Sunday, April 1, 2012

Tavares Boat Show Part 2


There are so many great boats and related items, we will have to have two entries on the blog. Many of these boats date from the late 1920's to about 1955, with most seeming to range in the 30's to 40's. It is quite a labor of love to restore one of these to like new condition.

In addition to the great classic boats, the Tavares lake shore is also a full-fledged seaplane port. As a result, seaplanes moved in and out of the dock area during the show, which added an interesting comparison to the classic boats.


Wow -- here is a boat that traces her heritage back to Alexander Bell's boat building business (part of Bell Labs) in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. This boat, "Tolka" was built in 1928 and used by Bell's partner, Casey Baldwin. This boat is now in perfect condition -- but it sure wasn't always that way as you can see below.


Here is the Tolka before it was restored after sitting in a field for 40 years. This give you an idea as to the amount of work needed to restore it to pristine condition. 


 

 Now, the Tolka is virtually perfect. This is just an amazing glimpse into the past!



Of course, Rick always goes GAGA over old outboards! He thought this 1957 Johnson was in great shape and would love to bring it home.

Sure enough, a vendor was featuring Rick's favorite -- Martin Outboards! Rick has a special place for these as he has restored one of these himself. 

In fact, here is Rick's restored 1951 Martin 60 (about 7.2 hp). This motor was purchased new by Rick's grandfather who gave it to Rick in about 1978. Rick dismantled it and restored it a couple years ago. Now, it runs like a new one and brings a real smile to Rick!