Last spring while attending an antique show I spied this little boat that called out, “take me home,” and so it began. It was sitting on a dolly with a bad paint job and the engine in a box beside it. We shoveled it into the bed of my truck and away I went. It needed a lot to bring it back to near original so I asked my skilled friend JR Lindamood for help. He agreed but not until the fall. 
After his magic touch that included a new finish, reconstructed seats as well as many other feats I brought it back home with the aid of a jet ski trailer recently purchased. The bottom of the Middy is shaped like a rocker and required some special attention to construction of the bunks. I jettisoned the dolly in lieu of the more practical trailer. Researching the history proved challenging in itself. The engine is in relatively good condition and could most likely be made to run, but I will leave that to someone else. A friend once told me “he likes it for looking at,” and that applies here. When you look at the pictures and the smiles, you can just imagine how much fun these floating OSHA approved bumper boats rendered with the heavy oil mix and front exhaust just added to the thrill. We gave up trying to find a suitable continuous rubber bumper and opted for wood siding. Hopefully one day the Middy will end up in a museum on display for future generations to wonder what a ride would have been like.
My special thanks to JR.
-John Slator
