The Cherup's Rats Nest

Progress!!!

I have finally begun to make this wonderful time capsule ready for the water. 

I have studied. I have read. I have listened. I have thought about it......time and time again.

I have been over this boat, inside and out.

Where to begin? Well, this is a good as any system.

Under the dash, on the footboard is a hatch that leads to the bow. Crawling into the bow, a mess of wires.

I pulled out the old wiring harness. Not much of a harness. Just a lot of wires comprising a system that got the job done.

This was about 20 hours of work. Well worth it. Seeing the lights on was very satisfying.

Looking towards the stern. WOW! What a mess. So many wires!!

The Bilge.  An oily, wiry mess!!  Notice the flywheel on the Phantom 125 in background.

I sent this pictures to Tom Coen. He recalls these lights well, saying "That spot light guided us home on many occasions."

Bilge Rat!!

The spotlight shines again! New light socket and rewire. I utilized sections of the original wiring in visible locations.

Wires from the 20's. Can you say hazardous!!!!

Here is what I found in the bow, no navigation light fixture and loose wiring.

Re-dressed and ready to go.

Ready to go. Clean lens and bright 6 volt light.

New wires. Rerouted and stapled. 

Now all of the wires run outside of the hatch opening. Taking a cue from the original system, I used leather straps and nails for staples to secure the wiring in place.

Organized!!

Next will be the stern light and wire.

Under Cover

At some point in the past, the seats in the boat were covered. The 2nd layer was wrapped around the original (I think).

Here is the back seat. This is the lower bench seat. It is similar to the front seat.

Coil springs. 

The stitching needs some work.

Nails for tacking the cover.

Wise Boat Works Circa 1920's

With the Lake Dora Boat Show coming up soon, I thought that I would share a great picture that I got from Fred Wise in Mt. Dora.

Here is the boat works when it was first opened. This is sometime in the mid 20's. A very sleek launch with painted sides and varnished deck tied to the dock.

Wise Boat Works,  Mt. Dora

Here is the crew, made up of Swedish carpenters that came south from the plant in Minnesota.

Workers at the Wise Boat Works, Harry Joseph Wise is fist on right end of the back row.

Cherup's Water Exhibition circa 1930

Cherup Makes Her Cass Lake Debut -

1930 - Star Island, Cass Lake, Minnesota 

After being transported by rail car from Lake Minntonka, The Wise Boat and Bus Works 24' runabout "Cherup" makes her debut on on the sixth largest lake in Minnesota.  Mr. Coen, seen at the helm, shows how well the boat handles at speed, zig zagging his way across the lake. The sleek Wise built boat cuts makes good speed with the Scripps F-6 under the hatches. The boat handles very well in reverse, as seen being backed under the canopy. What a sight it is! This is a great look back in time.

Stay tuned for more of this exclusive film shot during the 1930's by the Coen Family . Upcoming are some great episodes of the Coen family fishing on the Upper Mississipi river in a 1920's Dingle and some color footage of the the Cherup in the mid 1940's.  

Thanks to Tom Coen for the film.

2011 Sunnyland Antique Boat Festival Pictures

What an incredible show!  Here are some pictures of the 3 day event that had over 250 boats!  I

Take your pick.

Ready to head to the Islands!

So special!

Cool second helm station.

Correct Craft of Orlando

Plane or boat?  Fast Boat!

Is that a car over there, yes it is!

How many gators can you find?

Jr. Judges Judging Jr.

Chris-Craft

Blondie!

Ready to go for a ride.

Nice Restoration done by Richard Arnold at Rejuvenation Woodworks of Eustis, Fl

Rumrunner, Jr. Judges Favorite.

HI, Dick!

I hope you enjoyed these pictures!  If you ever get a chance to go a classic boat show,  Do It!!!
Sunnyland sure put on a great show, very well run and everyone was very, very nice!
Thanks Sunnyland!

Cherup Wins "One of a Kind" Award at Lake Dora Boatshow

A real honor!

Lake Dora Boat Show Day 2, Saturday

The Best Day!

Having an old wood boat is one thing.  Having an old wood boat and sharing it with a lot of other people is another.  Sharing it with a lot of people who are your family, friends, clients and people who dig wood boats is just the best.  I have had an describable day!  I started out wanting to high light the story of the boat and what I got was way beyond my expectations.  People is what it is about.  The boat is physical.  The story is emotional.

I saw family members, friends I had not seen in years, clients who are part of my family and new acquaintances who are now part of Cherup's story.

I have so many pictures and stories, but it is so late and I have to go back to Tavares for the fourth time in four days in the morning, which is not that far from now.  I will have more in the next few days.

Jr. 1927 Chris-Craft

Gar Wood Boat

Gar Wood Boat

Dart

Kermath Power

Chris-Craft

Very Red!

Many more cool boats to follow!  This is just one dock of four!

Lake Dora Boat Show

 

 

Cherup is having a great day! The third picture is the "Thayer IV" from "On Golden Pond".

Lake Dora Boat Show - Registration Day

The Sunnyland Antique & Classic Boat Festival -

The time has come for the big boat show on Lake Dora.  The super bowl of boat shows.  There are going to be over 300 boats on display over the next three days.  Over one hundred will be in the water.  The "Cherup" is in no way ready for to sit in the water 10 minutes, let alone 3 days.  So, this morning I towed her from Sanford, through downtown Mt. Dora, past the old Wise Boat Works building, up old 441 to Wooten Park on the north shore of  Lake Dora.

Cherup waiting her turn for tractor service

  We dropped her in the main holding area for the valet tractor service to put in her in the main display area.  I did get to take my first ride in the Cherup today. (on the trailer, behind a tractor! It does count, really!)  Around the parking lot, by the boatramp, along the side walk, around the main building, into a patch of grass under a big oak tree on a hill, right next to the lake....you gotta be kidding me!  What a great spot!  Not only a great spot, but some nice company, too! 

I am proud to tell you that we are just across from one of the most noteable wooden boats of modern time. Well, modern movie time.... The "Thayer IV" from "On Golden Pond".  It is the picture boat driven by Henry Ford and Katherine Hepburn. I will have many more pictures and stories for you over the next few days!

Our spot under the tree by the lake!