by Dave Thomson member of ACBS I first saw my 1922 Elco Express Cruiser in a “for sale” ad a number of years ago in the “Rudder” and was instantly intrigued by the size, lines, rarity, and the uniqueness of the boat. The boat was kept at the Sacramento Yacht Club and I arranged my…
by Larry Schnetzky member of the Pacific Northwest chapter We found the 1961 17-foot Tollycraft in Eastern Oregon and moved it to Victoria, British Columbia Canada, for the restoration project. We had the two year project done at Canoe Cove Marina and shipyard. The project started out with removal of the original Y-block 292 CID…
by John Calhoun member of the Water Wonderland chapter I purchased a basket case hull of a 1940 Chris-Craft Deluxe Runabout (barrelback) in 2006 after searching for a respectable project where I could utilize a Chris- Craft KBL131 hp triple carb engine that I owned. I was alerted to a gray boat that was in…
by Mitch Berg member of ACBS In 1962 my brother and I were trying to talk our Dad into buying a used 61 Coronado Gull Wing. Dad said NO MORE USED BOATS! In the spring of 1963, much to our surprise, our Dad purchased a brand new 1963 Coronado Hardtop. We picked it up in…
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…
by Dave Samson, Bayou Chapter I’ve always had a passion for vintage wooden boats, especially the “lake boats” I remembered from the 50’s. I restored my first runabout, a 1955 Chris-Craft Capri, that took first place awards at Lake Arrowhead, Lake Tahoe and most recently the Lake Pontchartrain wooden boat festival in Madisonville, Louisiana. This…
by John Bush, Dixieland chapter In 2006 my wife, Carol and I began searching for a “wood” boat to use at our home on Lake Jordan near Titus, Alabama. Neither of us had any prior experience with “woodies” but owning one was on Carol’s bucket list. As we began our search, our brother-in-law told us…
by Dave Gordon member of the Allegheny chapter As I drove across a bridge over the Allegheny River during the Easter weekend of 1995, I noticed a large old boat sitting inside a steel mill building below. When I inquired about the boat, the owner was more than eager to sell, as he stated that…
by John Beekley, Adirondack Chapter Better Already is a 22 foot 1947 Chris-Craft Sport Utility, but her story actually begins in 1929. That is the year that my great-grandfather built a unique and wonderful boathouse on northern Lake George. While visiting my aunt and uncle, who had owned the place since 1969, my aunt mentioned…
by Tom and Joanie Moynihan, Adirondack chapter Ol’ Smoothie is a 28-foot 1929 Chris-Craft Model 17 Runabout. There were 180 boats built from 1929-1931 and reportedly only 30 remain. She was delivered to Lamb’s Marina on Lake George, NY on April 25, 1930. Vernon Hovey of Schenectady, NY was the new owner and named her…
by William Kelting, Adirondack Chapter The Elkin has been in my family since 1930. Since then, four generations have enjoyed many hours aboard. Elkin has spent the majority of her time cruising the waters of Upper Chateaugay Lake. Upon having her restored, my husband Bill and I have taken several lengthy cruises aboard the Elkin.…
by Rex Lytle, Inland Empire chapter My love of wood boats started when I was a child and my dad owned a small Wolverine wood fishing boat that was probably 14 feet long. In the early 2000 my wife and I purchased a 1961 Chris-Craft Continental wood boat at an estate auction. Every time we…