Pictures are being posted at www.muscatineboatshow.com in the Gallery. Just click on the images at the website and they will enlarge.

Well, Friday brought 2.76" of rain, wind that was threatening the rest of the weekend, and the event looked in trouble. After last year, we learned, never say never! Saturday turned out to give way to sunny skies, and the left over wind from Friday subsided during the day to give us a great event. Sunday, the flags stood still and the Mississippi was fast for the raceboats, As they pictures show …they hauled the mail! They loved it as everybody was able to run 5 sessions if they wanted. When the race boats didn't run, the classic boats were able to go out and show what the good old days looked like. The Mobergs even dressed the era and had a great time! There was time for everybody to enjoy the water, but Friday's weather cancelled our boat ride up to Fairport. I have posted a few pictures below from the event with a wrap up that follows.

Well, I have not been able to show all boats, cars, motorcycles, etc, etc, etc. I did not mean to not include everybody. Just a little cross array of everything there. The ones you see are those provided to me by others and that is appreciated.

I am not even going to try to start to thank everybody by name since this event is not possible without participants, sponsors, and volunteers.

There is one person you all met even if you didn't meet me. That is my wife, Diane, shown below, who heads up the registration team. This year the event has grown to where I needed to pull her in to help in the planning stages, and just take over some of the things I used to try to keep track of. To my wife Diane, I can't thank you enough!

In closing this year, all worked out after the Friday rains. The Hog Roast was very well attended and people forgot about the deluge of rain during the day. People were anticipating the great weather coming in for the weekend and in great spirits looking forward to Saturday morning. Then we celebrated Saturday and Sunday's beautiful weather and the great friendships that again make this event so much fun for all of us!

On behalf of the people of Muscatine

We thank you,
Dave and Diane

* * * Ladies and Gentlemen, It is Showtime!* * *

One Week Countdown Begins!

Well, we are only 5 days until the big event. What a difference a year makes! The following pictures were just taken on Saturday.

Today we have been putting together the shirts, registration materials, and all of the other goods we need to make this show work. The whole park has received new sod or was scraped and seeded after last years flood. We are ready to make up for last year and the excitement is on! To the City of Muscatine, I thank you for your incredible efforts! This event would not happen without all of your hard work to get this park back to the most beautiful park on the Mississippi.

Here is what you need to know.

If you come Friday we will have people ready to register you at the Riverview Center shown below at 9:00 am. If you come Saturday morning, registration will also be held beginning at 6:00 am.

This will be registration central and where most of the event will hub from for the participants. The Riverview Center sits at the entrance to the harbor, so it is also where the guys going for a boat ride Friday afternoon will meet at 1:00 pm, and where the Hog Roast will be held Friday evening by the Muscatine Power Boat Club for the participants starting at 4:00 pm. The cost for the Hog Roast is $10/couple and $8 per single as a donation.

At registration, you will receive an event wrist band and we have allowed 2 per entry. This is needed to get into the upper level of the Riverview Center for the weekend as this is an area for participants only. On Saturday, this wrist band gets you free breakfast provided by Hy-Vee and a later BBQ Chicken lunch provided by one of our sponsors. You will have to have your wristbands on to get into the upper level. There is also an elevator for those who cannot do the stairs. The deck you see provides you a great view of the Mississippi and the bridge lighting at night and race boats during the day. If you need extra wristbands, they are $8 /wristband and can be purchased at the registration.

Getting to the park

Please follow the signs along the road that will be posted to the park early Friday morning. The best way to the park is Business Hwy 61 and there will be signs. The park is approx. 2 miles from all the motels. The motels are all within a half mile of each other. Please see the maps at the website that show where each motel is located and how to get to the park.

Here is where you need to go to enter park.

Classic and Antique Show Boats will come in on Cedar Street off of 2nd Street.

Race Boats, Cars, and Motorcycles will come in on Iowa Ave off of 2nd Street.

Please follow this to make it easier to get people in their respective areas with others of your kind. Once you are at Registration, the ladies at the registration tables will help you with any of your questions along with the people who again are wearing the shirts that look like the polo shirt below.

Things to remember before leaving for Muscatine!

1. Your lawn chairs for sitting next to your buddies and reminiscing in the park.
2. Maps from website (we do have signage all over town, but just in case you need your personal map).
3. Binoculars and Cameras
4. Push poles if you have them.
5. Appetite, we love to eat!
6. Tools, bumpers for your boats, spare trailer tire, life jackets
7. Keys for boat and lock for trailer hitch (give a spare key to wife in case you lose yours)
8. Money for antique shopping.
9. Scrapbooks of restorations
10. Desire to have a great time!

If all else fails, MasterCard covers most of the items above!

For those wanting to do "in water" displays, the harbor has a locked gate entrance, but we will have a key to open it Friday. There will also be people around Friday morning beginning around 9:00 am and Friday and Saturday afternoon to help you unload your boats if you need help. They will have on their event polo shirts or Muscatine Power Boat Club polo shirts.

Saturday, we will start to put boats in the water at 6:00 am with help for you every step of the way. There will be volunteers at both entrances to the park, registration tables, docks, or pits, and the entrance to harbor in inflatables if you have any problems, etc.

If you are not part of the Classic Boating group of boats that are shown below taking pictures Saturday morning, then please go from the boat ramp directly to the slip in the harbor you have been assigned. Saturday afternoon, the Mississippi will be opened from 1:00 - 4:00 for you to go out and play. We will also have a couple of boats out there during that time if your boat has spring tuning blues and has a problem. Just wave down one of the boats that has a safety boat banner on and they will all have 75' tow ropes to get you back in.

If you are going out on the Mississippi, we will have some event laminated Mississippi COE maps that show the channel that you can use and return to the registration tables. Please we ask they be returned for others to use also. Remember to stay between the buoys. If you have questions ask us. We know the Mississippi very well in this area.

PUT IN YOUR DRAIN PLUGS

PUT IN YOUR DRAIN PLUGS

Got it? Got it!

When you are unloading your boats, please do it as quickly as possible to keep the flow of boats into the water moving right along. We will assign you a slip number, so please place your boat there. We will have radio communication between the boat ramp and docks in the harbor to help you find your slip. Follow the guys and they will wave you where you need to be. If you are a water display and have come by yourself, one of our volunteers will move your vehicle and trailer. Then just come back to them after finding your slip for your keys. Static boat displays will be placed in the green space of the park right above the harbor and there will also be volunteers there to help you place your boats. Tow vehicles will not be allowed to be parked along the curb entering the boat ramp area. Only vehicles allowed to remain in park will be tow vehicles with trailers in area designated or as approved by show co directors Benny Krebs or Steve Workman.

The swap meet items will be placed in the space shown on the Maps/Lodging page of the website and you will take the Cedar Street entrance. There will not be any volunteers selling items for others. We do not want to take the responsibility if someone changes markings of your goods etc. There is a large swap meet area, but it is your responsibility to man your own area. Make sure that you also have your own change for dealing or selling. When goods are sold, they must be removed from the swap meet area by 6:00 pm unless it is a boat on a movable trailer.

Loose parts will not be allowed in the park where they would be a tripping hazard outside of the swap meet area at anytime or they will be removed by the city sanitation department. Once loose items are purchased, they must be moved to you vehicles by 6:00 pm.

Final Classic Boating Magazine Shoot Schedule:

The schedule below has been revised. Please see News Update #16 from earlier this week to know how to do the Classic Boating photo shoot if you are listed. Let's show them what Muscatine can do for period outfits etc. This event is entirely for fun as I hope you have been able to see.

Following is the final revised list of participants that are currently scheduled and your times. Please let us know if you CANNOT make your time, or choose not to participate. Again, this is not mandatory in anyway, but please let us know if you do not want to be photographed.

IMPORTANT

Now on the website at www.muscatineboatshow.com on the News page, we have posted the guidelines Wangards have provided for having your pictures taken by Classic Boating Magazines. Please click on the image, read them, print them off, do whatever you need now instead of the morning of the show and do what they ask. They are coming here to get YOUR boats in their magazines and the smoother it goes, the better for all for great pictures.

Another note is the race boat test sessions will be starting at 8:00 am, so when the race boats are on the course, you must stay 500' back from the course when they are running. We have modified the course this year to allow for entrance to the harbor to take place as long as you go upstream only. The officials and the US Coast Guard will remove you from any area closer then 500' from the course.

I do realize there are entries that keep coming in daily, but I have to set a schedule and notify the boaters ahead of time. As I stated above, they will also be on the docks and grounds taking pictures, so they will use what they want for the issue when it comes out. Even the ones above may not make the magazine, but we want to give them a great selection of boats to choose from.

Get your polishing arm in gear . . . .It's Showtime!

See you Friday!
Dave

Classic Boating Guidelines

**Click for Complete Guidelines ^^

Two weeks and counting!

Here are some questions I have received so I will clarify them:

Q: When is registration?

A: Friday morning we will be setting up registration and you can register Friday during the day or Saturday morning. Registration is at the Riverview Center in the park. It is the building upstream.

Q: Where are the maps of the city I keep talking about?

A: Print any of them off our website www.muscatineboatshow.com and go to the Maps/Lodging Page and click on it. There should be about every map you need.

Q: Are there people to help unload boats?

A: Yes, we have volunteers all over the park wearing shirts that look like the one below. We all know the park very well and will be in radio contact with each other so we have you covered. If you come on Friday to the park, all boats, cars, or motorcycles will come through town on 2nd Street. Show boats turn left on Cedar Street and enter the park. Straight ahead of you is the Riverview Center when you enter the park. Race boats turn left on Iowa Ave. Straight ahead and turn right into the park. You will loop around the barricades and you can park your units in the area as directed. More then likely show cars will come on Saturday and Sunday as they want and also enter on Iowa Ave and turn right to the show car area. Motorcycles will be placed in the Pearl City Station on Friday or Saturday morning. Again, look for people wearing the polo shirts below.

Q: Where is the Hog Roast?

A: Friday afternoon beginning at 4:00 pm till 8:00 pm in the Riverview Center. When you register you will be given event wristbands that have the event logo on them. Each participant gets 2 wristbands. More are available for $7 per wristband. You have to have them on to gain access to the upstairs of the Riverview Center. This area is for participants only.

Q: So what do the wristbands do?

A: The Hog Roast on Friday evening is for participants only. The cost is $10 per couple or $8 single as donation. This helps our power boat club to rebuild their club house after last years flood! On Saturday the wristband also is required for your full breakfast beginning at 7:00 am that has been provided by Hy-Vee to all participants at the Riverview Center. Our host and hostesses Jim and Barb Sturms and Josef and Leona Fortenbacker will be checking for wristbands at the door. Then on Saturday afternoon beginning at 3:00 one of our sponsors has graciously provided us with "A Guy and A Grill" to do BBQ Chicken supper for our event participants. The meals on Saturday are free as part of our sponsorships, but there will be a can out if anyone would like to contribute to put toward the next event.

Q: Lodging where is the best?

A: Depends what you are looking for. As in the past all of the hotels have provided us with reduced rates that you can again find on our event website. You have to tell them you are with the boat show and the rate on our website or password etc. There are links shown for all of them so you can check out pictures, services,etc etc. There is also a nice B&B in town and they are boaters. The Century Boat Club Directors are at the Holiday Inn along with the APBA guys and gals. You are busy enough here it is mainly a place to go at the end of the day and that is about it. They are all shown on the Maps/Lodging page and are all within a ½ mile of each other and about 5 minutes from the park.

That hopefully clarifies some of the questions. There will also be a Newspaper insert that will be available at the Registration table that has a schedule of events along with some copies of past magazines that have had coverage of our event in the past. We also will have event shirts available on a first come first serve basis at Registration. We also have a free floatable event key chain for you, and there will also be a silent auction on the boating centerpieces that will grace the tables in the Riverview Center. There will also be some surprises along with the birthday and anniversary cakes on Friday and Saturday evening.

Well yesterday we made a little boys day. Meet Trey B. who we chose to drive our scaled down Hydro this year at the boat show. Yesterday we took him out and he earned his helmet. We had a hard time getting him to come back in! He looks forward to meeting you and is on Cloud 9. He has his new racing suit he will also have on and loves to get his picture taken. How many of us at his age would have loved to have done this! He is a great boy and can't wait for the event. He will be running the boat at 1:00 and 3:00 pm Saturday.

This week we have had many more entries and I can't thank you enough after last year's flood. We are at approx. 140 boats right now and that is great for us all. It is so neat to get the opportunity to provide you a central place to see boats from all over the Midwest get to gather and enjoy each others work. As I have stated to all of you, we realize that you have many places to go with your recreational dollars and we appreciate you being here in Muscatine.

If you are a new registration I would ask you to go to the website and go to the News page to read past News Updates to get up to speed on what will be happening here that you may want to know about.

Also the Friday afternoon boat ride still has a few openings up to the Light House Restaurant in Fairport. They will be leaving the harbor at the park approx 1:00 and if you want to join them and have them guide you for a short ride, they will be able to take approx. 12 to 15 boats with them and lock through Lock and Dam #16. From there they will go upstream to Fairport to the Light House. They will stop at the Light House which has sandwiches and beverages of all types. It is approx. 3 miles upstream to Fairport and a pretty ride. They will be there for approx. an hour before returning in time for the Hog Roast by the Muscatine Power Boat Club Friday evening from 4:00 - 8:00.

If you are interested in joining in a lock through of Lock and Dam #16 and a short ride up to Fairport, please let me know. We have about 7 openings left. Anyone who wants to go across the bridge and see the Lock and Dam and watch boats go through, I have contacted them and they will have their observation deck open and pamphlets available. It is easy to get there. Across the bridge, turn left, and that takes you right to it. It is amazing how they work and it neat to see in person.

Now is the time to start looking at the "MAPS" we have provided on our website at www.muscatineboatshow.com We have provided you maps of every motel location, how to get to the park, services, etc. etc. Also check out the DINING GUIDE on the website.

Stay tuned . . .
Dave

3 weeks and counting! In the next 3 weeks we will get you up to speed on the things you need to know to come to Muscatine and feel right at home. We will let you know where to be when.

So what is new this week?

Jim and Norm Wangard from Classic Boating Magazine, will be here to do a feature for an upcoming Classic Boating issue. We have both a fly bridge and houseboat lined up to do their early morning shoots. Plan to be here if you haven't already and you may be in an upcoming edition of Classic Boating. Thank you, Wangards, for your interest in this event and everybody loves your magazine!

The Iowa Lottery has contacted me and will be doing a spot from the event to promote Iowa Tourism. That is pretty neat as they will do upfront advertising for the event.

This week has been great with new developments leading up to the event. Today, the list of volunteers has grown to 50, so we should be ready to show you a great time.

Remember the days when they would close off a street and have a street dance? Well, the Quarterback Club here in Muscatine has approached the city about having a good old fashioned street dance Saturday evening. The city approved it and they will be blocking off a downtown street for this dance.

I had stated in an earlier News Update that the Mississippi Brew was having an oldies band Friday and Saturday evening. That is still happening. Now they are going together with the Quarterback Club to look at having 2 bands Saturday evening and moving it out onto the street!

I have had questions as to when people can set up. The Friday morning of the boat show we will have people in the park to help you unload all day, or get you placed in the park if you choose to be a static display. Saturday morning we will also be in the park at 6:00 am to start registrations and placing boats, cars, and bikes in the park. By 10:00 am most participants are in place on Saturday. Car show cars will be able to come and go as there are other car shows that evening. There will be more to follow on what streets participants should come in along with the routes that have proven to work for good flow into their areas in the park.

On Friday afternoon there will be an informal classic boat ride up to the Light House Restaurant in Fairport. They will be leaving the harbor at the park approx 1:00 and if you want to join them and have them guide you for a short ride, they will be able to take approx. 12 to 15 boats with them and lock through Lock and Dam #16. From there they will go upstream to Fairport to the Light House. They will stop at the Light House which has sandwiches and beverages of all types. It is approx. 3 miles upstream to Fairport and a pretty ride. They will be there for approx. an hour before returning in time for the Hog Roast by the Muscatine Power Boat Club Friday evening from 4:00 - 8:00.

If you are interested in joining in a lock through of Lock and Dam #16 and a short ride up to Fairport, please let me know. The first 15 boats I receive names from will join them. Anyone who wants to go across the bridge and see the Lock and Dam and watch boats go through, I have contacted them and they will have their observation deck open and pamphlets available. It is easy to get there. Across the bridge, turn left, and that takes you right to it. It is amazing how they work and it neat to see in person.

Anyone else can boat on the Mississippi Friday on the down stream side of the Lock and Dam or go up stream on their own. We will have event Corp of Engineer Maps available, thanks to Jim White, that show all the Mississippi from Fairport down stream to past the show site so you can stay in the channel and out of backwater areas. These will be available at registration for participants only and one per participant..

If you do go out and stay in the channel, you are guaranteed a depth of 9' of water in between the green and red buoys. Remember, this is the Mississippi and really it is so big it seems like a continuous lake. The Maps we have are very detailed and will keep you out of trouble as long as you stay on the proper side of the buoys. We have all of our volunteers who can help you out with the Mississippi as most of us boat all of the time as it is our back yard.

If you see somebody from this area go out of the channel and go through the backwater areas, don't follow them! We know the Mississippi and how to thread through the backwater areas, you don't. Take your chances if you must. The channel is good to go and is huge to begin with, there is no reason to take chances.

Now is the time to start looking at the "Maps" we have provided on our website at www.muscatineboatshow.com. We have provided you maps of every motel location, how to get to the park, services, etc. etc. Also check out the Dining Guide on the website.

When downtown, check out the Greater Muscatine Museum of Industry just one block north of the park on 2nd Street. Muscatine used to be the Pearl Button Capitol of the World and their interactive displays are worth the walk. It is amazing that amount of buttons that have come right out of the Mississippi here in Muscatine and blanks still line the shores. It is also free to the public. If you have GPS, it is 117 W. Second Street.

The Muscatine Art Center is a short driving distance just up Mulberry from the river front park, will also have displays for the event, and is one of the nicest art centers in Iowa. For those of you with GPS, the address is 1314 Mulberry.

Ladies will love the Pearl Plaza one block north of the park along with numerous antique shops along 2nd Street. GPS address is 208 W 2nd Street.

In closing this week, I would like to put the word in for our friends from the south for a show they have in June. My wife and I are going this year. Last year we were going, but this thing called the Flood of 08 also did a number on their event. They are also part of the Quincy event, which this event was started from, and they will have quite a few boats in Muscatine from their chapter to support our event. Isn't that what this is all about!

Good Luck with your show, Jack and Marty, and until next time, get your Muscatine registrations in. This year is going to be a great show and we are looking forward to seeing you all for Muscatine 2009!

Stay tuned . . .
Dave

Well, the countdown is on! We are less then a month till for many of us the first event of the season!

I just started our Century to make sure we are good to go! At the volunteers meeting this week it was really great to see their enthusiasm and how much they also enjoy your company. Now we are ready to get down to giving you the best show we can! It has been in the 60s' this past week and 70s' are forecast for the coming week. The rollers are back down in the dam and the Mississippi is back to normal, not like 2008, the year of the second highest flood in history. We promise to make up for last year and we are on track to give you one of the best shows ever!

So how do we do that? Well, first thing we celebrate our participant's birthdays and anniversaries during the event. As most of you know from going to events like this you get to meet many people and become almost like family. Last year we decided to do something for those of us who are here and celebrating their special day. If you have a birthday or anniversary during the event please let me know at moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com. We will have a birthday and anniversary cake there to celebrate the occasion for all participants to enjoy. Here are those from last year, but we will add as many of you as we need to make you feel at home! We have them made up ahead of time so make sure you let me know.

We will not place candles on the cakes! The building is not sprinkled!

One of the things I would like to do in this update is say thank you to the National Century Boat Club for having their 26th Annual Round-up as part of this event. So what is a Century boat? Back in 1926, brothers James and William Welch started building very fast racing hulls. People persuaded them to start building them for the public. In 1926 they gave their speedboat the brand name of "Century". One of their first boats was "The Century Kid" and in 1927 their hull design won 26 out of 30 races entered in the prestigious Harmsworth Races in Detroit.

In 1928, they outgrew their small Milwaukee birth place and move across the lake to Manistee, Michigan. They then began building their second race boat, the Century Cyclone, which for the next decade dominated the outboard racing class.

In 1930, Century expanded and also had an ownership change with John A. Hacker coming on board and introduced a new inboard line, the runabout became the Sea Maid, and the utility, the Resorter. Then the inboards started to dominate the 125ci racing class from 1931 through 1934. Then, after WWII, the recession was over and the Sea Maids were one of the top boats until the Coronados became popular in1955. The Resorter was still one of the top sellers and the rest is history. Century has always been known as the "Thoroughbred of Boats" and this year at Muscatine we are thrilled to have some of the nation's finest.

Next week we will bring you a comprehensive schedule of events. And the story of the Rathburn's three generations, and Rusty Buchman's drag boat.

Don't delay getting your registrations in. For those of you who have registered, please still send in your digital pictures and histories of your entries to place in the Gallery.

As far as registrations we would like to make up as many as we can ahead of time so registration goes smoothly as in the past. If you have problems registering online at www.muscatineboatshow.com, send the information directly to me at moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com.

If you want to mail it in send to:

Dave Moritz
225 Iowa Ave
Muscatine, IA 52761

If you have any questions feel free to contact me moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com

Till next time . . .
Dave

Happy Easter! Things are coming around and we are about one month out from the event.

There is a lot to cover this week so please read this in its entirety.

* * * For those concerned on the water levels, the Mississippi is going down and the precipitation forecast looks good long range. There were boats out today. * * *

Today I received an e-mail from Bob Whiteside who has put together a website you have to check out. I met Bob a couple of years ago at Quincy at their boat show and he loves, I mean lives and breaths, boats. He told me stories that showed he loves the classic and the modern racing boats. I didn't tell him I was going to do this, but Bob- here is a plug for your website. Bob has gone around to various boat shows and racing boat events and done interviews. He then made them into film clips on this website. He has done a great job. Check it out!
http://www.americanclassicspeedboats.com

I loved the way he puts his interviews together with past TV show titles, etc. You just have to check it out. There are also interviews from one of the Muscatine shows he was at where he interviewed Del VanEmmerik, Dave Kohlman, Dick Mickelson, and many others. There is also one he did where he interviewed The Hillbilly X-press Drag Boat and he begins it with an old Beverly Hillbilly episode where Jethro is looking for a boat. Then it goes to the St Louis Drag Boat Races at Litchfield, IL and the current dragboats.

Bob, you have done a great job and it is one of the most entertaining classic boat sites I have seen. Let's all check it out and see how many hits we get him. He also has DVD's for sale if you're interested. Again, I don't normally endorse people's websites, but this one you have to see.

This past week I did a presentation at the local Kiwanis club, and then was on the radio on Friday. I found myself continually repeating myself that this event is not possible without so many people. Story upon story followed on how this has grown to be a community event. There is a reason I have done this event the past 3 years.

	On Thursday we had our first weekly volunteer meeting leading up to the event. John Fox from Sign Pro brought our 2009 event area markers for the park and some signage to get to the park that John puts up each year. This year John decided to feature the boat pin up girls like the boat companies used to use in the past. Hopefully this will get your attention to be able to identify where you need to be. Ok ladies, John also did equal rights as he has a muscle bound male that will be seen on the grounds. There will also be photo opportunities for anyone who wants to take their pictures with these life size cutouts that will show you were there, Muscatine 2009! John is one of those guys that keep me going.
	After working with all of the Muscatine people who took a chance on this event, I cannot think of any other place I would rather be to hold an event like this. This is a truly a caring community from the police, fire department, search and rescue, sheriff's department, mayor and the city leaders, corporations, businesses, Muscatine Power Boat Club, and to all of my friends who just wanted to be a volunteer and help make the event a success. Since the first year I have come to know all of these people by first name and would do anything for any of them just as they have done for us. We are truly a large community family.

The Whitlow family is a huge part of the team. Bob and his sons, Bret, and Brad, were the 2007 Official Crane Service and Equipment Providers for the 2007 event and were on board for the 2008 event before the Mississippi decided differently for our race boat sessions.. Now, when I mean come on board they have donated their time, expense, cranes for the race boats, and all of the man lifts and equipment you see from year to year at the event. That is what sets them apart. For those of you who were here in 2007, the Whitlows are some of best crane operators in the country, per many of the drivers who were in attendance.

I used to go to events and hear the announcer thanking everybody for everything, but never thought much about it. Now, I realize what it is all about! The Iowa Department of Economic Development along with the Muscatine Sports Authority last year contributed financially to this event along with sponsors you can find on the website Sponsors page. But this year we need more sponsorship to keep the event going from year to year. If you are a Muscatine corporation or business and want to see this event continue, we need your support.

One other thing that sets us apart is our volunteers. When you come to Muscatine, the people that put on this event are there for YOU, and I swear, they are the best there is. Please thank any of the volunteers you see at this year's show. We have meetings leading up to the event so all volunteers know what is going on and are here to help you.

Here are a few more things that people in Muscatine have done to make your weekend in Muscatine even more enjoyable.

The first night, Friday Evening, May 15th the Mississippi Brew has provided a band, Blind Alley, a 70s' and 80s' band. They will start right after the Muscatine Power Boat Club has their Hog Roast for the event participants. The Brew is right across from the riverside park and has an outdoor area the bands play in with picnic tables.

The Mississippi Brew has lined up a second band this year, The Tail Fins, a 50s' and 60s' band, for Saturday Evening.

Both bands have websites if you want to check them out.

The Brew will also be offering special drinks named after boating terms for the weekend. They are also one of the food vendors in the park, and were last year's Cardboard Board Regatta winner. They really do all they can to make this event special.

The Button Factory right across from the park is also one of our sponsors and if you want a sit down relaxing atmosphere they also have a deck overlooking the park or you can dine inside. It used to be an old button factory for real and the tables have some of the original Muscatine buttons that were harvested from the Mississippi.

There will also be food vendors in the park during Saturday and Sunday for burgers, pizza, and other fair type goodies.

One of the other things we have during the break in the racing boats on Saturday is a Cardboard Boat Regatta. This year we have a sponsor for the event that has provided $$$ to win for each class. This event we encourage any youth leaders, friends, and co-workers to get together and build a cardboard boat.

We also have a Paddle Boat Regatta for anybody, even the participants. It is a great time and many people joined in at the last minute including participants of the event.

This is one of the reasons we do what we do with this event. It makes it all worth it for everyone.

Stay tuned for the Rathburn Family 3 Generation Entries in the car show and boat show world, antique motorcycles, Rusty Buchman's Stevens Drag Boat, and others.

Remember, time is getting closer so get your entries in now by registering online at www.muscatineboatshow.com on the "Registration" page, or send them to:

Dave Moritz
225 Iowa Ave
Muscatine, IA 52761

If you have any questions feel free to contact me moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com

Stay tuned for more boats, cars, and motorcycles, along with more news.

Till next time . . .
Dave

One of the neat things about organizing an event like this is to meet many great people from all over who have become great friends. We all have a love of motorsports in one way or another. Many of us grew up in automotive (motorhead) families that it was just inevitable that you would end up the way you are, and others grew to find the love of horsepower and shiny finishes through friends etc. I was option one, with an older brother that always had a project car or motorcycle around the house. He even used his belt loops of his jeans one time as a license plate holder on a motorcycle when he just couldn't find the license plate bracket after rebuilding the motorcycle. That is a story in itself. When people come to Muscatine, they see many completed projects that shine and sparkle, but many of the finished projects started like the following participant pictures.

At one time there was a hydroplane named the "Bull of the Woods." There is a group from the Twin Cities in Minnesota called the Minnesota Navy. On the weekends they get together at their clubhouse to work on projects. One of the projects is the "Bull of the Woods".

My wife and I stopped by their shop a couple of years ago when we were in the cities. Great guys! Last yea, though they couldn't run their race boats, they came to Muscatine to support the event so the people could see their boats. Phil and Andy Mitchell, Fred Shrearer, Phil Spruit, Bob Leckner, and all of the guys are working hard to help this event to grow and it won't be long before you see them in Muscatine.

As a tribute to the big boy's hydros, we have put together a scaled down hydro that we just finished to put a motor in. Lindy Woods loves boats and can fix anything that runs on gas, alcohol, or nitro. Lindy came up to me a couple of years ago wanting to know if he could help in anyway and has become a great friend. He helped me to put a little scaled down inboard hydro together to advertise for the event. We also have a little guy who will be running the hydro. Lindy has put together this stout little package that is a little radical but looks like the big boys at the event.

There are also another couple of guys from the twin cities that are big supporters of this event, and their boats have been featured in many magazines. Meet Del and Diane VanEmmerik and Don and Jackie Knauff. They both have some really nice fiberglass classics. Here Del is working on his 57' Falls Flyer. Check out their entries in the gallery for this year.

Another guy working hard in Ohio to get his boat done for Muscatine is Rusty Buchman. Rusty will also be bringing a motorcycle along as he has a few antiques. He is working right now on his Stevens all wood drag boat with a Pontiac Wedge motor. The motor is shown below ready to be installed and he is working on the boat now.

I mentioned Del and Don from the Twin Cities supporting our event. Del asked if I could send him some posters for this years event and then he would take them to Tavares, Florida a couple of weeks ago. Here are the results of what happens when you send posters to them and tell them to advertise. Meet the Head Flight Attendant and Captain of the US Airways flight they were on.

Need I say more! In Florida if you seen a group of guys walking around with the Muscatine Event shirts on it was Del, Don, and Bill Anderson.

Another guy walking around Tavares was Benny Krebs who is one of our event co directors for the show boat portion of the event. ( For the Century Boat Club guys, Benny has a bunch of them!)

Well, enough for this week. For those of you who have not registered, go to the website at www.muscatineboatshow.com and go to the registration page for the boats, cars, or motorcycles. Remember that registration is free and we also have reduced room rates available on the website. Also check out the gallery for those who have registered. If you have not sent in your pictures for the gallery, please send them in so we can post them to the Gallery.

Next week we will also bring updates to the schedule of events that are added entertainment for all of you, along with some recognition for those that make this happen!

For those of you who know people interested without e-mail or computer access have them send their registrations to:

Dave Moritz
225 Iowa Ave
Muscatine, IA 52761

If you have any questions feel free to contact me moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com

Stay tuned for more boats, cars, and motorcycles, along with more news.

Till next time . . .
Dave

This week we have received some registrations I thought you might be interested in. The first comes from a well known family of the mahogany boat world with a last name of Smith. Ok, so that is a pretty common name you might say. Well in the world of classic and antique boats, the name Smith can mean no other than Chris Smith.

Christopher Columbus Smith was a master wood worker who loved building boats and going fast when he started building wooden racing boats. By 1915, Smith's proven winners, Baby Speed Demon and Baby Reliance, were awarded the American Power Boat Association's top award, the Gold Cup. He always had in his mind dreams of building boats for others. He started Chris Smith and Sons Boat Company in 1922. Shortly thereafter, this company became known as . . . . Chris Craft Boat Company. And now you know the rest of the story!

The Father of Chris Craft Boats, Christopher Columbus Smith in one of his early Chris Craft Boats.

This year we are glad to have Chris Smith with his custom 1947 Chris Craft Rocket in attendance. Chris is the son of Bernard Smith and grandson of Christopher Columbus Smith. Chris worked at the Chris Craft plant in Holland, Michigan as a special engineer. Chris had a 1944 Chris Craft Rocket with his dad Bernard shown in the boat below.

Chris stated in his registration to the event, “I received this boat from some friends who knew I had one as my first boat back in 1944. This 1947, sixteen-foot Rocket was in very poor condition, the Chrysler engine had been removed, the windshield was gone and almost all the hardware had been removed. I made some major custom modifications and rebuilt the boat using the West System. I did all the work myself in the basement of my home. I started in September and had my first boat ride in June. I also built an enclosed trailer for the boat.”

We are happy to have Chris in attendance with his beautiful Rocket! (For more information on his Rocket check out the November/December 2004 issue of Classic Boating for the article)

We also have another special treat with the “Bandag Bandit” in attendance. Bandag Industries who is a leader in tire recapping, built a Bonneville Salt Flat racer. In 1988, Marty Carver from Bandag took the Bandag Bandit to Bonneville to break the land speed record for the semi truck class. They did successfully break the record and the Bandag Bandit is now retired, but will be brought out by Bandag from the truck museum for the Muscatine event to be on display. This is just an example of our community support of the event which makes this so much fun for Muscatine and we thank Bandag for their support!

The registrations keep coming in and we thank you. We realize there are many things in today’s tough times that you can do with your recreational time and money. That is why this event is free to all participants. We realize the cost to come to an event like this, as many do from quite a distance. We do all we can to keep expenses to a minimum.

As I type this I think back a couple of years approaching the City of Muscatine about the possibility of having an event in part of their park. I had no clue as to what was in store. Now here we are in our third year with this year’s event that will have the Century National Boat Show as part of the event, famous racers, well known boat builders, and beautiful boats, cars and antique motorcycles. I am not saying any of the above to be boastful, but I am very thankful for the following.

To the City of Muscatine and all of their service departments, Muscatine Search and Rescue, Muscatine Sherriff’s Department, Bob’s Crane Service, Muscatine Power Boat Club, Sponsors, and our volunteers, Thank you! This event would never happen without each and every one of you.

Just look at the “Sponsor” page of our website that will continuously be updated. When you are in town please support our sponsors as you make your way around town. On the “Maps/Lodging” page of the website, for those staying at the motels, they all offered reduced rates to help make the weekend more affordable for the participants.

In closing, there will be a News Update once a week on the weekend from now until the event. We will feature the Rathburn Family 3 Generations, entries, projects including Phil Mitchell and the Minnesota Navy’s Bull of the Woods hydro, Del and Diane VanEmmeik’s 57’ Flying Fish, Rusty Buchman’s Steven’s Drag Boat, and others.

Also, this past week we have been contacted with information on some of the entertainment for after the scheduled Friday and Saturday Schedule of Events. We will post that in the News Update for next week.

Spread the word with your friends that do not get the News Updates to get their registrations in for this year. For those who have registered and need to still submit your history and photos, please send them in. Get your entries in now by registering on-line at www.muscatineboatshow.com on the “Registration” page, or send them to:

Dave Moritz
225 Iowa Ave
Muscatine, IA 52761

This weekend I received an entry . . . .twice! I looked at it and thought hmmm. Same name, same boat, and same motor? Had to have been a mistake! I was in the process of sending an e-mail back to inform them that I had received their registration when another e-mail came in from the owner. Steve R. Hilpisch was e-mailing to confirm I was not confused on his double entry for the same name, same boat, and same engine!

Meet Steve J. Hilpisch and Steve R. Hilpisch! This father and son combination have identical 57’ Century Resorters with identical 312 Ford Interceptors. After a couple e-mails back and forth to clear my mind of who was who, Steven J. is Dad and Steven R. is the son. Check out their boats, “Miss Marcella” and “Miss Charlotte Jeane”.

When I say everything is identical check out their extra 312 Ford’s they have done this winter for their new project Century’s they have started to restore. Also look at the decals. Steven R. is a graphics designer and if anybody needs duplicate decals like the ones below check them out at the show.

Go to the website at www.muscatineboatshow.com and check out their write-up in the “Gallery” of how this experience was more then either one of the Steve’s could have imagined. They have a great respect for each others abilities and are ready to tackle anything together. Just double click the image on any boat in the gallery. Most gallery entries have associated write-ups with a history as provided by the owners.

This father son duo has had their boats featured in various classic boating publications and “Miss Charlotte Jeane” won the 2007 Ed Greve award at the National Century Boat Show in Manistee, MI.

Dad ( Steven J) said one of his proudest moments was above when they took “Miss Charlotte Jeane” out for her maiden voyage with father and son side by side.

This father and son combination does all their own work, and what is neat is they are humble about what they have done! The above picture shows the glass like finish in the process.

So have they satisfied their need to figure out the boat restoration process? The Century Coronado below has started to have the restoration well under way. After seeing stable mates “Miss Marcella” and “Miss Charlotte Jeane” you can’t help but think this Coronado knows it has found a great home! We can’t wait to see this classic come back out of the garage! Welcome Steve(s) to Muscatine for the 2009 event!

We have some really neat stories that have come in and get more everyday. Stay tuned for the Rathburn Family 3 Generation Entries in the car show and boat show world, antique motorcycles, more project boats including Phil Mitchell and the Minnesota Navy’s Bull of the Woods hydro, Del and Diane VanEmmerik’s 57’ Flying Fish, Rusty Buchman’s Steven’s Drag Boat, and many others.

Also we have some schedule updates that have been firmed up and they will be posted shortly and also sent on our News Updates.

Get your entries in now by registering on line at www.muscatineboatshow.com on the “Registration” page, or send them to:

Dave Moritz
225 Iowa Ave
Muscatine, IA 52761

The dates again are May 15-17, 2009 and registration is free. If you have any questions feel free to contact me moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com

Stay tuned for more boats, cars, and motorcycles, along with more news.

Till next time . . .
Dave

One of the things that make this event different from most is in addition to the antique and classic boat show, cars and motorcycles, we also have the American Power Boat Association (APBA) racing boats here making speed runs on the Mississippi. The types of racing boats attending are Vintage Hydroplanes which have the inboard high performance car engines, Grand National Hydroplanes that are also high performance automotive types, Class C and D hydros that are outboard powered, Formula 1 OPC racers, and drag boats.

The noise and smells of high performance racing engines fill the air and bring smiles to all of the faces in attendance.

Following are just a few pictures of what you will see in Muscatine!

Muscatine is the first location of boat racing on the Mississippi 100 years ago. Chap and Ethyl Hanley, both World Champion Hydroplane Racers, were from Muscatine. The 1.25 mile oval is the same location where the first races were held 100 years ago. The APBA boats bring back history and Muscatine is the only place in this part of the Midwest where we get to see the hydros run. We appreciate each and every one of them that helps to make the event what it is.

The entries are coming in at a rate ahead of past years. Get your registrations in today at www.muscatineboatshow.com. We have a park that will have room for as many boats as we can place. The Mississippi has crested this year below flood level and is already going down. The Mississippi water conditions should be prime for people to enjoy.

This year we will also be having a cruise through the Lock and Dam #16 on Friday for anyone wanting to get a chance to go through a Lock and Dam and a great photo opportunity. We will also try to get a tour of the Lock and Dam for interested participants. More information to follow.

Stay tuned for future News Updates on project boats, car show cars, motorcycles, and the story of 3 Generations of the Rathburn family.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com

Stay tuned for more boats, cars, and motorcycles, along with more news.

Till next time . . .
Dave

Two weeks ago my wife and I had the chance to visit the home of Speedliner Boats. Speedliner Boats was well known for classy race boats and runabouts with great lines. My wife and I have restored a couple of Speedliners so we have always wanted to see the Speedliner shop. Cliff Schomburg, who is well known as the Father of Speedliner, had his son Steve as one of Speedliner's racers along with a friend of the family Don Dando. Both were well known racers in Speedliner boats. Cliff has passed on, but Steve and Joan Schomberg have since then been involved in rebuilding, or helping others, rebuild these classic boats. The last Speedliner hydro was built by Cliff and Don Dando and Don will always keep that boat.

First stop was the home of Speedliner where we seen a couple of Steve's latest customer boats. Below is a Speedliner Javelin that was a basket case. Steve has the touch to make them like new! The dash board was the only survivor from the original boat.

Below is an Aristocraft that a customer wanted Steve to rebuild. Notice the flared tail back to the transom.

They even made scaled versions of the Speedliners as seen below with a small Cox Gas Engine. In the frames are pictures of the early 70s' when Steve was running some of the Speedliner hydros and won the 73' Championship.

Below are Steve and Joan Schomberg at their offices. When you are in Muscatine they will be there along with Don and Jan Dando with their Speedliner displays and also some new boats they are redoing. There are people from all over the country that are in line for Steve and Joan to rebuild their boats.

Steve's dad Cliff also made a line of Speedliner water-skis and Steve and Joan have kept a few for their memories. Most of the racing trophies have been passed down through their kids and grandkids.

A wall of fame of Speedliner past including another pair of Speedliner skis and famous Speedliner racing boat champions.

There are some plaques that Steve and Joan did keep and they were Steve's championship plaques from the world championships.

One of their famous Speedliner fans who happens to own a couple of Speedliner boats is Mel Blanc who passed them to his son Noel Blanc. For those of you who don't know, Mel Blanc was the voice of Bugs Bunny and many of the other Warner Brother's animated cartoon characters.

After leaving Steve and Joan's we went to visit our good friends Don and Jan Dando. Don and Steve used to race Speedliners together. Don had just had open heart surgery and was home recovering. Don was in good spirits and already has his entry in for this year. Jan took us out to Don's shop and does this look familiar to some of your boat building shops?

What you can't see is his woodworking equipment to build almost any boat out there. Don also has a few other boats including an 18' Speedliner they brought the first year to Muscatine.

We thank them for their hospitality and look forward to seeing them in May. Don, get back on your feet and get your skiff ready! Both couples look forward to Muscatine every year and they have become good friends of ours through the boating world.

Stay tuned for upcoming News Updates on the APBA Vintage Hydroplanes, project boats under construction, and the 3 Generations of the Rathburn Family.

Also get your registrations in as soon as possible at www.muscatineboatshow.com. The snow is gone and the time is getting closer! For those of you who have registered and we have sent you a confirmation e-mail please get your pictures and history in of your entry. We will post as soon as we get them in the website gallery!

If you have any questions feel free to contact me moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com

Till next time . . .
Dave

The entries are coming in at a good pace and we are around 70 entries at this time. That is great! We know it takes each and everyone of you to put this event on, and it is appreciated! The more people here, the more there is to see, and it all builds from there. Last year we had 160 boats registered until the flood came. Let's go for 160 boats again this year! We have the room. We are also opening a huge area of the park this year downstream of the race pits for enlarging our car and motorcycle show. This is your event so help it to grow!

Part of the fun in this event is meeting new people. Recently we had an entry from Don and Ruth Moberg from Wisconsin. In e-mails back and forth I could tell Don has an appreciation for fine wood boats with a stout dose of horsepower. Don and Ruth will be bringing their 1961 Century Custom Racing Runabout with a modified 350 Chevy.

About a week later we received Don and Ruth's son and daughter-in-law Eric and Kathy Moberg's entry a 1958 Streblow Rebel with a 390 Cadillac rated at 350hp.

Eric & Kathy Moberg's Streblow Rebel 19' was purchased as a derelict in 1994, and was completely restored by the Moberg family over the next 3 years. It is one of only two 19' Streblows built in 1958, and has the original Cadillac Crusader engine, modified to about 350 HP. Only one other Streblow used this engine.

I am sure many of you can relate to your love of boats, cars, or motorcycles being passed down from generation to generation. Another example is the Johnson family with extended families in Ohio, and Iowa.

The Johnson families above have made the Muscatine Boat Show their family reunion every year. This is their common gathering place as Jim and Duke are from Ohio and Walt is from the Sioux City area.
Brothers Duke and Walt Johnson race their outboard hydros. S-79 Duke Johnson was Fifth place in the 2007 C-Race Hydro Outboard Nationals with his 2003 Desilva Hydro.
S-87 Walter Johnson was Fourth place in the 2007 C-Race Hydro Outboard Nationals in his 1970 Byers Hydro/Jim Johnson Owner/Engineer.
We will always have our park open for their "Johnson Family Reunion".

There are many other families that come to the Muscatine event and have made Muscatine the start of their boat show or boat racing seasons.

Stay tuned for more News Updates as the time is getting closer! Next time we will be introducing you to the Speedliner family and a look inside their love of boats. We will then be featuring a News Update on the APBA racing boats, and then some of the cars and motorcycles we have registered. Also all updates will have schedule of event updates and more event information!

Get your registrations in now as things are moving along quickly. The days are getting longer and the temps are finally starting to creep back up!

For those of you who have registered please send us you digital photos for the Gallery on the website and a little history.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com

Stay tuned for more boats, cars, and motorcycles, along with more news.

Till next time . . .
Dave

In the last couple of weeks we have had some unique entries and many things are shaping up for a great show this year. We will be bringing them to you in the next few News Updates. In this News Update I want to also explain what is going on besides the classic/antique boats, racing boats, cars, and motorcycle shows.

First thing, the APBA is here with about every form of racing boats making tuning runs on the Mississippi. There are vintage hydros, grand national hydroplanes, kneelers, and flat bottom racing boats on the water. This is a unique experience to see some of the nation's finest racing boats in one place at one time and hear the roar of the high performance engines!

Then we also slow things down. We have a Cardboard Boat Regatta and Paddle Boat Regatta; both are open for anybody (including participants in the event) at no cost. There are students from the Muscatine High School Physics class, youth groups, adults, and about every type of cardboard crafts you can imagine. Below are some local boys that Paul Carroll, from the Community Foundation, took under his wing for the first year and helped to build a cardboard boat. The results are from the first year are shown below.

Then, last year, they came back with a striped boat, a year older, a year wiser, and an improved boat with the Newspaper pictures from the prior year glued onto the side of the boat and varnished. They won their division and place 2nd overall! You couldn't wipe the smiles off of their faces.

In the Paddle Boat Regatta, the Mayor of Muscatine kicked off the races when he took on all comers! There were many people who gave it a go including people with their boats in the show area. Everyone had a great time! The fastest time won $100. It is just part of what makes this event fun for everybody and you can be a part of it all.

On Friday this year we are organizing a cruise for any early bird boats where we will do a lock through the Lock and Dam #16 and free time on the Mississippi with a guide from our group for anybody who wants to come out with us. There will also be open time between APBA sessions for people to take their classics out for a spin on Saturday and Sunday.

Then, remember on Friday evening, the Muscatine Power Boat Club puts on a Hog Roast for all event participants that is one of the highlights of the weekend. You will never find a better group as you will also see most of them also are familiar faces during the event. They are also part of our volunteer army that help you unload boats with white glove treatment, or just help you in any way they can be of service.

There will also be bands at night and other surprises for people being planned as things are firming up, but this is just part of what makes this fun for all!

Stay tuned for the next News Update where we will be featuring the story of the Moberg family. Dad and son both have wooden boats and horsepower in their family. Both will be in attendance this year with their wooden classics!

In future News Updates, we will also be having more boats, cars, and motorcycles, and the story of the Speedliner Boat Family including Steve and Joan Schomberg and Don and Jan Dando!

Stay tuned . . . and get your registrations in as soon as possible at www.muscatineboatshow.com. This is shaping up to be a great time for all!

If you have any questions feel free to contact me moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com

Stay tuned for more boats, cars, and motorcycles, along with more news.

Till next time . . .
Dave

Well, the weather turned around with 60 degree temps and our snow is pretty much gone. The days are getting longer and the temps are going the right direction.

One of the great things about organizing this event is meeting others. That is probably the best thing (even better then all of the really sweet boats, cars, and bikes) and friendships are developed that last a life time. Here is a picture I received from some of the fiberglassic guys that come to Muscatine. The picture is an ad for a friend of ours, Dave Merck, and his website www.bigfinboats.com. What people won't do for a shirt! Dave has some great coverage of our past events if you want to see more great pictures from the last couple of years!

The entries are coming in at a good pace this early before the show, which is great. I think people are tired of the economic news, and this is something to look forward to. People need good friends in times like this, and this is where to find them. Keep the registrations coming so we can keep up on a timely manner.

In this update, I want to feature a new race boat coming to Muscatine this year from Louisiana. Jay Marshall is bringing his Tijuana Taxi. The boat was finished just after last year's event and is a great example of some of the vintage hydroplanes that will be here.

Hull Type/Class Original hull - 280 cu. in class

Built in 1966 by Rich Hallett the boat has a 17' Beam 7' and is a 280 cu in class hydro. The motor is a 8 cylinder 1966 Chrysler 273 ci, bored .030", balanced, comp. ratio 8.94:1, Flattop Speed Pro pistons, polished/reversed, Comp Cams camshaft, rods, forged crankshaft built by Tim's Engines in Denham Springs, LA. Gearbox is direct drive like most of the racing hydros.

Now some website items at www.muscatineboatshow.com

1. For those of you who are just starting to get the News Updates, please go to the "Current News" tab and view the past News Updates that have been sent before this one.
2. I want to clarify something from some of the e-mails I have received. The registration for the event is done by going to the website and clicking on the "Registration" tab. If you are not comfortable doing that, just send me the info at moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com and we can input it for you. The reason we are doing it this way is that we now have this source building our database to do the event cards for your entry. There is one for Boats and another for Cars and Motorcycles that is only used by us. When we receive your registration, we will get back to you within the same day or the next day. Please feel free to ask questions to make sure you have all of the information you need.
3. Also, for those of you who aren't computer savvy, this includes me, let me explain how the Gallery page works at the website. We normally will not place the entry into the Gallery until we receive your pictures. When you register, I personally will get back to you and provide you my e-mail address for the boats, or Mike Lane and Bruce Baker will get back to you for the cars and bikes.

Anyway click on the line that states "Visit our Photo Gallery". This will bring you to the first page of the gallery and you will then be able to click on any picture of an entry and it will open their individual gallery. There are 18 pages to go through so you can click "next" to go to additional pages. There you can click on any picture and it will also enlarge the specific picture. In the upper left hand corner where it says "Gallery", you can click on the "Muscatine Boat Show Gallery" and it will take you back to the main gallery.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me or send your pictures to moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com

Stay tuned for more boats, cars, and motorcycles, along with more news.

Till next time . . .
Dave

So how much snow do we get here in Iowa? Here I am cleaning my driveway a couple of weeks ago.

Ok, I am just kidding, but for those of you in the sunbelt it probably worked! Anyway the snow is melting and we are ready to get rolling. The entries are coming in and it is time for some fun along the way.

It is time for a contest for some of you who register to win a shirt. This is a simple marketing ploy for our event. This event grows the way we like it, by word of mouth and having people leave here with shirts and smiles on their faces.

So how does this work? Easy, send me your picture with you wearing one of our past event boat show shirts at a boat race or boat show, other then ours, and we will give you a brand new 2009 event shirt to keep on advertising for us. The first 5 we receive pictures from we will notify and get your sizes for your advertising cover. It needs to be at a legitimate show with open water (not ice), grass (no snow). It needs to be where we can see boats. We will then place them in a future News Update.

Here is an example. This guy loves fiberglassic boats and was found wondering around Clayton, New York, at the Antique and Classic Boat Museum. Notice the shirt! We have our first winner! Del VanEmmerik

I also said I would be presenting some of our boats we have that have registered on the News Updates. I do not play favorites and this is only for showing some variety of what comes to the event. The first boat is John Hintermeister who last year finished a wooden boat a couple of months after our 2008 show right here in Muscatine. It is a skiff with a Honda outboard under cover. This will be John's first boat show and he is excited to be one of the local Muscatine classic boat owners. Make sure to visit with John at the show and check out the website gallery for more of the boat pictures. He has already started his next boat!

Also I have received information for the Madison Show below that has been moved from September to August. Great time! Check out the Glacier Lakes Chapter website at www.glacbs.org for more information and forms.

		4th Annual Madison Area Antique & Classic - Boat Show
Benefiting the Madison Area Multiple Sclerosis Society Saturday August 8th, 2009		At Christy's Landing on Lake Waubesa For more info visit: www.glacbs.org

Also this year a gentleman by the name of Bruce Baker contacted me and asked to help to build the car and motorcycle show portion of the event. That works for me. He will be working with some local car enthusiast friends of mine and many of his antique motorcycle and car club friends to get the word out. We have also added a registration section for the cars and motorcycles on the registration page of the website so they will get the same recognition as the boats that they so deserve. We will also be changing the maps to show the layout of the car show area shortly along with the motorcycle areas.

In closing check your pictures for our contest to see if you're a winner! Get your registrations in and room reservations taken care of at www.muscatineboatshow.com. Days are cold BUT getting lighter longer! Spring is coming before you know it.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me or send your pictures to moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com

Till next time . . .
Dave

For many of you this will be your first "News Update" via e-mail for the "That Was Then, This Is Now" Boat Show and Racing Boat Exhibition in Muscatine, Iowa. We have enlarged our e-mail data base thanks to bribing my youngest daughter with money to input names into my Outlook Contacts. Anyway, we are proud to say that this event in its 3rd year has grown into the "place to be" the 3rd weekend in May. We just have a great time! This year the event is May 15-17, 2009.

So, why should you be thinking about coming to Muscatine? Well, I guess when people in the classic boating community asked if we had ever thought of having an event here, we didn't realize we are located in a central common gathering place for boats from all over the Midwest. We sit right in the middle of many ACBS clubs and it is a chance for people to see boats from other areas that normally are not at their local shows. It is easily in driving distance from the Twin Cities in 5 hrs, Omaha and St Louis in 4hrs, Chicago, and Madison in 3 hrs, and Des Moines in 2 hrs. This kind of gives you a gauge to go by. Since the event started, we have had boats from Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, New York, Louisiana, and all around the nation, which is really exciting. The event has free registration and, as part of the event, we have sanctioned APBA race boat testing, ACBS boat show, car show, antique motorcycles, cardboard and paddle boat regattas, and this year the Century Boat Club has decided to have their 26th Annual National Century Boat Show in Muscatine as part of our event.

The people of Muscatine are really behind this event and are proud of the park that features 30 acres of waterfront property on the Mighty Mississippi. Therefore, there is room for everybody. There is a protected harbor with docks and a new 4 wide boat ramp. There is also a swap meet area and pits for the racing boats. Last year the park had a park-wide sound system installed for this event, so there is 50s' and 60s' music throughout the park and general announcements.

Check out the website at www.muscatineboatshow.com for the reduced room rates we have secured for boat show participants, maps, gallery, and about everything you will need to navigate around Muscatine. We have also provided a Dining Guide of restaurants that the locals enjoy. This show was formed to give you the information to make you feel at home as a participant to the event!

Having said all of that for the new people, here is where we are at for the 2009 event. Prior News Updates are also posted at out website on the "News" page for those of you just joining us via e-mail.

Well, we have been working the last couple of weeks to get some of the things in order for the event. All of the permitting has been placed and the Coast Guard permitting has been approved, the shirt design has been completed, the reduced room rates have been secured for all the motels and are posted on the website, the website pages have been updated to date, and the posters are completed.

The website registrationwww.muscatineboatshow.com page has been updated with an example and new format. Even if you have registered in the past years, we need you to register for this year. We have a new linked database that helps us to better organize the information from the on-line registration directly into the event cards we provide you for your boats.

Below is the design for the event shirt for the 2009 event. There will be a limited number of shirts that will be sold on a first come, first serve basis at the event. The shirts will be available on white and butter yellow Gilden 50/50 T-Shirts at the event. There will not be any pre-orders taken. However, there may be some contests in upcoming "News Updates" where we will be testing your knowledge base for the chance to win a shirt.

As stated we also have the poster completed for the 2009 event. As many of you know, Muscatine has the Norbert Becky Bridge across the Mississippi with decorative LED lighting that uses the structure to be the color changing element by shining the LED lights on the structure. The bridge was dedicated last year the week of the boat show and changes many colors every evening.

We have decided to use the bridge as part of the new poster along with new pictures. See below.

The event takes place just downstream of the bridge so you will be able to view it up close and personal. Also, note that the poster shows the Century Boat Club National Round-up as part of the event.

If you have event posters for your 2009 event completed, feel free to send me a copy and I will share it with others as part of the News Updates. Since this event started my wife and I have had the chance to meet many great people and we are happy to help promote your event if we can. The first event that I have received information on is Tom Arambasich's 2009 Switzer Craft Regatta over by Joliet, IL.

With that, get your registrations in by visiting the "Registration" page on www.muscatineboatshow.com. Also, secure your rooms by visiting the "Maps/Lodging" page www.muscatineboatshow.comof the website and follow the directions to the motel of your choice. There are links to each of the motels to see pictures of the motels etc.

The Century Boat Club and the American Power Boat Associations lodging provider for the 2009 event is the Holiday Inn of Muscatine. All of the motels have been gracious enough to provide us reduced rates as stated at the website.

We are getting fired up! If you have any questions feel free to contact me at moritzdavid@stanleygroup.com

Stay tuned for more "News Updates" as we get closer to the 2009 "That Was Then, This Is Now" Muscatine Boat Show and Racing Boat Exhibition!

Dave

--> 2009 is here and we are getting ready for Muscatine, May 15-17, 2009. As we said before we promise to bring an event like no other to make up for the Flood of 2008.

This past year washed away many events, the economy took a turn for the worse, and we have a new President coming in by the end of the month. So what can we be sure of in 2009? One thing . . . Come May, Muscatine is on track to bring you one of the best events in the country! No matter what happens around us and the economy, we still need to get together to enjoy each others company and have an event that will bring a smile to everyone's face. The event in Muscatine was started for one purpose, and always will be . . . to have a central gathering place to reminisce about the past with others, to celebrate our love of boats, racing past and present, cars, and motorcycles . . . and horsepower!

The 2009 event will be the best we have ever had and we will strive to continue to every year make it unique to everyone. This year we have the National Century Boat Club having their national round up as part of the event along with all of the other activities we have for everyone.

Classic Boats and Racing Boats. This year, and the years to follow will never be any different. We want all of the Antiques, Classics, and Race Boats, no matter what the make. The park will not be segregated based on types and everybody is treated equal. We will never play favorites or do politics. We will park and harbor boats on a first come first serve basis upon arrival, so if you want to be next to your buddies, come together.

The City of Muscatine, before the snow fell, finished working in the harbor and reseeding the park. You will see a brand new facility that is the nicest park on the Mighty Mississippi. All of the permitting has been placed and the APBA paperwork is also in progress.

So mark your calendars now, the planning has begun and you will start to see things coming to life shortly. We welcome everybody back and we will do all we can to make 2009 an event to be proud of for everybody. The registration is again free, and the City of Muscatine is fired up to make 2009 special for everybody!

Please visit the website at www.muscatineboatshow.com to register on the "Registration" page. If you have more then one boat let us know by registering each boat separately. We will be posting updates as things start to be firmed up for the event. There are reduced room rates for lodging, a dining guide, and we are looking at some other things this year for the ladies that like to do other things then talk boats.

For this update and more to follow we have decided to give you a sample of some of the different types of boats that come to Muscatine. We realize it takes every one of you to come to Muscatine to make a show like this continue to grow and have a great time and we appreciate each and everyone of you!

Tell others, and if you know of others who want to receive the e-mail event news updates, let us know. If they want to watch from the outside looking in, have them follow along at www.muscatineboatshow.com on the "News" page.

Till the next update!
Dave

Well, my wife and I went to back to back shows in Madison, WI. and Quincy, IL in September and had a great time. The Madison show was a little wet, but the hospitality was great. In Quincy, the weather was outstanding and they had another successful show. At both events, it was great to visit with everybody where we could actually just sit back and enjoy everything. Thank you!

Todd Young's Boat Rocker for his grandson

Madison Boat Show

We had approximately 160 boats pre-registered for the 2008 event and it looked to be a great event for the Midwest to bring you the best of both worlds. Everybody said, "Well at least somebody above was watching out for us, and we still had a great show." True, I know we were blessed to have the event we did, considering the devastating floods Iowa had. Many people are still displaced, many who were volunteers for our event in Muscatine. It puts this event more into perspective of what really matters in life. But we are getting back on our feet and ready to celebrate in 2009 for our 3rd Annual Event. You will see we have many things to be fired up about.

As most people know, the APBA means racing boats, and they will be back in all shapes and sizes this year after a year absence due to the flood. We will be having the Vintage Hydroplanes, kneelers, Grand National hydroplanes, drag boats, and a little bit of everything doing testing and showing both to make this event unique. People coming to Muscatine will see almost every type of racing boats in one place and at one time doing testing for the 2009 season before many of the races take place. This year, the Antique and Classic boat show portion will also have an added attraction. The Century Boat Club has contacted us and they would like to move their annual national show this year from Manistee, Michigan to Muscatine to be a part of the event. Is that cool or what! Man, we are thrilled! This will be a first for them to move their national show from the home of Century Boats in Manistee, MI. to Muscatine to test the waters of their annual national show in a different location. We challenge everyone with a Century to make this portion of the event special for them and come on up, down, or over to Muscatine. We were thrilled and they will be marketing the event throughout the nation. They wanted to find a place in the mid- section of the country to allow more Century owners an opportunity to gather to share their love of Century boats. With some of the Century Board of Directors here last year, they went back and put in the good word and we are thrilled. Having a 30 acre park allows us to easily hold hundreds of boats in a pristine park setting along the mighty Mississippi.

Now, we are thrilled that Century is bringing their annual national show to Muscatine and we can't wait, but we will never forget what this show is, and from where this event started. Century will be back in Manistee next year, or move their event somewhere else possibly. Maybe they will like the hospitality and be here again, we don't know, but we do know how this event has grown because this event is for all boaters. We love ALL Antique and Classic Boats and Racing Boats. This year, and the years to follow will never be any different. We want all of the Antiques, Classics, and Race Boats, no matter what the make. The park will not be segregated based on types and everybody is treated equal. Some of us have as much pride in a polished up Crestliner with an old Evinrude RowBoat Motor as someone with a triple cockpit Chris Craft or Hacker. We will never play favorites or do politics. We will park and harbor boats on a first come first serve basis upon arrival, so if you want to be next to your buddies, come together.

As far as judging, Century will have judging for the Century boats. This is their tradition for their annual show and we respect that. So for you Century owners, get your boats finished and shined up. The rest of the event for all of the other boats will not be judged. The show is free for all participants and we would rather have great food and fellowship for everyone, than trophies for a select few.

The City of Muscatine is working in the harbor at this time to get it ready for the spring event. After the flood of 2008, they are scraping and reseeding the park and will have it ready by next May for the event. The fencing and paving are all completed and striping has been completed. The park is really nice.

For those of you that have never been to Muscatine, it is like a big picnic in the park for everybody. We have APBA race boat testing with your favorite racing boats from the past and present, cardboard boat and paddle boat regattas that anybody can be in (including boat show participants as can be seen with Don Dando and Steve Schomborg who are from Speedliner fame with their old helmets), kid's games, historical displays, car show, race cars, motorcycles, and a park full of boats. Add in the Century National Boat Show and 2009 will definitely be one to make your plans for. We promise you a good time!

So mark your calendars now, the planning has begun and you will start to see things coming to life shortly. We welcome everybody back and we will do all we can to make 2009 an event to be proud of for everybody. The registration is again free, and the City of Muscatine is fired up to make 2009 special for everybody!

Tell others, and if you know of others who want to receive the e-mail event news updates, let us know. If they want to watch from the outside looking in, have them follow along at www.muscatineboatshow.com