A Restomod Evolution By Cathy Wallace, Heartland Classics Chapter Performance vehicles played a large part in my upbringing. Our family spent weekends at the drag strip; my dad and I raced snowmobiles, and my older brother, Charlie, raced the Pro Superbike road circuit. This aspect of family life set the stage for the evolution of…
By Jeff Waco, Rocky Mountain Classics Chapter In a recent issue of the Rocky Mountain Classic’s Chapter’s newsletter, the Bilge Pump, we went over the marine compass and what it does and doesn’t do. So where do we go from there? There are two distinct ways. One is to press the power button on your GPS/Chartplotter.…
By Lee Chase, Northern California/Lake Tahoe Chapter Over the years, I have heard old boat and car enthusiasts lament the banning of lead compounds in automotive fuel. The lead compounds increased the fuel octane rating and was credited with lubricating properties which helped to preserve valves. While automobile fuel is lead free, aviation fuel (avgas)…
By Captain Don Leutz, Northern California/Lake Tahoe Chapter Technically, the term “Flotsam” has a specific meaning under maritime law. “Flotsam” is defined as debris in the water that was not deliberately thrown overboard, often as a result of a shipwreck or accident. For the purposes of this article, and for the lack of a better term, I am going…
A 1964 28-foot Chris-Craft Sea Skiff gets a new life and steals the show. Story by Kasey Rideout, Kyle Jamar, and Brent Howard, Heartland Classics Chapter members Photos by Kyle Jamar In the beginning, according to Brent Howard, he wanted a boat booth for Heartland Classics to use at Workshops, Boat Shows and Events, resulting…
Story by Clay Thompson, Photos by Forrest Bryant, Heartland Classics Chapter Continuing with the second installment of stories about “firsts.” Many think disc brakes came out in the 70’s, but Tucker did have them in the 40’s, however, in England, Lanchester offered them in 1902. With boats, well, they just are much more simple than cars. Not much…
By Neil Satterly, Adirondack Chapter The annual Rendezvous in Old Forge, NY was held July 10 and 11. Perfect weather combined with over 45 boats registered on land and in water, a very rare 1940 Packard Woody station wagon, live music and several other land displays made for another wonderful show. On Friday morning the ACBS Directors…
Story by Clay Thompson, Photos by Forrest Bryant, Heartland Classics Chapter We all seem to love to document things, the highest, the cheapest, the best, the biggest, most expensive, and even who did it first! I think we all just adore the guy who thought of it first, So for today, let’s entertain ourselves with…
Russ’s love affair with mahogany boats began as a boy living on Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York. It was the 1950s, and wood was about the only available option for boats. Years later, Russ set out to find a classic “woody” boat like the ones he’d grown up with and,…
As Alan Jackson closes his final tour, here is a highlight of a boat once owned by the country music superstar. Donated by Jackson to the Antique Boat Museum, it is now part of the museum’s in-water fleet and enjoyed by visitors as a fantastic piece of history. The Chris-Craft Semi-Enclosed Cruiser models from the…
By Joe Roberts, Northern California/Lake Tahoe Chapter Millie or as she was known as for the first 55 plus years of her life, as just the unnamed family Chris-Craft boat. My father-in-law Ray bought her new in 1958, so the family could have a boat when they were at their lake cabin in Clearlake, California.…
When an autonomous Navy boat rescued two downed Army helicopter pilots in the Straits of Hormuz in June 2026, it was interesting to note the technologies enabling the rescue directly trace back to classic boats. The boat, nicknamed the Corsair, is fully autonomous, 24-feet, with a maximum speed of 35 knots, that can travel 1,000…