Register for January 15 Banquet Now!

The Annual Installation Banquet will be held at the Canyon Creek Country Club, 625 West Lookout Drive, Richardson, TX 75080, Saturday January 15, 2011, beginning at 6 p.m. This year's program will be brought to us by Scott Self, the designer, builder and skipper of the		breathtaking wooden catamaran Seawolf which sails on Lake Ray Hubbard. A very nice buffet dinner is, of course, on the agenda. You will want to be there so you'll know what everyone's talking about! Be as cool as humanly possible. RSVP to this link.

Holiday Bash Proves WBA is Sociable, Fashionable

The beautifully decorated home of WBA President and First Lady Jim and Rhonda Wolfe was the setting for our annual Holiday Party on December 4, 2010. Thanks to the Wolfes for a wonderful evening.

A wonderful spread of goodies prepared by the Wolfes and their friends completed the setting. The beaming faces of WBA members in attendance tell the rest of the story! See more photos!

Lew White's Willis Seams Beautiful!

When Lew White acquired this rare and historic, Dallas-built Willis runabout last year, he knew he wanted to do something about the tongue and groove joints on the deck. He found the solution routing the joints and inlaying fine

basswood strips into the joints. The results will be spectacular when the deck is varnished. Lew's project is progressing in the privacy of his own garage. Can't wait to see the finished product! See more.

Lucas Shop Update: Capri and Super Sports Coming Right Along!

We caught Robin and Troy back at it last week, refitting the front seat in their newest project, a very nice Chris Craft Capri (above). Somebody's going to get a nice boat when they've completed this latest in a respectable line of quality restorations.

The twin Chris-Craft Super Sports in the shop are also enjoying progress. Marc Hill has steamed and bent sister frames for the bow, and cut plywood panels for the underlayment of the bottom (below, left). Mark Wilson's boat shows similar progress (below, right).

Next Monthly Meeting is February 17, 2011--Don't Miss It!

Because of our Annual Banquet, there is no regular club meeting in January. Join us at the Midway Point on Thursday, February 17th for the next monthly meeting of the WBA. We'll be discussing our plans for the year as we lay out our annual calendar of events. A fascinating program on the Nimitz will be presented by WBA member Billy Hibbs. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 17th at the Midway Point at LBJ and Midway Road.

Join us for a light meal and moderate libation at 5:30 p.m. at the Midway Point prior to the meeting.

Dues Reminder!

It's dues time again, so save us a stamp and send in your $35 for your 2011 dues to: Mark Webster, 4440 Beverly Drive, Dallas, TX 75205. Thanks to all who have already renewed!

Shop Talk and Musings:

Last month we showed you the very nice 3'x4' standup WBA display designed by Carlos Cordoza. This month, we're happy to feature the beautiful and functional hinged wooden base designed and crafted by Bob Adair. Bob fashioned the base from solid mahogany boards left over from the restoration of Chuck Pool's Yellow Jacket. The rails of the display have a groove with latches that lock the display at the optimal angle for viewing (below, left). The back of the stand features a removable brace that can hold a small sandbag or iron weight to assure stability of the display in drafty conditions. Bob used brand new hardware to allow the stand to fold into a compact space. Special thanks to Bob for this addition to our Club's display!

Don't forget to RSVP for The White Rock Centennial celebration coming June 24-26. We've sent invitations to over 100 Texas and Oklahoma wooden boat owners, many of whom are ACBS members but not WBA members, to join us in the displays and parade. We'll be keeping you up to date on the plans as they are formalized. Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, we want to make sure we get it right. We're shooting for a total of 30 boats, which would be a record for a WBA-organized event, if memory serves. If you can bring your boat, please let David Kanally know via email or phone at 940-395-2742. See the flyer. Check out the parade route.

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 Phil Wolff at myoldboats@gmail.com for pickup.