"M.T. Blake" (autohabit)
10/22/2018 at 12:30 • Filed to: history lesson, the hunt, boats and hoes, im on a boat, boats, antiques, boating, found at a car show, sail away with me, boatalopnik
3
14|
"M.T. Blake" (autohabit)
10/22/2018 at 12:30 • Filed to: history lesson, the hunt, boats and hoes, im on a boat, boats, antiques, boating, found at a car show, sail away with me, boatalopnik | 3
| 14 |
Wood and brass represented in a beautiful way.
How often does one get drawn to a boat at a boat car show? For me? It’s rare. I do appreciate the unique, especially when accompanied by a decent story. We’ve all seen the amazing restoration on dilapidated automobiles, but how many had to be raised from the bottom of a lake? How many were 123 years old?!!!
!!! UNSUPPORTED LINE BREAK IN HEADER !!!
The long and sleek boat, “The Cathedral” was accompanied by a poster that told its story.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!
There is a lot here to discuss. First off: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . I had never heard of this ‘low grade’ gasoline. After a short amount of reading it appears Naptha is more of a general term for specialty products we are familiar with, namely: white gas (aka. camp fuel for lanterns) .
The root of the word is used around the world is used to describe diesel fuel and crude oil. Both camp fuel and diesel fuel being considered low grade types of refined crude oil...
I’m sure the owners were happy when the Naptha powered engine was ditched in favor of the Union Marine engine. I don’t know what the original engine looked like but look at the replacement - Beautiful! I’d set it in my living room had I no boat for it to power. Maybe a now-common-ish engine coffee table?
Union Marine engine from 1910. I wish all modern engines could be this pretty.
On The Road And Taking A LONG Trip
Now the part about moving it in 1924? Well this was waaaaay before the interstate highway system. Roads were not nearly developed as they are today and historically the Sierra Nevada Mountains have been devastating to travel (think: Donner Party).
Still a fair bit amount of roads in 1924. Many more than I would have though.
This map doesn’t tell the whole story about the pain it must have been to move the boat from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe. That is until you take a look at the legend.
I’d want to drive all the ‘no existing roads’ if I could time travel.
From SF you’ll notice most of the roads are ‘ Pavement Completed ’ but as you move farther east into the mountains this changes. Going to the north end of the lake the roads turn into ‘ Grading Completed ’ and “ Authorized by Special Acts - Maintained by the State, unpaved ’.
If I’m deciphering this correctly the road to North Lake Tahoe is graded but unpaved? Sounds like a washboard drive for several hours... with an antique truck towing a 21' boat!
Even worse would be the road to South Lake Tahoe (Fallen Leaf Lake is just south of the southern most point of Lake Tahoe). The road is all unpaved but at least it is ‘maintained by the state’. We all know the government has always been excellent at maintaining roads... right?
I wonder if everyone sets their drink on the engine... I mean I wouldn’t want to set it on the upholstery.
Back In My Day We Threw Our Junk Into The Lake
Lastly, this boat was sunk by its owners in 1951. Why? It doesn’t say, but I’m picturing an alcohol, pleasure cruise related incident . Seriously though, they probably sunk it as it was junk by 1951. It was probably the cheapest way of disposing of the boat, which in 1951 was already 56 years old .
Look on your local Craigslist for any boat 56 years old. Do you want any of them? Very few will be worth putting any money into to keep alive. They probably thought the same way back in the day. I’d sink a boat given the opportunity - another box on the bucket list complete.
The boat lay at 60' of water for 21 years. Anywhere else this would mean raising half or less of a boat due to deterioration. Lake Tahoe on the other hand, has been known to preserve everything. Especially things that deteriorate quickly, like dead things! Authorities have been pulling dead bodies in well preserved condition out of the lake, sometimes up to 20 years later! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
I am happy I stopped next to this old boat and took a minute to read the poster. It really shed some light on something that ordinarily I would have passed up. But I have had boat on my mind recently.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and a family member’s boat to sell... my mind has been floating... or sinking...?
1963 Century Resorter 16' for sale! Selling boats is not fun. Tire kickers? More like Stern slappers!!!
If you’re curious to see and read more about the Cathedral:
http://www.oldmarineengine.com/discus/messages/4/136663.html
functionoverfashion
> M.T. Blake
10/22/2018 at 12:55 |
|
That is a good story. From the link you posted:
He
used the boat as a work boat at the lake until 1951. He and his wife
Muriel were moving to So. Lake Tahoe. As the condition of the boat was
un usable as the pictures show. Vic took it out and scuttled it. The
inlet cooling check valve was dismantled to let water in and let it
sink. The check valve parts were found in the hull after raising.
An
old timer at Fallen Leaf Lake told me about the sinking in the summer
of 1971. I went looking for it that summer and found it. You could see
it on a very calm day at 65 FT. I spent the winter ‘of ‘71 designing the
winch for attempting the recovery.
Like a barn find, but better.
MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> M.T. Blake
10/22/2018 at 15:19 |
|
Look on your local Craigslist for any boat 56 years old.
Is this supposed to make me not want a boat? B ecause it’s not working
https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/boa/d/1962-chriscraft-constellation/6698752441.html
https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/boa/d/1960-carver-runabout/6717746255.html
https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/boa/d/correct-craft-mustang/6705279931.html
|
MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> M.T. Blake
10/22/2018 at 15:21 |
|
Any deeper lake preserves things pretty well, this just happened around here
cbell04
> M.T. Blake
10/22/2018 at 15:44 |
|
Very neat. Amazing all they info the dug up.
|
M.T. Blake
> functionoverfashion
10/22/2018 at 16:36 |
|
Barn find > lake find? > pond find?!
|
M.T. Blake
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
10/22/2018 at 16:38 |
|
The last one. You don’t want that one. The middle one yes. The first one, maybe if you enjoy towing the moon.
|
M.T. Blake
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
10/22/2018 at 16:40 |
|
Suddenly distressed in the water? Sounds fishy (pun intended) to me.
|
MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> M.T. Blake
10/22/2018 at 16:40 |
|
That last one is a huge project but it looks awesome which is all that matters when boating right?
|
M.T. Blake
> cbell04
10/22/2018 at 16:40 |
|
You mean ‘info they raised up’ :D
|
M.T. Blake
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
10/22/2018 at 16:42 |
|
I’m not against projects but look at how much more you get for $3500. It could cost more than that to get the project boat into similar shape. Our Century needs a lot due to sitting but if it doesn’t need a new hull it’s just the normal stuff from any engine sitting
|
MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> M.T. Blake
10/22/2018 at 16:47 |
|
Yea, apparently old boats do not appreciate...who knew?
That actually is a pretty decent price if that boat is in as good of shape as it looks
|
M.T. Blake
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
10/22/2018 at 16:50 |
|
Yes it is. Our Century is valued around $7000. Best offer I’ve had is $4000. I’d rather restore it myself for that.
Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
> M.T. Blake
01/12/2019 at 18:52 |
|
It likely traveled by rail from Reno or Truckee.
|
M.T. Blake
> Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
01/12/2019 at 19:17 |
|
Very true. Truckee has a station. That would be much safer than the highways of the day.