Sande Ace Gathering of 2007
The third get-together of Sande Aces took place in early August 2007. Ned could not make the gathering but five Aces still showed up. What's more, three Fiberglassics Northwest boat owners brought their boats by.
Bob Barkhurst's Sande Ace got wet for the first time in almost 30 years! It's the famous upside-down Ace that hung from the ceiling of the Sande Boat Works for all that time. It now sports a late 1960s 65 HP Merc. We never did see it at wide open throttle but it must really scream.
Tom and Susanne Regan built this beautiful Ace at their Grapeview Point Boat Works by adding a foot of length to the original 12 foot Ace. It has a 35 HP Mark 35A, the largest allowed by Coast Guard regulations. The boat is for sale but most of us hope it stays close to Hood Canal! In this photo, Tom and Tom Twiss check it out.
Tom and Penny Twiss get considerable use out of their rebuilt Ace with its 65 HP Suzuki. Moving the steering to the front has helped to balance the extra weight of the motor. They have been to all three Ace Gatherings.
Chris Knowles bought his 1954 model named "No-Go Ocean" and its color-matched 40 HP Evinrude from the Sande Boat Works a couple years ago. It has since been a classy fixture on lower Hood Canal.
The Waali's 1959 Sande Ace with the original paint scheme and color. Parts from four motors came together for the final result which is basically a Mark 58A.
Dennis Huffman's 1957 16' Bell Boy, Doug Griffith's 1957 20' Skagit and Don Griffith's 1969 21' Bell Boy (in the background) at the beach on Sisters' Point.
These boats brought back memories of the old days when the southwest wind would sometimes catch us at Twanoh State Park with our Sande Ace. We would creep back to our place against the wind but would always look for a larger Skagit or Bell Boy to follow, letting them break the waves for us. These three boats and their crews were great additions to the gathering.