A few months back, Chris Flynn wrote about his Bolger Bobcat,
Flynn's Folly for
this magazine. A couple of weeks ago, he asked if we would like for him to report on
Jim Michalak's Midwest Messabout, since he was going to attend anyway. Of course we
jumped at the chance to carry such an account, and here it is. Thanks, Chris, for
all your work. |
Jim Michalak's Midwest Messabout
by Chris Flynn manta@localline.com
| HI Chuck.. here are the pictures from the Midwest
messabout at Rend Lake in mid-south Illinois. |
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Here are Kilburn Adam's and Bill Dulin's boats.
They are Kilburn's design. Kilburn has a web
site that is linked from Jim Michalak's site. |
| This is the inside of Bill's boat, These were VERY SHARP!!!
they are both powered by 25 horsepower motors they looked great on the water! |
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This is Larry Applebaum's " Swamp Yankee"
Canoe .. this boat is unbelievably light, |
This is Rich Scobbie's Piraga, designed by Jim Michalak.. Rich's
son Ben was very good at paddling this boat( so was Rich's wife Karen)
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John Bell Drove all the way up from Georgia and brought his
Michalak designed "Sport Dory". This is a great boat! I am new to this
boating stuff and this was the first boat that I have ever rowed. I have to say that
Rowing is very relaxing and fun! This has to be on my "to Build " list.
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| Kay Ellifrit and Laura showed up in their beautifully built
Iain Oughtred designed lapstrake row boat ( I think it was a 111/2 foot) |
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It was very impressive and from what I understand it was their
first boat project! |
| John Bell and I( Chris Flynn) are getting ready to put Flynn's
Folly in for a sail... the wind was pretty strong that day (10-15 knots) and with Rend
being so shallow the waves were pretty active.John is a very experienced sailor so I had
him take the helm and I ran the mainsheet. It was great! |
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Here we are coming back into the cove where every one else was. |
| I am getting the sail down. |
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Here is Jim Michalak rowing John Jankousky's elegant
punt. ( John and his Family came all the way from Golden Colorado for the messabout, he is
from the area and also brought his parents who live nearby) Jim said that the Elegant punt
rows amazingly well for a "Square" boat .. looks cool too!.. John brought his
sail, mast and rigging but it was a little too windy to use. |
| Here is a bunch in the shade ... |
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It did get a little hot in the afternoon, even with the wind
blowing so hard... that is the Midwest for you! |
| This is Max Wawrzyniak's 1958 Crestliner with a 1942 Johnson
motor on her. this was a very cool boat and the motor would get the boat up and out of the
water. |
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I don't know much about antique boats or motors but I was very
impressed with this. Max is a
member of the Antique Outboard Motor Club .. they have a web site here. P.S check
out the whitecaps and waves behind Max , that is where we were before moving to the cove. |
| John and Susan McDaniel from Indiana are the owners of the
Famous Micro "Banty" I was very disappointed that they could not bring
her. They did come over for the dinner Saturday Evening. Here they are talking to Jim
Michalak leaning on Jim's AF4.. In Picture |
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Jim's AF4 is out for the day. |
| John Jankousky and Dave Gray ( of the Polysail Fame) are
unloading Dave's Bolger Cartopper. |
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Dave is going out in the cove for a sail.. If you look closely
a Dave's Polysail you can see the window that he is experimenting with. I thought it was a
great addition to the polysail. watch Dave's website for that new feature |
| I did not get to stay for the Dinner that night , And I
am sorry that I didn't . I know from the messabout that I attended at Lake Monroe in
Indiana last summer that the dinner was the best part of the day!!!! ( in food and company
and conversation!!!) I will plan on staying next year for the dinner . I am a little surprised that more did not show
up for the messabout, being new to the boating life I have really enjoyed the two that I
have attended, and plan of going to many more. If there is a messabout near you...
GO! you will be amazed at what you will see, learn, and laugh about.
That is about it Chuck
This is Chris Flynn reporting from Rend Lake
Illinois for Duckworks ( I had to say that ha! ha! ha!).... |
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