By Mark Handelman, Adirondack Chapter In the spring of 2000, my family decided we needed a ski boat to tow our avid water skiers. While kayaking in Dunham’s Bay on Lake George, New York, I saw the perfect boat for sale … a 1982 Century Coronado in like new condition with only 225 hours on…
Details
By Ken Muscatel, Pacific Northwest Chapter It remains one of the most popular unlimited hydroplanes ever built. To this day, the deck-to-deck duels between “The Pak” and “The Bud” remain legendary. Dave Heerensberger’s Pay’n Pak was as revolutionary in its design and construction techniques as it was popular for the futuristic wing on the back…
Details
By Steve and Wendi Herzog, Niagara Frontier Chapter Our Chris Craft adventure began at the Western New York Boat Show, February 2015. Steve always attends the boat show with his brothers – Mike, the genius mechanic and Bill, the consummate salesman. Only the men are allowed. They take their time, check out all the engines…
Details
By Dallas Cooley, Blue Ridge Chapter Best I can recollect, my love for boats began as a kid hanging my head over the bow of my grandfather’s Lazy Days houseboat on Lake Lanier. Watching the V-hull slice through the water with the roar of twin V-8’s was euphoric. The tradition continued with my father’s houseboats.…
Details
By Jeff Hamilton, North Carolina Coastal & Piedmont Chapter The family history with Lyman Boats began when my Grandfather bought a 13-foot Lyman just after WW2. We used that Lyman (which my sister currently has) and our 1969 18-foot model up at our family cottage on the Upper French River in Ontario Canada. About 10…
Details
By Steven Horwood, ACBS Member Sitting on a 1965 Vance tandem axle trailer and repowered with a Ford 5.0L, MISSing AuTrain is a 1965 Correct Craft Barracuda. I purchased the boat in November of 2010 here in Michigan, after being assured by the previous owner of intact stringers, only to later find out that 70…
Details
By Steve Murphy, Heartland Classics Chapter My wife and I own and maintain a 1971, 31-foot sedan style Chris Craft Commander. It’s powered by twin 383Q’s (formerly 327Q’s) and has a flybridge. We’ve enjoyed Edelweiss for 9 years on Table Rock Lake in Southern MO. After months of searching for the “right” boat, we found…
Details
By Michael Stevens, Columbia Willamette Chapter She’s a Monson which was built in Seattle on Lake Union some time last century. I tried to research the origins of the company, Monson Boat Yard, Inc, owned by Marty Monson from the mid 30’s to 85′ when the company ceased to exist. The boatyard burned down sometime…
Details
By Jun Morris, Bellevue, WA (photo above – Jim (dark hat), Diane, and grandson Eric) Our very good friend James A. Holler of North Tonawanda, NY passed January 17, 2021. He was born March 8, 1928 in Lima, Ohio. Jim’s father was employed by the Indian Lake Boat Company of Lima. Jim had been around…
Details
By Anthony Montabon, Land O’ Lakes Classic Boat Club Dancing Queen is a 1964 IMP (Iola Molded Plastics) Apache. It sports the original Mercury 65hp four cylinder two-stroke engine, original controls, and gas tanks. The horn is the original two-tone air horn powered by an air pump that sounds better than anything produced in the…
Details
By Raymond Desrochers, ACBS Member Once you own a classic boat, life can never be the same— at least that is true for Captain Ray and First Mate Betty. Following our Garden Wedding in Moultonborough, NH in 1986, we had our boat hauled to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for our Honeymoon cruise to Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket,…
Details
By John and Kirsten Lents, Michigan Chapter Taurus is a 1940 Chris-Craft 18’ Deluxe Utility, Hull # 81169. One thing that makes it unique is that it was ordered with a straight windshield. In 1940 Chris-Craft started putting split windshields on their utility’s, so Taurus looks more like a 1938 or 1939 boat than a…
Details