Boating

During the 1950’s and 60’s there was a lot of interest in motor boats and motor boating brought on by the Slo-Mo activity on Lake Washington. This was reflected here by wide usage of ordinary motors on ordinary lake boats as well as an occasional real hot boat (Terry Feroe was a highly-ranked contender in Green Lake limited racing). Eventually enthusiasm waned for thunderboats and their little cousins and the mood-swing eventually reached 160 degrees to the point that a little kid putting by in a 1 horsepower job might be reviled by an enlightened adult much as a smoker today blundering into the non-smoking section of a public facility.

Gradually—without any official decree—motors faded from our scene to the point of total obscurity. In their place appeared the newer and sleeker small fiberglass sailboats (OR Dingy, Laser, Hobie Cats) and the light and sturdy aluminum, fiberglass and plastic canoes and rowboats. More recently the sailboards are gaining much popularity as more young people master the demanding techniques. And enthusiasms for "party Boats" introduced in ‘87 - ‘88 by Jack Panter and Bud Mount is running at fever pitch.

Following is a current unofficial tally of resident boats taken by shoreline observation Monday 6/29/89 (following a super summer weekend) vs. a rough estimate of 20 years earlier. Population was about comparable then, but younger. ("Observed boats" would excluded stowed-away craft, of course.)

*1969 bicycle boats were all-metal gear-driven dual-operator craft obtained by John Ellison from a star Lake resort liquidation. Very noisy but good fun.