There’s a good reason that this boat is named Irish Mist.

Irish Mist is a 1960 Chris Craft Cavalier 17 ft Runabout.  She is powered by a Chrysler 6 cylinder with 90 hp.

Irish Mist is owned by Rafe and Melanie Hunsucker who are members of the Heartland Classics Chapter of ACBS.  She has received the ACBS Most Original Award at the Heartland Classics Chapter show.  Her home port is on Grand Lake of the Cherokees in northeast Oklahoma, but she has plied the waters of many Heartland lakes.  Here is her story:

Irish Mist was a family ski boat purchased by Estle and Vondah Hunsucker back in 1962.  She is powered by a 90 hp Chrysler Hercules inline, flathead, 6-cylinder motor.

Irish Mist was restored during 2010-2011 by the Antique Boat Shop in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  She is a wonderful vessel with all original Philippine mahogany.  All that brought her back to life was getting her stripped, stained and varnished.  All of the chrome work was redone.  New upholstery was made and we had to replace the windshield.

 Lastly, we had her named.  Her name is done in gold-leaf with a green clover.  She is named Irish Mist to commemorate Rafe’s father, Estle E. Hunsucker, who was known by many as “Irish”. 

Since the restoration, Irish Mist has had a handful of adventures.  They include Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Oklahoma, Table Rock Lake in Missouri, and most recently, Beaver Lake in Arkansas.

Being manufactured in 1960 places Irish Mist in the Classic age classification according to the Antique and Classic Boat Society.

These are the ACBS Age Classifications:

  • Historic: A boat built up to and including 1918.
  • Antique: A boat built between 1919 and 1942, inclusive.
  • Classic: A boat built between 1943 and 1975, inclusive.
  • Late Classic: A boat built after 1975 through the year 25 years prior to the current year.
    (In 2017, the Late Classic period ends with boats built in 1992.)
  • Contemporary: A wooden boat built within the last 25 years.

The description of judging classes may also be found under the About Us tab in “ACBS Age Classifications and Judging Classes“.

Share with us a picture, or pictures, of your boat and tell us the story that makes her unique.

It’s easy to submit the information right here.

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