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Formula Jr
08-13-2001, 09:59 PM
Here is a write up of the 2001 BIGWATER (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/facts.jpg) meet at Tahoe Lake. (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/lakemap.jpg) Those attending, were Owen Saffell (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/meatshow.jpg) and "Donzi Dog Henry". (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/donzidog3.jpg)

This year, the event was held at the Forest Lake Rd, Tahoe City Campgrounds and Launch Ramp. Having arrived on a Thursday late, this was a good choice as there was very little room at the inn this time of year. $15 for a site and launching per day - you can't beat that! The ramp was a good, paved three lane affair with a sound floating dock and the CG was next door. Also by the camp site (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/camp1.jpg) was a fresh water source for warming up the boat and cleaning out the header rust before launch. I knew this was going to be a good weekend when I did my Friday ramp pre-check and low and behold here's (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/minx1.jpg) what's at the dock. The fella had a problem with keeping it in forward gear, so he was SOL for the day, but said there were three other Minxs on the lake. I told him about Donzi net which he remembered from reading an article in HotBoat Magazine on AOTH. :) Henry was impatient with my yacking, damn dog doesn't understand the human communication thing. So, Henry drags me back to the boat and camp site for wax and prep. While waxing, several people walk up asking about the boat. This place, is wild - they know their history! One guy even correctly places the JR as a '66 . Wow! So I'm talking again, and getting really amazed by the fact that here, at Tahoe; Donzis, Formulas, Cigs are the local spoken language. Henry gives me the "We getting on the water or WHAT?" kind of look, so I get back to task. I figure the Woodie show will main sequence on Saturday, so I launch and head South on the Western shore. At the launch site were all the Woodie guys since this was the first, and best launch site close to the show. The nice thing about wood boat owners is that they know what they are doing and helped out with the single-hand launch while I parked the trailer back at the camp site. This is the parking site they use for the show, so I - being a camper - was not taking up precious parking spaces. Henry doesn't have opposing thumbs so he isn't particularly useful during launchings. I don't yet know where gas is so I take it easy down to Emerald Bay. (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/bay1.jpg)
Along the way, there are Donzis everywhere, and some of the coolest looking boats from the late 60's you could imagine. Once in Emerald bay, I found one of the few sandy areas. (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/rockbeach.jpg) Alot of the folks will anchor and then raft in, as the bottom in most places isn't very forgiving. This is the only way to get on the Island and climb up to the Teahouse. (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/teahouse1.jpg)
Directly west of the island, on the shore, is an 1880's abandoned structure. Not sure if you can explore it, but the beach is nice.
Further down and around the lake is Beacon's Resturant (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/beacon2.jpg) and Dock. (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/beacon1.jpg) This is the South Shore destination for most boaters. There's gas, a good dock and beach and the surf-and-turf food is expensive. For excellent service, I suggest taking a micro-recorder and a camera. They must have thought I was reviewing the place; which of course, I was.
Knowing where the gas was, I decided to 8/10 it out into the lake. This is where I discovered that Henry's lack of holding power was a limiting factor on airtime. Poor dog got to shoulder height a couple times before I backed off. Gotta remember to bring duct tape (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/beachdog.jpg) next year.

If I was more familar with the area I would have tooled around, late into the evening, as there was a meteor shower earily in the night and later, a quarter moon lit up the whole lake. After putting the boat on the trailer and parking it at camp, we drove the rim road South. This road is pretty twisty for pulling a trailer. Turned around at Richardson's Point where Beacon's is. Along the way I scoped out some possible future meet sights, like Meeks Bay, a very expensive resort and marina. It has rooms (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/meeksbay2.jpg)on the lake and an outdoor gathering place. (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/meeksbay1.jpg)

Saturday morning we all headed up to the Classic Woodie show. This is the largest show of its kind in the world, and well worth the 20 buck entry fee. Parking is very limited, so next year, we are starting out earlier or taking the shuttle bus.

Boat Show overview 1 (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/lineup7.jpg)
Boat Show overview 2 (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/lineup5.jpg)
Boat Show overview 3 (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/lineup3.jpg)
Boat Show overview 4 (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/lineup2.jpg)

'55 Cobra 1 (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/55cobra.jpg)
'55 Cobra 2 (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/cobra3.jpg)
God bless the woman that would give such a boat as this, to her husband as a surprise birthday present!

Thunderbird ( '39 Custom Hacker Craft) - Art Deco on water. (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/thunderbird.jpg)

Sweet Little '49 Racing Baycraft. (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/sweetboat.jpg)

'46 Stancraft Double Ender. (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/dender.jpg)

Outside the show, Donzi was well represented (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/donzibeach.jpg) and there was even a sighting of a rare Chris Craft Super Sport (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/chriscraftsporter.jpg) (A Jim Wynne design.)

After the show, we splashed the boat again, with the gracious and knowledgeable help of the woodie guys, and headed clockwise, north to the Nevada Shore. Here we have big wide sand beaches a-plenty. A great area for a picnic next year.

Then I found the spot I was looking for. Twenty years ago to the day, a different guy named Owen (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/23me.jpg) looked out on this lake wondering when he would be out there, looking back (http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/lookback.jpg) at the shore. That time has arrived. Life is good.

http://www.epud.net/~owen/tahoe/tasig.gif

RickR
08-14-2001, 07:31 AM
What a GREAT Adventure! I'll bet your Formula JR drew alot of attention.

How can you go 2000+ miles wo/ductape? You did remember the coathangers?

How about a lifejacket for Donzi Dog during the 8/10 rides :eek:

I like the cobra also.

Will we see you @ the Lake Dora,FL show next March? Some of the same boats are there but the show looks like 1/20 the size.

Those woodies are fanatics!!! I think I'll go wax the 22 right now :D

Riley
08-14-2001, 08:02 AM
Hey Owen, how many woodies were at the Tahoe show? I'm kind of curious to see how the show compares in entries to our Antique Wooden Boat Show here in Hessel, MI. There has always been some discussion over bragging rights to the largest show between Hessel, Tahoe, and Clayton, NY. I'll know the number of entries from Hessel tomorrow, so I'll post them for comparison. Thanks!

RickSE
08-14-2001, 11:03 AM
Great write up Owen. Thanks for all the information and great pictures. I sure hope one of these years we can pull this off. I talked to the Tahoe dealer last month at the dealer conference and he seemed very interested in getting something together. Maybe next year.

EricG
08-14-2001, 11:09 AM
Owen, the Donzi world would be a much less exciting place without your adventure stories!! Great post!!!

EG

Bandit
08-14-2001, 11:50 AM
Owen, that made my day. Keep sharing those stories of the good life!!!

Formula Jr
08-14-2001, 01:34 PM
Riley, there were 114 official entries, and about 50 more folks just brought their boats to run around. I don't know how you would compare different shows, as this show specificlly focuses on Mahogany Runabouts. I have certainly, never seen this many in one place and time.

RickR, yes Donzi Dog has his own jacket - but he doesn't like to wear yellow on Fridays. ;)
I got thumbs up, all over the lake with the JR.

Its amazing what people stuffed in these old woodies. The engines are HUGE!
They are beautiful boats, and I'm really glad OTHER people own them.
:D

Sagbay32
08-14-2001, 02:22 PM
Excellant story and great pics.....almost as if I had made the trek with ya!

roadtrip se
08-15-2001, 10:06 AM
Hey Owen,
Beautiful shots of Tahoe. I keep flying over the lake during my travels. One of these days I will stop.
Henry looks like a pretty good sport. Hope he shows up for the AOTH2. With Scott's permission, I would like to declare Henry as the official mascot of the AOTH2. He appears to emplify the spirit of the true Donzi aficionado. I guess a cross continent trip really depends on Henry's manners...
By the way, there was a Penkinese(sp) on the Scarab from VA at AOTH1, so precedent has already been set.... Todd

Forrest
08-15-2001, 02:17 PM
Owen, it looked like a great time! Great write-up and and fantastic photos of some fine boats.

Formula Jr
08-15-2001, 07:04 PM
Henry certainly appreciates the compliments, but having him on the road is alittle like traveling with Hunter S. or Dennis Hopper - the freaken beast is way out there......

Riley
08-16-2001, 07:03 AM
Hi Owen, I just finished reading the article on the Hessel Boat Show this weekend, and the official number of entries was 148. And, like Tahoe, there were probably 15-20 more boats that arrived too late for registration. The Hessel show features all types of wooden antique boats--runabouts, utilities,launches, outboards, canoes, replica's, and racers. So I would say, without question, that the Lake Tahoe show is hands-down the largest gathering of wooden runabouts the world has ever seen.

Thanks for posting your story and photo's!

Hull #18-83
09-13-2002, 02:24 PM
Owen, great story on Tahoe! The sites you mentioned (Camp Richardson's & The Beacon, Emerald Bay, Meeks Bay, Homewood, etc.) are some great destinations on Tahoe. I am fortunate enough to own a house in Tahoe Keys on the South Shore. It's about 1/2 mile east of Camp Rich. Tahoe is where I do most of my boating.

Do you have a 1969 18' 2+3? I saw one coming into the Keys in early August and asked the driver the year of the boat. It caught my eye as I have a 1966 18' triple hatch 2+3. I wasn't in my Donzi, but in my 31' Scarab with Black and red hull sides (my wife likes the Scarab much better on choppy Tahoe afternoons!).

Let me know if Donzi owners make it to Tahoe for
a gathering. Maybe we can arrange a BBQ at my house one evenning. A few more Donzis on my dock would be cool!

Jeff Stone

Formula Jr
09-13-2002, 04:43 PM
Hull 18, it would be great if the California Guys could pull off a gathering at Tahoe. Something very informal to start off with. I'd certainly do it again. With all the new guys on the board from Cal, getting 10 or fifteen together shouldn't be that hard. I can just see us, decending on Beacon's dock with a rumble of HP in the air... :D

Hull #18-83
09-13-2002, 04:48 PM
Owen, did you drive a white/red striped 18' into
Tahoe Keys on your trip? Is your boat at 1969?

Formula Jr
09-13-2002, 05:23 PM
I was running around in a red/white '66 Formula Jr with a mid-sized black and brown dog. Jrs look a little like an 18 from a distance. If it was that weekend, August 10th/11th 2001, you probably saw me as I didn't see any 16's or 18's on the lake that weekend. Its pretty amazing how many Donzis there are on Tahoe. I saw a least six over the three days I was there:Hornet, Minx, ZX 22, Classic 22, Donzi sportdeck boat and a big ZX of some kind.

harbormaster
09-13-2002, 05:34 PM
Great Post Owen. It should have been entitled "Henry the Dog's Great Adventure"
I was trying to arrange a Tahoe get together with a marina on the lake las year but time was not cooperating. It would be a good thing for all the central and west coat folks. I will dig out the stuff i have. What is a good time of year that does not interfere with AOTH or the Donzi affair?

Hull #18-83
09-13-2002, 06:36 PM
Scot, the best months for a Donzi gathering in Tahoe are June through August. Due to being at 6,200+ foot elevation in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the boating season is short.

The wooden boat show (Concourse) is held the first weekend of August. That would make a nice day run for the Donzi pak!

Would be wise to remind all attending that the high altitude calls for re-jetting of carbs (generally three sizes smaller than sea-level) and a smaller pitch prop (2" less pitch on average).

Let me know if I can help with arrangements. I know the lake well and have local connections.

harbormaster
09-13-2002, 10:01 PM
Is it absolutely necessary to make all those changes for 1 weekend?

Gearhead99
09-14-2002, 08:20 AM
FYI

Being a Wooden Chris-Craft owner. The Mt. Dora woodie show had 100+ last year. I think the number was around 120. But, Mt. Dora is a non judged show.

November 1-3 is the Cypress Gardens Wooden boat show. I was there last year. A little windy though. Had many Jersey Sea Skiffs there really showing their stuff.

RH
09-14-2002, 08:34 AM
Great story Owen! I was at that show in 1989 and have never gotten over the color of the water. The hue of blue is simply amazing. We stayed at Truckee and had a riot. This year, I am curious to know if you saw a big triple Hackercraft at the show. The boat is named Edward II. It is named after Edward Horton the voice of Rocky and bullwinkle fame (an original owner of the boat). Mike pulled it out from Iowa for the show behind his new tow rig, a Semi that he had custom painted black with gold leaf lettering. It is way cool. Mike took best of show with it. It is my goal to fly out there for that show as it is a great one. Thanks again for posting your great adventure!
RH

Gritz
09-14-2002, 12:11 PM
Owen, a great trip I'm sure and great presentation.
We'll be going to Madisonville, La (North shore of Lake Pontchartrain) with friends to the "Wooden Boat Festival" September 28 & 29. Guess what, it's advertized as "the biggest wooden boat show in the South". Oh well at least they left the "world" open for others. :rolleyes:
I've always heard "it's better to have a friend with a boat than own one"; however, being a friend of a guy who owns two wooden boats keeps the friend pretty busy as well. Great boats though and works of art from another era.
http://donzi.net/photos/whyde37.jpg http://www.donzi.net/photos/whyde38.jpg
The white hull is a 1962 36' and the black hull (original factory color at $5 extra cost) a 1954 33'. The original factory invoice is $13,000+ (quite a sum of money in 1954).
Stan
PS: I realize this is way off topic for "Donzi Performance". I posted here as a response to Owen's but, if anyone has a problem with it let me know and I'll use the "whatever" in the future.

Hull #18-83
09-17-2002, 04:28 PM
Scot, It is not absolutely necessary to make the jetting and prop changes for one weekend. Each boat tends to deal with the altitude a little differently. But note:
-The air at Tahoe has about 20% less oxygen than sea level. Hence, with carbs adjusted for sea level, your engine will run much fatter in Tahoe.
Your engine will also put out about 20% less HP.
-Your sea level prop will have too much pitch and won't allow your engine to hit optimum RPMs at WOT. Hence, your boat will be slower coming onto plane and at top speed.

In summary, it takes a little work to achieve maximum performance at Tahoe. You can probably run "as is" but don't expect peak performance. Just remember, the beauty of the lake and it's destinations makes it all worthwhile.

TAHOE FUN FACTS:
-The highest lake of it's size in the USA
-Maximum depth of 1,645' (second deepest in USA)
-22 miles long, 12 miles wide
-6,229' above sea level
-71 miles of shoreline (42 mi in Calif, 29 in NV)
-122,160,280 acre feet of water
-193 square miles of surface area
-surface temperature: 41 deg winter, 68 deg summer
-18' annual snowfall