by Bobby Knight member of the Sunnyland chapter When I was 12 years old, my father purchased this 1964 Chris-Craft 17’ 6” Sunlounger in the outboard version and snapped on the chrome Mercury 800 from his previous Borum wooden boat. Dad, family, and friends loved Florida boating to places such as the Suwannee River, Santa…
by Larry Maloomian member of Sunnyland chapter We summered on Cape Cod and like many who did, I was a sailor. I kept my sailboat in a beautiful little harbor on Buzzards Bay. Moored nearby was a beautiful triple cockpit Chris-Craft that I always admired. Many of us “old men” try to regain our youth…
by Cody Taylor member of the Northern California/Lake Tahoe chapter Early in 1984 we realized that our 16′ boat on Clear Lake, California’s largest fresh water lake, was just not working. The lake was huge and the waves kicked up in the afternoon and would wash over the bow of our little boat threatening to…
by John Dupee member of the Lake Champlain chapter Although I grew up rowing and old wooden boat, I am a sailor. I have sailed and owned sailboats for over 50 years. Sailboats are, to my eye, visually appealing not all but most. The first time a saw a Lyman was from the cockpit of…
By Ann Reinhart on behalf of Tim Mehrer member of Pacific Northwest chapter The Bellingham, Washington based Schooner Zodiac, designed by William Hand, was built in 1924 in East Boothbay, Maine for the Johnson & Johnson family. 127’ on deck,160’ overall, she spent most of her life as a San Francisco Bay Bar Pilot boat…
by Rick Means member of the Pacific Northwest chapter In my younger years I was surrounded by friends who all had a lake place. Whenever the opportunity arose, we would head out to somebody’s cabin to go boating and water ski. This comradery built up my dream that someday I too would have my own…
By Ken & Jeanne Nappi members of Dixieland chapter To start I must say it is quite the privilege to introduce the ACBS to my 84 CC Scorpion 168. Our story with this boat began in the Winter of 2014. My youngest son Jason had befriended an elderly neighbor and from time to time would…
by David Arscott member of the Water Wonderland Chapter Why and How does my Dad, starting in 1948, a 45-year-old full-time employed mechanical engineer at GM ‘Pontiac Division’, married and father of three young children (JAmes 6, PAtrica 14 & DAvid 11) start to build a ‘speedboat’ from ‘scratch’? Having not asked my Dad ‘the…
by Dennis Padden member of the Heartland Classics chapter I grew up in a family that always owned a boat. We spent most summer weekends and vacations at our favorite lake in Oklahoma, Tenkiller Lake. When I was 6 my step dad had an early 60’s mahagony Chris-Craft, he named her “Ski Mist”. This was…
by Raymond Reynolds member of the Lake Hopatcong chapter Photos by Bob Kays I was introduced to wooden boats at an early age. My wife became a boater when she married me. At the time of our marriage I owned a 1942, 17′ Century Sea Maid. I sold it a few years later. It would…
by the Quast Family members of the Blackhawk chapter This boat brings a lot of fond memories to me and my family. Our Lyman is knick-named “Bee Bop”. Don’t ask me how my Dad, Arnie Quast Sr. coined that name, but for my entire life that is the affectionate title of this stately 1964 18’…
by Peter Takvorian member of the Lake Hopatcong chapter Riva wooden speedboats manufactured in Sarnico, Italy from the 1950’s through the 1970’s, are generally considered the pinnacle of design, construction, and elegance. In 1965, Carlo Riva and his designer, Barilini, discussed plans for a fast (45 mph) 18-19 ft boat with room to walk around…