Nick Manukas (Toshgib, Bigshot)

[fno]

Hi all, it is with deep regret I just wanted to let our small community know that longtime member Nick Manukas (aka Bigshot, Toshgib) passed away yesterday evening. I met Nick here on Continuous Wave and we became good friends and organized many get togethers and events over the years. As a longtime member, Nick was always ready with help or advice for others drawing on his extensive experience and knowledge of Boston Whaler boats and boating in general. His dry wit and humor will most certainly be missed by those of us that grew to know him well. Yesterday this post was going inform us that Nick was not doing well. I had to rewrite it this morning. The back story to this sad news is that Nick was hospitalized a few months ago with signs of liver and kidney disfunction. He finally left the hospital yesterday under care of Hospice with late stage liver cancer and passed sometime in the evening at his home with family beside him.

[Phil T]

Thanks Frank for posting.

I just heard the news this morning.

Nick was one of the "old guard" on CW starting in the '00's when I got back into Whalers. He was a part of group that built the knowledge base that is Continuous Wave.

It was Nick and Chuck Tribolet who helped me find my first boat with advice and information both on and offline. His help is part of the reason for my long support of Whaler owners over the years.

Fair winds Nick.

[SpongeBob]

This is sad news! I’ve recently came back to Continuous Wave and some other whaler websites with the acquisition of my new to me 13 Whaler(after about an eight year absence). Like many I met Nick in the earlier years here on Continuous Wave. I can’t begin to describe all the advice I received from him over the years. He was always ready to help. In addition to that I was thrilled to find he lived in the same Bradenton area of Florida that I did. Then on CW there were so many “legends” who contributed and Nick was definitely one of them. The last time that I saw Nick was after I had sold my 22 Outrage. The buyer did not want the full canvas set that I had from stem to stern for the boat. I tried to get rid of it here on CW but I didn’t want to ship it and nobody wanted to come pick it up. One day Nick called and ask if I still had the canvas and I said yes. He asked me how much I want for it. I said just come over to the house and get it and he did. That’s the last time I saw him or spoke to him, soon after I moved to North Carolina. Nick was also the founder and originator of one of the earliest Whaler rendezvous, the Homosassa Rendezvous. Search here on CW and you will find a lot of threads about that rendezvous and what happened and who was there. People came from all over the country to that rendezvous and as always Nick was a terrific organizer, and gracious host! The world is definitely a smaller and sadder place with Nick’s passing ! Fair weather, and good sailing, Nick!

[jimh]

This is very sad news. In the earliest days of the forum at continuouswave.com Nick was a very active participant. He had owned several dozen Boston Whaler boats, and he always had something useful to comment on them.

I met Nick only once, when I attended a Boston Whaler sponsored event in Stuart, Florida in April, 2004. He was quite a character, both on-line and in person.


Fig. 1. jimh, bigshot, and LHG at 2004 Stuart, Florida.

[Mambo Minnow]

I am very saddened to hear this bad news, Frank. I met Nick and yourself at one of the Suwannee River rendezvous back in 2005 with the also late "WhalerAce", Ace McCreight. I had conversed on this website for many years but until I moved to Florida I did not get to meet these gentlemen in person. My condolences to Nick's family and the Tampa area Whaler community.

[fno]

A celebration of life for Nick was held this past Saturday for Nick at the VFW (one of his favorite watering holes) in Ellenton, Florida. It was well attended by over 100 people. Locals mostly, but from all walks of life and differing pursuits. We shared a bunch of fun and funny stories that all involved Nick in some way. Mine was recounting the early days of our friendship when Nick asked me why I never inquired what his license plate meant. The license plate was a Florida vanity plate that read BUZ MEG. All Hungarians know what that means (starts with an F and ends with You) so I replied to Nick in the same manner (only in English). Nick was quite surprised to find out that I knew what the translation was and that's how we found out that both of us are half Hungarian.

[jimh]

Here is a nice snapshot of Whaler Ace and BigShot aboard Whaler Ace's TEMPTATION 2500 while underway at the 2004 Stuart, Florida, Boston Whaler Rendezvous at the Marine Max dealer there:

Fig. 2. Craig, Nick, and Joy aboard TEMPTATION 2500 at 2004 Boston Whaler Rendezvous in Stuart, Florida.

bigshotWhalerAceStuart2004.jpeg (96.88 KiB) Viewed 1074 times

[Mambo Minnow]

It’s very saddening for me to realize all three aboard in this picture are no longer with us physically but will remain so in spirit. Fair winds and following seas!