Launching "Olympus," a 92' 1929 New York Yacht, Launch and Engine Co., after refastening the bow, removing bad butts, and other maintenance. From right, Jim Moores, Capt. David Carter and guest star, Larry Keeler. Dear Friends, I have been waiting to write. I have been wanting to talk about how our first boat is coming along and was waiting for the right time. Our boat design is not simple. We have been working on how the transom, stern, and bottom marry together. I am please

November 2018 Dear Friends, Today is the day it really starts! Today is launch day for our press release on our new boat, the M30. I am not showing pictures here, but hopefully you will soon see her mentioned in boating magazines. The design has been 12 months in the making. There is something great happening at Ocean Reef’s Vintage Weekend this year on Thursday, November 29 at 2:00 p.m. There is going to be a symposium on the new modern American classic yachts. Four new yach

September 2018 Dear friends, Recently Margaret and I were up in Green Bay, WI for her 45th high school reunion. Personally I have never attended one of mine, so this was a glimpse of what I might have missed. As we pulled down Margaret’s father’s road, Margaret said, “Look!” I turned my head and there sitting in someone’s driveway was a beautiful launch with flags flying. As we drove past, I said, “Stop, let me out.” Instead, Margaret backed up and we both stepped out. After

Dear friends, The last few weeks have been trying times. I recently flew down to South Florida to be with my sister Linda who was having surgery. I had a long list in my hand of other things that needed to be done. I only had time to spend with her. Margaret and I were scheduled to fly back to North Carolina on Sept. 8. But late the night before we received a message that our 6 a.m. flight out of Fort Lauderdale had been canceled and our flight was rescheduled for the followi

Dear friends, I always think where do I start? I’ll begin with Marc Thomas. Margaret and I met up with him years ago at St. Michael’s Wooden Boat Show. He works with Luke Brown Yachts and he lives and works out the Chesapeake Bay area. We first met aboard the 1917 Consolidated “Blue Mist.” This would be a start of a long friendship. The boat sold at auction and then was shipped to Florida and landed at Rybovich Marine Center, where it was readied to be exported to the Bahamas

Yesterday, I hopped on a ferry heading to Victoria, Canada. It wasn’t as simple as that but that’s a good place to start. Maybe I should back up a little further: A lot further. I had run into my friend Steve White a few years back in Key Largo. The future of yacht restoration on the East Coast saw that the pickings had gotten slim. Many of these wonderful yachts have been exported to Europe year after year and once they are gone, they almost never come back! I only know of a

Dear friends, Just when I thought things might be getting a little boring life proves me wrong. So where do I start? Matthew. This season it was so quiet. The little storms posed no threat. Then came along Matthew, big and ominous. First he had Florida in its sights and then the Carolinas. He finally landed in South Carolina and when he hit ,the storm moved inland. With wind and rain he pounced for days. Before the storm we prepared, no boats would fall. We dotted all the “I’

Dear Friends, I usually don’t write a newsletter and then a week later do it again. However, there is the adage that old news is no news. Margaret and I just got back from the Mount Dora ACBS Sunnyland Boat Show. I have been a member for a very long time; there are chapters all over the U.S. but this one is one of the best! I can remember when this was a small show tucked in the corner of the town of Mount Dora. It was really just a one day show. The antique show was a bigger

December 2016 Dear friends, It seems this year flew by and now it’s time to celebrate the year that was. I just returned from Vintage Weekend. I know I have said this in the past, but this year was particularly spectacular. There was a great lineup of yachts that included three Trumpy yachts including two Auroras and “Flying Lady,” two pre-WWI antique boats including “Nymph,” a 1910 Mathews owned by Tom Robinson. This is an absolutely masterful restoration, taking her back to