WRC Guys and Gals,
The forecast didn’t look too favorable for a meet today but that was the local forecast ! So being this is the last scheduled meet for the year and I had everything already loaded, the boat hitched to the truck, we were ready to go ! The ride down to Atwood is about a 2+ hr trip and was uneventful even tho the sky was getting more threatening with every mile we drove ! By the time we got to the Atwood launch ramp it was drizzling, but it apparently didn’t dampen the spirits of those already there as the parking lot was packed !
One of the first members I greeted was John Hagerman who told me he got there about 8:00 and most of the trucks and trailers were already there ! I made my way around to see who else was there and what goodies they had brought ! Mr. Jay Miller was strolling down the parking area and as usual had a big smile on his face when he saw me, that usually means he has something interesting to tell me; we chatted for a bit then moved on to check out the rest of the gang ! A few others I greeted were Marty Belfi, Dave Mettle, Tom Shanor and Tom Kenepp.
As I wandered on up to see what the Reed Boys (Bill & brother John) were checking out in the back of Scott Wimbush’s truck, I met Dan Curran getting his beautiful Crestliner ready to launch. He told me he had just cleaned it up a bit for the meet (Gross understatement) as it was polished from stem to stern and had the manual start 35 Johnson looking equally good ! Just a little elbow grease, some Brillo pads and your done, right Dan ?
There were so many boats this time I can’t begin to name all I saw but I’ll try ! Bill Reed’s SeaNymph with a newer Merc 20hp, John Reed’s Chrestliner with an 18 Johnson, Marty Belfi’s aluminum with a ?? motor, John Fairgrieve’s Feathercraft with a 25 Evinrude, Randy Wilcox 15 Aluminum with a 15 Evinrude, Bob Joynt’s FeatherCraft with a 25 Evinrude, Dave Mettle’s 12ft aluminum with a 18 Evinrude, Jay Miller’s aluminum ?? Motor ?, John Hagerman’s aluminum with a 25 Johnson, Mike Seachrist’s beautifully home built 15fter with his Mercury 25 on it, Jerry Kay’s ChrisCraft Kit boat with an 18 Evinrude, my 13ft Arkansas Traveler with the PO-15 Johnson. There ware several more non-members that I didn’t know that brought some really sweet little rigs, one was a friend of Jay Miller who restored the beautiful Mk 30 Mercury that I don’t remember what the boat was ?
With the drizzle continuing we started launching the boats, Ryan Hollingsworth helped me get the Ark in the water to try out the PO -15 ! It took several pulls and much help from the peanut gallery on the dock to finally get it going, but it finally roared to life and gave Ryan and I a good ride ! Much as I love the the big iron, both working on them and running them it is a real work out starting, running and getting them dialed in. So once I was content it ran I decided to swap it out for my alternate back up Merc 200 I had brought ! Thank gosh for Ryan’s good muscles to help me swap the two engines ! The Merc is one of my favorite engines, runs strong idles perfect and is just a great engine !
With so many boats in the water going all different directions it was a challenge trying to take pictures, steer the boat and not run into anyone, but we managed and hopefully we’ll have the pictures posted to our web site in the next couple days ! John Hagerman (Our official professional Photographer) was busy snapping shots every time I saw him ! I decided to veer off from the gang and head down the lake for a little sightseeing. The Merc was running great and I just throttle back to a nice leisurely pace checking out all the houses, cabins and dock set up along the shore ! As I was cruising along down by the island when I noticed a larger boat getting ready to tow a smaller one, as I got closer I saw it was Randy Wilcox towing Carl Goodwin in his flat stern Canoe with a TN 5hp on the transom. Thinking maybe Carl had run out of gas or the motor had just quit I asked if they were Ok ? Randy gave me the thumbs up so I continued back to the docks.
Back up at the meet area I decided to walk around again to see if I’d missed anything ? Scott and Bob Davidson were getting the white boat ready to launch, Rex Jackson was also assisting ! Rex is one of our newest members and always willing to give a hand ! I ran into Jeff Brewster and had a little chat about how he and Dave Deck were doing in the racing circuit ? I haven’t talked to Dave in quite a while (my Bad) Jeff said Dave has been having some health issues, I will follow up on this you can bank on it !
Tony Torgersen had a trunk full of goodies that many of the guys were going thru, Tony always has some unique items to swap or trade ! Once back under the canopy’s I got a chance to talk to Carl Goodwin to ask what happened to his motor ? Carl, never being at a loss for words proceeded to tell me he wasn’t able to get the motor running ! So I asked him “how did you get so far down the lake” ? He said he’d rowed ! Now you have to realize he was about 2 miles down the lake when I saw them and he is a senior to many of us in age ! To say this man is youthful at heart would be a major understatement ! And he is still racing sprint cars ! You go Carl !
Lunch was announced and as usual Mike Seachrist and wife Judy put on a great spread ! Hotdogs, pulled Pork, Macaroni salad, chips, and enough food to satisfy the hungriest of appetites ! And the deserts were to drool over, Keylime pie and Cindi Hagerman’s brownies, plus I forgot to mention the the Donuts Bob Joynt and Leslie brought which always go over very well in the morning !
Once Lunch was over I walked back up to the trucks and Suv’s to see if there was anything I couldn’t live without, Nope didn’t miss anything till I walked back down to where Jay and Kerry York were set up. There was an engine on a stand sitting under the canopy I hadn’t seen before or just didn’t bother to notice ! As I stopped to look at it Jay said “do you notice anything different about this engine” ? As I looked it over I began to realize it was something I’d never seen before ! It was still covered with, as Bob Joynt would say “Patina” ! Or just greasy dust ! Jay said “do you know what it is?” ? I said “not exactly but it looks like a Callie powerhead” He said “well you’re partly right but the giveaway is the gas tank” ! The tank had two brass caps on it, one marked gas and the other oil ! Jay explained the tank was from a Detroiter ! But I said “the Detroiter was a 4 cycle and the powerhead is a 2 cycle! What gives ?” Jay went on to explain they (He and Kerry) had talked with Jay Walls and with many pictures sent and conversations they determined it was a masterful powerhead transplant of a Callie powerhead unto a Detroiter mid and lower unit, with several very creative pieces to adapt the two together ! Needless to say it is a great conversation piece ! Not sure if it would run but it would be fun to try getting it to start !
Back down at the water many of the boats were out and running again and the drizzle had stopped giving way to sunnier skies ! So it was time to go for another run. I walked down to the ramp to watch Mike get his homebuilt boat with the Merc 25 ready to run ! Scott was working on getting it started and fine tuning the carbs ! Once he got it dialed in he took it out for a run, and run it did ! Of course all of the guys with the light weight boats were out there to challenge him but I’m not sure any of them caught up with him ? I fired up the Merc and cruised over to see Scott start the 25 with Mike at the helm, What happened next was pure coordination and agility on Scott’s part along with Dave Mettle at the helm of his boat !
Scott starts Mikes boat, and climbs up on the deck while Mike jumps into the drivers seat ! With Mike at the wheel Scott motions Dave to pull up next to them so he can climb into Dave’s boat ! The transfer is as smooth as glass and Mike takes off in a shot ! I only wish I had foresight to have recorded it on my phone but alas I didn’t know in time what was happening ! It would have been the cover shot of the decade if we’d got it !
After several runs around, Mike brought it back into the dock with a grin a mile wide on his face ! I forgot to mention that Mike had the hydraulic power trim jack-plate mounted on the boat
and the engine was mounted on it, this gives the driver the ability to trim the engine up raising the bow slightly for more speed !
With the day wearing on many of the boats were being pulled and loaded up for the journey back home ! Even with the drizzle most of the day no-one complained as these guys and gals take advantage of the good times no matter what ! So I hope everyone enjoyed the day as much as we did ! We had a sign in sheet showing 32 members and guests and I’m sure that wasn’t the true total !
So a huge thanks to Mike and Judy for hosting the meet and providing a great lunch ! Also a big thanks to those that contributed to the menu bringing deserts, chips, water and other condiments. Also thanks to those that helped tear down and clean up after the meet !
Until next time, Keep the Blue Smoke Flowing !
Gary & Peggy