Dave Bortner is a BSOL Chapter Member, and, as the owner of Freedom Boat Service, a long time ACBS Sponsor. Here is his story… Drawn to wood boats after receiving “The Golden Book of Powerboats” in my Christmas stocking at age five, I selected the Century Coronado (speeds to 55 mph!) on page 134 of…
Are you getting excited for the 2024 Vintage Boat Week in Brainerd, Minnesota? This member spotlight features Andy Luikens, president of the host chapter and one of the many who are planning this year’s event! If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for September 8-14, 2024 and we’ll see you at Gull Lake! My passion…
This week really kicks off the winter boat show season, where now through April, at regional event centers and fairgrounds across North America the latest models of watercraft are on display for you to check out and buy. They’ll be showing everything from PWCs, fishing boats, pontoons, and wake boats, up to large cruisiers and…
by Steve & Kathy Flood members of the Bob Speltz Land-O-Lakes chapter Kathy and I bought our 1st boat – a yellow and white 14’ Crestliner with a 50 Evinrude – from Schwann’s Marine on Long Lake in Sarona, Wisconsin. For the maiden voyage, Bill Schwann, Jack Kunz the mechanic and I launched the boat…
Above is a Circa 1995 “Buffalo Mini Boat” actually manufactured in Buffalo, New York. It was advertised in Motor Boat Magazine with two adult women and was said to easily navigate the “Ice Bergs” in Buffalo. Owned by Ed Dominiak of the Niagara Frontier Chapter, she is powered by a 2hp Evinrude and is said…
By John Hart member of BSLOL Chapter It was a few encounters with a Thompson boat around 1965 that launched my interest in wooden runabouts. Whether as a passenger watching the water rush by during a tight turn, as a spotter monitoring the status of a skier, or as a person on the end of…
Double D’s, pictured above, is a 1959 22-foot Shepard Runabout 110 owned by David and Dolores Little, Norfolk, VA. She is powered by a 440 Chrysler. She lives on Glaston Lake (North Carolina) during the summer months. Buttercup is a 1957 18-foot Lyman outboard runabout. She was purchased from the second owner in 2017 who…
Andreas Jordahl Rhude owns many Thompson boats. Valhalla is one of them (pictured above). She is a 1957 Thompson 17-foot Sea Lancer with 1957 Johnson RDEL-19 outboards. Andreas Rhude is a member of the Bob Speltz Land-o-Lakes and Glacier Lakes Chapters. Here is a Classic 1962 Dorsett 17-foot Catalina with a 1989 Yamaha 90 hp…
By Anthony Montabon, Land O’ Lakes Classic Boat Club Dancing Queen is a 1964 IMP (Iola Molded Plastics) Apache. It sports the original Mercury 65hp four cylinder two-stroke engine, original controls, and gas tanks. The horn is the original two-tone air horn powered by an air pump that sounds better than anything produced in the…
By Chuck and Diane Thornton, Land O’ Lakes Classic Boat Club During the winter of 1956-57, Gene Bartachek saw a Taft Marine Woodcraft kit boat ad in one of his favorite mechanics magazine. He requested their brochure and shortly afterwards ordered the Model 950, 18 ft. Offshore Cruiser. The price was $399 including shipping, minus…
by Bob Besel member of the Bob Speltz Land-O-Lakes chapter When we arrived at Tulsa the boat had been dragged from the shed, where the rig hibernated for 30 years, into a very dusty warehouse, on flat tires. I brought new wheels and tires, ‘hoping’ that the trailer bearings were fit for the 730 mile…
by Ken Powell member of the Bob Spletz Land-O-Lakes chapter For the last 28 years, at noon on Sunday of the August long weekend, a collection of antique wooden boats assemble a half mile from the town harbour in the little town of Kenora,Ontario, Canada. It is known as the HarbourFest Annual Wooden Boat Parade.…