Inland Empire Antique & Classic Boat Society
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Issue 23, updated Dec 13, 2023
Inland Empire Scuttlebutt
Masthead Photo by: Alan Wardsworth
Featured Boat Cover: For Me and My Gal • Bob Henshaw, Coeur D’ Alene 2022
2023 Chapter Officers
President: Ron Yandt
Past President: BK Powell bk@ofcpros.com
Vice President: Wes Yandt
Treasurer: Mike Wilson
Secretary: Kathy Dutro
Membership: Petyr Beck
Webmaster: Sheena Kerfoot
Editor: Alan Wardsworth
Board Of Directors
Mitch Johnson
mitch.johnson@rogers-machinery.com
Glen Dutro
Alan Wardsworth
Petyr Beck
Dennis Riggs
by Alan Wardsworth
The boat in the masthead is owned by Bob Henshaw named For Me & My Gal and sometimes the U-Boat or Submarine after its fresh restoration sinking from a tiny vent hole that was not installed and siphoned the 1946 Chris Craft runabout full of water. Quick thinking got it to the surface with very little damage. I took this with my iPhone as I rode in a CDA 290 Nighthawk.
Message from the President
My goals as your new President are to improve communication to our members and to have more activities to use our boats and have some fun. The Board has seriously taken steps to get our Website up and running like it was a few years ago. And for the fun part, we have set the dates for all three boat shows that we sponsor. In addition, we have planned four 4 other events starting with the Spokane Boat Show January 26-29th. Next, there will be a Car/Boat Garage Tour in April or May. Then we will have a Show & Shine in early June. This is a tune up for the Whitefish Woody Weekend June 23-25, and finally use your boat Rendezvous on Lake Coeur d’Alene. There will be lots of other events to use your boat and meet other chapter members. So get your boat shined up and ready to go for 2023.
Happy Boating,
Ron Yandt
Our Mission:
To bring people together with a common interest in historic, antique, and classic boats, sharing fellowship, information, experience, and exchange of ideas.
To protect the heritage of boating by promoting, first, the preservation and, secondly, the restoration of historic antique and classic boats.
To promote, further, and encourage a love and enjoyment of all aspects of historic, antique, and classic boating.
To serve as a communication channel for our membership, the public, and any other entities regarding information relating to historic, antique, and classic boating.This includes serving as a clearing house and referral service for all information relating to historic, antique, and classic boating. To serve as the governing body and parent organization for such chapters as shall be formed and created under our auspices; this includes providing support for and communicating with these chapters.
To inspire and support quality boat shows and related events among our chapters; to establish and maintain standards for classifying boats and conducting boat shows.
To educate our membership and the general public concerning safety and protocol as it relates to historic, antique, and classic boating.
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Boat Show Chairs
Sandpoint - Don Robson
Coeur D’ Alene - Kodie Woodhead
Dry Rot Priest Lake - Brian Fair
Summer Picnics - Paul Rodkey
Scuttlebutt Newsletter Calendar
General Issue Updates
Winter - January 1
Summer - June 1
Fall - Oct 1
Article Updates
March 15 (Spokane Boat Show)
May 15 (garage tour)
July 30 (Sandpoint Boat Show)
August 30 (CDA Boat Show)
September 15 (Dry Rot Boat Show)
November 15 (Election issue)
Contests Dates January 15 March 15 December 15 February 15 November 15
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Pierre & Kathleen Bordenave, Sandpoint ID
Thank You Sponsors
Buying and selling is a long-standing tradition on a trading dock. We’re continuing that tradition by offering classified ads for classic boats, boat parts, and more. Explore runabouts, canoes, sailboats, power boats – right down to the brass fittings and canopies and other hard-to-find items that are just what you need to maintain and restore your craft. For chapter members you can place an ad for free, non members $25 to place an Ad.
Contact Alan Wardsworth to place an ad alanwardsworth@gmail.com or 509-290-0255
See example below, click Trading Dock on the Top Menu to goto the Trading Dock.
It's Election Time!
The Inland Empire chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society is led by a small group of officers and five Board of Directors. This group of people work hard to help us all enjoy our hobby and steer our club towards fulfilling our mission statement.
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President
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Vice President
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Treasurer
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Secretary
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Board of Directors Position 1
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Board of Directors Position 2
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Board of Directors Position 3
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Board of Directors Position 4
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Board of Directors Position 5
We conduct an election to fill any open positions annually. This year we have four positions open: Treasurer and Secretary and board member #1 and #2. In the next several days you will receive an email with a link to our official “Survey Monkey” ballot where you will be able to cast your vote. You will be asked to vote for one Treasurer, one Secretary and two board members.
Please see the attached document to briefly introduce the people that have volunteered to hold these positions.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 509-209-0308 or wes.yandt@comcast.net.
Thank you!
Wes Yandt
By Alan Wardsworth December 13, 2023
Inland Empire ACBS members gathered at The Mirabeau Park Hotel to celebrate the previous boating season and toast Christmas and the New Year. It was a bit chilly outside and everyone had to navigate an intersection accident outside but 52 members found their way to be greeted by board members with lighted smiley faces. Everyone agreed the dinner was topnotch and a new system of sitting with people we didn’t know which made it fun for everyone. Wes Yandt had made a video of the season's best boating pictures as well as questions to get conversations going at our tables. My favorite question was “what is your first boat” which I explained to Steve Liss was an 11’
or so boat that floated up on the beach when I was a kid. Several sheets of new plywood floated up next and I decided to use the old boat as a pattern and build my own boat. My nextdoor neighbor gave me a 1940’s Johnson Seahorse to power it and it worked pretty good to cruise around CDA lake and pick up tires and sell them to Les Swab in St. Maries that was until they got wise. As quick as the old boat showed up it sank and was gone. I then gave a quick overview of our award winning website and Scuttlebutt newsletter so everyone had a good idea of all the new features on the website. There was some business to take care of from Ron Yandt. The minutes were read and approved, the financial report suggested that our chapter is doing quite well, and plans for the 2024 boat shows sounded promising. We also got reports from the show directors and a preview of what we might see next year. According to Petyr Beck, membership was up to 120 and they planned to do their Sandpoint dinner again. Much to my surprise, I was awarded the President’s Cup for the efforts in updating the website and production of the Scuttlebutt. We were highly honored, and the cup sits in a prominent location in our house. It was a great way to kick off our chapter’s plans for 2024 and a bit of laughter and a chance to see old friends.
Ten years ago Winter Edition of the Scuttlebutt 2013.
Presidential Cup presented to Alan Wardsworth from Ron Yandt.
By Alan Wardsworth December 3, 2023
Ron & Wes Yandt and myself recently visited Rich Cannon's restoration project to help him evaluate the bottom plank issue he had discovered when he pulled the boat off the lake at the end of the season in 2023. Rich had notice that all season his 1960 16' outboard Shepherd would leak a bit over several hours which wasn't a big deal but all of a sudden the bilge pump started working every hour. After getting the boat flipped Rich was able to remove the enter most planks that had some rot and bulged next to the keel. We were all surprised that the planks were on two foot centers with battens between secured with square drive brass screws and sandwiched with brass rivets (check the picture). Other than the two planks the rest of the boat looked great. Wes explained that the Don Danenberg recommendation in his book would be to replace the entire bottom. Rich had that "oh my god" look on his face when he explained how he removed the rivets and showed us the pile of screws and rivets on the bench. We settled on a recommendation to restore rather than replace the planks although those two planks had so many screw holes and rot that replacing the entire planks should be replaced and bedded to the enter planks with 3M 5200 and a healthy coat of CPES. We also thought the butt joints of the other planks could be router out and caulked with 3M 5200 and then faired and painted. Maybe not the "Danenberg way" but it would certainly be cost effective to get a beautiful boat back on the water. We also got to see Rich's 1932 Ford Standard Hot Rod Coupe with Buick Nailhead that he has owned since 1961.
By Alan Wardsworth November 28, 2023
I caught up with Daryl Reynold at his home shop to check the latest updates on the Big Boat project, his one owner 1951 29’ Chris Craft Super Deluxe that has had some major work done since the last time I dropped in on it in July. Today its off the trailer and taking up half the heated shop. Daryl has striped the white paint from the hull and repaired the planks that had been damaged, removed the engines, gas tank, and rebuilt the transom. Daryl has several small projects going on at once and as he explained, he had to have something to do between long boarding the planks on the 29' Chris Craft. I asked him about the process, he used his Festool orbital sander with 40 grit to grind off the old paint and primer. Once repairs have been made to damaged planks he then fills screw holes and rough fairs the surface. The sander with lighter grit is then used to smooth the surface before Daryl used a skill saw and router along the seams that will eventually be filled before 80 grit long boarding, priming, and painting. The big problem was that cotton was used between the seams for sealing that would clog up his skill saw. Daryl has also had to make many new small parts but the bulk of the boat is very solid with damage occurring from lifting or maybe dock damage that didn't get repaired properly. According to Daryl "it's not going to be a show boat, just a nice cruiser" and he hopes to have it ready to go in June 2024. While he has it apart he decided to clean and paint the bilge and make repairs to the helm that had some creative repairs made at some point. Daryl was able to source some parts for the helm and engine controls so it should work better than new. Daryl took on a full time job when he decided to restore this old boat and he said he probably won't do a this big of a project again but it's been pretty fun. Continue Reading Big Boat 1
By Alan Wardsworth November 4, 2023
I recently visited Ron and Wes Yandt's restroration project and got a lesson on how to fair the frame of their Yandt runabout before a plywood skin and planks are installed. If your not familiar with the process, "Fairing" refers to the filling and shaping of low areas so they blend with the surrounding surfaces and appear “fair” to the eye and touch. The goal of fairing is to create a surface without bumps (proud) or hollows (shallow) which would be flush or a parallel surface. Enter Dave Kaschmitter master craftsmen of more than forty years of boat building. The Yandt's had him come out and give their project the once over to make sure they were on the right track before they applied any 3M 5200. What I didn't realize was Dave recommended not drawing a scribe line but instead coloring a surface with pencil lead and sanding until your eye and hand determined the surface was fair. He said the line would trick your brain into thinking the surface was high or low. Dave went around the entire boat with what he called his "good eye" not necessarily looking for low spots but what makes the areas in question look low or high. He explained, he looks 18" in front and behind the area in question. If indeed there is a low spot he recommended adding thin strips of mahogany instead of white oak then removing the thickness until your happy with the result. When trying to fair a combination of white oak and mahogany one of the biggest problems is you can remove remove mahogany so much faster than oak which results in low spots. The next question was what type of tools should be used, disk grinder, handheld surface planner, DA sander, or hand planes? Dave recommended small, medium and large hand planes with very sharp blades. He did say grinders and planners could be used to get the surface close but the goto is differently the old school hand plane. "You just can't be beat the control you have and the plane seems to follow the surface." You then follow up with a 5" X 3' long board which will certainly give you a workout so you can drop that gym membership. Once everything is fair in multiple directions and your happy with the way it looks the accepted production these days is to cover the surface with plywood that is stapled and 5200 to the frame and then planking before the 5200 cures preferably all in one day because the plywood might not have a smooth surface between framing members and the 5200 between the surfaces will even out any voids that might appear that you can not see. Get this part of the project right and it will save you a tremendous amount of time and frustration later is the production.
By Alan Wardsworth October 14, 2023
The original fuel tanks hold about 30 gallons, I have seen pictures of a couple of Belmonts and they too have those old school tanks located behind the driver's seat. The problem with my tanks began with a strong gas smell. I figured it was a clogged vent and after inspection I found that there was not a hose connecting the vent to the tank. In fact, there wasn’t even a vent in the tank, probably because I had replaced the gas caps with some non vented type. I had also had problems with the fuel sender. The old sending unit would go up to full and slowly sink down to a third and rise back up as gas got used up? Turns out the float had a hole in it so I purchased a new sending unit with my new gauge. Immediately I had problems, as soon as the screws grounded to the tank the gauge would spike to the over full. After many hours of playing with the gauge under the seat I was able to make it work with some plastic washers but after I emailed the gauge company they asked if the tank was grounded and in fact it was not. I decided to remove the tanks and make some major repairs to them. I removed the tanks after hours of draining 30 gallons, inspected the inside and cleaned them as best as possible and then decided to have Carlson Sheet Metal Mig Weld a fitting on each tank so I could vent them properly. Mig welding doesn’t produce the kind of heat that a Tig welder, brazing or stick welding would and why that even mattered was because these tanks were spot welded galvanized sheet metal and the tops were pop riveted with stainless steel rivets and then sealed with solder and coated inside with a tank sealer. The fitting came out perfect without heating up the solder, they also pressure tested the tanks and I thought I was done but then I decided to do something about the bottom of one tank that had a bit of rust on it. I decided to use a tank sealer made by Por-15. In researching the product everyone just thought it was the greatest thing since slides bread, except for one guy? I followed the instructions cleaning out the tank, poured it in and waited for 5 days for it to dry and it looked great! That was until a week later when I installed the fittings and I noticed the corners were peeling up. I tried to pull out the sealer with a long grabber which worked but I couldn’t remove it all so I decided to remove the top of the tank drilling the pop rivets and heating the solder which worked and I was able to scrape out the sealer and wire brush the little bit of rust. The original sealer was mostly left intact, I then pop riveted the top back on and seam sealed with a solder rod the joints and added the ground to the tanks. There was also no equalization line so when you filled one tank you would have to fill the other and then after sitting for a while the fuel line going to the engine would equal out the gas in the tanks. I decided to add a line connecting both tank and I was able to squeeze in a ⅝” fuel line pretty close to the bottom of the tanks which was certainly better than the 5/16” line going to the engine. While I was at it I swapped out all the fuel lines for USCG Type A1-15, ISO 7840 plus, converted the automotive carb to a marine version so I could vent the overflow hose properly and replaced the fuel line from the pump to the carb with a hardline. The nice thing about this project is the tank is nice and clean, no gas smell, and everything is double clamped, hardline to carb, and grounded according to USCG regulations.
Steve Lapkin Photography will gift one image to each boat entrant. if in fact, we have on-the-water opportunities (as expected) BEYOND the one gifted photo (high res file - JPG), Steve will sell any of his images to whomever asks to purchase. Prices will be negotiated to everyone's satisfaction. Contact Steve at anytime: stevelapkin@gmail.com or via voice/text: +1 503 914 8025. Above examples were provided by Steve Lapkin, also check out his website.
Another successful and fun filled 4-day boat show is in the books on beautiful Priest Lake. 49 boats made the trip from Western Washington, Western & Eastern Oregon, Montana AND Palm Desert, California to Priest Lake, for our 4-day event using your boat. Like I am sure everyone else is, I’m exhausted. If you do not already know, Dry Rot is a show like no other.
Day 1 - Started at our favorite logger restaurant and bar, Nordman, a couple miles from the lake. Yummy pulled pork sandwiches were served after everyone received their packet and purchased a custom t-shirt and hat, with a strong drink in hand. Owners Brittany and Ben do a wonderful job at Nordman and it was a great way to start the show.
Day 2 – Bright and early, we met up at Cavanaugh’s for our Poker Run. 28 boats participated stopping at cabins around the lake, picked up their cards and received goodie bags at some of the stops. One stop that I thought would be a huge treat is lovingly referred to as this over 10,000 square foot home called the “Potato House” because the owner is a retired potato farmer out of Central Washington, plus being the nicest man, you would ever meet. After our annual photo and me passing out my Jello shots, boats took off every 2 minutes. The Poker Run ended at our dock, where they were greeted by my 4-year-old grandson dressed in his pirate costume (Mike Leach would be proud).
2023 PRIEST LAKE DRY ROT
Article by Kathy Fair
Selfie by Caitlyn Anderson onboard the Kaniksu
A couple hours later, the tour boat Kaniksu transported 75+ people from Elkins to our cabin. Longhorn BBQ always a fan favorite and as always, successfully delivered full tummies. Brian met individually with each Poker Run participant to check their cards and time. First place went to Fred & Beth Goughnour from Montana City, MT for the best Poker hand. Best time went to Ken Cook, from Poulson, MT. Each were presented with a custom metal sculpture of Priest and the Upper Lakes and a bottle of wine. Second place for best hand went to Dennis Riggs from our very own Priest Lake and for best time, Bob Nelson, from Oregon City, Oregon was the proud 2nd place winner.
Day 3 – Hard to pull ourselves out of bed, but at 8:00 a.m., Dry Rot participants know that’s what you have to do to get the best spot over at the newly designed Elkins’ docks. The docks were packed full and the public enjoyed eyeing the wooden beauties up close. Inside, Elkins served a delicious buffet if you were lucky enough to find a place to sit…a packed restaurant. At 11:30 a.m. sharp, we roared off across the lake to line up, single file and parade around part of the east shore. As usual, dozens of cabin owners were standing out on their docks, waving at us. This is an annual event that Priest Lakers look forward to and it’s great to see the community get involved and support the Dry Rot Show. As we boated across the lake, heading to Hill’s Resort and met up with the Priest Lake Yacht Club, where they served a hot dog with lots of fixings and unlimited Gin Fizzes. Craig Hill’s crew saved dock space for our wooden boats so there is no rush to get a spot. As we got down to Hill’s Resort, the American boats were lined up on the beach for their 2nd annual event at Hill’s. These American boats were manufactured in Spokane in the late 70’s and early 80’s. With a very similar design, also are the Apollo and Jolly Roger boats, which joined in. I personally love to see the different kinds of boats come together, support each other, and have a great time celebrating the last day of summer.
Awards – After we filled up while down at Hill’s, it’s finally time for the awards. Literally Brian and I counted the ballots for Captain’s Choice and Dock Walkers. This year, Captain’s Choice went to Ken Cook with his 1930 Chris-Craft runabout triple and the Dock Walkers went to BBS Minnow, a 1965 Chris-Craft 1965 Caviler owned by Billy and Sheila Schaich who dressed the part. We presented our 64 oz flask with half a gallon of Idaho Gold whiskey to Steve and Melanie Spahr for breaking down during the roar off and had to be towed back.
This year, we were VERY fortunate to have photographer Steve Lapkin at our event. Steve, editor to the Chris-Craft magazine called the Brass Bell, presented the “Steve Lapkin” award to the boat, any boat, of his choice. Steve chose Darin and Gina Bulter’s boat, Little Toot, a 1941 Chris-Craft U-22. As Steve described, Little Toot, stood out with her paint job of royal blue and orange at the waterline. Darin has done a stunning job on his boat and this award was very deserving.
DAY 4 – We are not done yet! Dark rain clouds rolled in overnight but that didn’t stop the hearty Dry Rotter’s of about 15 boats. Single file, we arrived at a beach Brian Fair, Dick and Kristen Winn had been saving at the Upper Lake. Only a few sprinkles on the way up and into the Thorofare. Why is it a hot dog tastes so much better on a sandy beach? But it sure does. After chatting for a while, we got our annual Upper Lake photo and people slowly started to say goodbyes, give hugs and cruised down the Thorofare. As we entered the lake from the Thorofare, the wind had really picked up. Everyone lined up behind each other and we got everyone home safely.
In closing, I can’t thank those that attended the Priest Lake Dry Rot…lodging a such a problem at Priest with everything being sold out for months. I take my hat off to those thinking outside the box for lodging. Dry Rot is a lot of work for Brian and I, but we truly love sharing and showing those visiting Priest for the first time, and of course, those that know what a beautiful lake is in our backyard. As Steve Lapkin said, he truly feels the Upper Lake is the most beautiful place he has ever seen. Quite a complement…as Steve has been a lot of places.
Until next year, Goodnight, Priest Lake. You deserve a good rest.
Kathy & Brian Fair
By Alan Wardsworth August 16, 2023
Friday was the kickoff of the 2023 Coeur D’Alene Classic Boat Festival located on the boardwalk in downtown Coeur d’Alene where boats started arriving Friday afternoon. The Welcome Aboard Reception at the Coeur Custom Wood Shop included light hor d'oeuvres, beer, and wine plus packet pickup. It was a great time to get together with friends and catch up with a few words from host Daryl Reynolds and President Ron Yandt about the next two days of the show. Saturday at 8:00am was the Donut and Coffee Run at the CDA Resort Golf Course Dock. Captains could pull their boats up to the dock and grab a coffee and donut before the show. Run in conjunction with the CDA Triathlon swimmers, boaters had to be careful with swimmers in the water just off the docks. As usual for this weekend downtown Coeur D’Alene was packed with people for the Triathlon, Boatshow, and the various other exhibits along the streets and in the park which is always a great opportunity to show off our boats. Saturday afternoon was the children’s boat building event on the east lawn which is always a favorite for budding captains. The Coeur Custom Pin-Up Models were also on the boardwalk for some classic photos on period boats of the day. Later in the evening the Awards Ceremony Reception was held at the Coeur Custom Wood Shop. We also had live music, food & drinks and announced the 2023 award winners.
Here are the winners of the 2023 Coeur D’Alene Boat Festival:
People's Choice - La Bella Vita - Jeff Williams
Skipper's Choice - Gemini - Mary Neeser
Best Contemporary - Hammerhead - Robb Bloom
There are over 300 pictures from the show including the above, click the Galleries link below to see and download your favorite photos. Thank you DeAnn Reynolds, Russ Vincent, and those who texted me photos. The Boat Show concluded Sunday afternoon and by all accounts was another successful show with 48 boats being in the show, great weather, and lots of new and old friends.
By Kristen Winn • August 19, 2023
Thanks to StanCraft Boats and Ron Yandt, Priest Lake Museum held a boat model painting party on August 19 Vintage Boat Day. Over 70 boats were painted and many were floated in nearby Priest Lake. The children had such a fun time decorating their boats...maybe one of them will be an owner of a classic in the future. This party was held in conjunction with the Museum's "A to Z" Exhibit, with the model boats representing the letter "K," for Kant Sink 'Em Boats, a very popular Lake boat in the 1920's and 1930's.
