by Preston Smith member of Northern California/Lake Tahoe chapter In 1998, I rescued this 1956 Chris-Craft, rotting away in a run-down slip in Norfolk, Virginia. She was shipped to California where the next three years she provided a home for hundreds of wasps. Originally, I dreamed I would restore the big Utility himself but quickly…
Detailsby Steve Lattmann member of the Sunnyland chapter Many decades ago, I grew up on the South shore of Long Island. My parents were avid boaters and over the years of my childhood they owned a number of different boats. One of those boats was a 17’ 1958 Thompson. It was the same lemon yellow…
Detailsby Cheryl Ahlcronoa member of the Bob Speltz Land-O-Lakes chapter My father, Edgar Ahlcrona, owned Tonka Bay Boat Works in Tonka Bay, Minnesota, from 1947 through 1972. They manufactured Crona Crafts and marketed these runabouts as the new style trend in the mid 50’s. Boating for my father and his brothers (Robert, Richard and Bertil)…
Detailsby Warren Olson member of Pacific Northwest chapter The history as I know it started in the fall of 2016. A restorer friend of mine, Rob DaPron from DaPron Marine, called me and said;”I’ve got a boat for you!” Well, I wasn’t in the market for a new boat. But Rob said it would be…
Detailsby Richard Stout member of Thousand Islands chapter It’s not an antique or classic. It is FRP with a lot of exterior wood. We ordered Navy Blue from a Seattle broker and it was custom built to our specifications in China. I had previously owned a 1962 Chris-Craft Constellation and loved the layout and functionality…
DetailsKaren Birch member of Blackhawk chapter This boat was purchased new in February 1957 by Karen’s late parents, Robert and Maxine Birch, of Griggsville, IL. Her dad became a Chris-Craft dealer in 1956 and Karen has his original franchise certificate. The boat is all original and Karen has the original prop, fenders, hand spot light,…
DetailsBy Doug Adams member of the Finger Lakes chapter The two teens in my house wanted, openly wished for, a means to be on the water besides the Mastercraft ski boat. You know, the kind of small run-around boat you used as a kid. It was almost time to go to the ACBS International Show…
DetailsBy Randy Fletcher & Heidi Szonn members of the Thousand Islands chapter The adventure started in 2006 as a volunteer at the Antique Boat Museum Boat shows and Race Regattas, meeting many wood boat enthusiast along the way. Conversations ensued through the next three years as to the upkeep, maintenance and storage of these beautiful…
DetailsBy Dale Crochet member of ACBS My fascination with the classic Chris-Craft goes back 35 years ago when I went to a family reunion with my new girlfriend at a lake in northeast Ohio. It was love at first sight….with her dad’s 1956 Custom Sportsman. The family has a reunion every year and I would…
DetailsBy Brian Keen -Motor Boat Garage & member of the Ohio Valley chapter In 2016 we bought a building that was built by an electrical contractor back in the 1940’s. The building originally had a lighting showroom in the front and shop space in the back. We bought the building from the grandchildren of the…
DetailsBy Dave Zinnecker member of the Southwest chapter My earliest childhood memories always included boat and boating. My father was a wooden boat builder who worked for his oldest brother, at Red Head Boat Company in Houston TX. When my Uncle retired, Dad was more or less forced to go into business for himself. He…
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