JUST IMAGINE …..</h1> <article> <h1>JUST IMAGINE …..</h1> <p>James Ferris — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:44:17 +0000</p> Follow the story of PERLITA TOO, a RIVA speedboat as we rescue her from a leaky shed, research her history and embark on an extensive restoration. MAKING MR.RIVA PROUD – July 2010 Who knew? Little did we know, when we discovered a derelict Riva in a leaky barn, that we would embark on a deep restoration [...] </article> <article> <h1>MAKING MR.RIVA PROUD</h1> <p>James Ferris — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:43:33 +0000</p> Little did we know, when we discovered a derelict Riva speedboat in a barn in California, that we would embark on a journey of discovery, research, and restoration, spanning more than 20 years. The actual restoration of PERLITA TOO only started in September 2007, but I think we had been mentally gearing up for it [...] </article> <article> <h1>GOD IS IN THE DETAILS</h1> <p>James Ferris — Sat, 29 May 2010 00:30:13 +0000</p> Paraphrasing Mies; it’s the attention to the details that give a project, whether architecture, or a classic boat restoration, that special sense of perfection. You don’t need to analyze each detail in itself, but instinctively you know it is there, when something looks so completely and perfectly beautiful, accomplished and together; that sense of “just [...] </article> <article> <h1>THE ECLECTIC COLLECTOR</h1> <p>James Ferris — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:36:18 +0000</p> In her long life, Perlita Too has been very fortunate to pass through the hands of people who valued her status as a rare and unique boat, worth preserving. Nearing the end of a good run, Perlita found Alan Furth, the Eclectic Collector. Lucky boat yet again, she became a part of Alan Furth’s expansive [...] </article> <article> <h1>When LOUD is not enough</h1> <p>James Ferris — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:39:28 +0000</p> // 0) { document.getElementById(lastID).className = "thumbNormal"; } document.getElementById(id).className = "thumbSelected"; document.getElementById(0).src = document.getElementById(id).src; lastID = id; } function LoadTrigger() { SelectImg(2); } window.onload = LoadTrigger; // ]]> (sound clip of engine to come here) A couple of weeks ago we went back to Jim McNeilly’s waterfront shop on Lake Union in downtown Seattle; tucked downstairs right at the waters- edge; an appropriately old-world atmosphere for the initial [...] </article> <article> <h1>WHEN PERFECTION IS NOT ENOUGH</h1> <p>James Ferris — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:13:11 +0000</p> Loosely quoting Carroll here; The time has come, the Walrus said, to speak of many things; such as the boatbuilder….Chris Casparis, of Sea Sonic Boats in Canada. Chris is taking out all the stops in restoring Perlita; as far as he is concerned, mere perfection is not enough. I met Chris about 14 years ago on Lake [...] </article> <article> <h1>SPEED COSTS MONEY; how fast do you want to go?</h1> <p>James Ferris — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 19:28:41 +0000</p> Does PERLITA have a “supercharged soul”, and did she set a world speed record? stay tuned…….. In the late 1960’s, George Newton, owner of Aircraft Xray Co. in Huntington Beach, CA, purchased Perlita Too from Hollywood producer Roland Reed, who had ordered this very special Riva speedboat directly from Carlo Riva in Italy. George Newton’s plan [...] </article> <article> <h1>In Good Company</h1> <p>James Ferris — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:19:25 +0000</p> In the mid 1970’s the classic boat hobby was not as “mature”, as it is today. There was little emphasis on “all original”; it was enough to have a cool (and fast) speedboat. Many wooden boats were being stripped of usable hardware and then burned. Fiberglass was the future! Some guys still did appreciate wood boats [...] </article> <article> <h1>Ups and Downs of a Hollywood Star</h1> <p>James Ferris — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:18:40 +0000</p> Hollywood has always been about glamour. In 1953 the classic Italian speedboat “Perlita Too”, was imported from Italy by tv producer Roland Reed, and was the star in the 1954 tv series ‘Waterfront‘, episode 24, “Safe Harbor”, coincidentally produced by Mr. Reed himself. We have searched the archives of film & television distributors for several [...] </article> <article> <h1>MANAGING PERFECTION ~ BARN FIND RIVA</h1> <p>James Ferris — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:30:07 +0000</p> This is the THIRD update about our “over-the-top” restoration of an extraordinary Italian Riva speedboat christened Perlita Too. Perlita arrived in Hollywood in 1953, ordered from the factory in Italy by Film Producer Roland Reed, after he had been impressed by a Riva on a boat show stand in Milan. Mr. Riva still has some [...] </article> </main></body></html>