French Vanilla is a 1954 Correct Craft Atom, 15-foot with a Gray Marine 4 cylinder 95 hp engine. French Vanilla is owned by Mike and Linda Stevens who are members of the Columbia Willamette Chapter. Mike and Linda Stevens also own this 1957 Higgins 18-foot Speedster. She is aptly named 57 Again. She is…
By Rich and Joan Garvin, Michigan chapter My wife Joan and I both learned to water ski behind a mahogany Century and after going to the wooden boat show in Hessel Michigan in 2016, we decided to keep an eye out for a Chris Craft or Century boat. As is usually the case, according to…
By Donald Drexler, Finger Lakes Chapter It all started in early November 1981 when I was driving down the West Lake Road on Conesus Lake in New York. Sitting on a cradle with a for sale sign, was a 17-foot Century Resorter needing a lot of work. There was no question the style was extravagant,…
By Laurence G. Kolk member of the Blue Ridge chapter It was this particular motor launch that master boat builder Bryan favored to replicate; the classic integrity of batten seam construction was his inspiration. But he added new technology on power with a Honda four stroke outboard. Harry’s vision was to explore the limits of…
By Robert and Dayna Gibson, Heartland Classics Chapter This tale begins many years ago at The Mahogany and Chrome Boat Show on Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Northeastern Oklahoma. The boat was owned by Guy McCollum who attended that show. We became friends and Guy began to immediately identify that I had a real…
By Jody Lapham, Lake Champlain Chapter Foreword: It looked and smelled a lot like firewood. When I was a boy, my brother and I spent a great deal of time on Lake George at my aunt and uncle’s camp there. I will never forget the parade of elegance that began at dusk most every night.…
By Jamie Rogers, Lake Champlain Chapter As a young child spending my summers on Silver Lake with my family, water activities were always a part of the day. Three canvas canoes were used throughout the summer months, one solid red, another solid blue, and a bright yellow sail canoe. Over time these boats fell into…
By Robert DiNesco, Sunnyland Chapter Bob DeNisco, Jim Wynn and George Peroni were all childhood friends and graduates of Miami Edison high school. After military stints and college each found their way to be involved in the offshore boat racing community in Miami, Florida. The Cigarette was the progeny of Don Aronow’s vision of a…
By Edward Cox, Blackhawk Chapter Our Streblow V Drive “The King” came to us from Indiana in the spring of 2019, just in time for a summer on the water. Measuring 28 feet and weighing in at 8,000 pounds, everyone agreed that he surely would be “The King” of Geneva Lake. Already 20 years old,…
By Mark Handelman, Adirondack Chapter In the spring of 2000, my family decided we needed a ski boat to tow our avid water skiers. While kayaking in Dunham’s Bay on Lake George, New York, I saw the perfect boat for sale … a 1982 Century Coronado in like new condition with only 225 hours on…
By Ken Muscatel, Pacific Northwest Chapter It remains one of the most popular unlimited hydroplanes ever built. To this day, the deck-to-deck duels between “The Pak” and “The Bud” remain legendary. Dave Heerensberger’s Pay’n Pak was as revolutionary in its design and construction techniques as it was popular for the futuristic wing on the back…
By Steve and Wendi Herzog, Niagara Frontier Chapter Our Chris Craft adventure began at the Western New York Boat Show, February 2015. Steve always attends the boat show with his brothers – Mike, the genius mechanic and Bill, the consummate salesman. Only the men are allowed. They take their time, check out all the engines…