Including the latest Lucas Shop News!
November, 2012

Ride 'n Show an Intimate, Blustery Event

Last year, when we held the Ride 'n Show on a 107-degree day in late August, we vowed to change the date to October to get cooler weather. Well, our wishes were fulfilled and then some! October 12-14 were cooler days for sure, with temperatures ranging between 60 and 80 degrees, with a stiff breeze on Saturday, easily gusting over 25 mph. Click here for slide show.

  

Saturday night brought a violent thunderstorm, but all ten skippers had pulled their boats from the water in anticipation of the bad weather. A steady stream of passers-by viewed the show on Saturday, but the main advantage of the Ride 'n Show was the gathering of our members, for fun, food, fellowship and, er, moderate libation. Some things don't change!
30th Annual Hill Country Show Unites Friends from Across Texas!

The cozy setting of the Lake LBJ Marina in Sunrise Beach gave a different look to the Austin Hill Country Boat Show this year. The small marina was filled nearly to capacity with the 14 boats that made their ways from Houston, Dallas and Austin to be at this 30th anniversary event. Click here to watch the video.

  

Organizers Scott Reichardt and Jim Frechette did a great job, arranging for cool temperatures, several hours of sunshine, and ample opportunities for entertainment. Scott and Pam once again opened their lakefront home to the group on Friday. Saturday's dinner was at the River City Grille in Marble Falls. Click here for the slide show.

White Rock Lake Family History: Bill Mott Speaks of his Dad

Bill Mott, local car guy and friend of the WBA, gave a warm and insightful presentation about his dad and his family's history at White Rock Lake. As a young veteran, Bill's dad resolved to marry a pretty girl, own a convertible, and own a wooden boat.

By the ripe old age of 22, he had accomplished all three goals, and went on to enjoy a full and successful life. Bill brought a large collection of precious family photos that chronicled not only his family's history, but also the cars and boats that were a part of it all. Thanks, Bill!
Lucas Work Raises Dust, Lays on Shine!

Above, Mark Wilson chips away at epoxy bound fasteners holding his old deck on. Once he fights his way through this time-consuming and often frustrating phase, he can begin the re-decking process.

Below, Robin McGeorge uses a work light to seek out runs in the 10th coat of varnish on the hull of the Super Sport he and Troy are restoring. By casting a bright beam of light at an angle, Robin makes the elusive runs show themselves.

  

Above, Marc Hill's deck is ready for staining. (l-r) Bob Wright and Marc are just working the little details here, replacing a couple bungs that weren't ligned up quite right. It won't be long before this Grand Prix is looking great!

Below, Robin uses a fine-grained sandpaper to level the runs that he's found in the varnish. By bringing the runs down flat with the rest of the finish, he's giving himself a good chance of a flawless final coat.

Guest Night Meeting is November 15, 2012. Don't miss it!

It's the meeting you've been waiting for, Guest Night! Join us on Thursday, November 15th at 7 p.m. at Two Guys from Italy at 11637 Webb Chapel Road, just south of Forest Road. Bring your spouse, your significant other, your main squeeze, your soul mate, your BFF! Your guest's dinner will be on the club! WBA Treasurer and benefactor John Parish has begun a monthly giveaway of one of his many boating and woodworking related books as a door prize. The November meeting will feature "The New Complete Guide to the Bandsaw" by Mark Duginske. Our program will be given by John Parish, who promises a presentation of extreme interest and value! 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:

Mark your calendar: the WBA Holiday Party is Saturday December 1, from 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. at our house in Coppell. Invitations to follow.

Sometimes we may forget just how much we love boating. I was reminded of my love of boating when I opened this photo from Seb Borrello in my email on Tuesday morning. Geez, looks like my face is going to break! Seb was on the rear seat of our 1957 Cowell runabout on Lake LBJ at the 30th annual Austin Hill Country Boat Show. We decided it was a good time to take a boat ride. The old Merc was humming nicely, and we cut through the chop comfortably at about 20 knots. Seb asked me to turn around for a picture, and that was it! What a great time we had at that event. Special thanks to Scott and Jim for another great show. On another note, I stopped by Lew White's place in Plano last week, where Bob Adair and Lew were getting ready to sand between coats of paint on the hull of Bob's Yellow Jacket project. We looked over some conceptual drawings Bob made for the Yellow Jacket bench project (see your October minutes for details). It's an added benefit of WBA membership to be affiliated with talented folk like Bob and Lew. Nice guys, too! See you soon.

And, finally:

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