by Lindy Robinson member of the Southwest chapter
Like many of us, my love for boats started early with water skiing and fishing on my local lake. I have always had a boat of some kind but did not really fall in love with wooden boats until about 25 years ago. Seeing all the beautiful boats at the inaugural Keels and Wheels Concours here in Seabrook made me appreciate the amount of time and care that goes into restoring a vintage boat.
Encore is a 1955 18-foot Chris-Craft Continental that was previously owned by Jim & Patsy Snell of Port Arthur, Texas. She is our third classic boat. We acquired her when she became available in early 2019. Lisa had wanted a “Bull Nose” Chris for a long time, and we both love the lines of the mid-fifties Continentals. We knew the Snell’s through their participation in Keels & Wheels and knew how well they cared for their boats.
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Jim restored Encore with a big assist from son Perry and daughter in law Joci. He purchased her in 2014 from her previous owners in Michigan. The hull and deck required mostly cosmetic restoration. They applied fresh paint to the bottom and the bilge. The hull and deck received new stain, several coats of fresh varnish, and new striping. The engine is original to the boat and received an extensive rebuild. They also installed a new gas tank, had all the chrome redone, and the gauges restored. The bottom is in original condition but swells up tight within a day or two.
All Lisa and I need to do going forward is to maintain her in her current condition. We hope to use her often, and plan to bring her to ACBS shows around the country in the coming years.
My parents had a ’56 Continental 18′ that I sported around Lake George in at the age of 14. It left such an impression on me that 50 years later, I bought a ’55 Continental 22′ that still sports around Lake George. My original bottom swells up nicely…and so do I when it gets all kinds of admiring glances around the lake.
Keep her cuising!