Your Latest Bilge Pump

The intrepid WBA launch team gathered at the Lakewood Yacht Club ramp for a group photo. The old expression goes, "many hands make light work," which held true on Friday, April 29, as the group handled the event's launches with ease. Fair weather and a light breeze kept things cool. The group also enjoyed a couple nice dinners together.

Jim Donovan and Steve Seale helped launch Jeff Hill's Disappearing Propeller Boat, Sarah, on Friday. Although Sarah was the smallest boat to be launched, she holds as many or more family memories than any other boat in the show. The largest boat launched was a 30' racer. Stay tuned to the WBA Facebook page for more on the show.

Lake Conroe Rendezvous Bright and Breezy!

About 30 people turned out for the first of what we hope to be many rendezvous at Margaritaville on Lake Conroe, TX on April 8-10, 2022. Lisa and Lindy Robinson did a great job of selecting the venue and organizing group activities and meals.

Ten or so boats were driven and displayed during the rendezvous, which included members of the WBA, the Southwest Chapter of the ACBS, and the Texas Chapter of the Antique Outboard Motor Club. Thanks to the Robinsons and to all who attended!

Wood, Waves & Wheels May 7! Register Now!

Wood Waves & Wheels is returning to the Fort Worth Boat Club on Saturday, May 7! There's still time to register. Just let Trey Bull know if you can come. There will be water and land displays of a wide variety of antique and classic boats and some great vintage cars and bikes.

The WBA has traditionally sent a very respectable fleet of boats to this show, put on by our sister club, the Eagle Mountain Classic Boat Club. And there's a new treat this year, a completely refurbished clubhouse and the legendary Fort Worth Boat Club. Register now!

Emerson Demonstrates Wet Sanding and Buffing Techniques at April Meeting

Jay Emerson revealed a few of his trade secrets for achieving a mirror finish on mahogany boats at the April 21 meeting of the WBA at Two Guys from Italy in Dallas.

Jay brought his equipment and supplies for wet sanding and buffing varnish, including 2000-grit and 3000-grit sanding discs, 3M Finesse-it compounds, and a variable speed random orbital sander and a variable speed buffer with a fleece cutting pad and foam buffing pad.

Beginning with a nicely varnished piece of mahogany, Jay buffed out one side of the board, showing a major improvement in finish quality. Thanks, Jay, for sharing your knowledge and talent with us!

Watch Trey Bull's video of Jay's presentation here.

Project Updates from the Lucas Shop!

(Above) Carl Lapiska has completed the staining and sealing of the sides of his '64 Super Sport, and has also sealed the bottom with three coats of CPES.

(Above) Robin McGeorge and Bill Mott attach the king plank to the Hallams' Trigger. The size and shape of these parts were determined from photographs of late-model Yellow Jackets.

(Below) The Trigger is entering the home stretch, with mahogany filler stain from Sandusky Paints and a sealer coat of Schooner varnish thinned 50/50 for maximum adhesion.

(Above) Carl then mixed up some two-part Interlux primer and applied one coat to the boat's bottom. He'll do a second coat prior to applying bottom paint.

(Above) The crew set the deck hardware onto the Trigger just to see what the layout would look like. These would quickly come off to clear the deck for staining and varnishing.

(Below) Ray Widmer and Ann Hallam hold the rear seat back in place before it is fastened to its laminated seat springs with brass slotted screws. The cutouts in the seat backs and bottoms facilitate step-through.

Next WBA Monthly Meeting May 19 at Two Guys!

Our next meeting will be Thursday, May 19, 2022, at 7 p.m. In-person meetings will continue as normal, so long as the Covid infection rates remain low. You'll receive an email reminder for the meeting a few days prior. We've acquired a camera and microphone for the club to provide a much better Zoom experience for those who cannot join in person. We'll be continuing our door prize tradition, giving out an e-book of the lucky winner's choice, or a complimentary design of a boat show placard.

If you can't join in person, you'll be 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: Eric Wueste's Rare Piece of History

This cool-looking fiberglass boat is actually a Yellow Jacket! The company made a major foray into fiberglass boats beginning in 1957. They even built a separate plant outside Denison to handle the fiberglass fabrication.

Eric Wueste found the rare boat and bought it, and is well on his way to a full restoration. Eric brought the boat to the Lake Conroe Rendezvous. Most in attendance were unaware of Yellow Jacket's fiberglass boats, so Eric's display was a good education for the group.

We'll support Eric in any way we can with the authentic restoration of his boat, and look forward to the day when it will be on display at a WBA or SWACBS event. Thanks, Eric!

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