LaConner Boat Show ! 2011

[Skagitguy]

Here's some pictures of the LaConner show yesterday. Richard Young's and his Penn Yan, Brian Flahery with Peformer Havoc, Rick Love with his nice Dorsett San Juan !...I still like Dorsett's. Tim Jones 31' Skagit Saratogan ....what can you say ! ! Clint Strobel with three of his Skagits, Greg & Susie James ( i had another picture , but those parking lot stripe's did not help with the reflection on the hull ) 17' Skagit Express, Bruce & Vicki Bridwell with their all original 1958 20' Skagit and their other 14' Skagit runabout that their son Evan brought to the show ,Melaine & Mary and their original 1958 Skagit Offshore,Jan from Redmond with a nice looking Glasspar,Scott McDade and his wife with their 20' Skagit WeLike. Capt Chuck Posey won "Peoples Choice" award with his Wacanda boat.There was a 20' Skagit "working boat" ( red & white ) that was very nicely done as a crab boat. Sorry i did not pick up on the person's name , but was pleasant to talk to about all of the hard work that had been put into it. He was selling it for $6995.00 i believe. I hope i did not miss some names. weather-wise was not bad, a little cool in the am , but the sun came out in the afternoon and warm things up. Chuck

[strobee]

Thanks for the pictures. The Saratoga is much more impressive in person than in the pictures. Was a good day to talk boats. Hope the pitch from the trees cleaned off Bainbridge. clint

[Skagitguy]

Clint, Wish the pictures came out a little better , but i'am not a pro at this. Yup, That real fine pitch from those 2 birch tree's behind Bainbridge came off with a bubble bath and towel wipe down after arriving home @ 7:45 pm. Chuck

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

LaConner Boat Show

Great to finally attend this event with a boat. Great to see everyone (some old and new faces) and all the classic glass! Fabulous turnout!

I took the north route on the way over which was probably a good choice as Rosario Strait was foggy on the way over Friday afternoon. Light fog from Thatcher Pass, but further south it looked pretty dense. Arrived about 6:15 Friday. A group of boat owners helped secure the boat. I was a bit nervous the way the current runs in the channel. Turned in early Friday as I had been scrubbing the boat since 8 that morning.

The Saratogan got lots of attention....that's an understatement. I like to take credit for it, but it's really Howard Roberts masterpiece. I just put it back together.

Cole Comings did another survey for me in Anacortes on Wednesday. As usual, a crowd gathered around the boat and Cole was like a kid telling everyone about the boat. Cole's father, Cole Sr. was the engineer at Skagit plastics, lofted the blue prints up to full size and was responsible for building the plug for the hull. I wanted Cole to do the survey and he gave me a "fathers discount". So now I have a valuation and condition survey that I think is fair and can now get my commercial insurance necessary to carry passengers for compensation. Been a long haul!

We got to talking about when the boat was built and Cole thought it was built in 1957, same as the other two 31's. Think I've concluded that all three hulls were laid up at one time(in succession) and then the rest of the boat was completed one a time later. Cole thinks my number 3 hull is the one he and Cole Sr. had up in Vancouver when the Second Narrows bridge collapsed. That was June 14th 1958. Still trying to home in on some exact dates the 31's were built.

Left LaConner about 4:30 yesterday and went via the south route. 22 knots from Hole-in-the-Wall to just outside the Deception Pass bridge. Rosario Strait was 1-2 foot chop and the Saratogan sliced through it like a hot knife through warm butter. Arrived back in Friday Harbor about 6:15, just in time to hear Kyle Rife play the Star Spangled Banner (ala Jimi Hendrix) with the Eric Stone Band. (playing for the Latts and Atts Cruising Club).

Saratogan ran perfect....no mechanicals.

Great to see everyone. Thanks for stopping down to eyeball the 31. The boat is looking good, but I'm getting uglyer every day!

McSkagit

[STOREBRO36]

Saw you in the channel Tim

Hey Tim,

Saw you heading in, the outside channel, to LaConner. 31 looked great!

Connie had never seen your boat in person.

She said "wow", like many others have.

Hope you had a fun trip.....Steve.


Here is a photo Connie took from the skiff, while we were
anchored in pleasant bay Saturday.

Chuckanut point, behind the Storebro, was our family estate from 1939-2006.

[bham-rick]

Great Day

It was a perfect day. It was really nice (sort of) to only have one boat at the show to worry about. Had a good time meeting alot of new faces and seeing some new boats. I think it was a great display of our hobby/ obsession. We had boats in all stages of completion- I thought it was a great idea to have a "Blackberry" boat there. Although it was a lot better than a true Blackberry boat, there was nothing growing inside or out. Thank you to Greg J. & Susie for taking on the responsibility for the N.W.C.B.C. booth and handing out the cards and decals ! It sure would have been nice to have gone out for an overnighter after the show- Maybe next year put that on the books. I really had a thrill meeting Greg Prince the president of the Studebaker " Avanti" club He had an original Avanti which included all original Fan Belts Hoses- Mats Etc. What a beauty. I mentioned to him that the Dorsett was designed by Raymond Loewy who did the Avanti and he had never heard of that. He ran right over to see the boat and he is going to do an article in the club newsletter. If you look at the side mirrors of the Avanti it has the same Swoosh as the Dorsett logo. All in all it was a great day with great people from start to the dinner at the Farmhouse. Saratogan is an amazing boat and Tim did an excellent job with every detail. Sorry Tim I did not have my camera with me on the dock. I would like to get a group together and charter the Saratogan for an afternoon cruise someday ?? That sign between Bruce and Clint at the Farmhouse was very appropriate !

[Tim McCrain]

Darn it!

Wow, I'm sure sorry I had to work and miss this one, it looks like it was a really good show. Thanks much to Greg and Susie for representing the club so well!

Tim