Lake Winnipesaukee Steam Boat Rally
9 September 2007
Moultonborough NH
I hadn't expected to attend the Rally this year as I am still healing from a partial tear in a foot muscle and my wife just had an emergency appendectomy last weekend but we were both pretty eager to get away so, on Saturday afternoon (8 September), I scouted up a hotel reservation in Moultonborough NH just a couple of miles away from the Rally site and off we went.
We got up to NH about 5:30 in the afternoon and headed right to the lake but found almost no one around. Turned out everyone was off to a hot dog and beans supper at the local hall. I took a number of photos of the boats at their docks and we headed out to find some supper. We bedded down for the night at the Rodeway hotel (OK but not great and slightly overpriced I thought).
Good thing I took those pictures on Saturday evening as when we woke on Sunday it was pouring rain. The rain kept up in varying degrees for the morning.
We headed back to the Rally and saw some familiar faces and met a few new folks. Takes more than a pouring rain to keep steam boaters in check! Just as we were leaving the site I spotted Gary Schoenley (sp?) of Cabin Fever Expo fame. I rolled down the window and called Hey Gary! He waved and said hi and went on his way. I always have the feeling that he has no idea who I am but waves a pleasant hello anyway. When we owned a pet store that happened to me a lot. I would see someone who said hello and I always said hi just like I knew who the heck I was talking too.
I asked at the tiny snack stand if Clarence Meyers was in attendance and was told that he was but he was not there at the moment and that he had not brought his lovely launch, the Lady Gale (Gail?) due to recent surgery. On him, not the boat. I certainly hope that he is recuperating well and wish him the best of health.
On Sunday morning I saw fellow NEMES member Russ Steeves who greeted me warmly. Always nice to see a familiar face. All in all, even with the foul weather, we had a lovely visit.
Jeff Beck has just sent some information about one of the boats in the photos. Thank you Jeff and if anyone else can add a bit of info about any of the other crafts please send it along to errol.groff@snet.net
These photos were taken in the sunset light on Saturday evening.
"The Mary Seaver" was built from the ground up by John Graham of Harvard MA
This boat had steam up and really scooted out as it left the docks.
The following photos were taken in the rain on Sunday morning.
Left photo is a statue of an Indian on a small island, middle photo is me, Errol Groff and right hand photo is my wife Terri.