This Old Boat - looking for a nautical Bob Villa?

[Ocean Spray]

I received the enclosed e-mail this morning from a friend of mine that knows about my interest in building boats. I had to decline the offer but I was wondering if someone on the Forum might have some interest in this project. I don't even know what part of the country that it is taking place. The funny thing is that the original e-mail was generated thru the International Star Class, not a place that I associate with renovating old boats.

From: Talia Berman [mailto:taliaberman@countylineproductions.com]
Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 2:19 PM
To: office@starclass.org
Subject: <no subject>
Looking for an experienced boat builder who can help completely renovate/restore various boats for MAJOR CABLE TV NETWORK SERIES. We are
looking for a boat renovation EXPERT that can look at a rundown boat and envision the final product. This person needs to be the Ty Pennington (Extreme Home Makeover) of boats. If you know anyone, have them email boatrenovations@yahoo.com or taliaberman@countylineproductions.com

[uncas]

Ocean Spray..
Sounds like an interesting idea.. However, the audience may not be that large... Lets see, there are a bit over 12,100 members here on the forum. Say 11,700 even have any interest in boats..Audience is gonna be small.
Oh, take Bob Villa's name off the thread title. I have more experience than he does working with housing/construction and believe me. I know almost nothing. LOL...

[S/V Laura Ellen]

Lets see, there are a bit over 12,100 members here on the forum. Say 11,700 even have any interest in boats..

OK, who are the formaites that don't have any interest in boats? I want names...Please.

[uncas]

Allan..
Believe me, there are some... As far as names, well, most of them go by an alias or two or three, or four, or five....or 20. I don't need to name them and actually I can't. I know you drop down in the bilge periodically...so you know.

Back to boats. It is an interesting idea.... I'd watch a program dedicated to wooden boats and restorations.

[S/V Laura Ellen]

Uncas, I just liked the way you said it, made my day!
Still smiling over it!

Thanks!

[uncas]

Sorry Allan.. I take topics brought up above the bilge seriously... I misunderstood you... or your question.

And I guess I have a lot on my mind concerning an " old wooden boat".

[S/V Laura Ellen]

And I guess I have a lot on my mind concerning an " old wooden boat".

I imagine that the thoughts running through your head were about the same as mine. The web site for County Line Productions is one page with a logo and a line to an e-mail address. I wonder if they have already found a few boats to work on?

[Ken Hutchins]

Jamie, here is your chance to get the major tool companies to pay for the restoration, talk to Sam Crocker about doing the show.

[uncas]

Ken
I e-mailed them..Umm interesting to see if I get a response.

Basically outlined the facts.. An old boatyard initially started by a well known designer and builder of wooden boats etc. Mentioned Uncas as bait... Better than bacon I think

[S/V Laura Ellen]

Ken
I e-mailed them..Umm interesting to see if I get a response.

Uncas: Good luck on your inquiry! It would be nice to see a formite get some much need assistance from this show. Would also be a great boost for the Wooden boat magazine (the topic of a running article).

I can think of two boats that would make great episodes.

[Ocean Spray]

As far as a T.V. boat building show audience . . . . remember when someone came up with an idea for a golf channel, not a TV show but a TV channel dedicated to nothing but golf. I also laughed at the History Channel, but now that's the first channel that I turn to when I put on the TV. . . . . . and now we even have the twenty four hours a day Military Channel . . . . I think there could be a market for a boat building "show."

[uncas]

Allan
Regarding boats...old wooden ones, I know. If we put every old boat that needs work on the forum, this network would be busy for years...
We are losing our heritage... What is left is hopefully at a museum somewhere.

One step at a time. I know, I'm being selfish especially concerning Uncas but I also think that the kind of publicity would help yards such as Crockers survive in the time of plastic boats. Those who have never understood wooden boats ( or have owned one ) need to be aware of the heritage we are losing through ignorance..

[S/V Laura Ellen]

Jamie: I hear what you are saying about the loss of heritage. I will be putting my boat into the Tall Ship program (rented to an associatiob for my costs) to increase the marine heritage in the South Western Ontario area. There is allot of people that have no notion of wooden boats still being in use, and of the designers and ship yards that designed/made them. That is a shame.

There is/was a show "Shipshape TV" on cable that was oriented to the repair of glass boats, filmed in Florida. If it can make it, a show about classic boats should have a better chance to survive. The concept of heritage conservation is important to a growing population.

[uncas]

Allan
I grew up at a maritime museum. Years and years of hearing what wasn't being done and what was being done..
I know.....Oh, do I know.

[Lew Barrett]

Allen, I have to comment about Ship Shape TV. It was the most useless marine program I could have imagined, literally in the "truth is stranger than fiction" department. Or so I thought, anyway. Starved for Boat TV, I still couldn't watch a single episode through to the end. Truly conceived for the lowest common denominator.
This huge whale of a man (in shorts!) explaining in boring detail the most mundane of chores, always on a 22 foot Striker or the like. And then, reminding us, as a clever tag line, to "keep your boat Ship Shape." Saints preserve us! We deserve better!

[S/V Laura Ellen]

I haven't seen the show in the last few years. It's not on the Canadian cable channels that I get.
Proves my point even more, even a really bad show about boats can make it for many years , a show about restoring classic boats could and should be feasible.

[Lew Barrett]

I think it's toast here too, but I'm right there with you. A good show either following a legit restoration, especially as a special interest program, say on the DIY channel or the like could do very well. Even better would be one that includes useful instructional hints, but that seems too much to hope for.
What they'd be more likely to provide is a Reality Wooden Boat Restoring show, filled with personalities not unlike the morons who build the choppers, including moments of agony and "drama."
I do think most people would find the boats and the process interesting, but I doubt one could get a long run out of anything so specialized.

[JimConlin]

To me, Bob Vila and the home makeover shows are the very worst of the genre. If the producers can't do it to he standards of THis Old House and New Yankee Workshop, it's be better not to do it at all. Fewer old boats would be destroyed by misinformed rescuers.

[bamamick]

Steve Thomas, who took over TOH for Bob Vila, would be perfect for such a thing. Steve sailed around the Polynesian Islands for awhile on traditional craft and wrote a book called 'the Last Navigator', which was exactly what the book was about: the last of the traditional Polynesian navigators. He also sails regularly from what I understand and had a good time on the little boats that Norm built on TNYW that time.

I see Steve every so often on things for the History Channel or the Travel Channel. He would be a good fit for the boat gig.

Mickey Lake

[John Bell]

This person needs to be the Ty Pennington (Extreme Home Makeover) of boats.

LOL. I went to kindergarten (and high school) with Ty Pennington, and I would not want to be the Ty Pennington of anything!

[Wild Wassa]

There is a program called 'Getting Afloat' hosted by the British shipwright Nick Gates on cable. He has looked at traditional boats and wooden dinghies and how to put them back on the water. He started very basically with repairs to dinghies like the Mirror and a restoration of a Sharpie. He moved onto rebuilding a Pilot Cutter, the history and maintenance of Seagull motors, sailing tall ships across the north Sea, seamanship in sailboats, how the Norfolk Broads were dug out and racing traditional Broads boats amongst other interesting boat happenings. I found the show well worth the look.

... but how about a remake of 'The Nightmare at Ajunga Point'?

Scene one act one; It was a cold grey day off Ajunga point.





"Did you hear that noise Skipper, something is scratching on the hull?" "Go back to sleep, it's only the wind!"

"No! No! I did hear something Skipper. It sounds like it is climbing onto the boat. It, it, it is climbing up the transom Skipper!" ... "Arrrrhhh run for your life !!!"





"Ahoy there, I'm here to start the restoration. That was a strange noise? ... it sounded like two people just dived off the boat and landed on the concrete under the hoist. It must be the wind."

I work near Ajunga Point and I see things like this nightmare happening every day.

Warren.

[S/V Laura Ellen]

Steve Thomas, who took over TOH for Bob Vila, would be perfect for such a thing. Mickey Lake

Good point.

[Tom Mac]

On the last pages of woodenboat magizines, there is a Save A Classic page. One could use these boats on a TV How to Resored Show. Or the boats for free. Rebuild them, You could get Eric Dow as the boatbuilders Norm the Yankee carpenter. Tom Mac

[S/V Laura Ellen]

On the last pages of woodenboat magizines, there is a Save A Classic page. One could use these boats on a TV How to Resored Show. Or the boats for free. Rebuild them, You could get Eric Dow as the boatbuilders Norm the Yankee carpenter. Tom Mac

There are two boats already in the running for a TV show makeover! Right Jamie?

[uncas]

Well, Allan, out of curiosity, I e-mailed the network...
We shall see...
There are a lot of woodies out there worth saving... As many of us well know...