July 17th, Tuesday -Antique Boat Museum, Part Two; Another Graveyard Search; Rule #1 Stay Flexible, We’re Not Moving

This morning was, how shall I say it, a bit unusual.  I awoke like I normally do at around 5 am.  Ok, check on things, trip to the loo and then I think I’ll lay back down for a bit.  Didn’t think that would accomplish anything, but would you believe it the next time I looked the clock said 7 am.  I can’t remember the last time I slept that late.

Early on Barbara asked if she could have one more opportunity to find the grave makers for the Burns family that she was unable to locate yesterday.  Well, why not.  We’re not going to be back up here again so it is now or never.  Back to the Sterling Cemetery for another graveyard search we went.  The end result?  Barbara found everything that she was looking for!  You just have to love it when a plan comes together.

After the heat of yesterday, today is a really nice surprise.  Temperatures in the mid 70’s, no humidity to speak of, and a nice gentle breeze coming through the open entrance door screen and the other windows.  It’s so nice to be able to turn the AC off and air out Graybeard.

By the way, remember rule #1 of full time RV living?  That’s right, be flexible.  Guess what?  We’re not moving tomorrow, nor the day after, in fact we’re not leaving until Sunday morning.  Long story, ask me some time.

OK, let’s go back to the Antique Boat Museum.  Today we’re going to tour the Cleveland E. Dodge Memorial Launch Building, the McNally Yacht House, the Morgan Building,  we’ll take a look at the La Duchess and we’ll share with you our 45 minute ride on the river in a 30′ triple cockpit Hacker craft called the Miss 1000 Islands II.

Before we begin let me share with you some facts I discovered regarding the Museum:

• The mission of the Antique Boat Museum is to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret boats and other objects related to the history of boating in North America and to enhance public understanding and appreciation of the contributions of the St. Lawrence River region to North America’s boating history.
• The Museum presently has more than 320 boats in its permanent collection.
• the Museum collects boats from the earliest days of pleasure boating in the mid-19th century until approximately 40 years before the present.
• The Museum collects not only boats but inboard and outboard engines, service manuals, written material, historic boat building tools, boat hardware and equipment, and everything else boating related

On now to the McNally Yacht House.  This is where the Museum’s in-water fleet is kept.  This displays changes throughout the season as new boats are acquired and others are brought in for service.

Here are two of the boats that are part of the in-water fleet resting in their docks.

Here is the best of the best, Pardon Me, at her berth in the Yacht House. She is 48 feet long with a beam of 10 feet.  She was built by Hutchinson Boat Works.  Sometimes called the world’s largest runabout this boat was primarily a day boat for short pleasure trips.    However, she boasts a galley, enclosed head and sleeping accommodations below decks

This is the main cockpit

This is a picture of the aft cockpit

Of course, it takes power to move this much boat and Pardon Me had it in spades.  She was powered by a World War II era 1000 hp supercharged Packard PT engine.  For those with class A motorhomes who bemoan their fuel mileage, consider this, this engine consumed nearly 100 gallons of high octane fuel per hour!

There are two other boats that are part of in water fleet that were not here the day we visited.  But the posters about them are on the wall.  The first is Zipper which is the flagship of the Antique Boat Museum’s in-water fleet.  She is 46 feet long with a beam of 10’6″.

The second is Miss Thousand Islands II which later in the day would be the boat to carry us out on the river.  She is 30 feet in length with a beam of 7′ 2″ and is made entirely of mahogany.

We move now to the Cleveland E. Dodge Memorial Launch Building.

Within this building is the exhibit entitled The National Boat Show.

This exhibit includes launches, runabouts and so much more.

Now why a National Boat Show Exhibit?  Because at one one time boats were only for the very rich but in time it became a popular middle-class pastime.  But how to convince people to become boaters?  The answer – a National Boat Show

Here is a picture of just one of the boats on display an Elco 42 Foot.  Take a look at the price back when it was built, I wonder what that equates to today.

How would you like to paint this baby?

What a fantastic main cockpit.  Look at the wood work, the brass, absolutely beautiful.

This is the view looking forward to the bow.  What a majestic boat.  Must have been some sight when out on the water.

Next is a picture of a neat little 3-point hydroplane.  This type of boat is nimble, fast, but always one blink away from flipping over backwards.  I built something like this once, was a lot of fun until it caught on fire!  Oh well, nothing lasts forever.

 

We’re moving now to the Morgan Building also known as the Quest for Speed Building

This is the sign that you see as you enter the door.  Get the feeling that this is a building and a display all about speed?

Some of the world’s finest raceboats are on display in this building.  This is one of the best known raceboats of its era known as the Chrysler Queen.  The Queen, as she is affectionately known, is powered by 392 cubic engine Chrysler hemi V-8 producing more than 900 horsepower.  With a dry weight of only 2080 pounds for the boat and engine this added up to a very potent package.

As one can see this boat and its driver were national champions for many years.

There were many, many other boats on display but time and space does not permit pictures and descriptions of each of them.  Hopefully, someday if you haven’t already you’ll be able to see them yourself in person.

Less we think that this was just a man’s sport, the women also got involved.  One of the more famous woman in the sport was Betty Cook.  She started racing rather late in life at the age of 52.  However, by the time she retired in 1982 she had amassed 17 wins, 3 race record speeds, 3 US National Championships, and 2 World Championships.

One more exhibit, this one is too big to put anywhere except at a dock outside.  This is the La Duchesse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn’t have time to tour this boat but here is what we discovered about it with some pictures we were able to grab from the web.

• The boat is 106 feet long with a beam of 22 feet
• The boat has no engine and relied on a tug to move it about
• The boat was built in 1903 exclusively for George C. Boldt
• She remained in the Boldt family until after George Boldt’ death, when she was sold along with much of his estate to Edward. J. Nobel
• Tragedy struck in 1943 when she sank in her slip after a broken pipe allowed her hull to fill with water. When she finally settled on the bottom, she had punched a hole in the deck on a submerged pile and her entire lower deck was filled with water.
• A few months after the sinking, Nobel agreed to sell the boat to Mr. and Mrs. Andrew McNally III (of Rand-McNally), for a nominal sum of $100 and the agreement that the they would remove the boat from the boathouse. In due time a diver went down to repair the hole in the hull, ‘La Duchesse’ was towed to her new home on the McNally estate.
• The McNallys commenced repairs a few years later including bleaching the woodwork on the lower level to remove the water stains, replacing all of the plumbing and wiring, and replacing the wooden hull with a new and stronger steel one.
• In the late 1980’s Andrew McNally bequeathed the houseboat to the Clayton Antique Boat Museum, which passed to them a few years after his death in 2003.
• The houseboat was finally brought to the museum in May of 2005, and they were able to open it up for guided tours to the public in July of that year.

This is a stained glass skylight in the upper living area.

A quiet place to sit and reflect.

The dancing deck also used for afternoon tea.

A brass fireplace covered with sea shells, starfish and sea serpents.

Our day was not over yet.  We were scheduled for 45 minute ride on the river in a 30′ triple cockpit Hacker craft called the Miss 1000 Islands II. 

Our boat was a replica of a 1930’s design that was built in 1999 and is powered by a big block Chevy engine of over 500 cubic inch displacement.  Top speed is between 60 to 65 mph.

Here you can see the 3 cockpit layout.

Soon enough we were all onboard and on our way.

As we made our way around the bay and river, I was amazed at some of the homes built on islands that appeared to be no more than a large rock in the river.  What happens when a big wave comes along?  Or a strong wind?

This brings us to the end of our visit at the Antique Boat Museum.  I wish I could have shared with you all the pictures that I took, and shared with you all that I learned.  I hope, though, that you enjoyed what I was able to bring you in this and the last blog.  Maybe even whetted your appetite to perhaps visit the Museum yourself someday.

Our day is now drawing to a close.  It’s been fantastic in so many ways.  Barbara got to successfully finish her graveyard quest.  Oh, and she also managed to somehow get all our laundry done.  I got us ready to move tomorrow, only to discover we’re not moving after all.  I also finished the blog on the Antique Boat Museum.  A fulfilling and rewarding day anyway you look at.

So for now, we will say thanks once again for joining us.  We hope you also had a wonderful day, a day in which perhaps you were able to do something you really wanted to do as well.  As the day comes to a close here is something for each of us to ponder:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before