Note
Ron Wood <rwwood48@hotmail.com> wrote: >
I just thought you would appreciate these pictures from 1942. I helped restore this boat in 1986. They are filming the MGM movie "Seven Sweethearts". You can see Van Heflin, and Kathryn Grayson. It was just outside the "Badlands Hotel" [sic Mt. Baldhead Hotel] which burned down. This was docked at the "Casa Loma". In 60 yrs this boat has only had four owners. It's a 1923 Defoe, built in Bay City, Michigan. Ron W. rwwood48@hotmail.com 8/27/08
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From: Ron Wood <rwwood48@hotmail.com>
To: <cyoder@tds.net>
Subject: RE: Saugatuck Historical Society
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:13:36 -0400
Chris, glad you got the pics. We've done a whole history of this boat. It was cristened the "Heneritta", and was thaked to Houghten Lake, and cristened "The Houghten Ferry", and was used to ferry people across Houghten Lake. The US Navy brought the boat to Saugatuck, Michigan to be used as a torpedo boat. Navy guy dressed in civilian clothes to look for German Submarines in Lake Michigan. After the war the boat was purchased by Karl Irwin, who christened it the "Karab" which is what its name is in the pics. It was used as an excursion boat in Saugatuck. He the sold it to his brother Leonard Irwin of Middleville, Michigan. He cristened it the "Trilbey E". Leonard helped a lot in getting the proper documentation, and the history. He sold it to Sue Greenman of Middleville, Michigan who is the current owner. She christened it "The Three Ladies" This was in 1986. We started restoration in March, and was in the water in Sept of 1986. There is a guy by the name of John Bos, who lives on Peck Rd. that builds wooden boats. He helped a lot with the restoration. The boat now sleeps 10. This is registered as the third oldest boat still on the Great Lakes. Hope you enjoyed the history. Ron W.
That's fine with me. I even located the movie from a lady in Flint. She recorded it for her self,and sold it on Ebay. It took me over a year to find it. I also let the Turner Movie Channel see the pictures. The sad part is that the boat was never seen in the movie. MGM also did a documentary om boating in West Michigan, and they used the filming off the front of the boat before the "Seven Sweethearts" movie. Van Heflin died, but Kathryn Grayson is still alive. I even found the sheet music to the movie. the only sad part was that the lady that owned the boat, her daughter who came up with the name of the boat was killed in a car accident. That put quite a strain on getting the boat done. One of her high school classmates did the artwork on the transom as a memorial to her. I took pictures of the restoration. If you need to borrow the album, you welcome to, as long as I get everything returned. Ron W.
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:10:56 -0400
From: jacksheridan@verizon.net
Subject: Re: Kareb
To: rwwood48@hotmail.com
CC: cyoder@tds.net
Hi Ron - thanks for the great info. We have a portable scanner that I can bring over and digitize some of your data. I will be in touch - we can work out a meeting in the next month. Jack
Ron Wood wrote:
Glad to hear from you.I'm going to add the picture to my collection. I have a photo album of the project,and some newspaper articles. There is a gentleman by the name of John Bos who lives over by Sarinac (if I spelled that right) who help us a lot. He builds wooden boats from the ground up. John is one of only three people in Michigan who build wooden yaghts from the ground up. We took the boat down to the hull floor,and built everything up from there. The only change that was made is we raised the back of the roof. We debated for a long time before we did that. Everyone was hitting their heads inside on the roof. The hull was made from "Cyprus wood" that came from Egypt. So it will never rot. We had the hull inspected,before we even started the project. The lady that owns the boat wanted one she could live on When we started it slept four.now it will sleep 10. It has a 53 Ford "flathead" with a "Layton" in/out gear box,and is 42 ft. We tried to stay as accur
ate as possible to what it was. It is still in Middleville,Michigan as far as I know.I went to Bay City Museum,and got a lot of information about the Defoe boat works. The main building is still standing.The Defoe boat works also did another famous yaght. The "Honey Fitz" owned by the late JFK,who got it from the previous presidents. It was found in New Orleans. It's an 85ft two story. Last I heard it was being restored. The lady that still owns it is Sue Greenman,she ran the "Kiddie Castle" day care in Middleville,Michigan. It is now called "The Three Ladies".In 60 yrs this boat has only had four owners! If you ever make it to Grand Rapids I'd be more than happy to meet you at a resturant,and have coffee,and show you the album,and tell you the troubles we encountered. The one very rare thing is this is NOT a "lap"boat. That's what makes it so rare. This is the way the hull was "Laid up". The boards on the side are cut lengthwise at a 5% angle,and the cotten was twisted,and
pushed into the slots between the boards,and the calking laid on the outside over the cotten,then sanded. We went through three industrial belt sanders ! The "lap" boats are build different in that the board are "Butted" right up nest to each other,and a thin board is screwed from the inside to cover where the boards are "butted' together inside the hull. A system still in use to this day. We had to take a course on boating an be certified by the Coast Guard to run a something of this size. We had two of the original doors,and windows,and fuel tanks (140 gal each) used yet. I live just off M-6 & 68th st. Russ's resturant on Division. is right close. I am not working,and I'm home pretty much all the time. My phone # 616-827-0356. I'd be glad to help any way I can. Susan Plashette the actress was also taken for a ride on this yaght once. I keep calling it a boat,but there is a differance between a boat,and a yaght I've learned. They consider anything over 40ft a yaght,under
40ft.is a boat. You learn something new every day. Last I knew Leonard,& Karl Irwin are both still around. You could learn more from those guys. Thanks for getting back to me. Ron W.
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:51:15 -0400> From: jacksheridan@verizon.net> Subject: Kareb> To: rwwood48@hotmail.com> CC: cyoder@tds.net> > Hi Ron Wood - Thanks so much for the wonderful photos and information > on the Kareb. I have always been curious about this yacht. My first > memories of it are as it appears in your photos. It was docked for many > years [during the 1940s and 1950s] at the Mt. Baldhead Hotel. A > wonderfully graceful yacht it was. There are a number of shots of it > from a distance but nothing close that would reveal any details. I > assume that she was wooden hulled. Defoe had a remarkable history > building yachts early and then larger mostly steel hulled vessels. What > more can
you remember about the Kareb? Powered by? Length? Do you know > if she is still in use in Michigan? Any way we could get a copy of a > history account?> > The movie angle is also very interesting! I never had heard of the > movie filming here but I did a little web search and there it was. I > would like to do a story on the boat and the movie for our Historical > Society newsletter. I am attaching a photo from our archives that must > have been taken about the time the movie was made because the seawall > matches your photo perfectly. Thanks again and would appreciate any > more memories . Jack Sheridan Box 731 Douglas, Mi 49406 259 857-7144> > > PS - In case this was not received, this is a resend of my email of 8-31-08
