Woody Stories

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#6

1946 Chris-Craft Custom

Patrick & Lisa Roberts

This 1946 Chris-Craft custom 20 was bought by Lisa and I about 14 years ago. We believe it’s probably the oldest Chris-Craft Custom operating right now. It was the sixth hull off the line of 366 made. The Chris-Craft customs were the first boats manufactured for civilians after their war effort in 1946. It is a family boat, and we enjoy taking rides on Lake Cascade and Lake Payette in Idaho during the summer. Truly looking forward to running it on Whitefish Lake.

ATOMIC BLONDE

2009 Chris-Craft Woody Speedster

Carl Straub & BB Bernheim

In 1874, Jesse James’ gang robbed a train at Gads Hill, Missouri; Harry Houdini, the magician and escape artist, was born; Levi Strauss began marketing blue jeans with copper rivets at US$13.50 per dozen; and the Sydney General Post Office in Australia opened. Later, barbed wire was invented before Jesse James’ gang returned and decided to take another train, this time in Kansas, just before Christmas.

It was also the year that Chris-Craft began building pleasure boats and, in the ensuing decades, a lot of water has passed under the hulls of this enduring American icon. And one can’t overlook the list of dignitaries who haven’t

recoiled from being seen aboard a ChrisCraft. We acquired our first Chris-Craft Speedster (2005). However Porsche filed a Trademark suit against ChrisCraft so the Speedster name became a Lancer. Our Speedster was fitted with a six cylinder and we wanted more speed. This led us our current boat a 2009 Chris-Craft Woody Heritage Edition, #74 out of a total of 99 built. It was a one owner boat kept in a custom made garage for the boat and trailer in the Delta in California. Best of all it had 100 hours so in 2017 new upgraded. It has continued to serve us well. This Boat is an absolute head turner! With the combination of the sleek looks and the sound of the roaring exhaust, it’s almost guaranteed that every time you’re out on the water you will have people pointing and asking about the Chris-Craft Woody Heritage. It is the Maserati of the waterways! A boat that will never go out of style and can be kept in families for generations.

BLEW BY YOU

1967 Chris-Craft Cutlass

Steven & Kim Liss

Blew By You is a 1967 Chris-Craft Cutlass 26ft twin engine manufactured in Algonac, Michigan. It is one of 250 of which 50 were twin engine models.

I first became aware of the boat in 2018. John Witcomb had a snow mobile trailer for sale and was all too happy to show the boat to me as well.

In 2020 Ken Gimbel let me know the vessel was for sale. I had to have her. We agreed on a price and she was mine. In September 2020, the boat then called My Mistress, was moved to Glen Dutro’s.

Under the careful tutelage of Terry Deems and Glen with encouragement from Ken and Murray Danzig, renovation began. There was no interior, sole, seating boards, helm seats, lights,

pumps, or starters. Improvements and repairs took 30-40 hours a week for most of the year.

In summer of 2021 we launched and found out the engines and transmissions were junk. Last year, we installed new tuned engines. These two engines are custom built, General Motors 350s, built as marine engines, broken in on a dyno rated at 305 horse power each, 400 lb ft torque.

So far this winter I have added a foot rest, cup holders, a spotlight, and a life ring bracket. The bottom has been sanded with new copper anti-fouling. The painter did a beautiful job of cutting and buffing the harbor rash. The name of the boat, Blew By You, aside from the song is Maricious Blue and quite fast.

COEUR D’LEGACY

1960 Chris-Craft Sportsman

Mike & Barb Moen

I was born and raised in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho so I have been around wooden boats and the lake my entire life. My grandparents had a 1932 32ft ChrisCraft Cruiser, my dad had Century Resorters, and my friend Scott Kindler, had a 16ft Century Resorter we water skied behind constantly. So, when I saw this Chris-Craft sitting beside the road with a For Sale sign on it, I instantly felt the longing to continue the wooden boat legacy with one of my own.

The restoration process took 4 and a half years working as I found spare time, mostly in the winters. The process was wonderful, frustrating, fulfilling, confusing, tedious, and satisfying all at

the same time. A manufacturer’s hull identification number was nowhere to be found on the boat, so the restoration became a process combining a best guess of what the boat should look like and what I wanted it to be.

Many thanks to all who have helped me along the way, especially the support and encouragement from my wife Barbara.

DEBBIE TOO

1957 Correct Craft Custom Fred & Beth Goughnour

Debbie Too is not my old girlfriend... literally or figuratively! The Correct Craft 19.5ft hull is technically a Debonnaire model. She is the first antique wood boat I purchased after working in wood boat restoration for 15 years. Debbie Too arrived in our stable of boats for sale at the Minnesota shop where I worked. At the time, I was restoring the same make/model only 4 hull numbers difference. I became impressed with the combination of Correct Craft construction and performance on the Debbie One, as she was referred to. So when Debbie Two showed up I made her mine. The details that impressed me include a non-batten construction alternative, which uses a two-layer planking method similar to a Chris-Craft bottom but uses .25in plywood for the inner layer for not only the bottom, but the hull sides and decks as well. This, along with a lower freeboard, make a stiffer hull resulting in a 20ft hull that handles like a 24-footer.

Because I restore boats for a living, working on my own was going to take a while. A step-by-step restoration process was completed in reverse order as compared to what we typically do with a customer boat. First, I redesigned the decks to compliment a racing runabout model that Correct Craft put out in 1950 with basically the same hull. After completing the custom deck installation and switching the powerplant from a Ford Y-block to a Chevy 283, I got married and had some kids. So the one cockpit boat with Debbie Too on the transom was pre-family. After about two years, I cut out a rear cockpit for some extra room. (I did pre-frame the opening when I redid the new deck–just in case.) The hull sides were replaced a couple years later. The bottom was replaced when water started coming through the bottom on plane and drenching our feet. I did eventually replace the old 283 Chevy with a 350 Chevy crate motor, which gets her up to 45 mph. She has been a reliable runabout! It is fun to take to boat shows and explain the customization of the boat and my skills working on wood. My wife Beth will tell a different story on how the name Debbie Too came to be!

DEE DOO

1952 Stancraft Deluxe Day Cruiser

Bob & Betty Moore

Dee Doo is a 1952 25ft Stancraft Deluxe Day Cruiser which has been repowered with a 270 HP V8 OMC engine. This boat was built Stan Young, the founder of Stancraft at their manufacturing plant on Flathead Lake. I purchased the boat from Sid Young, the second generation of the Stancraft boat building family in September 2013. Sid had ridden in the boat as a child since he was a friend of the original owner’s son. The boat went through several ownerships but remained on Flathead Lake until Sid

and his wife Julie purchased it in 1998 and brought it to their home on Coeur d’Alene Lake. Sid make some interior changes in the boat, but kept it’s original look. My wife I had just attended a boat show at priest Lake where we were soaked by rain and waves, and my wife was wanting a drier ride. A friend had suggested that we take a look at this Day Cruiser on our way from Priest Lake, so we contacted Sid and arranged for a visit. My wife was sold, and when that happens a wooden boat lover doesn’t pass up a chance to have one more boat, so in 2013 we became the owners of what is now known as Dee Doo (my wife’s grandma name). It has become our favorite boat.

EMPRESS

1992 Hackercraft

Triple Cabin Runabout

Shawn & Christina Isakson

Built in New York in 1992, the Empress is a testament to over a century of Hackercraft craftsmanship. This heritage is found in her every detail, exemplifying luxury wooden boat construction.

At 30 feet in length and powered by a 454 XL Crusader Engine, the Empress blends the elegance of yesteryear with the vigor of modern engineering. Her existence is a tribute to Hackercraft’s dedication to creating vessels that are as powerful as they are beautiful.

In 2021, the Empress came under our care, having been acquired from a private collector from California, and she can now be found cruising on her home waters of Whitefish Lake. This transition symbolized more than a change of ownership; it was a pledge to uphold her storied legacy.

The Empress underwent a comprehensive restoration in 2022, meticulously carried out by Jim Brown and his team at Coeur Custom in, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. This undertaking, which involved approximately 1,000 hours of dedicated labor, not only breathed new life into her with fresh

mahogany but also modernized her with thoughtful additions—a cocktail table (stowed in the hull), a bow thruster for precision docking, and ambient LED lighting throughout. The project was a testament to the reverence we hold for preserving her grandeur, while preparing her for the adventures that lie ahead.

Named after a treasured summer tradition of sipping Indigo Gin & Tonics, the Empress name captures the essence of transformation—from the dark indigo of the gin to the glacier blue that emerges with tonic, echoing the transition from mountain dusk to clear waters. This striking shift, perfectly symbolizes the elegance and countless memorable moments spent aboard.

The Empress has most recently gained international fame when the same model was used in the Netflix series “The Crown”, portraying a leisure vessel for Princess Diana, Prince Charles, and their children as they vacationed along the Mediterranean coast.

The Empress is more than a boat; she is a repository of warm memories with family and friends, and a beacon of the fine life, embodying leisure and elegance. Every moment aboard is a celebration of life’s finest pleasures. The Empress is a symbol of American lake life tradition, with whispers of nostalgia in her hull, and a passion for exploration.

FORGETME-NOT

2015 NW School of Wooden Boat Building Bartender

Neal & Jean Ganser

This 2015 Bartender 28ft cabin Cruiser is the product of one young man’s love affair with tools and woodworking. After graduating the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building, N Quentin Ganser stayed on there to intern for a year during which he, along with colleagues and students, built this vessel. Plywood/epoxy on spruce frames with sapele brightwork on the exterior, cherry wood interior, small galley, enclosed head, and comfortable sleeping for two, she is a fun weekender. Set up

with AIS, radar and GPS guided autopilot, she is capable of coastal cruising and has made trips into Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest. Driven by a Crusader 6-liter V-8 of 375hp, and carrying 130 gallons of petrol, she is capable of 32 knots and will cruise all day at +/- 25 knots. A boat built for fun; kids love diving off the hard top over the cockpit or getting pulled on a ‘tube’ at high speeds with sharp turns.

Forget-me-not is named for the fivepetal, blue mountain flower, the name chosen by Quentin to honor the five sibling brothers and sisters of the Montana Ganser family.

GOLDEN DAYS

1967 Thompson Offshore Mitch & Tracy Johnson

On my father’s birthday in 1967 he factory ordered his new 20ft Thompson Offshore and primarily used it for fishing in Puget Sound.

Dad last used the Thompson in 1995 and it sat for over 15 years. In 2010 we decided to begin a complete restoration. The wood was in pretty good shape, but the saltwater had taken its toll on everything else.

The first three years were mostly devoted to tear down, identifying problems, sanding, and replacing all the brass clinch screws. Starting the fourth year the pressure and pace picked up with the goals of entering the boat in

the Sandpoint, Idaho boat show in July of 2016 followed by a trip to Seattle in August to take my father for a ride in his boat on his 90th birthday. That was a special day.

Today, Golden Days is completely restored exactly how my father had it set up as his fishing boat including the original trailer, Ross depth sounder, Zenith short wave loran radio, compass, pole holders, original upholstery, helm instrumentation, fishing gear with Penn reels, aluminum ice chest / fish box, and 1967 Evinrude 3 horsepower trolling motor.

HARE RAZOR

1953 Stancraft Utility

Bill Coyle

The Hare Razor was finally restored just in time for the International Show in Coure D’Alene in 2000. I kept the name because when I punch it, thats the feeling I get on the back of my neck. She may not be a “Points Boat” but she is fun and fast. Sid Young at Stancraft convinced me that it was ok to glass the sides and paint it white. Worked out great.

HOBO

1929 Chris-Craft Model 3

Triple Cockpit

Dean Sackett & Barb Rigg

Hobo is a 1929 24ft Chris-Craft Model 3. Built in Algonac, Michigan, she was inspected on May 6, 1929 and shipped to Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey. Hobo was purchased by a 24-year-old well driller, Harry Tarakajian, for $2750. Harry built a two-story boathouse which he nicknamed “Hobo Jungles” for the new boat. Bud Abbott of Abbott and Costello fame was known to go out with Harry in Hobo

For a time, Harry operated a Speed Boat Ride business. The Speed Boat Rides

poster displayed in the boat is a copy of the original which is currently displayed in the Lake Hopatcong Museum. In the late 60’s Harry removed the original 106HP Chrysler LM Motor and replaced it with the Chevrolet 327 that is still in the boat today.

Harry passed away in 1989 at the age of 84. He had owned Hobo for 60 years. Harry left Hobo to his only daughter Winnie, who passed away in 2001, which was the last year Hobo was registered when I purchased the boat in 2007.

In 2017 Hobo travelled to Stanwood, Washington where Restorer Alan Thomle did a complete restoration, including bottom replacement, engine rebuild, upholstery and refinish. Hobo now resides in Queens Bay in Polson, Montana.

HOLLYWOOD

1966 Century Raven

Jim & Holly Winslow

After attending the Whitefish show in 2017 with our Schillo, Holly decided she wanted a boat similar to the Lodge’s two Windsors. Perfect for on the water entertaining. We happened to mention this to Wes Yandt during the show and he said he knew of a 26ft Raven for sale in Spokane, WA. The boat was previously owned by John Wick and his wife in Moscow, ID. Needless to say, we made a quick trip to Spokane and the boat became ours. From fishing boat (previous name was Troll Hunter) to HollyWood. Jim added a

galley, breakfast dinette, rear seat and motor box table. The Troll Hunter was stained walnut with blue sides and blue interior and bimini top. Jim stripped all the finish, restained in the proper mahogany color, painted the sides back to the correct black finish. We have since discovered that only about thirty 26ft Ravens were built by Century. Now that the boat is completed we enjoy our days on the lake with friends.

HUTCH

1958 Chris-Craft Utility Tony & Jill Keyser

Hutch was born in Algonic, Michigan at the Chris-Craft factory 1958 and raised in the deep blue of Lake Tahoe. Mr. Hutchinson was the sole care-taker for many years. At her mid-life crisis, Hutch needed a makeover and was sent to Post Falls, Idaho to the fine craftsmen at the Wood Boat Restoration Company in 1998. Upon completion, one of the skilled woodworkers Nick Kerfoot, honed his trailering skills and returned Hutch to Lake Tahoe and Mr. Hutchinson.

At some point later, Mr. Hutchinson retired Hutch to a fella who abandoned Hutch in a warehouse at the north end of Flathead Lake. She sat for some 16 years.

The next & current owner had a longing for a wood boat. Having the tentacles of

the internet at their disposal and cold, dark winter nights, the Keyser’s began a journey to find the perfectly crafted yacht. They found Century Runabouts without a trailer, and Chris-Craft’s without engines–until they chatted with Steve at the Classic Boat Company located at the north end of Flathead Lake.

A quick transaction occurred, and once again Hutch was towed directly back to the Wood Boat Restoration Company in Post Falls. Exactly 24 years later, Nick Kerfoot skillfully rebuilt Hutch with new planking, a rebuilt engine, and insane amounts of varnish. A rebirth of her original trailer cradles her for a smooth and classy transport.

Sparing no expense, Hutch is completely new and showing for the first time at the Woody Weekend. Thank you to everyone who has owned, shared, and voyaged with Hutch, we welcome you aboard!

IDLE RICH

1956 Dixie Boat Works

Runabout

Rich Halbert Sr. & Rich Halbert Jr.

Idle Rich is a 1956 Dixie (NC) 14ft Runabout with a 30hp Johnson Javelin motor. She was found hiding in a barn near Plymouth, North Carolina in 1999. She was designed and built by Melvin Little of Dixie Boat Works, Newton, NC, an outboard hydroplane racer from the 50’s. Idle Rich and I visited Melvin on Lake Norman in 2001. While there, he autographed her dashboard and showed me a photo of her original windshield.

A running 1956 30 hp Johnson Javelin was located in Cleveland in 1999. This Javelin is highly collectible, beautifully chromed, produced for only one year

and a perfect match for Idle Rich. This motor was completely restored in 2022 by Silver Marine Outboard Restoration of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

Idle Rich was moved from NC to Seattle in 2015 where I joined the PNW Chapters of the Antique and Classic Boat Society and the Antique Outboard Motor Club. DaPron Marine Restorations of Seattle totally refinished Idle Rich and installed the proper windshield as described by the builder years earlier. For comfort, nonoriginal seat cushions were also added.

Idle Rich is the only Dixie listed in the ACBS Membership Directory and is probably the only known surviving Dixie Boat Works wood boat!

INTERCEPTOR

1957 Correct Craft Collegian Jim Livie & John Bourquin

Interceptor is a 1957, 18ft Correct Craft Collegian double planked Runabout powered by a Dearborn 312 Interceptor V-8 215 HP. She was built in Pine Castle, Florida (near Orlando) by Correct Craft. Correct Craft was originally named Florida Variety Boat Co. which started in 1925. In 1930 they changed their name to Pine Castle Boat and Construction Co. and again in 1938 to Correct Craft. In 1961 they introduced their first “Ski Nautique” fiberglass ski boat. The Interceptor operated out of Cypress Gardens, Florida until the early 1970’s and then relocated to Flathead Lake Montana with a new owner. In the 80’s the Interceptor was entered in local

classic wood boat shows by the fourth and fifth owners.

We purchased and started the extensive restoration in 2004 working on her only as time permitted. Due to a heated garage and beer, we were not in any big hurry. In 2020 we began to realize that father time was beginning to catch up with us and earnest restoration began. With guidance from Doug Tweto, replacement included a cold molded epoxy bottom, wiring and electrical components, deck and stern planking, plus many other parts. The engine was blue printed and balanced in the 80’s and gone through in 2005. The original trailer was completely rebuilt in 2021. All varnishing and polishing were done by Doug Tweto in Woods Bay. The restoration was completed in the spring of 2023.

KILLER

1942 Chris-Craft Custom Runabout

Steve Zwarg

Killer is a 1942 Custom Runabout 19ft.

In the summer of 1975 I went to look at a ’71 Cadillac with a friend out in Chattaroy. When we were looking at the Caddy, I noticed a boat in the barn and the car’s owner Ray said it wasn’t for sale. In my mind I always wanted to buy that boat, a 1942 Chris Craft custom Runabout.

Months later I stopped and asked again. Ray wasn’t there and the kids said go ahead and look at the boat. That’s when I found out the CC belonged to their older brother in Texas. They gave me his number so I called him up. I told

him I wanted to buy the old boat in the barn and to my surprise, he said I could have it.

A few years later, my phone rings and its Ray wanting to sell the ’42 CC because his daughter was getting married and he needed the money. He wanted $1,000 for the boat and I said ok. I loaded up my trailer and went to get the boat but when I got there he wasn’t home. I loaded up the boat but he never showed up so I left the trailer there and went home.

The next day I called and found out he was in jail. I called the jail to find out when he was going to get out. Ray said he wanted me to come bail him out of jail. I told him I would but I had spent part of the $1,000 I had for the boat. I said I had $750 left and he said ok. The rest is history.

LAUGHING RAVEN

2020 Glen L. Boats Riviera

Frank Leftwich & Frank Leftwich Sr.

The Laughing Raven is a 2020 Glen-L Marine Riviera, 21.5 feet long with a 7 foot, 1 inch beam. Her engine is an Indmar Marine 5.7 Liter V8, Carbureted 315hp with a Borg Warner Velvet Drive model 71C 1:1 ratio transmission. Her top speed is 45 miles per hour.

This boat was hand built by myself from the blueprints. The hull design was slightly modified so that it more closely resembles the style of hull designs of the 1950’s era. It incorporates the “Cold Molded” construction method of epoxy encapsulation coated with varnish. This

prevents the shrinking & swelling of the wood that causes wooden boats to leak. Effectively, the wood never gets wet. It started as a dream of mine to own an old Chris-Craft Runabout when I was a boy, but after years of woodworking experience and the evolution of acquiring the space to restore or build one of these beautiful boats, the actual “journey” began in 2009. It was a “Labor of Love” and a joy to build over the years. Her name comes from observing the Ravens on my property while building the boat. They would be flying, playing, and calling to each other in their unique sounds that often sounded like them laughing. In June of 2020, the Laughing Raven was completed and launched on Whitefish Lake.

MALIBU

1940 Chris-Craft Custom 19

Tom & Marianne Carlin

This runabout was one of the original fleet of recreation boats at the Malibu Club in British Columbia. Some say it’s the last one remaining. The Club opened in 1941 as an elite resort for yachters and the Hollywood crowd. It was sold to the Young Life Christian Youth Ministry and has been used as a summer camp since 1954. The boat was used in the saltwater of the Princess Louisa Inlet until the early ‘60s. In its lifetime, it has been painted white, laid to rest on shore, almost cut up with a chain saw for a bonfire, and modified into an open utility boat for fishing. I bought it in 1992, did an amateur restoration to get it back to its barrelback configuration, and used the little hemi engine that was in it until 2011. Then had an Alan Thomle professional restoration done, with a 302 Ford engine for power. That engine was completely overhauled in 2023. Bored, stroked, shaved, decked, and balanced.

MIKE

1947 Chris-Craft Sportsman

Mike Mayer

Mike is a very original boat, even down to her….ughhh, his name. Mike was picked up at the Chris-Craft factory on April 24, 1947. They were ordered from the factory with the name Mike on the transom. The upholstery has been replaced and the boat has been repowered with a Flagship 283 about six years ago. Mike sits on its original bottom and the sides, decks, dash, instruments and hardware are all original to the boat.

The 22ft Sportsman was the most popular boat that Chris-Craft ever made, in numbers sold. It is a big, but manageable boat and a true joy to own. It can carry a lot of people safely and provide a great space to enjoy a day on the water.

The sides were painted white on these early post war boats because there was a shortage of mahogany. Chris-Craft saved the mahogany for the fanciest boats and used cedar, instead for sides and bottoms on the low to mid range boats. Once trade opened again they resumed building all mahogany boats until the sad change to fiberglass.

MOLLIE

1932 Gar Wood 18-35

Nevin & Elizabeth Bryant

We purchased the 18-35 Gar Wood in 2012 after an extensive survey of existing Gar Wood boats for sale. Mollie is named after a favorite mountain at the north end of Priest Lake, Idaho where we annually gather huckleberries, keeping an eye out for bears.

Mollie’s hull production number is 4299, the last Gar Wood built in 1932. The Model 18-35 series designates its length of 18ft and assured speed of 35 mph, and was the first designed Gar Wood boat 18ft long. This was a reflection of the fact that the 1929 Stock Market crash and subsequent Depression had left few potential buyers of 25ft, 28ft and 33ft runabouts. As a Model 18-35, it had a factory-installed Chrysler-CM 6-cylinder engine, rated at 75 hp. It was shipped to Saranac Lake, New York on June 17, 1932.

In 1947, the engine was replaced with a Chrysler Crown M27 with an up-draft carburetor rated at 110 hp. The 18-35 model is a direct reduction to 60% of a 28ft three cockpit Gar Wood runabout. The engine is in the center of the boat because the technology required to support an aft location with steep engine decline had not been developed.

We have taken Mollie to a number of summer boat shows over the past 10 years, where it gets admiring looks from the crowd and I am able to discuss why it is so different from nearly all runabouts built just 3 years later. Jim Brown and his expert staff at Hagadone Marine in Coeur d’Alene have kept Mollie well maintained over the years. Between summer shows we take neighbors and our grandchildren for rides around the lake. The whole neighborhood knows when we start up, as the exhaust system is not muffled until the engine’s water pump kicks in, getting the grandkids and many others to cover their ears and smile.

OBSESSION

1990 Hacker Craft

Triple Cockpit Runabout

Jim Valeo

Obsession, a 24ft triple cockpit runabout, was built in the Hacker Boat Company shop in Lake George, NY in 1990. Like most reproduction Hacker’s, she is built along original lines drafted by John Hacker, a famous marine architect of the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. He was responsible for designing many successful racing boats found on the internet.

We bought Obsession in Gig Harbor, WA in 2005 from a man who had bought her used at the Hacker shop in Silver

Bay on Lake George. The previous owner toured his way back West stopping along the way at lakes to use her. Afterward, he kept Obsession in a shed and used her for vacations in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. I don’t think she was ever in salt water.

My family could not think of a more suitable name (some say it’s bad luck to change the name of a boat), so she is still Obsession Obsession lives in a shed on our ranch outside of Missoula and is used sparingly on Whitefish Lake and Flathead Lake. She was stripped to the bare wood a refinished by Fred Goughnour in Montana in 2016.

ORO-Y-PLATA

1930 Chris-Craft

Upswept Runabout

Jo & Ken Cook

In June 1930, the boat was shipped to George & Bliss, a large Chris-Craft dealer in Clear Lake, New York. Those who sold the craft to me had no prior history of the boat. They bought it in New Hampshire as a grey shell.

The original name was Isis, which is an Ancient Egyptian Goddess. It carried that name for 88 years. Obviously, with the current world environment, I changed the name to the Montana motto Oro-y-Plata. I have owned the

boat since 2018 it is a model 103 –new cost $ 2852.00. Muller Boats did the woodwork and I freshened the mechanical items.

The Kroh top is a real original and has been used to caste reproductions by Muller Boat works.

RED DOG

1946 Gar Wood

Deluxe Runabout “606”

Scott & Maryly Suiter

Red Dog is a 1946 Garwood 19ft, 6in Deluxe Runabout model “606”, Hull number 7248. The boat was built in Marysville, Michigan in 1946 and was shipped to the South Coast Company in Newport Beach, CA on December 5, 1946.

There were 206 boats made in this series – Red Dog being 147. This was the hull model used by famed designer Norman Bel Geddes in his development of the Commodore series of Garwood boats which started to roll out in late 46. The boat went through a full restoration at the Boat Shop in Coeur d’Alene in 2006.

I am lucky to be the third owner. I purchased the boat in 2008 in Whitefish from Alan “Skip” Kennison. Skip used to give tours of Whitefish Lake on Lady of the Lake. Red Dog was the aviation call sign of the original owner during WW2. I wish I knew more about the original owner.

The boat sank and sat on the seabed of the Balboa Harbor for a week before being raised. The original owner used to employ Skip (the second owner) to cover and clean the boat when he was a young kid. When the boat sank years later, he called Skip, and said “if you raise it, it’s yours.” And the rest is history as they say.

RED, WHITE & BRUT

1942 Chris-Craft Special Runabout

Derek & Amber Bronken

This 1942 17ft Chris-Craft Special Runabout, one of 241 produced for the model year, was delivered new to a dealer in Greentown, Pennsylvania in September of 1941.

The original owner cared for her for roughly a decade, before Dr. Evans “Beau” Guequierre purchased the vessel, in 1954, and christened her “Infidel”; derived from Masonic nomenclature, of which Evans was a devout member. Dr. Guequierre would own the boat until the day he died in 2017. Following his death, the good doctor’s brother sold the boat to us.

It was decided that, prior to crosscountry transport, the Chris-Craft would undergo an exhaustive restoration, carried out by Wooden Boat Restoration of Millington, Maryland. Following the yearlong restoration, the boat was delivered to its new homeport of Whitefish Lake in May of 2019. She was re-christened Red, White & Brut; a punny, patriotic nod to the Bronken family business in wine and beer distribution.

She is enjoyed as frequently as possible by our family as well as my parents Peter and Barb. The boat retains its original Hercules “K” engine, producing 95 HP. Everything but the varnish and gold-leaf are as it left the Chris Craft factory in Algonac, Michigan.

Red, White & Brut was featured on the cover of The Brass Bell magazine, Spring of 2022.

ROCKET SONG

1947 Chris-Craft Special Runabout

Bill & Vickie Coale

My Boat is a 1947 Chris-Craft Rocket. Interesting fact is the Rocket was the first “non war” utility model designed and built by Chris-Craft in the Holland Michigan plant by Christopher Smith’s grandson.

According to Chris-Craft factory production records, 1040 Rockets were built from 1945 thru 1948. Mine is one of only 40 boats produced in 1947. It was then shipped to Dave Cook Sporting Goods in Denver Colorado.

In the fall of 2006 it was purchased from a couple in Spokane Washington by “Classic Boat Restoration” of McCall, Idaho, restored that winter and named Rocket Song . Summer of 2007 it won “Best Utility” in the Payette Lakes

Chapter annual McCall classic boat show. It was purchased at that show by a private party from Lowell Oregon. I purchased it in 2022 from a relative of the Oregon owner after it had been stored in climate controlled garage for about 2 and half years. Put a battery in it, tuned it up, and have been enjoying it ever since.

SECOND KISS

1953 Chris-Craft Sportsman

Wendy & Bob Nelson

The Chris-Craft 22’ Sportsman was arguably the most popular boat ChrisCraft built and is often referred to by its model name, U-22. This U-22 was built at the Cadillac, Michigan plant and was completed just before Christmas in 1952. She was then shipped to Bryant’s Marina in Seattle to begin her life on Lake Washington and Lake Union.

In the 1950’s, the “more power” craze was common in cars, hot rods, and pleasure boats. In 1956, this boat’s first owner removed the original flat-head 6 and installed the largest horsepower new engine that would fit. Yes, she still has that same 275 horsepower, 354 cu. inch Chrysler Marine HEMI engine. This almost doubled the boat’s horsepower.

The second owner purchased this U-22 while high school in the late 1960’s. He and several of his friends spent many

hours polishing the U-22 and cruising the Seattle waters in this beauty. The current caretaker had the pleasure of meeting this previous owner shortly after purchasing the boat. He told Bob, “While in high school, I didn’t have a car. I didn’t have a girlfriend, but I had a hot boat.”

We purchased this boat in 2014 and immediately began cruising around the Portland, Oregon rivers. Unfortunately, she met a submerged rock reef in the middle of the Willamette River and was severely damaged. This set off a 5-year complete restoration. The goal of this rebuild was to make a beautiful, stronger “user” boat. Second Kiss now has a rebuilt 1956 HEMI, a ¾” thick laminated bottom, full 3” wide stringers, laminated sides and decks, as well as a bow thruster and much more. And use her they do. Most summer months she is found cruising the water the Pacific Northwest’s rivers and lakes. Rough water or smooth, she is a dependable delight.

Here’s to the next 70 years, may they be as good as the first 70.

SHADY LADY

1955 Chris-Craft Continental Hardtop

Tim & Deb Salt

Shady Lady is a 1955 22ft Chris-Craft Continental Sedan Hardtop. Chris-Craft introduced this top-of-the-line utility model in 1955. Of 102 Continentals built that year, 28 were equipped with a 200 HP Hemi engine and 20 were built with the sedan hardtop. Only three were built with both the Hemi and sedan hardtop options.

The Shady Lady is believed to be the only one of the three built still on the water today.

The boat shipped from the ChrisCraft Michigan factory to a dealer in San Francisco, CA in June of ‘55. She underwent a complete makeover in the mid-80’s and had a West System bottom installed in the mid-90’s. The

Shady Lady arrived in Montana from Indian Lake, PA in 2010 and was then refinished in 2011 and 2014 with the engine being rebuilt in 2013. She is a “preserved” classic boat.

The Shady Lady was reportedly used for illegal activities in the Sacramento Delta area in the 1970’s. With her signature hardtop and the legend of her illicit past, it was only fitting to rechristen her the Shady Lady on June 14, 2010, her 55th birthday.

SLYDER

1960 Century Palomino

Randy & Jim Mohn

Randy’s parents purchased the boat off the showroom floor at Cox’s Services Boat Company (now Flathead Harbor) in Lakeside. The boat was originally powered by a 35hp Johnson, but with 2 teenage daughters wanting to ski, a 75hp Johnson was added. The boat was then docked at the Ryder place on Marco Bay on Flathead Lake until 1980. At that time she was becoming to much to maintain and she was “sold” to Ryders nephew Brian Slater. Brian hauled the boat to western Washington and conducted her hull restoration completed in 1986. The boat and Brian were featured on the cover of the October 1989 issue of Nor’westing magazine.

In the early 2000’s Brian was diagnosed with cancer and the boat was placed in dry storage. Before Brian died, he requested the boat be returned to the family on Flathead Lake. In September 2009, he and Karen showed up with the boat. Brian had historical documents including the original registration and invoices for work he supervised, or did himself. He handed them over to Randy and Jim. Well, after 5 years in dry storage, the boat had developed some “issues”.

Jim put a garden hose in the boat to let it soak–just as Randy’s father would. After 2 weeks he launched. With daughter and 7-month-old grandson along for photos, he noticed the stern getting lower by the minute. He quickly returned to safety. The boat was inspected by the Classic Company Boat Works in Somers, MT. Don took his penknife and poked through the side planks near the transom and advised that some work would be required. That winter Steve and Don restored her seaworthiness with a fiberglass bottom and new transom. In spring of 2010 the reliability of the 75hp 1976 Johnson motor was questioned. Friends at Lee Marine of Somers tried to rejuvenate the motor to no avail and made the Mohns an “offer you can’t refuse” on a new 70hp Yamaha. Jim had it painted Johnson white and added Johnson decals in an attempt to replicate the original image of the boat. Only been called on it twice at local boat shows.

The winter of 2014-15 Jim took on the task of sanding, sealing and varnishing the little boat, a challenge he chooses to hire out to professionals.

Slyder is a treasured family heirloom. Many have fond memories of riding in and skiing behind this little boat since her early years. PS: Slater + Ryder = Slyder.

SOLLAZZARE

2000 Hacker Craft Runabout

Tom Suiter

Sollazzare is a Hacker Craft Runabout 2000 built by Hacker Craft in their factory on Lake George, NY. I took delivery of the boat in July of 2000.

When we took Sollazzare for its first ride, the first boat my son Scott and I encountered was a wooden boat called Red Dog. The captain of that boat was Skip Kennison, who was well known around Whitefish Lake. Skip used to be the captain of the Lady of the Lake, the wooden boat owned by the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. We found it very coincidental that the first boat that crossed our path was a wooden boat! Scott always loved Red Dog and ended up buying it from Skip many years later. To add to the tale, Scott and his wife Maryly named their first child (and our first grandchild) “Skip Thomas Suiter”. So now we have an official “Skipper” in our family!

Sollazzare is in its original condition, and has only had some minor clean ups done over the years by Steve Nichols, owner of The Classic Company in Somers, MT.

During one of the clean ups, I needed to have the transom gold leafing redone, so I did it myself. It was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had!

When we needed to name the boat, my family was having breakfast at the Buffalo Grill in Whitefish. We recently had returned from a vacation in Italy, and one of our boys had an English/ Italian dictionary. We found the word “Sollazzare” which means, “to entertain and have fun”. That is exactly what we’ve done with our boat for 23 years!

On our inaugural boat ride, after crossing paths with Skip, I looked down in the bilge and saw quite a bit of water. I reached down and unscrewed the brass drain turnkey, and the whole turnkey came out! I couldn’t screw it back in! PANIC! My cocaptain and son Scott, being a modern version of “McGyver”, jumped out, took a wine cork we had and shoved it into the hole. Once we got it back to our dock we were able to screw the turnkey back in correctly. I had visions of my boat sinking on its maiden voyage! Thank goodness we didn’t have a “Titanic” on our hands! She still floats perfectly today, 23 years after that scary incident!

SUNDOWNER

1953 Chris-Craft Sportsman

Marshal Kushiruk & Julie Williams

Sundowner is a 1953 Chris-Craft Sportsman 20ft, 158 HP MBL engine with the original upholstery.

Originally purchased by the former governor of Tennessee, Buford Ellington, her home was the J. Percy Priest Reservoir in Tennessee, where she resided until 2020.

I purchased Sundowner from Buford’s grandson in April 2020 and brought her to Whitefish Lake. With help from Steve Nichol at Classic Boat she is now tuned and eager to run in her new home. The project for 2023 will be gold leaf and new varnish.

SWEET ANNIE

1956 Chris-Craft Capri

Bill & Anne Roberts

The 19ft Sweet Annie (Hull # CP-19-350) was built and delivered from the Cadillac Factory in Detroit, Michigan in February 1956 to the Culver Boat Company on Lake Maxinkuckee in Culver, Indiana. The original name was Bobby’s Girl, previously owned by Bob Meimbresse from Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. Bob spent 5 years restoring the boat from 2015 to 2020 to its original 1956 build configuration, down to the interior color (cerulean blue) only offered by ChrisCraft in 1956.

Upon retiring and moving back to Idaho in 2021, I was searching for a nice wood boat. I found her in Minnesota at Mitch La Pointe’s Classic Boat & Motor. I flew to Minnesota to see the boat and meet Mitch. When I saw the boat for the first time, I had to call my wife to get her permission to buy it and told her the boat was perfect and we should by it that day. She was surprised to say the least. Well, she said, “Ok”.

Now rightly named after my wife, Anne, it was then I decided to have the name changed to Sweet Annie because my wife was so sweet to allow me to buy this boat. When Sweet Annie arrived in Idaho, I surprised Anne with the name on the back of the boat being in honor of her.

Sweet Annie has the original Chris-Craft Marine KLC engine (restored) and all the original instruments and hardware.

We have enjoyed every summer since 2021 attending many classic wood boat shows with Sweet Annie.

THE BARB

1947 Stancraft Day Cruiser

Larry & Barbara Schroeder

I passed by the boat in a Woods Bay “grey boat junk yard” for a couple of years before getting interested in ACBS. I had never heard of a Stancraft but met a fellow, Bob Smith, at Eagle Bend Show who had worked for the builder many years ago. I asked him if he would take a look at the boat to see if it could be restored. After finding the manufacturing plate he said the hull number was #6 of the 25ft Day Cruisers. The early models from 1946 to 1948 were built with white oak frames and planked with Yellow Alaskan Cedar, which was “now very scarce and if you found some it would be very expensive. There would be no rot in the cedar and the frames looked OK. Plywood bulkheads and flooring completely rotten.”

Bob suggested I call Syd Young in Idaho who was still building Stancrafts. Syd was somewhat excited I had found #6 and told me there were 19 built and he owned the next to last one built in 1951. Thus began a wonderful friendship. I could not have successfully undertaken

the project that was to follow without his help.

To have Stancraft do the complete restoration was beyond my budget but the stars aligned and a young neighbor had left the corporate world to build wooden kayaks in Montana. Bob Warren, a PhD macro biologist was a bright guy who was building very beautiful inlaid kayaks but did not have enough orders to to keep his business going. When I asked him if he knew anything about old boat restoration he said he had never done one but everything he needed to know was on his computer. We agreed on a reasonable hourly rate and off we went. Two years transpired and the hull was ready for Stancraft to install running gear, wiring,cushions, new engine mounts to accommodate the 350 Mercruiser replacing the original 90hp GreyMarine, etc. My fear was the Stancraft folks would say our hull work was not worth spending any more money on. However, the shop foreman came into Syd’s office and reported, “Who is this guy Warren? He has put things in that hull that even we were not aware of.” Did I breathe a sign of relief! The rest of the story is the boat you see today.

TOMGIRL

1955 Tomahawk Spirit Deluxe

Linda & Tim Babiak

Tomgirl is a 1955 12ft Spirit Deluxe made by Tomahawk Boat Manufacturing Corporation in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. She was already 50 years old when we purchased her in 2005 and at the time was being restored 300 miles away from her home in Wisconsin across Lake Michigan at Starboard Marine Restorations in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

We were told she had all of her original hardware and the original steering wheel. She is sporting a vintage and sometimes problematic 1956 18hp Johnson Seahorse motor. This motor has an electric start, which that part is very dependable and also rather hard to find. Unwilling to give up on our electric start motor, hope springs eternal, we continue to nurse along the vintage Johnson Seahorse.

The couple who had this boat for sale had never been to Yellowstone Park and offered to meet us in the Park for delivery, so that’s how we came to acquire our cute as a bug’s ear, Tomgirl.

This is an interesting sidebar written by Gary Thompson, son of Royal Thompson, co-founder Thompson Brothers Boat Manufacturing, about the founder of Tomahawk Boat company:

“Tomahawk Boat Co was started by a guy named Franklin Winters. He worked for my dad a bit in northern Wisconsin, then went and worked for Rhinelander Boat Co. for a while. Then he started the Tomahawk endeavor, but had a hard time making it thrive. Of more interest, he was EARLY into fiberglass, and for quite a while was a major supplier of fiberglass bodies for Harley Davidson Golf carts. (Harley being based in Milwaukee, WI.)”

TWIN FINN

1959 Chris-Craft Continental

Jim & Cyndi Atkinson

Twin Finn is a 21’ 1959 Chris-Craft Continental, hull number CL-21-149. She was manufactured in Cadillac, Michigan and initially delivered on Dec. 11, 1958, to Greene Valley Motors in Catskill, New York.

Chris-Craft developed and manufactured the “finned” continentals between 1957 and 1959. The series included 185 boats. This was a very small production number and consequently is a relatively rare model.

The finned continental was truly a transitional boat. The early trend of incorporating automotive styling is clear in the large vertical tail fins, the use of fiberglass to style the motor box, the “trunk-like” rear deck and the ventilation cowling on the foredeck.

Many of these details were taken from the 1955 Chevrolet. In the late 50’s, Chris-Craft was struggling to compete with the emergence of fiberglass boats. The large production volume of Chris-Craft was not possible with early fiberglass technology that was slow to cure, so the automotive styling using bits of fiberglass was the solution!

The original list price was $5980, which was the cost of three automobiles. The boat is powered by a Chris Craft 283 cc V-8 engine and cruises at 38 MPH.

ULFBERHT

2016 Levator Boatworks

Excellence

Robert & Kathy McElrath

Ulfberht (Viking Sword) is a single racing shell (single person rowing boat) designed and hand crafted in 2016 by Jurgen Kaschper, owner of Levator Boatworks Limited, Dorchester, Ontario, Canada. Jurgen is the son of renowned designer and shell builder Jakob Kaschper, who brought his skills and expertise to North America in 1958 from his ancestral home in Eberbach, Germany. Ulfberht is a hybrid woody construction, incorporating traditional wood and contemporary materials. It was built using a carbon fiber/s-glass inner hull and honeycomb Nomex deck for maximum racing stiffness, and steam laminated with figured South American mahogany. The A-frame

riggers are anodized aircraft tubing fitted with titanium oar lock pins. The hull was finished by hand brushed polyester with hours of wet sanding.

By the numbers, Ulfberht measures 27ft 4.5in in length, the waterline beam is 10in, and her weight is 35 pounds. It is stiff and fast on the water with an excellent run.

I purchased Ulfberht in 2022 out of the Atlanta Rowing Club and have logged many kilometers on Whitefish Lake and other Flathead area lakes. Unquestionably, however, Ulfberht is most in her element on the majestic flat water of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park.

WHITEFISH WOODY WEEKND XII

Friday & Saturday, June 28th & 29th at The Lodge Marina on Whitefish Lake

This annual event presented by the Big Sky Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society unites owners of classic and new wooden boats with enthusiasts to celebrate the beauty and craftsmanship of these gorgeous wooden vessels.

FRIDAY | Enjoy food, drinks & live music at the Tiki Bar from 6-9p. From 8-10p watch from the shore, dock or your own boat as the Wooden Boat Parade cruises the waters of Whitefish Lake.

SATURDAY | Peruse the Boat Show from 9a-6p. Vote for your favorite woody for the “People’s Choice Award!” Enter to win a boat ride, enjoy food & drinks at the Tiki Bar and live music in the afternoon.