Letter: Old Boat Column

My subscription to the WJ dates back to November 1963 when Roy Barkhau was writing the column. I even got to meet Donald T. Wright on one occasion when he attended one of the S&D annual meetings.

So I have been privileged to know the publisher, plus all of the Old Boat columnists: Barkhau, Swift, Bates and Norrington. Of all of them, I feel that Keith has done the best job of presenting the documentation and historical information on those old vessels, all of which has been a great help to me in doing the research required for the many riverboat models I have built.

I also have also known Capt. David Smith since his days as the editor of the S&D Reflector and I wish him well in his future efforts with the column.

As the old saying goes: And the beat goes on …

John Fryant
Maineville, Ohio