Boats that Are Cars

posted in: Online Around the Net | 2

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This past week was spent in up north Michigan with one afternoon on a day tripper to Leeland. I did the drive north myself for a variety of family reasons, mainly my wife didn’t want to go to Sharks in Hell. See you up there honey.  On my solo drive, I clearly focused on the road and took the sunset picture out the window at 70 mph. It looked better in person, no offense, but I still thought I’d share.

Leeland is a fishing town. And like many other tourists who walk the streets and docks, we hit the shops, drank their alcohol and marked our territory by photo-stories through Google+. Walking the planks yielded spectacular boat sightings. I’m not much for lens/shutter documentation but the steering wheel on this particular sail boat could not be ignored. It may as well said Nardi. Along with another engraving: For Plus Size Men. The wheel was huge at about two feet in diameter.

Of particular wonderment to a small boy was not one, but two propellers jutting out of the bottom of this ’67 Amphicar 770. That must be fast, it has two propellers! Yes, it’s fastest on the way to the bottom if you try to plow through waves higher than ankle biters. I do give the owner props though, sha-boom with the puns, for actually cruising this thing in and out of the water as evidenced by the seaweed dangling below the uh, water splitter.

2 Responses

  1. Dave Dean

    Paul, Glad to see someone enjoying my handiwork. I restored Dazy from stem to stern… including building that wheel from scratch. Thanks for the mention. I bought an ’87 911 coupe recently. You’d like it.

    Dave

  2. Jeff Fisher

    Paul, that’s my boat moored in Leland TWP Harbor! DAZY’s original (beautiful laminated wood wheel, as seen from old pictures) was missing when we found the boat 4 yrs ago. Dave and I both enjoy vintage cars, collaborated on the design, and had it fabricated in Travers City. I’m very proud of the restoration! Glad you liked it! Jeff

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