ACBS Chesapeake Bay Club Members, Howard and Cheryl Johnson, enjoyed the ACBS International Show, in September 2019, at Alexandria Bay, NY. At Riveredge Resort Hotel, we met Steve Moser, who had a Needlenose Raceboat sticking out the back of his Chevy Pickup, which soon was sticking out the back of our pickup.
On the way home I decided to offer it to our twin, ten year old granddaughters, Allison and Madison Wharton, who quickly accepted the challenge of fixing it up. I explained the process of removing the old brown varnish, peeling paint, and gave out the scrapers. We all worked steadily for 2 hours, revealing consistent plywood grain from bow to stern. The family helped roll it over and soon we had the bottom clean as well.
Granddad handled sanding and making floorboards, puttying flaws and making the front seat. A coat of epoxy on the bottom, some sanding, and it was ready for paint; the girls really took to the steps. They said, Is this REALLY our boat, Granddaddy? They loved staining and varnishing, we are up to 4 coats, now. The first engine ran and quit; the second one starts if they both pull it at the same time, bringing on a real look of satisfaction. Next week we hope to take pictures out on the water! Note: Click on any image to access the gallery.
