Special Event Edition!
July, 2011

Register Now for Ride 'n Show, Aug. 26-28

The Hilton Bella Harbor, Rockwall...

We're less than two months out from our exciting Ride 'n Show event, slated for the docks at the harbor of the city of Rockwall on the east shore of Lake Ray Hubbard. All the planning is in place, from a welcome dinner at Luna de Noche to the show along the beautiful municipal docks in front of the Hilton Bella Harbor, to a moonlight sail on Saturday aboard the 40-foot wooden catamaran, Seawolf, skippered by builder Scott Self.

  

...and the adjacent dining and shopping complex

We've even found a way to continue our Sunday Brunch tradition, since the Hilton serves up a nice buffet on Sunday mornings. Hotel rooms are going fast, so if you need one, book now, either through your favorite travel site, or directly with the hotel. This year, the Ride 'n Show will be classier than ever. Please register separately for the event, and for the sail aboard Seawolf. Let's have a great turnout and make some real memories! Read more!

White Rock Lake Centennial a Rousing Success

From Port Arthur, to Houston, to Austin to Tulsa, wooden boaters flocked to White Rock Lake June 24-26 to celebrate the Centennial (Richard Haug photo)

White Rock Lake turned 100 on June 25, 2011, and the WBA and SW Chapter of ACBS members were there in good numbers to mark the occasion. Sponsored by the Corinthian Sailing Club and the White Rock Boat Club, a wooden boat parade followed by an open house and dockside boat show at both clubs allowed hundreds of visitors to see our boats both underway and in static display.

Watch the video! See slideshows!

Brian Fielder skippers "Gypsy Soul" to lead the parade of boats on Saturday morning. Despite rough seas, the parade was a safe and successful event. Boy Scouts provided the color guard. (Richard Haug photo)

  

Scott Reichardt's "Old #7" was a big hit dockside at the Corinthian Sailing Club (Chip Rathbun photo)

In addition to the parade and boat show, wooden boaters enjoyed a Friday night Italian dinner at CSC, and a Saturday night dinner at the Beach Party of the Century hosted by the Highland Park Cafeteria. The event was capped by a fireworks display on Saturday at 9 p.m.

Blustery conditions failed to foil the event, and all agreed it was a successful celebration. Thanks to everyone involved!

The Corinthian Sailing Club's open house on Saturday featured birthday cakes for White Rock Lake. Originally a city water supply, the lake was the hotbed of wooden boating from the '30s through 1958. (Rhonda Wolfe photo)

Harvey Party Ushers in the Season

Special thanks to Ray and Carol Harvey for hosting our Summer Kickoff Party at their lovely home in Dallas on June 17. The gathering doubled as the Club's June meeting. A buffet spread and hot grill made for good eats.

 

Round tables with white tablecloths were set in the spacious lawn of the Harvey's home. Bill Kimball also gets a good measure of credit for helping with organization, promotion and operation of the bash. Thanks, Bill! (Jay Emerson photos)

Rendez-Vous at Lake Lewisville: Casual Fun!

Let's not forget that our June activities began on June 11 at the Dallas Corinthian Yacht Club on Lake Lewisville. Thanks to an invitation and some Texas hospitality by Mark and Gail Wilson, the attendees enjoyed the beautiful facilities of the DCYC and a chance to run on the lake. (Richard Haug photos).

  

The event was organized as a result of several club members remembering the casual "rendez-vous" type outings that characterized our Club's earlier days. This event proved that all you need is good food, good friends, a few boats and a lake, and you've got it made! Thanks, Mark and Gail!

Next Monthly Meeting is July 21 at Midway Point, Don't Miss It!

Join us at the Midway Point on Thursday, July 21st for the next monthly meeting of the WBA. We'll be finalizing details of the Ride 'n Show at Lake Ray Hubbard (Aug. 26-28). The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 21st 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.

Shop Talk and Musings:

What a busy June we've had! Maybe there'll be time to catch our breath, fill the boat with gas and touch up the varnish before our next big event, the Ride 'n Show, August 26-28. There's so much news this month, that we're foregoing the shop updates this issue (don't worry, we'll be back out there with the next Bilge Pump). Looking back on the busy month of June, I'm most struck by the high level of participation and enthusiasm from our members, and fellow wooden boaters from around the state (and even other countries, like Oklahoma! :-) Our hobby is alive and well, and continues to be of interest not only to our members but to the general public as well. A couple nice people-related things happened at the White Rock Event. First, Kathie Tipping, daughter of the original owner of Lew White's Willis runabout, came all the way from Marble Falls to see the beautifully restored boat in person. She was pretty emotional about it, and said it would have made her Momma and Daddy proud. Also, Bob York, the 95-year-old original owner of Troy Marshall and Robin McGeorge's Yellow Jacket, walked the docks with his son Bobby and saw his old boat freshly restored, and expressed his pride and gratitude. Our boats can't speak for themselves, so it's a rare treat when their original owners or families can share their memories. Memories are a huge part of our hobby.

WBA member Dennis Cheatham has shared the incredible story of his son Dylan's health crisis and survival. Several of us had the good fortune of meeting Dylan out at the Lucas shop in December of 2009 during the restoration of Chuck Pool's Yellow Jacket. Dylan gave a hand pulling old nails out of the rub rails, allowing us to re-use the rails in the restoration. More recently, Channel 8 WFAA news has done a feature story on Dylan's miraculous medical story. Hear and see Dylan and his parents tell their story of faith in this video. If you like the story, please go to reporter Shelly Slater's Facebook page and post a "like" for the story.

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.