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New “Kayaker’s Guide to Lake George” Published

By Buzz Lamb

Thursday, July 19, 2012

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Albany author Russell Dunn, a New York State licensed guide, has written 10 books on the great outdoors of eastern New York and western New England.  Dunn’s latest book, “A Kayaker’s Guide to Lake George, the Saratoga Region & Great Sacandaga Lake” has just been released by Black Dome Press.

This newly published guide to the best paddling trips in the region contains voyage ideas and environmental, geological, and historic points of interest.  Dunn’s first book for kayakers focused on the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers in the Capital District area.

The 352 page soft-cover book starts off with 63 pages devoted to paddling on Lake George.  Beginning with the Lake Avenue Beach in Lake George Village, the book describes some of the launch sites for kayakers and canoeists along Lake Shore Drive (Route 9N) all the way to Mossy Point in Ticonderoga.

Dunn then takes the reader down the eastern side of the lake featuring launch sites at Black Point Beach, Hulett’s Landing, Kattskill Bay and Dunhams Bay.  Each launch site and Dunn’s recommended paddling route is precisely described.

Dunn begins the Lake George section with a well written advisory regarding the conditions a paddler will encounter on the lake.  “Extra care must be taken when paddling on Lake George,” Dunn writes.  “This is a very large lake and one that quickly fills with powerboats during the summer months, especially on weekends and holidays.”

Dunn’s advice should be heeded by operators of small watercraft like kayaks.  Each section contains a paragraph entitled “Comments” and Dunn refers the reader back to the above mentioned advisory written on page 2.

In a phone interview Dunn, 65, said he has personally paddled all of the routes listed in the book.  Dunn said it took him four years to compile the information.  “I really wanted to focus on the perimeter of the lake.  People can get themselves into trouble when they go out into the middle of the lake,” he said.

Russell Dunn

The book also provides driving directions to each launch site along with descriptions of destinations and mileages for each paddle.  GPS coordinates are listed for each site as well.

Dunn does a nice job of telling the story of each paddle by pointing out historical sites as well as present-day landmarks around the lake.

Dunn said that he really wanted to talk about the history of the lake as well as providing information for the paddler.  “Lake George is a very pristine lake and there are several areas around the lake where it creates the illusion of there not being a lot of people around.  Of course, we know there are…especially in the southern end of the lake,” he said with a chuckle.

In total, the book lists 58 paddling adventures in the Lake George/Saratoga Region. By using Dunn’s guide paddlers can explore not only Lake George but also the Upper Hudson River, Great Sacandaga Lake, Kayderosseras Creek, Champlain Canal, Lake Luzerne, Sacandaga River, Round Lake, Saratoga Lake, Ballston Lake, Glens Falls Feeder Canal and Lake Desolation.

Dunn said he purposely left out certain areas around the lake.  “I would really liked to have written up the Shelving Rock area and talk about accessing the lake from there.  But, then I realized it would involve a fairly long portage.  That was the other concept…I wanted to make it fairly easy for people to get out on the lake.  I didn’t want them to have to trek over great lengths of land like he-men carrying their boats.”

Dunn said his favorite area to paddle on Lake George is Northwest Bay Brook.  “I prefer paddling on more quiet waters.  In that sense, there is a spiritual association with that paddle.  You can’t get that out on the main lake where it is teeming with activity,” he said.  “I like to explore the coves and the little nooks and crannies when I paddle.”

This is a “must have” book for both the beginner and expert paddler.  Dunn offers insight which will make it easier to get out paddling. The book also includes directories of paddling outfitters, organizations and clubs.

The book is a solid resource, pulling together most of what there is to be known about kayaking in our region and doing it in a readable, occasionally even witty, style. It’s definitely worth the $19.95 cover price. The book is available from Trees and the Lake George Kayak Company, both in Bolton Landing.

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Your Prop: the Most Important Aspect of Boat Performance

By Buzz Lamb

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

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In spring, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of … propellers? With apologies to Tennyson, more Lake George boaters think of their propellers than they do of love – at least when it comes to getting ready for the season. And what better time to order a new prop, or at least confirm that your present one is just right, than now, when your boat’s out of the water and you can get to her running gear without holding your breath?

Finding the right match between the propeller, engine type and boat size will optimize the following performance factors;  improved low-end punch and load carrying capability, getting on plane faster, and increased top end speed.

For safety and efficient performance, it is critical that your engine operates within the RPM range recommended by the manufacturer.  Matching the right prop for the load is the most significant factor when choosing a new propeller.  If you want to modify your boat’s performance, consider the following information before making your selection.

Diameter is two times the distance from the center of the hub to the tip of the blade.  It can also be looked at as the distance across the circle that the propeller would make while rotating.  It is the first number listed when describing a propeller.

Pitch is defined as the theoretical forward movement of a propeller during one revolution, assuming there is no “slippage” between the propeller blade and the water.  Slip is the difference between actual and theoretical travel of the propeller blades through the water.        For most boats, there is slippage and therefore the distance advanced is less than the design pitch.  A properly matched prop will actually move forward about 80 to 90 percent of the theoretical pitch.  The amount of slippage varies from boat to boat.  Pitch is the second number listed in the propeller description.

Rake is the degree that the blades slant forward or backwards in relation to the hub.  Rake can affect the flow of water through the propeller and has implications with respect to boat performance.  Aft rake helps to trim the bow of the boat upwards which often results in less wetted surface area and therefore higher top end speed.  Aft rake props also typically “bite” better on ventilating-type applications.  Forward (or negative) rake helps hold the bow of the boat down.  This is more common in workboat applications.

A cupped propeller also works very well where the motor can be trimmed so that the propeller is near the surface of the water. Many of today’s propellers incorporate a cup at the trailing edge of the propeller blade.  This curved lip on the propeller allows it to get a better bite on the water.  This results in reduced ventilation, slipping and allows for a better “hole shot” in many cases.  The cup will typically result in higher top end speed on one of these applications.

Ventilation is a situation where surface air or exhaust gasses are drawn into the propeller blades.  When this situation occurs, boat speed is lost and engine RPM climbs rapidly.  This can result from excessively tight cornering, a motor that is mounted very high on the transom or by over-trimming the engine (or drive unit).

Cavitation (which is often confused with ventilation) is a phenomenon of water vaporizing or “boiling” due to the extreme reduction of pressure on the back of the propeller blade.  Many propellers partially cavitate during normal operation but excessive cavitation can result in physical damage to the propeller’s blade surface due to the collapse of microscopic bubbles on the blade.

There may be numerous causes of cavitation such as incorrect matching of propeller style to application, incorrect pitch, physical damage to the blades, etc.  Be advised that disturbances in the water flow forward of the propeller (such as a thru-hull transducer) can result in blade damage which appears to be cavitation but is actually due to non-favorable water flow into the propeller.

Thru-hub exhaust and over-hub exhaust propellers are used on boats where exhaust passes out through the rear of the “torpedo” on the lower unit around the propeller shaft.  Most outboards and I/Os utilize this type of exhaust.

Thru-hub exhaust propellers consist of a round barrel to which the blades are attached.  The exhaust gasses pass through this barrel and out the back without making contact with the blades.  This provides a good clean water flow for the blades usually resulting in good acceleration and hole shot.

Over-hub exhaust propellers have the blades attached directly to a smaller tube which fits over the propeller shaft eliminating the larger exhaust barrel.  These props are often used for attaining maximum top speeds. On some boats the hole shot can often suffer due to the extreme exhaust flooding that occurs around the prop blades during acceleration.

Non-thru-hub exhaust propellers are used for inboards using shaft driven propellers, sterndrives using thru-hull exhaust and on some outboards that don’t route the exhaust through the lower unit torpedo.

Two propellers spinning the same direction on twin engine boats will also create steering torque.  In other words, two right-hand propellers pull the stern hard to the right and the bow to the left.  Two opposite-spinning propellers on twin engines eliminate this steering torque because the left-hand propeller balances out the right-hand propeller.  This results in better straight-line tracking and helm control at high speed.

Most pleasure boats are factory equipped with aluminum propellers.  Aluminum props are relatively inexpensive, easy to repair and under normal conditions can last for years.  Stainless steel is more expensive but much stronger and durable than aluminum.  If you are looking for better performance than can be provided by your aluminum prop, such as ultimate top speed or better acceleration, a stainless steel prop might be required.

I personally recommend 3-blade propellers for recreational boats with 2, 3, 4, and 6-cylinder outboards and I/O engines.  These propellers provide good hole shot and top-speed performance.  I recommend 4-blade propellers for bass boats and boats with high-performance hulls running high horsepower engines.  Compared to 3-blades, they provide better hole shot performance with less steering torque and less vibration at high speeds.

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Photo by Clea G. Hall

Photo by Clea G. Hall

Speedboats Return to Lake George This Weekend

By Buzz Lamb

Friday, May 18, 2012

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When Jason Saris, Rick Gage and Norm Dascher realized they needed to change the perception of performance boating on Lake George they approached Lake George Village Mayor Bob Blais with an idea.

They decided a different tactic was necessary to re-charge the enthusiasm for Lake George among the go-fast crowd.  That was three years ago and on May 18 – 20 the hot boats will be back at the lake.

The concept was to provide a venue where off-shore and high-performance boats could come to Lake George for a weekend of fun and be able to demonstrate the capabilities of their boats without being stressed by speed and noise limitations. If you like performance boating, this is the event to attend.

“Last year’s crowd was a testament to how much the Performance Weekend (formerly known as the Queen’s Great Boating Weekend) has grown in just two short years,” Gage said.  An idea that was conceived by three friends has created an event that has become an economic force in the community and a must-attend event for performance-boating fans.

“I am very excited to see the performance boats return to the Village again this year,” said Mayor Blais.  “Our part of the lake is a great location for this event and I’m glad that it has turned into an annual occurrence,” Blais said.

The event’s sponsor is Performance Marine of Bolton Landing.  Saris and Gage have been partners in the high-performance boat company since 1987.  “The driving force is to more effectively reach out to recreational boaters,” Gage said.

The Saris racing team. Photo by Sharkey Images.

“It amazes me how this event has evolved,” said Saris.  “They’re not vying for a purse or huge trophies.  The only thing I can think of (why it’s grown) is that we’ve kept it simple and fun.  Everybody loves Lake George and this is a way for them to get out on the lake and unleash the power that these boats have,” he said.

“This is not a formal competition,” Saris explained.  “The driver’s enjoy this event because it is simply a demonstration.  They can get out on the lake, show what their boats can do and not have to go through all of the rigorous safety inspections required during sanctioned races,” Saris said.

The Lake George Performance Weekend is also a key economic boost for the local economy.  It is held the weekend before Memorial Day, which would typically be a slow weekend at the lake, but that’s no longer the case.  “Some people will attend the Performance Weekend and stay the following week for the holiday.  The result last year was packed hotels and motels and bustling restaurants,” Gage said.

The tentative schedule calls for a boat parade down Canada Street on Friday evening followed by a reception at a local restaurant, which will be open to the public.

According to Gage, there will be a driver’s meeting at 11 am on Saturday.  The main Offshore Demonstration Races will take place from noon to 4 pm followed by a reception/party at King Neptune’s Pub in Lake George Village.  The awards ceremony is open to the public and includes live entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display over the lake.

Spectators will be able to walk along the Village docks to gawk at the fancy paint jobs or to ooh and aah at the huge engines with the big blowers and gleaming exhaust pipes. The powerboat demonstrations may be easily viewed from any vantage point along Beach Road.

This year organizers have added a two-day custom car and motorcycle show in the Beach Road parking lot and there will be a sailboat race at noon on Sunday. All of the weekend events are free and open to the public.  For more information call Rick Gage at 518-644-3080.

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European Cars on Display at Saratoga Auto Museum

By Buzz Lamb

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

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“The British are coming!” says Jean Hoffman, a trustee at the Saratoga Automobile Museum (SAM).

Ms. Hoffman says the nationally renowned museum will host its 4th Annual “Invitational at Saratoga” May 18 – 20 on the grounds of the Saratoga Spa State Park.  According to Hoffman, the gathering of exquisite automobiles from around the world is quickly becoming a premier East Coast automobile event.

First held in 2009 as a supplement to SAM’s longstanding Spring Auto Show, the “Invitational” immediately became a popular kick-off event for the Spa City’s summer season.

Just like the thoroughbred horses which come to the city in July, horsepower and speed are the buzzwords of the “Invitational.”

The three-day weekend begins with a $45 per person cocktail reception at 6 pm on Friday at SAM.  Members of the public are invited to meet special guest Wayne Carini of Chasing Classic Cars fame.  Carini will get the weekend underway as Friday’s featured speaker.            According to a recent article written by Don Weberg, Carini is one of those guys that pretty much any car guy or gal can relate to. He’s constantly on the quest for the rarest, most sought after, most unique cars ever built, cars that he personally loves, and more to the point, cars that his clients are looking for.

Saturday’s line-up of Euro cars has historically attracted over 200 widely recognized examples of British, French, German, Italian and other European makes and models.  According to Hoffman, anyone who owns or drives a European made automobile is invited to enter their vehicle in the show.  “Saturday is not by invitation only…only Sunday,” she explained.

The “Euro Experience on the Field” will be followed by a fund-raising dinner and auction at the Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs.

The auction will feature items such as one-day of driving with the Sports Car Drivers Association School at Lime Rock Park or your chance to bid on a package which includes two tickets to the Tonight Show, a photograph in the Green Room with Jay Leno and a tour of Jay’s car collection in Burbank, California.

Featured guest speaker will be noted actor Ed Herrmann, best known for his Emmy-nominated portrayals of Franklin D. Roosevelt on television, and to younger generations for his role as Richard Gilmore in Gilmore Girls and as a ubiquitous narrator for historical programs on the History Channel.  Tickets are available for the 6 pm Saturday event at a cost of $150 per person.  Contact Becky Earls at 518-587-1932 ext. 16.

Rounding out the weekend’s activities, the Sunday “Invitational” should provide attendees with an up-close-and-personal look at cars from around the US and beyond.  The “Invitational”, as the name implies, is open only to select collectors with rare classic and historic automobiles.

Over 100 extraordinary vehicles and vintage motorcycles will be on display Sunday.  The featured marque for 2012 is Cadillac, one of America’s most highly respected names in automobile manufacturing.  Reportedly at least 20 vintage Caddies will be featured during the “Invitational”.

Saturday’s and Sunday’s events are open from 10 am to 3 pm each day and the cost of admission to the grounds is $15 and children under 12 are admitted free.  No pets are allowed.

As an added bonus, the Museum itself will welcome visitors without charge with paid admission to either the Euro Show on Saturday or the “Invitational” on Sunday.

According to Hoffman, all proceeds from the weekend events will benefit the Museum’s Educational programs and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast New York.

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Over the Transom: Mercury Outboards – One of the Big 3

By Buzz Lamb

Monday, March 19, 2012

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Over the last six years we have taken a look at Evinrude and Johnson outboard motors.  Now it’s Mercury’s turn.  I can hear Bolton resident Craig Hannon exclaiming, “Finally!”  Before we take a look at the different models produced over the years, let’s venture back in history to the beginning of this ubiquitous outboard brand.

The company began in 1939 when engineer Elmer Carl Kiekhaefer purchased a small outboard company (Thor) in Cedarburg, Wis.  His original intention for the Kiekhaefer Corporation was to make magnetic separators for the dairy industry.  The purchase included 300 defective outboard motors.

Kiekhaefer and his staff re-built the motors and he sold them to Montgomery Ward, then a mail-order company.  The motors were so well received that the buyer wanted to purchase more. That prompted Kiekhaefer to concentrate on outboards rather than the separators.

Kiekhaefer designed outboard motors that withstood the elements better than his competition and he called the motor Mercury after the Roman god with the winged helmet.  He took orders for 16,000 motors at the New York Boat Show in 1940.

World War II changed the corporate environment and Kiekhaefer sought a government contract to design two-man, air-cooled chainsaws.  Army engineers were unable to design a lightweight chainsaw yet Kiekhaefer designed one in less than two months.

The Kiekhaefer powered chainsaw was able to cut through a 2-foot thick green log in 17 seconds, while it took the nearest competitor 52 seconds.  Mercury was awarded the contract and became the world’s largest chainsaw manufacturer by the end of the war.

Mercury foresaw that the average American’s interest in boating would swell after the war.  Kiekhaefer introduced a 2-cylinder, alternate firing 19.8 cubic inch 10-horsepower motor at the 1947 New York Boat Show called the “Lightning” (or KE-7).

Among the more distinctive features of the vivid green engine was an oversized letter K that doubled as the throttle lever handle.  The 10 horsepower engine was blasting the dynamometer past the 16 hp mark but Kiekhaefer insisted on calling it a 10-horse so that no other 10-horse in the water could possibly touch it.

By the mid-1950s Kiekhaefer decided to promote his company by owning a NASCAR racing team.  His team dominated NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) at one point winning 16 straight races even though it competed for only two years.  The team won the 1955 and 1956 NASCAR championships with drivers Tim Flock and Buck Baker.  Kiekhaefer’s obsession with car racing nearly financially decimated his outboard business.

In 1957 Mercury started testing at a Florida lake Kiekhaefer dubbed “Lake X” in order to keep the location a secret.  Later that year the company designed a new 60 hp motor named “Mark 75”.  It was the industry’s first 6-cylinder outboard.  The closest thing any other manufacturer had was a 2-cylinder Scott-Atwater 40-horsepower.  Evinrude and Johnson only had 35s.

Two “Mark 75” motors set an endurance record by running non-stop for a total of 68 hours and 45 minutes (approximately 50,000 miles) on Lake X.  The motors were re-fueled as they ran and averaged 30.3 mph.

According Jeffrey L. Rodengen, author of “The Legend of Mercury Marine”, on the morning of September 30, 1961 Carl Kiekhaefer was crying in his bedroom, with his longtime secretary Rose Smiljanic consoling him.  “I won’t sign,” he wept, “I’m not going through with it.”

Kiekhaefer had worked his way through crisis after crisis without shedding a tear but what reduced him to tears was an impending deal to sell his company to a larger corporation.  That afternoon his company merged with Brunswick Corporation.

Later the same year, Kiekhaefer used his NASCAR and engineering skills to develop a 100-hp stern drive engine which he introduced at the 1961 Chicago Boat Show.  The motor, called MerCruiser, would later take over 80 percent of the market. During this time Mercury also produced snowmobiles, like many other companies in the late ‘60s.

Carl Kiekhaefer officially resigned as president of Kiekhaefer Mercury on January 31, 1970 and the name changed to Mercury Marine in November of 1971.  Since the 1972 models of outboards and sterndrives were already in production, “Mercury Marine” would not appear until the 1973 model line, breaking a 33-year tradition of having the Kiekhaefer name appear on its products.

From the early ‘70s it seemed Mercury could do no wrong.  According to Rodengen, sales in 1970 were a little over $150 million and they almost doubled to $300 million in 1972. Early in the decade Mercury developed bigger, better and more powerful engines for boating.

The crowning achievement in 1970 was the introduction of the two new six-cylinder outboard engines, the Merc 1150 and 1350, rated at 115 and 135 hp respectively, keeping Mercury at the top of the horsepower race..

In 1972 Mercury bought a minority interest in Yamaha manufacturing.  The plan was to diversify distribution in the U.S. by adding another brand of outboard engines.

At the time, Mercury and Outboard Marine Corporation (with Johnson and Evinrude products) each maintained about 30 percent of the market.  The second-brand tactic was to give Mercury another slice out of the same pie even though the new brand would compete with Mercury.  The first Mariner outboards were introduced to the Australian market in 1974 and to the U.S. and Europe in 1976.

Mercury Marine began its journey to the top of the marine industry as an afterthought.  Though Carl Kiekhaefer was hired as a draftsman at Evinrude Motors in 1927, he was fired three months later.  Twelve years would pass before Kiekhaefer began making outboards again.

In the next installment of Over the Transom we’ll take a look at those formative years and gain some insight to the man and his machine.  Until then…keep your ropes dry.

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Buzz Lamb and the "Gypsy"

Buzz Lamb and the "Gypsy"

The “Gypsy” – A Tale of Two Owners

By Buzz Lamb

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

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The Wagemaker Company was a boatbuilding firm in Grand Rapids, Michigan which began in 1899 as a manufacturer of wooden flat-top and roll-top desks, filing cabinets and other specialty cabinet work.  The company’s boat product line eventually emerged out of the furniture-building business.

The company began building Wolverine boats in 1931.  Those early cedar strip boats were first nationally advertised in 1933 and gained instant popularity.  When I was a kid, we had a customer who came to Norowal Marina for three weeks in August every year.  He owned a 1946 Wolverine 13-and-a half-foot “Super DeLuxe” model that he bought brand-new and named it “Gypsy.”

Matt Savitch stayed every year at Mrs. Ethel Ormsby’s rooming house in Bolton Landing on Stewart Avenue.  He was joined by three friends, the husband and wife duo of Harry and Sally Terris, who owned Drazen’s Department Store and Herb Graff, a great tennis player and a judge at Forrest Hills.  They came from Binghamton, N.Y. and they never missed a summer while they were alive.

Matt was a creature of habit. At all times he made the trip by himself towing the boat behind his Oldsmobile (Matt alwaysowned an Oldsmobile).  When he arrived in Bolton Landing his first stop was Norowal so that he could drop off the boat before going to Mrs. Ormsby’s.

Matt was well-known in Bolton Landing and people always knew when Matt arrived, Labor Day was exactly three weeks away.  He came and left the same time every year, without fail.  Matt was somewhat famous throughout the U.S. as well.  In 1943 he was the poster boy for Uncle Sam’s War Bonds campaign for the U.S. Army.  Matt was a handsome-looking young soldier with a Chiclets smile and slick black hair whose pointed finger jumped off the poster…right at you.

“Gypsy” was powered by a 1946 Evinrude 22.5 hp Speeditwinand it was fast.  As a kid, I begged Matt and my father to let me operate the boat by myself.  After much pleading, they both agreed that if I could start the motor, I could take it for a ride…by myself!  That was 1956 and I was 12 years old.

It turns out that the two men were a lot smarter that I had perceived.  I imagined I had pulled one over on them, but the tables were turned.  You see, that 2-cylinder opposed-firing Speeditwinhad so much compression that I couldn’t pull it through fast enough to get it started.  They always got a laugh when I tried.  Everybody at the boatyard did!

In 1946, if you were interested in speed, performance and comfort the “Super DeLuxe” was for you.  The boat had a long 60-inch deck with a narrow after-brace for mounting a steering wheel.  “Gypsy’s” wheel was mounted on the port side along with a Wilcox-Crittenden Bowden-cable throttle assembly.  The single front seat lazy-back was supported by an 18-inch wide mid-deck and the rear cockpit was devoid of seating.

The original plans for the “Super DeLuxe” called for the bottom of the hull to be made of compressed cedar strips with all the planking above the spray rails, along with the seats, lazy-backs, transom and decks constructed of genuine mahogany.  Due to shortages caused by World War II, the 1946 “Super DeLuxe” was all cedar.

After Matt dropped off the boat at the marina we would use a sling to launch it as he did not want the trailer put into the lake.  It would take a day or so to soak up and Matt was never in any rush to take a ride.  It was I who couldn’t wait.  “Gypsy” was my favorite boat!

Oftentimes Matt and I would challenge other boats in the Bolton area to an impromptu race.  He would sit in the rear cockpit perched on top of one of those green army-surplus gas cans, scrunched down to cut wind resistance and I would drive.  We seldom lost.

In 1957 Evinrude announced the arrival of an all new 35 hp model.  We were dealers for Evinrude Motors and Thompson lapstrake boats back in those days so we had a brand-new 14-footer with one of those new motors mounted on the transom.

I wanted to race against that new motor, which had 50 percent more horsepower than the “Gypsy”.  So did Matt.  It was one of the few times that I saw him excited.  We lined up one of the dockhands from Norowal to drive the Thompson and Matt and I hopped in “Gypsy”, he started up the Speeditwinand the two boats motored out into Northwest Bay.

On the way back to the docks, Matt shook his head in disbelief.  You see, the two boats ran neck and neck…we didn’t win, but we didn’t lose either.  Once “Gypsy” was back at the dock Matt had a bright idea.  He concluded that if I was in the boat alone “Gypsy” would be the victor.

The fact that I couldn’t start the Speeditwin was no longer a laughing matter.  By now I was 13 and had sprouted up over six inches in height since the last summer.  By all rights, I should have been able to get it going.  Over the next couple of days Matt gave me tips on how to “pull it through” fast enough to get it to run.

He showed me where to brace my left foot against the transom and how to “whip” the starter rope while yanking on it with both hands.  Three days before Labor Day Matt was getting anxious.  He wanted to see “Gypsy” beat that 35-horse motor in the worst way.

That afternoon Matt and Sally and Harry went for a ride up to Paradise Bay in “Gypsy”.  Herb was off playing tennis with Jim Kneeshaw and David Rehm because only three people could squeeze into “Gypsy’s” single seat. When the trio got back to Norowal Matt suggested that I try to start the motor using the techniques he had passed along to me.

I walked to the end of the dock where he had parked the boat, hopped in, wrapped the well-worn starter cord around the flywheel sheave and gave a yank.  It started!  I ran back to shore yelling, “It started…It started!”

Matt was right.  Alone in the boat, I zoomed past that 15-foot Thompson like it was still tied to the dock.  I’ll never forget the grin on his face…from ear to ear.  He talked about that race for years after.

I have “Gypsy” in my antique outboard boat collection along with the Speeditwin.  Matt generously gave it to me on Labor Day the summer of 1982, six years before he passed away.  I always made it available for him to use but as he got older he would say, “If I can’t start it, I can’t use it.”  It had gone full circle…now Matt didn’t have the strength to pull it through fast enough…and nobody was laughing.

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Lake George in History: Gold Cup Racing and the Inimitable George Reis

By Buzz Lamb

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

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From 1922 to 1941 unlimited hydroplanes were barred from participation in the American Power Boat Association (APBA) Gold Cup races.  As a result, a new category of racing boats was created called the Gold Cup Class.

The original Gold Cup Class boats of 1922 were so-called “gentlemen’s runabouts.”  Boats with “steps” or “shingles” on the underside of the hull were banned and the engine size was limited to 625 cubic inches.  For the next two decades Gold Cup racing was restricted, supposedly for safety but more likely to put the activity into the range of more pocketbooks.

The sport was in deep trouble after five years of racing under the restrictive Gold Cup Class rules.  Costs continued to spiral upwards and the boats that raced were definitely not the desired “gentlemen’s runabouts.”  They were nothing but unadulterated racers.

No Gold Cup race was run in 1928.  The “gentlemen’s runabout” concept was discarded and hydroplane hulls were re-admitted.  The hydroplanes made a discouraging return in 1929 in Red Bank, N.J. and the race winner that year actually ran slower than the 1927 winner which was a V-bottom monohull.

The 1930 Gold Cup churned the waters of suspicion from the previous year that the hydroplane hulls built to the new rules were not competitive.  None of the six boats entered in the 1931 race were able to keep up with “Hotsy Totsy”, a four-year-old V-bottom hull which had been treated to a “shingled” underside.

“Hotsy Totsy” repeated as champion in 1931 and as a result two-thirds of the boats entered in 1932 consisted of “shingled” versions of earlier V-bottom Gold Cuppers.  The 1932 winner was “Delphine IV” owned by Horace Dodge, Jr. and driven by Bill Horn.

Because of Dodge’s win in 1932, the 1933 race was held in his home port of Detroit, Mich. but the Cup’s stay in the Motor City proved to be of short duration.  This was the year of the highly touted “Dodge Navy”.  Five out of a total of eight entries belonged to Dodge but none of them were a match for “El Lagarto”, the “Leaping Lizard of Lake George.”

Owner/driver George Reis and riding mechanic Dick Bowers pushed the old “Lizard” to the fastest heat (60.866 mph) since the cubic inch displacement limitation was implemented in 1922.  Reis and Bowers made it two Cups in a row in 1934 at Lake George (Reis’ home port).  “El Lagarto” won the first two heats after a battle in Heat Two with Bennett Hill in “Hornet” and then cruised to an easy third in Heat Three to win on race points.

In 1935, for the first time in Gold Cup history a boat, (“El Lagarto”) won three Gold Cups in succession.  Not for 30 years would another craft (“Miss Bardahl”) match “El Lagarto’s” record of winning three Gold Cups in a row.

George Reis had to be one of the most colorful characters to ever pilot a hydroplane. Born to wealth, he was reportedly brought up to learn the value of money.  His father, a steel company executive, used to make him caddy during the summer while his family vacationed in resorts.

Reis was a poet and also a stage actor of some distinction.  Every winter he would take his wife, Mary, to Pasadena, Calif. where he starred in performances at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse.  Reis was blind in his left eye and, when driving in a race, would only pass on the right of his fellow competitors.

Of all of the 1930s Gold Cup Races only the 1936 race was a total disaster.  Only two boats answered the starting gun on Lake George.  “El Lagarto” went dead in the water after only one mile of competition and “Impshi”, with Englishman Kaye Don driving, ran 89 out of 90 miles by itself.  “Impshi’s” win in 1936 returned the Gold Cup to the shelf of the Detroit Yacht Club and in 1937 the race proved to be one of the more successful in the series.  The rules were amended to allow participation by boats of the International 12-Litre Class which was popular in Europe at the time.

On September 1, 1939, the same weekend as the APBA Gold Cup Regatta in Detroit, World War II began over in Europe with the German invasion of Poland.  The long-feared worldwide conflict was now a reality and American involvement was to be expected but did not occur until Pearl Harbor was bombed two years later.

For the time being APBA racing continued but no one could deny the existence of war clouds on the horizon.  The quality of Gold Cup racing in the years just prior to the outbreak of U.S. participation in the war had generally been good.  But, the problem of what to do about the dwindling supply of engines would not go away.

By 1941 the troubles of the Gold Cup Class seemed trivial in light of the terrifying situation facing the country.  Detroit declined to host the race so the Red Bank, N.J. committee agreed to run the Gold Cup between the heats of the National Sweepstakes and even then only one boat answered the starter’s gun.  This marked the end of ABPA Gold Cup Class activity for the duration of the war.

By and large, the Gold Cup Class, 1922 to 1941 put on many more good races than bad.  Throughout the Great Depression the Gold Cuppers kept big-time boat racing alive during a time of economic uncertainty.  The Gold Cup Class was an APBA showcase group.  After World War II the Gold Cuppers and the 725 cubic inch Class merged and changed over to the Unlimited Class marking the end of an era in boat racing.

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It’s Time to Winterize Your Boat:

By Buzz Lamb

Thursday, October 20, 2011

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It’s best to leave it to a pro. But if you don’t, here are a few tips

Unfortunately, the boating season is winding down here in the Lake George area and it is time to think about protecting a valuable recreation asset.  Soon, many boat owners need to face the awful fact that it will be necessary to winterize their boats against the icy blasts of a long winter in the Adirondacks.

The best place for your boat for the winter is out of the water and under cover in a garage or a storage building.  Another option is to have the boat shrink-wrapped, which provides a very tight protective cover, or to make sure your boat is covered with a sturdy tarp or some other protective cover.

The decision to have your boat winterized by a professional or to “do-it-yourself” has always been a hot topic for debate. The discussion comes down to this question:  “Is the money you save this fall worth the risk of having major damage next spring if you didn’t do it properly?”  Unless a boat owner really knows what they are doing, the job should be left to the pros.

That said, for those who still want to do it themselves, here are a few reminders.

First, add fuel stabilizer to the tank.  Follow the directions on the label to ensure that enough is added for the amount of fuel in the tank.  The old school of thought was to top off the tank before putting the boat into storage but recently the recommendation has been to treat the fuel that is remaining at the end of the season and then top off the tank in the spring with fresh fuel.  The octane level in today’s gasoline is extended with oxygenates and the octane level tends to diminish with time as the oxygenates are dissipated from the fuel.

Next, change the engine oil and filter (not necessary on two-stroke outboards).  It doesn’t matter if the engine has five hours or 105 hours on it since the last change.  According to the American Petroleum Institute, today’s oils do not wear out but they do get contaminated with combustion residue, acid and dirt.  Run the engine to get the contaminants in suspension and then pump the oil out of the engine, remove the old oil filter and install a new one and then fill the engine with the required amount of fresh oil.

Fogging the engine is the third step in the winterization process.  If the engine is equipped with a carburetor(s) or throttle body injection then fogging can be accomplished by slowly pouring or spraying a rust preventative lubricant into the engine while it is running at about 1,200 to 1,500 rpm’s.  If the engine is multi-port fuel injected then fogging must be done by running the engine on a remote fuel tank containing a special “recipe” of rust preventative and fuel conditioner.  Check the owner’s manual for the amounts required by your engine’s manufacturer.

Next, the engine cooling system must be prepared for winter.  Outboard motors are self-draining as long as they are in an upright position.  In stern drive and inboard applications there are two types of cooling systems used today.  One is raw water (direct) cooling and the other is closed (indirect) cooling.  The process to drain the two different types varies and the manufacturer’s service manual should be consulted for the proper procedures.  After all of the water has been properly drained, environmentally-friendly antifreeze should be added to the risers, manifolds, coolers and engine block.

Stern drive and outboard gear cases should be drained and checked for excessive moisture in the oil.  This could indicate leaking seals or other serious problems that should be handled by a pro.  If all looks okay, then re-fill the housing with fresh fluid recommended by the manufacturer and be sure to replace the small gaskets or o-rings that are on the drain and fill screws.

If your stern drive has a rubber boot or bellows, check them all for cracks, pinholes and chafing.  Grease all of the fittings and check the fluid levels in the power steering reservoir and the trim pump reservoir.

Some vessels are equipped for overnight stays and contain porta-potties, heads (toilets) with holding tanks, sinks and showers with holding tanks and fresh water holding tanks.

Pump out the holding tanks at an approved facility, flush the system thoroughly and the add propylene glycol (pink) antifreeze to the system.  Completely drain the fresh water system (don’t forget the hot water heater, if equipped) and pump non-toxic antifreeze into the system with all the faucets open.  Continue to pump the antifreeze until it comes out of all of the faucets. (Note: Check your owner’s manual to make sure that alcohol-based antifreeze won’t damage your system.)

Once the water system has been winterized it is time to disconnect the battery(s).  If your boat is equipped with a battery switch it is still a good idea to remove the negative cable from the battery to ensure that the electrical system has been completely disabled.

Finally, to keep you boat dry and mildew-free, use some of the commercially available odor and moisture absorbers.

Do not neglect to consult your owner’s manual for manufacturer’s recommendations on winterizing your boat and other systems.  If any of the above seems to be confusing or over your head, that is probably the best clue that you need a pro to winterize your boat.  Just remember this; if a pro lays up your engine and next spring something is wrong…it’s his problem.  If you have done your own work, then you have the problem!

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They Did It! Two Lake George Men Row 500 Miles in Adirondack Guide-Boats

By Buzz Lamb

Saturday, August 27, 2011

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Brian Rooney and Al Freihofer can scratch one more item off their “To Do” list.  The intrepid pair successfully completed their quest to row their Adirondack Guide- Boats more than 500 miles from Kingston, Ontario, Canada to Lake George, N.Y.

Right from the start, the two 59-year-old men learned that flexibility and adaptability would be the rules they would live by for the next 18 days. The original game plan was to arrive in Kingston, Ontario on June 20 and start the incredible journey to the Queen of American Lakes early the next morning.

As it turned out, they arrived at the starting point around mid-day on June 21, launched the boats and started rowing.  “It was good that the first day was just a half-day because I was exhausted,” Rooney said.  “The reality is that rowing is really tiring and often very painful.”

Rooney said at the end of the first day he wondered if he had the stamina to finish the journey.  “But, I had no choice either.  We were up there and the only way home was to row there,” he said.  “There was no bailing out.”

Both men said they never thought about giving up at any point.  “The whole time we had to draw on reserves of strength to keep on going,” Freihofer said.  “Al is a much better rower than I.  He has magic in his stroke and he gets much more out of it,” Rooney said.

Freihofer said he noticed a difference in Rooney’s style of rowing as the trip progressed.  “He was getting smoother…it all comes down to efficiency…how can you convert whatever energy you have into power to move your boat through the water,” he said.  “He bit off a big first trip.  Psychologically, just anticipating having to get up every day and doing the same thing again and again and again takes its toll,” Freihofer said.  “By mid-trip Brian’s endurance had skyrocketed,” he said.

In the St. Lawrence

Freihofer said the most pleasurable element of the excursion were the acts of kindness they experienced along the way.  “People who had no interest or nothing to gain by bending a rule or making an exception, after hearing our story, would say ‘how can we help’,” he said.

Rooney said a few times they had to row after dark to find a suitable place to pitch their tents.  “On Day 12 we didn’t put up until almost 10 o’clock at night,” Freihofer said.  “We had at least three nights that we were into darkness by the time we stopped,” Rooney added.

The men said seeing the countryside at four-miles-per-hour was rewarding.  They said the Rideau Canal was the most gratifying segment of the trip.  “I envisioned it as just an ordinary canal but it’s really a chain of lakes connected by a series of canals,” Rooney said.  “It was evocative of rowing through the “Narrows” right here on Lake George, but without the effect of the surrounding mountains,” Freihofer added.

Both men said the manner in which the canal system is managed was impressive.  “Every lock had a lock-keeper’s house that was immaculately kept…white clapboard siding with green trim and bathrooms for the public,” Rooney said.  “I didn’t see one piece of plastic or garbage floating in the water until we got to New York State,” Freihofer added with a frown.  “The Canadians really take care of their public places.”

The two seldom traveled side-by-side, with Freihofer often leading the way.  They said they did not encounter any commercial shipping vessels until they reached the St. Lawrence River.  “Even on the Ottawa River, headed towards Montreal, we did not see any major ships…it was all recreational boats,” Rooney said.

They were alone most of the time but on the Ottawa River they encountered a group of kayakers.  “We sort of embedded ourselves in this gaggle of kayaks,” Freihofer said.  “We rowed with them for a few hours. As soon as we went through a lock they turned off and went for lunch and we didn’t get invited,” he said with a laugh.

Looking one way and rowing another has its trials and tribulations as well.  Freihofer said they had to be alert while navigating the St. Lawrence River.  “If there is a huge ship coming at you, you better be looking at it every few minutes,” he said.  “They’re moving along at a pretty good clip.  If you let 10 minutes go past…they’re right on top of you.”

Rooney said the wakes produced by the cargo ships were not problematic but at one point they encountered an Italian mega-yacht which threw a four-foot wake off its bow.  “We had to turn and take it (the wave) bow first and when we did, half the length of our boats was lifted out of the water,” Rooney said. “It could have easily rolled us over if we had taken it sideways,” Freihofer added.  Both men spoke very highly about the performance and stability of their Adirondack Guide-Boats.

Inclement weather was a factor on several occasions.  “We had a lot of rain the first week.  One day, early on, we rowed non-stop for five hours in steady rain,” Freihofer said.  According to Rooney, when they were on the Ottawa River going into Montreal a nasty squall came through the area. “A Canadian Coast Guard boat came along to ask if we were OK,” Rooney said.  “There was no ‘are you crazy?…get off the water! or anything like that,” he said.  “They looked at the rig, looked at me…I was wearing my life jacket, and they must have figured ‘he knows what he is doing and he knows what the risks are’ so they left,” Rooney said.

“A trip like this is not about how fast you can row but rather how much time can you sit in the seat pulling the oars,” Freihofer said.  “I’d lie awake in my tent at night and every old athletic injury I have ever suffered was screaming at me,” Rooney said.

Al Freihofer (left) and Brian Rooney

Freihofer said at the three-quarter mark they made it into Lake Champlain. By the time they reached Burlington, the trip had come to feel serendipitous. The pair completed the 100-mile length of the vast lake rowing up the La Chute River at the southern end as far as they could go.  “We used two-wheeled carts which we strapped to the boats and we walked them a mile-and-a-half through downtown Ticonderoga, right by Aubuchon Hardware,” Freihofer said with a laugh.  “A former Town Supervisor let us put them back in the water in his brother’s back yard which was a couple of hundred feet from the dam.”

Rooney said it wasn’t until they began rowing the last leg on Lake George that he felt relief. The pair ate egg salad sandwiches at Mossy Point. “That was our fuel for the day,” Freihofer said.  The incentive on the final day of the voyage was to enjoy a lobster dinner at the Lake George Club in Diamond Point but the greater reward was their sense of accomplishment.

Right up to last the day the pair encountered challenges.  “A south wind came up just when we reached the top of the Narrows.  A row that could have taken an hour or maybe less took us two-and-a-half hours,” Rooney said.  They arrived at the Lake George Club at 8:30 in the evening…just in time for dinner.

Rooney said his wife, Cecile, encouraged him to attempt the 500-mile long trip. At the end of the journey, Rooney said he was happy to find out that he was as tough as he thought he was.  Freihofer said, for him, rowing a 14-foot Adirondack Guideboat with his best friend made him arguably the richest man in the world.

When asked what advice they might offer to others who might attempt rowing for several hundred miles Rooney said, “You have to embrace the unknown ahead of you.  You have to press on, not knowing where you’re going to land tonight.”  Freihofer said he believes people seek adventure.  “Just go…take that journey…that would be my advice,” he said.

When asked if they would do it all over again a pall of silence fell over the porch where we were sitting.  After what seemed like an eternity Rooney replied, “I don’t know that I would do it again.  It was the most sustained, grueling physical thing I have ever done.”

Freihofer, who has made several long-distance rowing trips, said, “For me, it would have to do with destinations.  This row interested me because I heard other people talk about the Rideau in such glowing terms,” he said.  “But, this is the first time I finished one of these rows where, in the past I felt this primal urge to get back in the boat and row another day…and now I’m not ready to get back in the boat today,” he said.

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Loafer II

Loafer II

Island Dining: Dottie Potatoes

By Buzz Lamb

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

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Raymond VanSantvoord was president of Cohoes Coal & Oil Company and president of Cohoes National Bank.  To his friends, he was known as “Zig.”   Zig had a lot of friends on Lake George because he was the proud owner of a 32-foot cabin cruiser berthed on the lake.

Zig married my aunt, Mildred Osterhout, in February of 1956, retired from business and moved to Bolton Landing.  The two of them enjoyed going out on the lake for picnics on their boat, Loafer II.  Often Zig’s sister, Dottie, would accompany them.

Dottie was famous for her potato salad, which she would make fresh, bringing all of the ingredients from her home in Cohoes.  Everybody loved Dottie’s potato salad. A picnic without her potato salad just wasn’t a picnic.

Zig and Millie planned a picnic for 10 people the last Saturday in August, 1956 and invited Dottie to join them.  As always, Dottie said she would make the potato salad.  Everybody boarded the boat at Lamb Brothers boatyard and the crew headed for Picnic Island in the Mother Bunch.

Steak was on the menu that day as Millie had gotten some juicy T-bones from Harry Mabee at the City Market in Bolton Landing.  Once the fire settled down and the coals got hot, Dottie got set to put together her famous potato salad.

Much to her dismay, Dottie discovered that the grocery bag which contained the necessary ingredients to mix with the potatoes was nowhere to be found.  She was beside herself, as this would be a first…no fresh potato salad from Dottie.  Zig was beside himself as well.  He wanted potatoes to go with his steak and corn-on-the-cob.

Buzz demonstrating "Dottie Potatoes"

Dottie did bring the sack of baking potatoes (she liked them better than the russets) and a bag of onions along with a bottle of cooking oil.  It was a secret, but we later found out she always added a cup of cooking oil to the water when she boiled the potatoes.  Zig could still get his potatoes, but she didn’t want plain-old boiled potatoes with her steak.  To her, they just didn’t go together.

It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention.  Dottie rummaged through the galley on Zig’s cruiser and found two 10-inch cast-iron skillets.  She poured some of the cooking oil into the skillets, grabbed a bunch of the fist-sized spuds, sliced them into thirds and tossed them, skin and all, into the oil.  Both skillets were placed a few inches over the hot coals and the oil began to sizzle.

Next, she gave a few shakes of salt and pepper over the mixture, peeled the onions and sliced them into quarter-inch rings.  After turning the potatoes a few times in the hot oil they began to turn golden brown.  Dottie pushed aside a half-dozen of the now dark-brown spuds and dropped a couple of handfuls of the onions into each skillet.

Within minutes everyone gathered around the fire, drawn by the smell of the sizzling onions and the well-cooked potatoes.  Zig cooked the steaks and they all sat down at the picnic table, somewhat apprehensive about Dottie’s newest recipe.

It was a hit!  Everyone agreed…these were the best potatoes they ever had with a steak dinner…crispy skin on the outside with a soft, moist center, steeped in the flavor of sautéed onions.

From that day forward, when Dottie went on a picnic she made her special “Dottie Potatoes.”   I grew up enjoying them and cooking them on family outings. Today, when our family goes on a picnic the first question asked is “Buzz, are you going to make Dottie Potatoes?”  The answer is always “Yes”.

“Dottie Potatoes”

 Put 1/4 to 1/2 inch of Wesson Oil in the cast iron skillet.

Cut two or three large baking potatoes into thirds (skin on).

Peel and slice (quarter inch thickness) two large onions and separate slices into rings.

Sprinkle cut side of potatoes with salt, pepper and dried parsley flakes.

Put potatoes into cast iron pan cut side down.

Put pan on gas grill and close the lid to get the oil to the boiling point.

After about 10 minutes turn the potatoes over or onto their sides.

Turn potatoes again after 10 minutes making sure all side get immersed in the oil.

Continue turning routine until cut sides are a little darker than golden brown.

Move the potatoes to one side of the pan stacking them on top of each other.

Add the sliced onions to the hot oil (watch out for splattering).

Move the potatoes to on top of the onion slices and distribute evenly in the pan.

When the onions are golden brown (about 10 minutes) the “Dottie Potatoes” are ready to enjoy.

Total cooking time is generally about 40 minutes depending on how hot the grill is..

Enjoy a glass of wine, cold beer or your favorite libation while you wait for this delicacy to cook.

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