… I thought as I looked across the water.

Sleek. Smooth. Italian. Perfect. And I was filled with a lust that …

I am talking about a sleek Italian wooden speedboat, of course.

What did you think I was talking about?

There was a small showing of old-fashioned Wooden Speed Boats at the lake this weekend where I was.

I have always thought they were very sexy. Mahogany Wood. Brass. Style.

When the stamps came out a few years ago with the various Italian Wooden Boats on them, I got a set … and promptly stuck them on the refrigerator with a magnet so I could see them every time I walked past.

Not a die-hard philatelist here.

Years ago a good friend asked if he could store his jon boat on my property. Before he could restore it, he died. For years I refused to get rid of it because I had this bizarre thought that I could get wooden slats to face the whole thing.

No, I never did.

But the love of these things is still with me even if the boat is not.

So without further ado … here are some pictures taken of the various boats on display. Again, all due apologies for the lack of photographic excellence. But the boats are great.

And yes, that is a liquor bottle under the hood of the Ford F-100 that hauled one of the boats. It holds windshield washing fluid … and works with a manual floor pump.

What can I say? People talk to me.