Wayne Baldwin's Amazing Story: Baldy's Eual Eldred Baldwin

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I found a picture of our DeSilva C runabout that I thought looked fat. I had sanded it down well, and finished with wet or dri sandpaper of 400 grit and painted on several coats of Deft clear polyurethane. I taped it off in the same scheme as our A/B DeSilva and painted it with cans of aerosol white. I did this just before we left for Beaumont.

After we got back, we had to start immediately to repair the A/B DeSilva that got two holes on the starboard side after I launched over Jim Wilkins. I did some of the work, but mostly it was Baldy. He wanted me there to help and learn, but since it was critical that the work be done right, he did it while I watched and he explained as he went along.

He had a tape measure and a square. Feeling through the holes he found where the stringers and battens were and did some guesstimated measuring, close enough to get support. Then he marked off the areas to be cut out and made square cuts. After measuring the holes, Baldy made back up pieces of plywood to be inserted through the holes, with Weldwood glue on the outside surfaces that would contact the inside perimeter of the cut out holes. This part I can't remember, but I think he had screwed a lag bolt or something into the backup pieces to be able to grab them and force them back up against the wood inside while the glue dried.

The next day Baldy cut plywood to fit the holes exactly and with wood glue and brass screws, they were driven home. The following day I began to sand down the repaired sections and prepare them for a couple of coats of Deft. I don't know if that's the proper way to make repairs, but Baldy didn't want anything to blow out. Especially since it was on the cornering side. He repaired landing craft that were all shot up in the Pacific front when our marines were "Island Hopping" during WWII so I figured he knew what he was doing.

ADD: Looking at the picture of the C runabout you will see the louvered glass pane window behind it. To the left inside the shop was where the motor room and tack room was for the saddles, blankets, harnesses and all our horse stuff at Alice was kept. I couldn't find the negatives so I scanned the original faded pics I had tacked on the wall of that room just about 44 years ago. I did it so my girlfriend Pam could see them.