This has got nothing to do with Porsche 914's but I'm still stunned....

I've been resurrecting/rebuilding a wooden sailboat built back in 1958, and out of the blue tonight, I got a phone call from a West Coast Legend...

Mystic Seaport Archives

My boat's designer (she was a 1-off), Mr. Bill Garden just called me. Most if not all of you are like "so what, who the hell is that..."..


He's in his 80's but still sharp as a tack...he has designed hundreds of yachts.. yet he remembers this boat in absolute detail...

It would be simiilar to being called by Dr. Porsche, or Carroll Shelby, to check in on one of their race cars. or prototypes............

My heart is still racing...

Coolest thing is.. he wants photos (he doesn't use the internet), which I'll send. In trade, he's gonna send me a new jib (that's $500 worth of sail these days)

Anyhow, I was/am really excited....

sorry for the non-Porsche subject matter....

I friend is a ford guy. His Dad, is as well. and has a GT350. They go to vegas every year, to some meet at Caroll shelby's place.

Carol took the car for a spin, signed the dash a couple years go. I guess when Carol asks for the keys to your GT 350 you hand them over.

I guess he drove the car, Pronounced it good.

I think its cool that he did that.

Thats really cool that this guy called you, just to check up on his creation.

William Lyons. founder of Jaguar cars, I believe once said a car is the closest humans have come to creating life.

Maybe that extends to a boat.

thats far cooler than if ferry or carol called. the production numbers spell that out. that guy is a legend. all though only to people who know wich way to throw your jib while on a starboard tack.

QUOTE (Hawktel @ Mar 30 2006, 07:08 PM)

I friend is a ford guy. His Dad, is as well. and has a GT350. They go to vegas every year, to some meet at Caroll shelby's place. Carol took the car for a spin, signed the dash a couple years go. I guess when Carol asks for the keys to your GT 350 you hand them over. I guess he drove the car, Pronounced it good. I think its cool that he did that. Thats really cool that this guy called you, just to check up on his creation. William Lyons. founder of Jaguar cars, I believe once said a car is the closest humans have come to creating life. Maybe that extends to a boat.

Wow..... having a genuine GT350 is very cool.. having Carrol Shelby drive it would pretty much make the rest of my life downhill from there.....

I must say, though, I was pretty well as excited as your friend must have been...

QUOTE (messix @ Mar 30 2006, 07:28 PM)

that guy is a legend.....

So you know what I'm talking about....

QUOTE (Brian Mifsud @ Mar 30 2006, 08:05 PM)

QUOTE (messix @ Mar 30 2006, 07:28 PM) that guy is a legend..... So you know what I'm talking about....

Check out where messix lives - He knows!



Congrats Brian, what an absolute thrill!! I've been admiring your boat in the avatar and wanting to ask you abou it. Could you post a few pics?

brian. yeah i've been around boats a while. my grand father grew up in a house over puget sound down in tacoma. and had a boat in the boat house at point defience till he died then my uncle took over , sadly it burned down.
then i new a guy who was restoring an old monk 33' that had a dozen or so race plaques from the thirties and post war. one of my cousins has had a sail boat for 30 yrs and club races, crewed for her many times. can't think of all the people that are into the old wood that i have met or known.
mr garden is part of the rich history of the water culture that seattle has, you can't go into a nieborhood up here [one the doesn't have restrictive covenents] and not see several boats.

Hi Mike,

I just got these in the mail the other day from a woman who is apparently a friend of Bill Garden. She evidently gave him my phone number and "set me up"

There were taken in 1960 when my boat was only 2 years old. "Shildshoe Bay" (taken by Mr. Andy Goodwin).




Sailing in 1960:



then jump ahead 40 years after several owners, the last of which died with Alzeimers, boat hadn't sailed for 15 years:



Then I come along....



bite the bullet and rebuild:



after too much money, blood and sweat....



let's go racing...





Hope to publish a similar series with my car.... Los Panchos here I come...

pic didn't show up!

If Ferry Porsche called me, out of the blue, I'd probably be dead, cause he is. The Cap'n

I just posted them to webshots.... here is the URL

My Webpage

newest photos on last page...

Sweet! I saw how much work went into my aunts boat. A lot of craftmanship and hours where spent on this. Very Nice! Where do you doc? I get down to San Diego a couple of times a year.
Chris

QUOTE (effutuo101 @ Mar 30 2006, 11:45 PM)

Where do you doc? I get down to San Diego a couple of times a year. Chris

Excellent question... boat is still in S.F. Bay since I haven't found a spot for her down here. Marina space is tough to get in Southern Cal (at least San Diego), so they are charging 1 1/2 to 2 times Bay Area (so it can't be Cheap!!)

Once I find a spot, I'm going to hire one of these:



to haul it south...wish I could sail it, but don't have the week it would take to do the 600 miles.....

Once I'm up and running down here, I'll post "Sail days" in the Sandbox for anybody who wants to go out...

Hi Brian

I love wooden boats & happy to know other 914er's do. Every year I attend a local Northern MI wooden boat & car concours show. Here's a similiar picture to get a woodie over.

Tom

Brian,

Here's another woodie for you.

Tom

QUOTE (Thomas J Bliznik @ Mar 31 2006, 07:47 AM)

Brian, Here's another woodie for you. Tom

Wow.. I see a "Gar Wood" down there...

"Gars" are kinda like a "Duesenberg" of old mahoghany speed boats...

nice to see teeners have other highly developed tastes..

She is a beauty! And all wood, I think they have more of a soul than glass. Don't tell my Macgregor....

QUOTE (Thomas J Bliznik @ Mar 31 2006, 08:45 AM)

Hi Brian I love wooden boats & happy to know other 914er's do. Every year I attend a local Northern MI wooden boat & car concours show. Here's a similiar picture to get a woodie over. Tom

I cannot afford a real boat.....so I have to make due with one of these (of course mine is still sitting in the box awaiting completion, hahaha)

Brian:
Keep the love of that boat project alive. I respect what your doing. It will be worth it when finished.

Mueller:
Good to know you like wooden boats.
Here's a story about my "Woodie".
I bought a new Old Town Wooden Canoe in 1992 & it's still hanging in the rafters. It's never been in the water. It took the Old Town factory over 1-year to complete because I marked the option check box for an Indian design over the canvas covering. They had to bring a worker back from retirement to paint the design. I was told my OCTA 16' was the last one with Indian Design painted at the factory. When I took delivery late in the fall of 1992 I had the local Indian Tribal chief bless & do an Indian dance over the canoe. You know good hunting & fishing stuff. Really brought out the neighbors. I then put the canoe in the rafters and things just got placed around it sealing it's fate. I hope to get it out of storage one of these days. It sure wood look good on top my yellow 914.

Tom
Here's a peek at the canoe in storage.

Yakima racks mount easily on a 914 targa top!!! there's no stopping you now!!!

Awesome..didn't know "Old Town" was still in business.. what are they now, over 100 years old?

Brian,
I know this is getting a little off P-Content.

Here's that Gar Wood.

Tom

One more Brian,

When the owner of this Woodie started the motor. It sucked the wind out of the harbor. He punched it out and sent shiver's down everyone's back. It was awesome.

That's all from me now. I just couldn't help it. (Woodie Hard-on)

Tom

very nice boats. I want one!

Admins, can we move this to "Sandbox".. sorry for originally posting it in Garage.. was out of my head more than usual.

Thanks to everyone for the cool pics...

Those gars are going into my "boat-porn" collection.....

no move cause these have engines.

Ok Messix, you talked me into more pictures.

Here's the motor view of that Gar Wood.

Tom

How about a sail powered woodie.

Tom

Last one.

It's one long piece of wood.

Tom

ok you asked for it this summer when seattle has the old wood show i'll show you some wood. my step mom had dated a guy with an old runabout and that thing was a beuty.
those things are a lot more spensive than porsche to own let alone restore.

Well, I tried (to move the thread).... I believe those Garwoods were running around with WW1 Allison Aircraft engines.. we're talking gigantour displacement...



take that SBC or even BBC 914!!