by Tom-Hanford member of the Finger Lakes chapter The Lord Jeff is a 22’1928 Chris-Craft Cadet,hull #1491. The boat was purchased by my grandfather,Saxe Hanford and his sister,Josephine Hanford Arnot. It was named based on the nickname of Amherst College,the Lord Jeffs,after Major General Jeffery Amherst,British commander in the French and Indian War.At the time…
by Gerard Cerand member of the Finger Lakes chapter When I was in high school in Elmira, NY in the mid-1950s, I had a lot of friends whose families had cottages on Keuka Lake. My close childhood friend, Jack McLeod’s family had a cottage on the lake with a beautiful GarWood Wooden Boat to water…
By Dave Matthews member of Finger Lakes chapter Lancea’s documented history goes back to the fourth previous owner, Russ Balmer, who sailed her out of the Port Huron Yacht Club in the 1960s. Before that the history is murky but the last previous owner believed her to be the very same boat that was originally…
by Jim Gould member of the Finger Lakes chapter I had always wanted a Chris-Craft so when I retired in 1995, it seemed a perfect time. My search ended when I found Boyd Mefferd (Boyd’s Boats, Canton CT) and an “easy project” 1955 20ft. Chris-Craft Continental. A research visit to the Mariner’s Museum in Newport…
by Ron Cuccaro member of the Adirondack and Finger Lakes chapters Built in 1903 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, the 28’ open launch was originally used to ferry vacationers to their remote cottages in the islands of Toronto area in the early 1900’s. The actual name of the manufacturer is unknown, but it is very possible…
by Rod Taylor member of the Finger Lakes chapter Sometimes, things that bring us joy and beauty have unpromising beginnings. So it has been for our classic “barn find”, a closed gunnel, Type 1, grade A, B. N. Morris, 18’ wood and canvas canoe. She was built in Veazie, Maine, circa 1911, shortly before the…
by Steve Shehadi member of the Finger Lakes chapter “Skim Boating is the newest fad at cypress gardens.” – Popular mechanics magazine April 1950 The Hansen Skim board was developed by Emil Hansen from Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania and was an early predecessor to the very popular Jet Ski you see today. This project started with…
by Roger McCoy member of the Finger Lakes chapter Spending summer weekends at my uncle’s camp was always the highlight of my summers as I grew up. Water skiing being one of our major pastimes. When my Aunt and Uncle passed away I helped my mother on weekends clean out the camp to sell. For…
By Jack Gifford, Finger Lakes Chapter One a sunny spring day in 2001 I decided to look at a large cruiser I had seen advertised in the paper. Since the inside dimensions were roughly the size of a small apartment, I felt that it would combine my love of boating with a summer place on…
by Michael Wetzel member of the Finger Lakes chapter In the summer of 2015 we finished our new boat house on Skaneateles Lake, complete with 2 boat bays; one the standard 10’ wide for modern boats and one 8’ wide for a wooden boat. The problem was we didn’t own a wooden boat. In fact,…
By 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…
This 1960 Thompson Sea Coaster is owned by Josh and Laura Lindquist. They are new to ACBS and the Bob Speltz Land-O-Lakes chapter. The Thompson was purchased in December 2017 and the Lindquists joined the BSLOL soon after attending the Minneapolis Boat Show and talking with several of its members. Through the expertise and kindness…