By Frank Ferris, ACBS Member I grew up spending summers at our cottage on Keuka Lake (Finger Lakes are, NY). I swam, sailed, and especially loved water skiing. Our neighbor at the lake had a beautiful Chris-Craft Holiday which I always envied. When I graduated from Law School in 1964, as a graduation present my…
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This 1964 Helton 16-foot Runabout with a 1964 Johnson 75hp outboard engine named Memories Class of 64 is owned by Raymond and Sedi Balsam (Southwest Chapter). Her home port is Horseshoe Bay Resort and Lake LBJ (Austin, TX). This 1947 Chris-Craft Sportsman 22-foot with a GM 289 engine name Red Cedar is owned by Dennis…
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By Robert Greco, Sunnyland Chapter It started with a garage sale. I have been collecting old Johnson outboards for a few years, eventually gathering up the whole 1956 lineup, from 3 to 30 HP, my favorite motors. A friend of mine spotted an old Johnson outboard at a garage sale not far from my house,…
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Safe Boating Week will be celebrated this year on May 22nd. For more information, visit www.safeboatingcampaign.com Judy Hills, Roving ACBS reporter OK, I confess—for over ten years I was in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and I was a flotilla commander for several of those years. Thus, I am opinionated when it comes to boating…
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French Vanilla is a 1954 Correct Craft Atom, 15-foot with a Gray Marine 4 cylinder 95 hp engine. French Vanilla is owned by Mike and Linda Stevens who are members of the Columbia Willamette Chapter. Mike and Linda Stevens also own this 1957 Higgins 18-foot Speedster. She is aptly named 57 Again. She is…
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By Rich and Joan Garvin, Michigan chapter My wife Joan and I both learned to water ski behind a mahogany Century and after going to the wooden boat show in Hessel Michigan in 2016, we decided to keep an eye out for a Chris Craft or Century boat. As is usually the case, according to…
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By Donald Drexler, Finger Lakes Chapter It all started in early November 1981 when I was driving down the West Lake Road on Conesus Lake in New York. Sitting on a cradle with a for sale sign, was a 17-foot Century Resorter needing a lot of work. There was no question the style was extravagant,…
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By Laurence G. Kolk member of the Blue Ridge chapter It was this particular motor launch that master boat builder Bryan favored to replicate; the classic integrity of batten seam construction was his inspiration. But he added new technology on power with a Honda four stroke outboard. Harry’s vision was to explore the limits of…
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By Robert and Dayna Gibson, Heartland Classics Chapter This tale begins many years ago at The Mahogany and Chrome Boat Show on Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Northeastern Oklahoma. The boat was owned by Guy McCollum who attended that show. We became friends and Guy began to immediately identify that I had a real…
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By Jody Lapham, Lake Champlain Chapter Foreword: It looked and smelled a lot like firewood. When I was a boy, my brother and I spent a great deal of time on Lake George at my aunt and uncle’s camp there. I will never forget the parade of elegance that began at dusk most every night.…
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By Jamie Rogers, Lake Champlain Chapter As a young child spending my summers on Silver Lake with my family, water activities were always a part of the day. Three canvas canoes were used throughout the summer months, one solid red, another solid blue, and a bright yellow sail canoe. Over time these boats fell into…
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by G. James Sammarco member of ACBS The first time I saw it, it was rolling slowly against the dock pilings on Chautauqua Lake, NY. My family vacationed at Chautauqua since 1915 but had never owned a boat. It was love at first sight. It was delivered to my Uncle Charlie on the Fourth of…
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