In Loving Memory of DENNIS BOLGER

It's A New Woody Day!!
Dennis Bolger was about 280 lbs. and 6'4".  He was a big man in heart and in friends.  He lived in San Diego, California for many years.  He worked on the Apache Program, owned a wooden boat shop and had more friends than one knew what to do with.
He was friends with people like Joe Del Nero, Al Schinnerer and Ed Alexander to name a few;  you know, those really "great" people to know.
Don and I knew Denny for about 8 years since he retired here in McCall, Idaho.  Don and Denny were tight.  he always had an answer to questions and he always was there if you needed something.
We had the pleasure of restoring his capri, Deja Vu.  It was one of Denny's dreams before he passed to restore the Capri (he originally built it) and to ride around Payette Lake in it.  He did just that!!
He was past President of the Antique and Classic Boat Society in San Diego and did or was part of so many other things I do not know where to start............nor end........
McCall Boat Works also has the pleasure of restoring another boat of Denny's, a 1935 Dodge Double Cockpit Forward Runabout;  unfortunatley, he will only be able to look down on this restoration.

Please comment/blog if you knew Denny and want to share with others your memories of Denny.

I am unable to load my scanned photos today;  please go to our web site:  mccallboatworks.com to view some photos of Denny and his friends.
I will post them on the blog later if I can figure out what is up.

To you Denny, CHEERS!!

LOVE TO YOU, DENNY!!

Driving Twin Finn to Tahoe

It's A New Woody Day!!

I apologize for the delay in this blog.  Our good friend, Denny Bolger, whom was our wooden boat "hero" passed away the night before last from his battle with bone cancer.
He was the Past President of the ACBS-San Diego Chapter.  He and Joe Del Nero owned "Classic Boat Shop" in San Diego, California.
Denny was a great man with a heart that wouldn't quit;  one of the greats.  I will dedicate tomorrows blog to Denny Bolger.

In 2007, we had the pleasure of restoring his 1955 Christ Craft Capri, Deja Vu.  It was voted "Best Runabout" at the 2009 ACBS-Payette Lakes Show McCall, Idaho.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Well.........my next story covers our OTHER boat that will debut @ Tahoe 2010, Twin Finn.  Twin Finn is a 1959 Chris Craft Continental 21'.  It is owned by two of the very greatest people, Dr. Jim and Cyndi Atkinson of Tarzana, California.  Jim is a special guy, in that, his father worked for Chris Craft way back when.  Jim grew up and around Christ Crafts;  he is "all" knowing about these boats;  there are NO short cuts on this boat!!.......all the way from the new 3M5200 bottom, new wood, new paint to the LED lighting system..wow!!

This job started as a new bottom job and some misc. "boat help/work".  Well....., it turned into a near 100% restoration;  and now Twin Finn is Jim & Cyndi's pride and joy!!

Bungs popping/Lines seperating/seperation/planks cracking;

this is just the "Visual Stuff";

Hardware Removed & Ready to Flip for the new 3M5200 Bottom

Braces Now, Everybody!!Get this bottom OFF!

 This is our hires hand, Cassey, removing screw after screw and plank after plank, slowly revealing "what lays beneath".  All new ribs and frames.  Perfectly done!!RoT/RoT and more RoTBroken frames and ribs

And WAAALLLAA!! New Framing!!

 And WAAALLLAA!! New Bottom!!

Getting ready for flipping and the new transom/Templates for the new TEAK Floor

Sweet!! Look at that ribbon  stripe

Steam Bending New Planks 

and now for the famous Noel Weber "Gold Leaf" lettering;

instead of "gold" the Atkinsons chose "Chrome/Nickel" lettering to match the vintage "car/chrome" style of this particular model Chris Chaft

WOW!!  NOEL!!

BEAUTIFUL!!

Now prep for the white car paint

Check out that teak flooring! Fits like a glove. And the Engine! and nice copper pipes.  Wow! Now all the hardware back on!  New Furniture!

Sweet Sweet White Lines!!Varnish Mirror Image!

Now remember, this is varnish x 10-15 layers with wet sands inbetween;  no buffing!!

e

 SweetSweeter

Very Sweet

SEE YOU IN TAHOE!!!!!!!!

Woody Bucket List #1 & #2: 2010 Lake Tahoe Concours d'Elegance BOUND!!

It's A New Woody Day!!

You have to understand these boys live and die for their woodies.  I am going to give these boys their own "Woody Bucket List".  Let's start with item #1 and item #2.

the "Woddy Bucket List"

1. Chris Craft 1946 Cust 20' 100% Restoration JUSTICE debut @ Concours d'Elegance
2. Chris Craft 1959 Continental 21' 100% Restoration TWIN FINN debut @ Concours d'Elegance

JUSTICE
JUSTICE  was found next to a barn in Hagerman, Idaho.  A gentleman whom originally purchased the boat in 1946 had it "parked" next to his barn for the last 30 years because of a water-line leak.  My woody boat builder husband, Don Hardy, bought the boat behind my back (oops, did I say that??).  It has remained in our covered storage since 2001.  The Wolffs, residing in Washington, came into our shop in 2008 and purchased the old grey woodie with a total restoration.  So.......the boys have been working on it ever since.  Remember:  the words "100% Restoration" mean everything is new:  new wood for EVERYTHING (bottom, ribs, frames, keel, side panels, top deck, hatches and on and on), new screws, bolts, gauges, hinges, motor, chroming, deck lines, water lines, CPES, 3M5200 bottom, varnish x15 with wet sands in between and on and on........that's a LOT of work.
The Wolff's named the boat JUSTICE in remembrance of Julie's father, Gerald Weston, a well known judge out of Canyon County, Idaho, whom loved wood carving and wooden boats.
Okay........enough sentimental stuff;  on to the boat...............
This is the photo of the boat in 2001:

       

             Say good-bye to the original "Craft"

Now.........the old grey woodie is flipped and bottoms up!!  It is used as a template/pattern for the new restored boat. Everything needs to be taken off screw by screw, bolt by bolt;  everything is numbered/labelled, saved/baggied ect, ect. All of the "bones" of the boat need to be re-produced and "sewn"/"lofted" together

for levelness and floating value!

Bottom Bones and Ribs.....Gone!!

Templates are created for Reproduction and Restoration

Here we go!!  The backbone and ribs begin!

 

Nicel!

 

the boat builder guy

 the 3M5200 Bottom

Bottom On

CPES

Baggie Wrapped

Barrier Coat........Now we flip her!

A template "deck" is made to take on/off; genious!

Incredible! these guys are good!

Check that out!!  Whaallaa!! New bottom and top deck framed

oops!!  needs a new transom, too!

that's better!

the side planks are steam bent into shape,

screwed (nothing but siliconized bronze screws),

glued and bunged

(sounds like a good movie, ugh?)

and a boat is born;  Front end

Back end;  amazing transom beauty and framing

WOW!

the old wood tope deck planks are used

as templates to cut and lay the new top deck

WOW! now all of the boat is planked and bunged

 sanded and sweet!

Now...notice the fine razor cut line on the upper transom;

characterisitic of this model;  that is made with a steady hand!

 

the "blonde" wood in the decks are actually bleached wood

totally a piece of art

now, not to be the butt end of a good joke

butt.............

 to see JUSTICE complete 

you'd better be @ Tahoe

See you There!!

Until tomorrow..........it will be the debut of Twin Finn!!