My Dream list post lottery - Part II
My first post about the Lottery dream list covered a modest wish for a car that recently sold for about $14 million but only cost $6000 in 1963. & Here is the link to that article. I am not a greedy person, so I offer this next item on my dream list. This is actually well within my reach right now without a big lottery win.
The dream artifact from the past is the old Wooden Chris Craft boats. I don't know where I got my love for the beautiful wooden boats but it has been on my dream list for a long time. Back in the 1970's one of my customers had a yearly vendor meeting on Lake Rabun in north Georgia. They would pick us up at the boat house and take us to the cabin. Lake Rabun is known as the home of probably the most numerous and collectible Chris Craft and wooden boats. It is a realtively small lake that meanders throught the mountains and hills. There is only one boat house on the lake. I think it is currently called Rabun County Boat house but was originally Halls Boat house and that is what all the locals still call it.. My memory of the vendor weekends always causes a flashback of the great looking boats on the lake. Here is a link to Hall's boathouse with more Wood Boats
I think this is the same boat that they used to take us to the customer cabin.
I vaguely remember an Uncle who had an old Chris Craft and I think there is where I got my love for the shiny sleek lines. The sound of the inboard was also a big thrill. I have also had a long subjugated love for wood wood working ever since I made my first sloppy book ends in Bass High School shop class. I had no talent nor paitence in wood working skills then or now. I have worked on paitence most of my life to no avail.
Some of these boats range in cost from $15K and up, which does not require a lottery win. However, buying one would kill the dream, and the dream is what is most important and not really the boat. I have joined the Facebook page just to see the posting of these old wooden boats. Chris Craft on Facebook Link
Like most dreams, it may be nothing more than a wish for simpler times, when I at least thought that the beauty of craftsmanship was just as important as portfolio full of stocks. It may also be a yearning for simple times that never existed except in a young boys mind. I used to wonder why old people always live in the past, but not anymore. You have got to admit, these things are beautiful even if they are expensive to maintain and operate.
Here are some pictures from various websites.
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I do not blame him but Alan Jackson made a million dollars writing about my childhood. He was raised just a little piece down I85 from Atlanta in Newnan Georgia and he is 13 years younger than I am, but his dad rebuilt a boat too. One thing for sure though, I would not take a million dollars for my memories riding around Allatoona Lake as a kid.
Here is his tribute song to his dad, Gene. It's called 'Drive.' beaufortcountynow.com |
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This was a companion article to one I wrote about our plywood boat. I do know where I got my love for wooden boats. It was when I was about 5 or 6 when dad traded for an old plywood boat and rebuilt it. It was not a Chris Craft but it was a cherished part of my childhood.
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Gee Bobby Tony, once again, you inspire me to have a reason to live ... outside of the 1,001 reasons that I already have, of course.
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I had a friend who had an open wooden boat (about 22 feet long) with an inboard (about 200 horsepower), upon which I learned to water ski on the Pamlico River.
Now that you mention it, those were good memories.
Now, all we have to do is write a song together. Hey, I am working on, "The Night they Drove Ole Dixie Down" right now.