owner, presented the history of the famous racer and boat manufacturer, citing his successful career as an inventor and industrialist. Wood loved racing large, powerful boats like Miss America, and he carried his design savvy into pleasure boats first for Chris-Craft, and then under his own name. Gar Wood boats are highly coveted today, with the 16' Ensign being the most familiar model. Thanks, Mike!
McCune Yellow Jacket Completed, Nevada Yellow Jacket Advances

(Above) After taking the 1957 Yellow Jacket Riviera home from the Lucas Shop, Steve McCune pulled her out into the sunshine for some glam shots.

(Below) Robin McGeorge and Seb Borrello do some cleanup work on the transom as the interior is prepared for refinishing.

 

(Above) Steve McCune's Yellow Jacket is all set for its debut at Keels & Wheels May 1 & 2. Let's hope the launch crew looks this good!

(Below) Seb Borrello and Ray Widmer discuss the patterns for the Nevada Yellow Jacket's toe rails, while Carl Lapiska repairs the port gunwale.

Next WBA Monthly Meeting April 15, 2021. Join Us On Line!

Our next meeting will be Thursday, April 15, 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: Farewell to a Friend of the WBA

Dek Kanally, my Dad, died unexpectedly on Sunday, March 21, 2021. He was 97. Dek (pronounced "Deek"), followed the events, meetings and gatherings of the WBA as if he lived here. He bought the 1957 16' Cowell King that is now our boat in Pennsylvania in 1969 when I was 16 years old, and he restored it twice between then and the time he gave it to us in 1999. At left, you see Dek, standing at the left with his late buddy, Jerry Bozzo, checking out the new deck he put on the boat in 1987. He took us fishing, water skiing and recreational boating in that little boat for many years. When my brother and I left home, Dek took other kids and their parents on boating and fishing trips to Chautauqua Lake, NY, Kinzua Dam, PA, and Kipawa, Quebec. He loved working on the boat and driving it. That boat is now part of his legacy, and we pledge to keep her shiny and well-running. The next time you see us in our boat, know that it's part of a 50-year family story, and that my wonderful Dad was the primary author of that story. More here.

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.