New member and what kind of animal is it?

Doc, I have been meaning to get over to that landscaping business to get a photo of the mold for Annie and post it on this thread... I will in the next day or two...

We had to practically give it away. The hull was as perfect as a cored mold could be . I had great visions of building a few of them. After 16 years building Annie, I decided like was not long enough for hull no. 2. So I decided to go play on Annie while I still could. Funny how things never quite turn out how you expect!.

Whistledoc said:

*This is Ron AKA whistledoc in Florence Alabama.I am new to the forum as of today I am a retired physician from Texas. Built Annie myself *in Texas via the WEST system*from scratch over a 16 year period. She is a* modification of a Benford designed*45' Friday Harbor Ferry. Kept changing as I built here and ended up being 53 feet. Retired a few year back and decided to take off and *explore the inland rivers. Took off on Annie along the Gulf Coast. My wife had an elderly mother and couldn't go with me so I was by myself most of the trip. Went to Mobile and locked up the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to the Tennessee. When I hit the Tennessee River I headed upriver and went a few hundred miles up stream.... turned around and headed down with plans of spending Christmas in Nashville. Ended up stopping in Florence Alabama and fell in love with the geography and the river. Called my wife and she came up and spent a week on the boat.. On a lark we decided to look at real estate. Ended up buying ssome dirt and built a house and after 15 trailer loads of farm equipment, woodworking equipment 13 miniature donkeys and other junk we ended up moving to Florence. Just came back from a 1200 mile round trip up the Cumberland River in Tennessee*from Florencee. For those not familiar with river geography we went down the Tennessee to the "Land Between the Lakes" which is a peninsula of land between the Cumberland and the Tennessee where they run almost parallel. Crossed over from Kentucky Lake above the Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee to Lake Barkley above Barkley Dam on* the Cumberland. Traveled the Cumberland as far a Celina which is the limits of navigation. Beyond Celina the river is not maintained and there are no channel markers and its about 200 miles from civilization. Not a great place to get into trouble bending a prop, etc..The *Cumberland is primative at best when you get above Nashville and pass Old Hickory Lake ther are no goouses or docks as the Corps of Engineers owns 300 foot buffer along*the water.**We did not see one other boat once we passsed Nashville which by the way *is a great place if you are into country music and we *had our obligatory visit to the Grand Ole Opry.

So much for fluff...I have a serious question for you trawler guys. People ask me what type of boat Annie is and I really don't know what to tell them. I usually repond with "riverboat" or "trawler". I will frequently hand them a boat card the has a line drawing of Annie and the most common reaction is "Oh, its a houseboat." And my reaction to that, although I never say it is " You can call my wife fat and ugly, you can call my daughter a slut* but please, please don't call Annie a Houseboat."* So, what kind of Animal is it??? By the way visible on the cabin top is a 61 note calliop

e that I built. We entertain bridgekeeepers and lock masters all up and down the waterways.

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Pretty sure I saw this one today around mm 65 on TN river ? Kentucky Lake . Beautiful boat !!!

I just read this thread and my jaw dropped ... unbelievable ... the CRAFTSMEN are still out there. My hats off to the builder ... a beautiful boat and gorgeous work.

You should be proud. A beautiful boat.

We didn't get a chance to see it docked we were heading up river and he was heading down . We only saw it through binoculars . We had no idea what we we looking at until I went to TF and found this . This boat is amazing . The woodwork is incredible . I would love to see it up close . Truly a work of art.

WOW! That is serious boat porn.
Please don't post any more pics as I have no good way of relieving myself, with my boat and wife so far away.

Congratulations Whistledoc. She is magnificent!

Absolutely amazing, gorgeous, stunning, and (where's my thesaurus?)

Thank you for sharing the photographs. Truly that is a boat that is beyond mere words to describe. She's beautiful, and a fabulous tribute to your original Annie -- your mom.

Annie is Amazing!
Wow.

Doc,

Would love to see the engine room and its equipment, somehow I have visions of operating room lighting and sparkling bilges, a place I could go and meditate....meant to be a compliment.

For someone not knowing the difference between a screw driver and a table saw at the start then ending up with a doctorates in wood working.....You certainly have earned the honest respect of this forum.

Some walk tall among men.

Frank

Doc: Beautiful boat, looks like a lot of love went into her. I too would like to see pictures of the engine room?

Annie is the next dock over from me in Rogersville, Al. I have seen the outside and it is magnificent.

After looking at this I think I'll just throw my woodworking tools away. It was really cool seeing Annie chugging away on the river .

It is a river cruiser

Another Annie

Whistledoc said:

I couldn't get her up on the boat but I would tell her how it was coming and all of the projects I had going on and she got excited and seemed to understand.* When I lost mom I decided that Annie was a good name for the boat. That was my mother's name. Mom worked two jobs to help put me though medical school. So in a way "Annie" is a tribute to my mother.

-- Edited by Whistledoc on Tuesday 24th of January 2012 01:50:56 PM

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Whistledoc,
I'm teary-eyed on multiple levels.

• Mother-son bond
• Devotion across generations
• Breathtaking beauty and craftsmanship
• I'm currently full-time caretaker for my 89 y/o Mom, who thankfully, is still of sound mind
• Trying to buy a boat that she will be able to get on/off with those old knees
• My name is MaryAnnie - I was named for my Dad's mom and my Mom's grandma, both named Mary; and for my Dad's step-mom and my Mom's mom, both named Annie. No space between the two names because I never want to forget any one of the four ladies.

macp said:

me is MaryAnnie - I was named for my Dad's mom and my Mom's grandma, both named Mary; and for my Dad's step-mom and my Mom's mom, both named Annie. No space between the two names because I never want to forget any one of the four ladies.
[/LIST]

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Very interesting as my mother's name was Annie, my late wife's name was Annie, her mother's name was Annie, and her grandmother's name was Annie. In fact we called her grandmother Miss Annie. Very southern you know.

Carey said:

I just googled Jay, as my memory of his past is a little rusty. I see that the Floriday Bay Coasters are a totally different group of designs of Jay's from the Ferries. Jay did live in Friday Harbor for a number of years.

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Too bad the FL Bay Coaster went out of business. I guess there was just not enough sales.

dvd said:

THAT is a beautiful boat! I think "Riverboat" is a perfect description.

dvd

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If they gotta ask, tell them, "it is my boat".

Any pictures of the inside of your boat?

Max Simmons said:

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2005-custom-trawler-jay-benford-na-design-6988602/

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Oh yea, ask and you shall get. WINK 170 photos.

Think I saw her headed up river one day last week. Almost went off the bridge trying to figure out what I was looking at!! Marine Traffic is showing Annie on Harrison Bay above Chattanooga - not sure its the same vessel. Beautiful!

Wow. How many hours are in to her? Outstanding dedication to the project when I try to extrapolation what I think the amount of time, money and effort was involved. Have too much fun on her

No, she's a dreamboat. Dreamboat Annie...


Heading out this morning into the sun.
Riding on the diamond waves, little darlin' one.
Warm wind caress her, Her lover it seems.
Oh, Annie, Dreamboat Annie ship of dreams.
-Heart

Max Simmons said:

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2005-custom-trawler-jay-benford-na-design-6988602/

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It is a work of art!!!
There is a lot of love in that boat.

That is a beautiful girl! Well done. If anyone asked, "What is it?" I'd be inclined to grin and reply, "She sure is a beauty, huh?"

This vessel is a work of art. Had to believe this thread was started 8 years ago.


I'm hoping that the sale of such a labor of love is not indicative of some misfortune.

I know this is a very old thread that I just stumbled on. We traveled the Tennessee River on July 4 and spent a night at Joe Wheeler Marina. We walked past the no trespassing signs to see the big boats. I think I saw her on the last pier, looking highly maintained, and I remember thinking "that's a cool boat, what is she?". Interesting the boat is still listed for sale on Boat Trader.

Hi Patclem -yes she's a cool boat - she's a one off homebuilt-- interesting story. Built by Doc out of Texas (now Florence, Al) Last time I saw her on the river was fall of 2020. Tied up overnight at City Harbor in Guntersville. According to ship trac she went on up rivier to Tellic Lake -spent a week or so and returned to Florence. I keep my boat at Alred's on Gunterville so I caught her coming and going. She's really a work of art.

OldDan1943 said:

It is a work of art!!!
There is a lot of love in that boat.

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Sure is and a bit of a steal at that price given the hours and quality of build.

Blog found here
https://whistledoc.wordpress.com/author/whistledoc/

Awesome. Yeah, we bought our boat in October in Louisville, moved her down the Ohio to Kentucky Lake, KDM. Over July 4 weekend we moved her again up the Tennessee to Hales Bar near Chattanooga (an hour closer to our home in Murfreesboro). I could've sworn we saw her in Joe Wheeler Marina, but she might be in Florence. We stopped there for several hours waiting on the lock but I don't remember seeing a boat like her.
Come by and say hello if you're ever near Hales. We're there mostly on the weekends.