Joyride in a 1948 HackerCraft

Wuzz a Fuzz, Tom Flood’s 31-foot Custom Runabout

By Dave and Connie Willis, Water Wonderland Chapter

Sunk in a canal off Lake St. Clair. Ice had chewed through the hull. 

Not the best start for a classic boating story! Tom Flood rescued this 31-foot Hacker police boat and trucked it to his workshop in Florida where it underwent a full owner restoration. Tom spent part of his youth working at the Hacker plant in Marine City, Michigan on the St. Clair River, where he developed a love for the boats and the skills needed to build them. Following completion of the restoration in 2006, Tom and his wife Mary brought the boat back to their summer place in the Les Cheneaux Islands of Lake Huron in Northern Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. If you’ve never been to the Les Cheneaux Islands, the 2023 International show in Bay Harbor will be a great opportunity to stop by Hessel or Cedarville for a cruise along the many sheltered miles of “The Channels”. A magical place of pristine waters, plied by classic boats every day, mahogany transoms abound in the boat houses in the area.

But this story isn’t about Tom’s amazing restoration, the scenic beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, or Tom’s incredible self-designed boat house and lifts. It’s about a true gentleman with a passion for classic boats. A passion he shared this summer. During the 2022 Les Cheneaux boat show week, we were visiting with friends near Tom’s place. Having cruised by his boat house and seen Wuzz a Fuzz and her stable mate Old Vibrations (26-foot Hacker), we rang him up for a tour of the boat house. What special evening! 

We discussed plans for motoring our boats (my small cruiser, the Dennis Hansen’s U-22, and Tom’s Hacker) over to Hessel the morning of August 13^th. Tom was committed to being at Hessel (11 miles by water) around 7:00am to, as he put it, “tell people where to go.” That meant he’d be leaving at 5:45am, much earlier than our wives planned on being caffeinated. So, it was agreed that Dennis Hansen and I would meet Tom in the morning and cruise to Hessel in Wuzz a Fuzz. The ladies would return with Tom after the show, while Dennis and I drove their boat home.

Well, the weather gods cooperated on Saturday morning as the Les Cheneaux waters mirrored the coming dawn. Wuzz a Fuzz’s twin 454’s rumbled to life at 5:45am on the dot and Tom deftly reversed into the morning twilight, running lights on. The instruments glowed, bathing the cockpit and Tom’s face in an amber light as he stood at the helm. He motored into the channel at about 1100 RPM (8-10 knots). As we rounded the corner and entered the Government Bay  Channel, Tom applied a little more throttle (~2200 RPM) and we were skimming along at 20 knots, with the smooth water whispering beneath the hull as the thumping V8’s broke the morning calm. 

We rounded La Salle Island at Cedarville and quickly ran down to Islington Bay. Tom then swung around into Snow’s Channel, running passed tiny little Dollar Island with its very unique residence. Sleeping woodies were tucked neatly into boat houses awaited the coming sun. Vacation cottages were dark and the docks were empty as we rumbled passed. 

Rounding the turn to Mackinac Bay, Tom slowed a bit in the narrow channel. Sweeping into Hessel Bay, we were treated to an incredible display of nature. The sun was reflected off the clouds, moments before breaching the horizon. Purple, orange, blue, and silver in the sky were reflected across the water all around us. It was spectacular. Breath taking. A moment to remember and treasure.

Looking at the 1.4 miles of open water in front of us, Tom looked at me with a mischievous smile and said, “Want to see what she can do?” Now, I should stipulate that I was the ‘kid’ onboard at age 68, but in that moment, we all became 16-year-old boys who had just snuck out with Dad’s car keys. “Heck yeah!” 

Looking ahead, Tom pushed the throttles open. The response from the twin big blocks was stunning and things happened quickly. The boat was traveling at 50+ knots, but Tom’s ball cap was not – instantly gone in the wake. The roar of the engines dominated the morning, leaving no doubt to the residents that it was time to wake up, start your engines, and get over to the boat show. Loud, fast and smooth! After a quick half-mile run, Tom throttled back a bit and noticed his hat was missing. Flying from helm to stern, it never touched the boat! We circled back for a quick search to no avail. So Tom throttled back up and we roared off towards Hessel harbor. 

Barb Hansen picked Dennis and me up in Hessel and drove us back to Hill Island, where Connie and I (1953 Express Cruiser, Bette Noir) and Barb and Dennis (1947 white sides U-22, Red Cedar) cast off for the passage to Hessel, albeit more sedately! Later that day I noticed the August sun on Tom’s uncovered pate, so I ‘loaned’ him my Chris-Craft cap. The hat was from the Michigan Chapter’s Algonac amazing “100 Years of Chris Craft” show in June. I know, sacrilege for a Hacker man! 

Hessel’s 2022 Wooden Boat show was, as always, excellent. There are plenty of web sites, videos, and articles that describe what a terrific job the locals do every year, as well as the amazing boats that come from throughout the Les Cheneaux area, and from afar. It’s a premier classic boating event in the Midwest.

Epilog: Although the morning colors were not to be surpassed Connie and Barb were treated to a memorable run back to the boat house with Tom in Wuzz a Fuzz after the show. I did not get my hat back! So, I sent our friends, Betty and Jim Struble, a photo of the morning run as a ‘trade’ for my ball cap. Tom was amused! 

Thank you, Tom, for sharing the experience of Wuzz a Fuzz with fellow enthusiasts. It was an incredible experience, one we will always treasure. For the rest of us, remember to share your times on the water with others! It has a real impact and might even persuade someone to join in the fun. Our hobby is at its best when we share the experience with others.