By a 1930 17-foot Model 99 Runabout
owned by Brock and Donna Horsley, Water Wonderland Chapter
I am a Chris-Craft, a 17-foot 1930 Model 99 double cockpit, turtle back runabout with an interesting story to tell. I am the prototype, the first of the Model 99s, and the first Chris-Craft ever built under 20-feet.
The Model 99 seems to have been a late thought by Chris Smith and Sons Boat Co. When the Chris-Craft model list was generated in late 1929 for the 1930 model year, they ranged from 20-feet to 48-feet. The 17-foot Model 99 was not listed. But, it was listed for the first time on the model list for 1931. Why was this?
Sales brochure.
It is thought that due to a sudden loss of some of the original 497 orders placed at the onset of the Great Depression early in 1930, the Smiths needed to design a smaller, more affordable alternative. The 17-foot Model 99 was advertised as a less expensive alternative but with the same luxuries and safety of the larger Chris-Craft models. At $1,295 in 1930, approximately $24,500 today, it was the cheapest Chris-Craft available. Of course, a 1930 Ford Model A was only about $500 at that time.
Chris-Craft started with a prototype, that’s me, Hull ID #14000, completed on May 6, 1930. As the prototype, I look slightly different than the others. For instance, I have top vents instead of porthole side vents.
The decision to build the smaller more affordable 17-foot Model 99s in 1930 and the subsequent model 199s in 1931 produced sales that partially helped Chris-Craft survive the Great Depression.
Build sheet/Hull card for prototype #14000.
According to my original build sheet/ hull card, I was built in Algonac Michigan was shipped to Detroit by way of Flint on June 1, 1930. I originally had the Chris-Craft name painted on both my bow and transom as did many others back then. And, the Chris-Craft lettering still today closely matches that original transom lettering.
In 2022, I was purchased by Brock and Donna Horsley from Beal City/Farwell, Michigan in the center of the Michigan mitten. They had never owned a wooden boat before but grew up hearing stories about Brock’s grandfather’s wooden Century, his parents waterskiing on the Detroit River and working on the Century each spring and fall.
Chris-Craft at Walstrom Marine.
After a couple years attending the Les Cheneaux Antique Wooden Boat Shows, Brock and Donna had fallen in love with the beauty, elegance and artistry of old wooden boats and sought out a smaller prewar Chris-Craft runabout for their cottage on Littlefield Lake. When Brock found me, he told the salesperson at Walstrom Marine that he felt somewhat overwhelmed by the responsibility of becoming the caretaker of such an old and beautiful boat. But, the salesman responded, “after listening to your knowledge of the Chris-Craft history and your enthusiasm and love for wooden boats, I would argue that you are exactly the right person for this boat.”
So, off to Beal City/Farwell I went, where I’ve spent the last two summers. When I’m not displayed on a covered boat lift, I am taking people for rides around the lake, many of whom have never ridden in a wooden boat before. Brock and Donna were already members of the Water Wonderland ACBS Chapter before they purchased me. Little did they know that I already had a long history in this Chapter, winning awards at Les Cheneaux Antique Wooden Boat Show as far back as 1988 and attending “Boats On The Boardwalk” in Traverse City with previous caretakers. They were thrilled to learn of this historical connection and have been having lots of fun learning about and telling my story!
Brock and Donna on Littlefields Lake.
When my marine survey was recently done, the surveyor stated that I was a “user boat” not a “show boat”. However, with my special history, and some TLC from the Horsleys, I think I can be both again.
According to an extensive search, only 20 or so of the original 226 Model 99s/199s appear to have survived though others may be hiding in barns, sheds and boathouses. Some of the survivors belong to ACBS members, such as William (#14192), who is being restored by fellow Water Wonderland Chapter member, Jeff Rogers. Our goal is to identify as many Model 99s as we can.