Please allow me to introduce myself

[DeanHarvey]

Welcome aboard and like Wayne said come up to Steel Creek / Plowman Park on lake Whitney and hang out .. I followed most of your post on Performance Boat and asked about your electric water pump .. Hope to meet you one day ..

Sounds like fun. I have not been to Lake Whitney since going to the Lake Whitney Cycle Ranch to race motocross in the early 80s. Man that place was fun but a brutal race track. I was a West Texas hard pack rider and the sand was hard work with 80 percent humidity!!!

I looked at the launch ramps on the internet. Would there be room to park my big race trailer there? The boat is on a dolly trailer and I just need a place to park the big trailer.

 

[Dry Dock]

Here is best picture I have of my old Hondo.  Jim took this after I sold it James (part of the Patterson PK crowd).  Jim found out it was mine and was kind enough to provide me a copy of the picture he took many moons ago.  Taken at State Park if I am correct?  James was also a running buddy of Johnny and Ronald Crocket.

Another of Hondo prior to paint job........ also Sweet Poison Running Late on THB boat then....... taken at Possum Hollow camp.  Running Late sold that Hondo and purchased Renegade Cole now owned by Jim in Abilene.

 

[73 Sanger Flat]

Not sure Dean .. they had a 50 foot Skater Catamaran  unload there a few weeks ago , but not enough room to keep his trailer there .. So they unloaded and took the trailer up to some friend house about a mile away .. How long is your enclosed trailer .. There is one campsite next to the ramp that might work for you .. Could park there and unload and use the dolly trailer on the ramp .. Maybe some of the other locals can chime in also on this .. I live about an hour away and if I know you are coming we can see if we can get the campsite next to the ramp .

Once they open Plowman Creek Park back up , that would be easier access .. That is about 10 miles away from Steel Creek and I have seen enclosed trailers in there with no problems .

 

[DeanHarvey]

Not sure Dean .. they had a 50 foot Skater Catamaran  unload there a few weeks ago , but not enough room to keep his trailer there .. So they unloaded and took the trailer up to some friend house about a mile away .. How long is your enclosed trailer .. There is one campsite next to the ramp that might work for you .. Could park there and unload and use the dolly trailer on the ramp .. Maybe some of the other locals can chime in also on this .. I live about an hour away and if I know you are coming we can see if we can get the campsite next to the ramp .

Once they open Plowman Creek Park back up , that would be easier access .. That is about 10 miles away from Steel Creek and I have seen enclosed trailers in there with no problems .

It is a 50 footer. We may take a road trip soon and take a look at the facilities there. I like to look first. That what I did at Gibbons Creek. Plenty of room there.

I attached a picture.

 

[Devilman]

That did not take long .. LOL ..  crazy.gif

Hey it made 3 pages, that is pretty good. :grin:


Welcome to THB! Very nice boat, look forward to seeing it in person sometime. Also have to say all the old pics & back stories being shared are very cool as well.  :smile17:

 

[DeanHarvey]

Here is best picture I have of my old Hondo.  Jim took this after I sold it James (part of the Patterson PK crowd).  Jim found out it was mine and was kind enough to provide me a copy of the picture he took many moons ago.  Taken at State Park if I am correct?  James was also a running buddy of Johnny and Ronald Crocket.

Another of Hondo prior to paint job........ also Sweet Poison Running Late on THB boat then....... taken at Possum Hollow camp.  Running Late sold that Hondo and purchased Renegade Cole now owned by Jim in Abilene.

Man those pictures bring back fond memories. I bet we have crossed paths before at PK. We used to go get gas at Bailey's and Fox Hollow.

I remember one evening me and my brother thought we were pretty cool and were barefoot skiing in front of the state park trying to impress the girls (which we did not do) and we had finished up with our show. We pulled back up to the state park to tie our boat up thinking we were so cool. About that time one of the guys from the Patterson group did a shore barefoot start right from the swimming area and about 30 feet after he hit the water he reversed to backwards barefoot. Made us look like idiots!!! So the moral of the story is: Us poor dumb West Texas jet boat guys were not fast enough or cool enough to hang with them, ha! We came back every year to try and knock that group off its throne but never did.

Maybe that is why I overbuilt my engine so much. You guys gave me an inferiority complex. All these years I didn't know what drove me. Now I know. Where is that black Cole? I want me some of that, ha!

 

[Patchman]

It's safe to say most here will have their hands full of Cole when you get it dialed in.  :smile30:

 

[DeanHarvey]

Here is best picture I have of my old Hondo.  Jim took this after I sold it James (part of the Patterson PK crowd).  Jim found out it was mine and was kind enough to provide me a copy of the picture he took many moons ago.  Taken at State Park if I am correct?  James was also a running buddy of Johnny and Ronald Crocket.

Another of Hondo prior to paint job........ also Sweet Poison Running Late on THB boat then....... taken at Possum Hollow camp.  Running Late sold that Hondo and purchased Renegade Cole now owned by Jim in Abilene.

I AM PRETTY SURE THE GUY TO THE RIGHT OF THE BOAT IS MY BROTHER OR HIS IDENTICAL TWIN!!!!!! This is crazy! that is right where we parked our boat every time we were there. I sent the picture to my brother to see if he remembers it. I will let you know.

 

[Dry Dock]

Here is best picture I have of my old Hondo.  Jim took this after I sold it James (part of the Patterson PK crowd).  Jim found out it was mine and was kind enough to provide me a copy of the picture he took many moons ago.  Taken at State Park if I am correct?  James was also a running buddy of Johnny and Ronald Crocket.

Another of Hondo prior to paint job........ also Sweet Poison Running Late on THB boat then....... taken at Possum Hollow camp.  Running Late sold that Hondo and purchased Renegade Cole now owned by Jim in Abilene.

I AM PRETTY SURE THE GUY TO THE RIGHT OF THE BOAT IS MY BROTHER OR HIS IDENTICAL TWIN!!!!!! This is crazy! that is right where we parked our boat every time we were there. I sent the picture to my brother to see if he remembers it. I will let you know.

Not sure who it was.  always people coming out to look and or help hold it down.  And you remember the rocky bank there too huh?  One day I was idling around waiting my turn to load up.  Had a honey with me and I got busy and not paying attention. Wiped out a prop idling around in a circle waiting to load.  costly mess up there. ha ha

Jim's Stephens was one nice detailed boat back then.  I was very pretty and well cared for.  Picture does not do it justice.

 

[DeanHarvey]

It's safe to say most here will have their hands full of Cole when you get it dialed in.  :smile30:

Patch,

I hope I did it right!!! After reliving all of this stuff over the last 24 hours, I don't know if I can handle another setback like we had in the 70s with the Patterson Gang, ha!!!

Guys, I just want to say thanks for the memories and support. You guys are cool!

 

[Patchman]

It's safe to say most here will have their hands full of Cole when you get it dialed in.  :smile30:

Patch,

I hope I did it right!!! After reliving all of this stuff over the last 24 hours, I don't know if I can handle another setback like we had in the 70s with the Patterson Gang, ha!!!

Guys, I just want to say thanks for the memories and support. You guys are cool!

Well if there are problems, like anything else you just figure them out! That's what we have been doing with Lucky Draw and she is really starting to come around! 2017 watch out! :smile17:

 

[DeanHarvey]

Here is best picture I have of my old Hondo.  Jim took this after I sold it James (part of the Patterson PK crowd).  Jim found out it was mine and was kind enough to provide me a copy of the picture he took many moons ago.  Taken at State Park if I am correct?  James was also a running buddy of Johnny and Ronald Crocket.

Another of Hondo prior to paint job........ also Sweet Poison Running Late on THB boat then....... taken at Possum Hollow camp.  Running Late sold that Hondo and purchased Renegade Cole now owned by Jim in Abilene.

I AM PRETTY SURE THE GUY TO THE RIGHT OF THE BOAT IS MY BROTHER OR HIS IDENTICAL TWIN!!!!!! This is crazy! that is right where we parked our boat every time we were there. I sent the picture to my brother to see if he remembers it. I will let you know.

Not sure who it was.  always people coming out to look and or help hold it down.  And you remember the rocky bank there too huh?  One day I was idling around waiting my turn to load up.  Had a honey with me and I got busy and not paying attention. Wiped out a prop idling around in a circle waiting to load.  costly mess up there. ha ha

Jim's Stephens was one nice detailed boat back then.  I was very pretty and well cared for.  Picture does not do it justice.

My brother said it could be him but he has slept a few times since then. He commented that he usually would not ever get that close to someone else's boat. He commented that it was either him or his clone look alike. I agree. That is too crazy if it is. SMALL WORLD!!!

 

[Chevy2184]

Y'all don't make me bring my ol jet boat out their and make y'all look bad.... 😎


Sent from my shop setting in my boat making motor noises

 

[DeanHarvey]

Y'all don't make me bring my ol jet boat out their and make y'all look bad.... 😎


Sent from my shop setting in my boat making motor noises

Until I can make my left and right foot do what they are supposed to do, anyone can make me look bad, ha!!!

 

[Chevy2184]

Lol my buddy has a v drive and DAMN that thing pulls HARD!!


Sent from my shop setting in my boat making motor noises

 

[Knotty Girl]

It's safe to say most here will have their hands full of Cole when you get it dialed in.  :smile30:

Patch,

I hope I did it right!!! After reliving all of this stuff over the last 24 hours, I don't know if I can handle another setback like we had in the 70s with the Patterson Gang, ha!!!

Guys, I just want to say thanks for the memories and support. You guys are cool!

Well if there are problems, like anything else you just figure them out! That's what we have been doing with Lucky Draw and she is really starting to come around! 2017 watch out! :smile17:

Amen

 

[jimsplace]

What a small world we live in. Who would have thought a bunch of old guys that hung out at a really unknown lake would meet up so many years later. My family had such fun at that lake!

That picture of your Stevens is at PK isn't it?

Like I said, It isn't the same today.

The picture is at PK.
Those were fun days

My wife #1 and I would take off work every Friday and head that way, and return home about Sunday night about midnight, starting in mid May through the end of September.
Now I spend a day at the river and it wears my ass out and need to recover.  But, I'm not getting old.

Johnny and Ronald had been going to the lake well before I knew them, but they did know how the park rules worked.
As I said, I rented one of the cabins there, and to rent one you were only able to reserve it a certain number of days ahead, and this was before the internet, so you had to call.  I set my clock with the entrance clock and at exactly 8:00 I'd call to get my cabin on the first day of the time frame.  So every week, I was on the phone.

Now Johnny and Ronald on the other hand had travel trailers, and you could only keep the trailer there for two week at a time.  In the reservation system then, it was first come, first serve on the individual camp sites.
In other words, you couldn't put your trailer on the site until the previous person moved.  So, one would get the site and stay for two weeks and at the end of that time, the other would bring their trailer to place on the site as the one there moved out.  Then the cycle would start.  They did that all summer.

That is why they always had the same campsite or sites in the cove.

There was also a guy in the group by the name of, "Dude" which is all that he was called.  He was younger than the rest of us, and I always liked him, but thought everyone had just sort of adopted him because he didn't have much.

Well, that was wrong, I found out when he was talking about someone had recently crash landed a Corsair (WWII) fighter.  That was his uncle.
Somewhat later, I went to the Breckenridge airport with him where his uncle had 2 corsairs, and a number of other vintage military aircraft, it was like an air base.
The good old days.    :smile17:

 

[DeanHarvey]

What a small world we live in. Who would have thought a bunch of old guys that hung out at a really unknown lake would meet up so many years later. My family had such fun at that lake!

That picture of your Stevens is at PK isn't it?

Like I said, It isn't the same today.

The picture is at PK.
Those were fun days

My wife #1 and I would take off work every Friday and head that way, and return home about Sunday night about midnight, starting in mid May through the end of September.
Now I spend a day at the river and it wears my A$$ out and need to recover.  But, I'm not getting old.

Johnny and Ronald had been going to the lake well before I knew them, but they did know how the park rules worked.
As I said, I rented one of the cabins there, and to rent one you were only able to reserve it a certain number of days ahead, and this was before the internet, so you had to call.  I set my clock with the entrance clock and at exactly 8:00 I'd call to get my cabin on the first day of the time frame.  So every week, I was on the phone.

Now Johnny and Ronald on the other hand had travel trailers, and you could only keep the trailer there for two week at a time.  In the reservation system then, it was first come, first serve on the individual camp sites.
In other words, you couldn't put your trailer on the site until the previous person moved.  So, one would get the site and stay for two weeks and at the end of that time, the other would bring their trailer to place on the site as the one there moved out.  Then the cycle would start.  They did that all summer.

That is why they always had the same campsite or sites in the cove.

There was also a guy in the group by the name of, "Dude" which is all that he was called.  He was younger than the rest of us, and I always liked him, but thought everyone had just sort of adopted him because he didn't have much.

Well, that was wrong, I found out when he was talking about someone had recently crash landed a Corsair (WWII) fighter.  That was his uncle.
Somewhat later, I went to the Breckenridge airport with him where his uncle had 2 corsairs, and a number of other vintage military aircraft, it was like an air base.
The good old days.    :smile17:

That is the way I remember it. We always tried to get the campsite the had two picnic tables under one roof. I think it was site #13. My mom and dad had a little crappy old Winnebago motor home and they pulled the ski boat. Me and my brother drove his pickup and pulled the Sleekcraft. We usually had other family that showed up so we needed the big picnic table setup. I remember mom waiting to call on the phone for our reservations. We always spent two weeks there. I remember being so sad when we left to go home on Sunday after two weeks! PK was like paradise compared to growing up in Odessa. Our nearest water hole was 100 miles away.

We would get up early in the morning and go skiing before the water got rough, come back and eat breakfast, then we would take mom for a cruise around the lake (she loved just cruising and looking at homes), come back and eat lunch, then take the family to Sandy Beach to swim, eat supper, then we would ski until dark every day. We used to go take a look at the hot rod boats when they pulled them out of the water and I would dream about having that black Cole.

I have always loved boating. We were poor as dirt when I was a kid but my mom and dad somehow managed to pull off that vacation every year. My brother and I paid for the boats/gas. It has always been in my blood. I have passed that love down to my two daughters. They grew up at Lake Bonham and can't wait for our gatherings at our lake house up there. We have a 4th of July event every year at our house and our kids, friends, and employees all show up. We have a big crowd every year. I just wish I could run my Cole there.

All good memories.

 

[Patchman]

Awesome history guys! Love hearing that type of stuff! clap.gif clap.gif clap.gif clap.gif :smile17:

 

[DeanHarvey]

Got the stitches out and the cast off today, yeah!!!! The finger still has a way to go. At least two more weeks before pulling the pins sticking out of my finger (one through the side and one out of the end). The doctor was luke warm about the finger. I have to start changing the dressing twice a day to try to get the skin to heal.

He he said he would make a call one way or another in two weeks. I pray that it heals. Don't really want to lose the end of my finger. At least it is my left hand.

I just got my new Simpson carbon fiber Devil Ray helmet in today. I have never had a helmet this light. I have had high end motorcycle helmets most of my life but nothing comes close to the weight of this thing. I am going to work on installing the helmet restraint rings tonight. It also tucks in real close to your chin where it would be tough to catch water. I read a million posts, articles, etc. on wether to go open face or full face. I also looked at a thousand different helmets and the Simpson Devel Ray met the most of my criteria. After trying it on, I think I made the right decision for me. I also prayed for guidance on that decision and I am comfortable with it.

I am getting super excited about my first run. I had it scheduled for November 18 but I am not sure my old body will be ready. I have been doing squats and sit-ups like a crazy man to make sure I have good strength for the pedals but I am not sure about the finger, shoulder, and my arm with all of the hardware in it. I will see how is goes one day at a time.