Vintage Race Boat Shop

  We maintain vintage wooden boats.

 

Saturday Morning Gatherings

All are welcomed - please bring donuts !!!

 

If you get a chance, please stop by and join our Saturday Morning Gatherings. We provide fresh pots of coffee, shop projects to discuss, a big screen TV and usually have some vintage boat racing videos playing in the background. If you would like to join our therapy group, put on your grubbies and come join the fun. We usually have around 15/20 vintage wonderers attending, with a couple of stools and chairs, hot coffee, way too many donuts, and lots of good vintage boat banter. Join us, the coffee is usually ready by 9:00 AM - please bring donuts !!!

Current & Past Projects

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire during the summer months. For the past ten years, we have held our Saturday morning Gatherings at our shop in the beautiful and historic village of Wolfeboro at 7 King Street, just off Bay Street and across the street from the entrance of the Sawmill Marina and the Wolfetrap Raw Bar & Grill.

 

Mount Dora, Florida during the winter months. We are located in the beautiful and historic village of Mount Dora at 638 East 3rd Avenue, two blocks from our friends Gordie and Patti at the Grandview Bed &Breakfast and just four blocks from the Mount Dora public docks and ramps. When down in Florida, we usually meet for breakfast at the Green Roof Cafe on old route 441 in Tavares.

   

On November 3, 2012 the Maloney family stopped by our new home/shop for our first Saturday Morning Gathering in Mount Dora and yes, they brought donuts.

 

Then we hauled our skiffs to the Buzzard Beach Ramp on Route 441 on Lake Eustis, near the Dora Canal for our morning launching ceremonies. After a little help, we finally got all 15 Jersey Speed Skiffs launched, started and ready to romp.

Tavares Skiff Fun Run - Recap & Photos !!!

 

Some Past Wolfeboro Spring Launching Ceremonies & Celebrations !!!

 

Tavares Vintage Race Boat Regatta - March 19-21, 2010

After many years of wanting to make the Mt Dora/Tavares ACBS boat show and many years of excuses, this is the year that we finally made the trek south to sunny and warm Florida. We hauled My Precious to participate at both the CRA Vintage Race Boat Regatta and then the ACBS Boat Show the following weekend. The weather was sunny and warm, the vintage race boats were beautiful and fast, and we had a great time. Many thanks to Dick Whyte and the entire CRA crew for a fantastic vintage event. We had a great time and now Tavares in on our annual schedule, so look for our NH Navy again at Tavares in 2011 ???!!!

Click here for Recap & Photos

 

We had a special treat on Saturday morning 5/15/2010, when Michael Hill and Wain Trotter stopped by for a visit, after picking up The Specialist from Jason Pomerleau. They trekked all the way from Toronto, and they brought lots of donuts!!!

       

       

       

After hauling from winter storage back to the shop for spring commissioning, on Saturday afternoon 5/15/2010 we launched Foxwood

         

         

         

         

         

       

Foxwood Video #1 - let it load & crank it up !!!

Foxwood Video #2 - let it load & crank it up !!!

Foxwood Video #3- let it load & crank it up !!!

Foxwood Video #4 - let it load & crank it up !!!

On Saturday afternoon, 5/22/2010 we lowered Compulsion and MisStress in the boathouse, commissioned the motors and fired them up, ready for another summer of fun !!!

       

       

     

 

On Monday afternoon 5/24/2010 we re-launched My Precious at the Wolfetrap !!!

 

         

         

       

     

Then on May 25th, after hauling Lollypop to the Sal's for some fresh Sunoco 93 octane rocket fuel, we launched Lollypop at the Wolfeboro public docks. The motor fired instantly and the water pump was flowing full force within minutes. It was cause for celebration, the sound was magical as the fresh 93 octane Sunoco flowed through the fuel injected Crusader small block marine motor. It sounded real nice, as the motor began to "smooth out" with the fresh Amsoil synthetic oil and the Crusader fuel injection system. The Hurth down/angle transmission provides for a low drive shaft angle, and the newer 4-blade prop technology is very efficient and very smooth. This boat likes to run.

         

         

       

Click here for video - let it load & crank it up !!!

 

And then Bob drove Lollypop home, to their boathouse on Treasure Island...

 

     

     

 

It was a good day, many thanks to Bob Calhoun & Lollypop.

After three full seasons of use, Lollypop will return to the shop this fall. The existing varnish coat is very nice, but it is also very thin, so two fresh coats of bottom paint and four fresh coats of amber tinted Epifanes varnish will maintain the stunning finish !!!

 On May 26th, we launched a very nice 1966 Century Resorter - Cherish

         

         

       

     

Click here for video - let it load & crank it up !!!

On Saturday afternoon, June 5th we launched Alalou II at the Wolfeboro public docks.  We had a good crowd for for our regular Saturday Morning Gathering for coffee and doughnuts and then the sun came out for our launching ceremonies !!!

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

Many thanks to Lynn & Bob Doyle for sharing our project, and watch for Alalou II this summer at the annual Lake Winnipesaukee ACBS Boat Show.

ACBS Boat Show - July 23-24, 2010

         

       

   

Spring Commissioning & Sea Trials - 2010 ???!!!

On June 8, 2010 we finally got a break in the weather and we trekked over to Gosling's boathouse to commission the motor and run our spring Sea Trials. The motor fired right up and after we primed the cooling system, the water was flowing nicely. As the attached photos show, Donnie put a hand held tack on the motor and we topped out at 4,800 RPM's, with the sweet spot right at 3,000 RPM's - perfect. Will probably stay with the 13x16 4-blade prop this summer and play with some "speed props" in the fall. The weight and power of the rebuilt Hemi and 1931 Chris craft hull design are well matched with this prop and it is time to get out and enjoy another summer here on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee.

Many thanks to Cyndy and Gary Kiedaisch for sharing our project. and watch for Gosling this summer at the 37th Annual Lake Winnipesaukee ACBS Boat Show.

ACBS Boat Show - July 23-24, 2010

         

         

      

Click here for video - let it load & crank it up !!!

 

In the spring of 2010, we picked up Windswept from winter storage and hauled back to the shop for the driveline repairs. We had a friend bend/straighten the strut and rudder, ordered a new drive shaft with machined coupler from H&H Propeller in Salem, MA and a new 15x18 4-blade prop from Accutech in Dover, NH. On projects like this, it's all about sourcing the special parts.

   

   

We took a lot of time to reinstall the running gear and properly aligned the motor, because we wanted to make sure that Windswept would run smoothly, without any driveline vibration. We also changed the oil, filters, spark plugs and filled the gas tank with Sunoco 93 octane rocket fuel. Then on 6/12/2010 we were ready for launching ceremonies and sea trials. The motor fired right up and the boat ran very well and very smooth. We were happy after all the hard work.

       

       

     

Then on Monday 6/14/2010 we hauled Windswept to deliver to Bob Angelica at the Lee's Mills launching ramp, very near his summer home on Green's Basin. Bob jumped right in and drove Windswept home, for another season of many boat rides and summer fun on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee ???!!!

         

       

   

Windswept video - let it load & crank it up!!!

How it all began.....

Our first "Saturday Morning Gathering" was held on November 9, 2002

when Len Gardner and Ken Sandhage stopped by with donuts ???!!!

   

Len and Ken brought donuts again on November 16th, and Mark Howard also stopped by. After they all left, we finally got some work done - repairing the transom separation on Joe Anderer's 26 foot Hacker Craft - with our beloved 3M-5200 adhesive caulking.

       

       

 

Epifanes varnish.

 

              

This very special and very rare Packard motor belongs to Mark Howard's Scotty, and was brought in the shop for detailing that first winter.

Click here for Scotty's Webpage

       

       

 

On Christmas Day - we got snowed in ???!!!

 

 

 

Miracle of Science got prepped for varnish.

 

     

 

Work on Scotty began - detailing the bilge area.

 

     

     

 

Some of our regulars.

 

       

     

 

A special guest - Sam Rogers - previous owner of Scotty

 

     

     

Buffing and polishing fresh varnish, the results were absolutely stunning ???!!!

         

         

         

 

Finally - the hardware went back on.

 

     

   

 

And the trailer bunks got fresh foam and carpeting.

 

   

 

Shop Christmas Gatherings !!!

Some related vintage race boat links:

   

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