Every boat has a history and a story to
tell but all too often those tales are lost to time and
circumstances beyond our control. I’m fortunate to have had the
opportunity to rediscover the detailed history of our boat and
the chance to share her story.
Lady Phyllis II is a 1938, 19 foot, split cockpit
runabout that was built for my grandfather, Angelo Givone, at
the Greenwood Lake Launch Works in Sterling Forest, New York.
My initial exposure to the world of antique and classic boating began with a phone call from New Jersey to my home in Kalamazoo, Michigan, one cold night in February 1989. It was my aunt, Phyllis Givone Ryan, saying, “The boat in the boathouse is causing the roof to sag,” and she didn’t know what to do.
My first question to her was, “What boat?”
I was both shocked and pleasantly surprised when
she replied, “Grandpa’s boat, Lady Phyllis II”. It had been
years since I had even thought of that the old boat hanging in
the boathouse.
Asking her what she wanted to do she said, “Sell
it, I guess.”
Flashback recollections of the boat went through
my mind but I must admit I had to shake a few cobwebbed memories
loose. I had become a Michigan resident since leaving New Jersey
in 1963 to attend college. And though I returned frequently for
visits with my parents and other relatives, I never gave much
thought about the lake property or what might eventually happen
to the boat.
My grandfather was very protective of his boat
and it was a rare occasion for it to be used or even in the
water in the years following World War II. To us kids it was
just an old boat hanging in the boathouse. It had always been
“off limits” to my cousins and me when we visited the lake; we
lived under the constant warning to, “stay out of the boathouse
and away from the mahogany boat.”
The only childhood recollection that I have of
actually being in the boat while it was in operation on the lake
occurred when I was about five years old (circa 1950). I
distinctly remember the roar of the engine, going fast, hitting
a big wave, getting soaking wet in the aft cockpit and being
“passed” forward by my uncle over the engine hatches to the
forward cockpit.
My father, a man who could not swim a stroke and
almost drowned when he was a boy, witnessed this event from
shore and I believe this was the last time I was allowed to go
out in that boat! Of course, being kids, we only considered the
warnings about staying away from the boat to be a challenge to
our ingenuity. We would sneak down to the water’s edge, swim
under the boathouse door and play in and on the boat as it hung
from its lifts.
Angelo Givone was a loving and giving grandfather
but he was also a believer in natural consequences for bad
behavior. He could become a very firm disciplinarian if
provoked. None of us wanted to provoke him so secrecy in these
adventures was of utmost importance.
At the time of the original phone call all I knew
about wooden boats was that they were made of wood. But I
assured Aunt Phyllis that I’d do some research on the wooden
boat market to help her sell the boat when I came out to assess
the situation in the spring. April of 1989 arrived and my youngest son, Matthew, and I made the 700-mile trip to New Jersey.
Arriving at the boathouse we entered and made our
way through years of cobwebs. To get to the boat we had to
remove no less than twenty-five years worth of dust, swallow
droppings, eight automobile tires, two aluminum folding tables,
six layers of miscellaneous sheets, bedspreads, table cloths and
one original but very deteriorated canvas mooring cover
“protecting” the boat. After clearing the decks, we were amazed
at the relatively good condition of the wood and varnish. Even
the deck seams were reasonably tight. We took a wet towel and
after one swipe the deck looked almost brand new! Except for
being dark, the varnish even looked fresh.
Further inspection was done and we found that all
of the original hardware and gauges were intact. She had a Gray
Marine Fireball 6-160 engine complete with the original
Scintilla magneto triple carburetors mounted in a triangular
“tarantula” configuration. The only item missing was her stern
pole, which, according to my aunt, was eaten by a porcupine many
years ago.
My son and I took lots of pictures and returned
to Michigan to continue our research. Numerous phone calls and
many contacts with restoration shops led us to Steve Northuis at
Macatawa Bay Boat Works. He was very helpful in determining a
value for the boat and the potential for selling it, as well as
providing restoration information.
We shared our findings with Aunt Phyllis but she
now seemed less enthusiastic about selling. After all, it had
belonged to her father, the boat had been named after her and
she was even the first passenger on the day that they picked it
up in 1938.
The rest is history. My wife and I had become the
owners of what turned out to be the most expensive “free” boat
in history!
The boat was transported to Michigan in August of
1989. I got to the lake three days prior to the arrival of the
folks that were going to pick up the boat. Plenty of time, I
thought, to prepare it for the trip.
Lowering the boat into the water for the first
time in 26 years was a real educational experience. I couldn’t
believe the amount of water she rapidly took on! At some time in
her neglected past, Lady Phyllis must have become a warehouse
for a mouse or a squirrel; hundreds of acorns came floating up
as water quickly filled the bilge. If it had not been for the
lifting lines she would have gone straight to the bottom. What
was I thinking? Did I really expect the boat to float?
I made two 60-mile round trips each day from my
parents’ home to the lake to bail the boat out; each time I met
with disappointment: the lift lines were found tight, the bilge
full of water and water above the waterline. At least I was
making progress on the acorns.
Arriving at the lake early in the morning of the
third and final day I again expected the worst. Armed with a
large plastic tarp to use as a “diaper” around the bottom of the
boat I opened the boathouse door and was overjoyed to find Lady
Phyllis II proudly floating in the boat well with slack lift
lines and very little water in her bilge!
Back in Michigan, Steve Northuis at Macatawa Bay
Boat Works took over the restoration activities. Since the boat
was in such good shape her needs were expected to be – and
remained – minimal: stripping and refinishing, rechroming and
reupholstering. The Gray engine was to be rebuilt and gauges
gone through. We all looked forward to getting her back in the
water again.
I began the task of researching the history of
the boat, her manufacturer and her racing history. This task was
not as easy as I thought it would be. Over time, people’s
memories had faded or become exaggerated. Also, almost all of
the local libraries around the lake suffered fires or other
disasters and historical records that might have been helpful
were lost.
One of the best moves I made was joining the
Antique and Classic Boat Society. The ACBS Directory and Bob
Speltz’s books The Real Runabouts really came through for me.
They provided valuable initial information about the builders
and helped me locate five other vintage Morin Craft owners.
Eventually, I was able to get in touch with Mike Morin Jr., the
son of the builder.
In the early 1900’s three brothers, Mike, Nick
and Otto Morin emigrated from Austria to the United States and
settled in the Greenwood Lake area. The lake is located in
northern New Jersey on the border of New York State. Since it is
only about 40 miles from New York City, Greenwood Lake has
always been a popular destination for vacationers. The main
method of travel to the lake in the earlier part of the last
century was through northern Jersey by train; the rails ended at
the New York/New Jersey border in the hamlet of Sterling Forest.
Arriving at their final destination, lake
visitors soon realized that the only way to get to the many
hotels, camps, cottages and resorts that were located around the
lake around the area was by boat. Many entrepreneurs began to
develop their own “fast” boat livery services for this captive
audience.
The Morins’ primary source of income came from
working for the local ice house. During winter they would cut
huge blocks of ice from the lake for storage in a large building
on the shore of the lake.
Around 1912, they formed the Greenwood Lake
Launch Works and began operation of a boat building, repair, and
livery service that lasted into the 1950’s. In the winter they
built, sold, repaired and rented gaff rigged iceboats that were
reported to be among the fastest on the lake. In the summer they
did the same with small sail and pulling boats for their
customers.
nder the leadership of Mike Morin, the Greenwood
Lake Launch Works began building mahogany runabouts. Production
records are non-existent but we speculate that they only built
two or three boats per year. These boats were usually
pre-ordered and custom built for their prospective owners,
ranging in size from 18 to 32 feet. They called their boats
“MORIN CRAFT”. The Morin’s weren’t opposed to “borrowing” design
features from other manufacturers and bits of Hacker,
Chris-Craft and Gar Wood design can be seen in their product.
They were also “authorized agents” for Gar Wood boats so much of
their hardware was of Gar Wood manufacture.
As we all know, once more than two powerboats
arrive on a lake, speed and racing are soon to follow. Racing
events became so popular that the Woodlands Hotel began
sponsoring them. The Woodlands Boat and Country Club (WBCC)
races were “free for all” events and open to all classes of
boats. Over the years, Morin Craft boats developed a great
racing history on the lake beating some of the biggest names in
competition.
My grandfather got the racing bug and in 1937 he
contracted to have the Morin’s build a runabout for him that
would be a contender for the 1938 Greenwood Lake races.
According to family lore, Mike Morin “guaranteed” Angelo a boat
that would have a winning racing season and the deal was sealed!
A contract dated February 11, 1938, called for
the boat to be completed by May 28th at a cost of $1375.00. The
addition of the Gray engine increased the total by another
$350.00. Apparently my grandfather didn’t like the cost of the
original steering wheel and windshield so he “downgraded” to Gar
Wood equipment and got a $55.50 credit. What a deal!
That year, Lady Phyllis II won all three of the
major races sponsored by the WBCC! The three loving cups awarded
for “Fastest Boat”, “Championship of Greenwood Lake” and
“Winner, Lake George Race” are proudly displayed at the boat
shows we attend. We believe that a Lake George race was either a
long distance or an endurance type of event since we know that
our boat was never taken to Lake George.
Needless to say, the family was very proud of the
boat’s performance and plans were made to “do it again” in 1939.
I’m sure a lot of bragging occurred over that summer and the
following winter months leading to the 1939 racing season.
According to family recollections, here’s what
allegedly happened during the races of 1939.
The marina where our boat was being readied for
the racing season was supposed to tune the engine and remove the
boat from the water for a week to let her dry out and lighten
her before the big race. They didn’t do this and the boat was
much heavier than it should have been. Charges of intentional
sabotage were launched! In spite of this weight disadvantage, my
grandfather ran as many of the elimination heats as he could but
the boat just could not make enough speed and Lady Phyllis II
didn’t even place. There are reports of fists and wrenches
flying following the last heat as my grandfather tried to make
his point with those responsible.
Remember what I said about the Morin’s
“guaranteeing” that a boat that they built for a customer would
be the fastest boat on the lake for the current racing season?
The boat that won all of the races in 1939 was a brand new Morin
Craft built for a customer from New York City.
Following the fiasco of 1939, Lady Phyllis II
kept a very low profile on the lake. Angelo had lost his desire
to race and only used the boat occasionally at relatively low
speeds, just as my grandmother wished. During the War years the
boat was not used much due to the shortage of fuel and
rationing. I guess you could say that this was the beginning of
her very long and lonely stay in a dark boathouse.
Restoration of Lady Phyllis II was completed in
1991. Except for new upholstery and a replaced vintage stern
pole all of the hardware, engine components, instruments, and
wood were original. We attended four boat shows that summer and
we were hooked after the first one! Over the next six years we
traveled all over the country attending four or five boat shows
each year making many new friends along the way. Wherever we
went, Lady Phyllis II continued to be a crowd pleaser and
remained a consistent award winner.
Aunt Phyllis traveled with us as often as
possible and she became an expert at the art of eavesdropping.
Sitting or standing in an inconspicuous place near the boat at a
show, she really enjoyed listening in on the comments that
spectators and judges would make about the boat. She was very
proud of the boat and continually said how happy “Poppa” would
be.
Unfortunately, Aunt Phyllis passed away in June
1997 and since then she has been greatly missed. That year we
only had the boat in the water once following her death. It just
wasn’t the same without her. We placed the boat in storage and
that’s where she stayed for almost seven years.
In 2004 we felt it was time to get the boat back
in operation. We decided that it would be fitting to bring the
boat back to her home waters in New Jersey for a visit with the
friends and family who had been so helpful to us in our efforts.
Following the boat show we traveled the short
distance to Greenwood Lake. One of the biggest highlights of
this nostalgic trip home was having the opportunity to finally
meet Mike Morin, the son of the man who built our boat. He
arrived lakeside with several of his children and a camera, only
expecting to meet us and take a few pictures. His eyes got as
big as saucers when I said, “Let’s go for a boat ride.” Needless
to say, it didn’t take too much convincing.
Mike got in the boat, two of his children got
into the aft cockpit and off we went. He may not admit it but I
saw a few tears in his eyes as he turned to his children and
said, “My dad’s sweat is in the boards of this boat.”
Many people over the past fifteen years have
helped us with information, history and the restoration of our
boat. She is a memorial to people and times past as well as a
memory maker for the future. Lady Phyllis II has been in our
family since day one and will remain so with us as her stewards.
In 1992, my Aunt Lillian wrote me a letter. She
had just seen a video that we’d sent her showing the first
launching of the boat following her complete restoration. She
wrote, “For a brief moment I was a happy 25-year-old again,
enjoying the race and tasting the delicious “Winners Cup” punch
at the Woodland Hotel where the race was held. The family and
the Lady have had a love affair of long standing and it is good
to see her so beautiful again. When I saw how beautifully you
had restored her I could only think that Grandpa, wherever he
might be, must be very happy to know you thought so much of his
pride and joy.”
I’m sure that Aunt Phyllis would echo those
statements.
Over time we’ve come to understand a little
better my grandfather’s love for this boat and his reasons for
being so protective of her.
|
One
day, when I was about eleven-years-old, my cousin and I snuck
into the boathouse. While kneeling on the deck of the boat I
accidentally cracked the glass in the folded-down windshield. I
think I lived in fear of my cousin spilling the beans and my
grandfather finding out about the damage right up until his
passing in 1968! 
The
damage to the boathouse was caused by one cracked support beam,
which allowed the weight of the boat to pull on the attached
lifting winches. We easily repaired the beam and this might have
been the end of this story but Aunt Phyllis said she still
wanted to sell the boat.
A
few days later she called, saying she “could not stand the
thought of selling Poppa’s boat to a stranger,” and, “what I
would do if I were in her shoes.” I said I would like to see her
try and get the boat back into running condition and she
replied, “I want you to do it – and I’m giving you the boat.”
The
towboat arrived and Aunt Phyllis joined me in our boat for the
trip across the lake, sitting in her favorite place on the
engine hatch with her feet on the front seat. We attached a
towline to the stern and began pulling the boat out for our
journey across the lake. The overcast morning gave way to bright
sunshine the minute the boat left the boat well as if to welcome
her back to the world. Looking over at Aunt Phyllis I saw that
she was crying and asked her if she had changed her mind. “No,
I’m just remembering all of the good times we had in this boat
and how much it meant to Poppa. I’m looking forward to the time
when she’s up and running again.”
Lake
Hopatcong is only 25 miles from Greenwood Lake and we attended
Lake Hopatcong Chapter’s 30th anniversary boat show before
driving to our lake. Lady Phyllis II was warmly welcomed and we
had some great conversations with many of the locals who
remembered the Morins and the races that were held in the past.
We proudly accepted the First Place award presented for “Antique
Runabout Under 20 Feet”.