by Dave Gordon member of the Allegheny chapter

As I drove across a bridge over the Allegheny River during the Easter weekend of 1995, I noticed a large old boat sitting inside a steel mill building below. When I inquired about the boat, the owner was more than eager to sell, as he stated that he was going to burn the boat in a week or two to make space in the mill. The sum of $2000 dollars was determined by what the owner thought the original Crusader 327s and the generator might bring. She had a yard trailer under her and after a few repairs to it, I had it towed to my future home site. I built my home first and then turned my attention to the boat in 1996. At first I thought I would do modest repairs, but after a good survey, I decided to make a full restoration project of her.

I adopted a zero rot strategy that involved steam bending over 20 new frames, hundreds of board feet of mahogany planking, new decking, new cabin sides, new windshields and just about everything else. The engines were rebuilt, new flooring, new wiring, new upholstery, new plumbing and seven coats of Flagship varnish on the outside and five coats on the inside. The hull was re-caulked, sanded then painted and VC17 was applied below the water line. I worked on this boat full time in the summers as I was a school teacher and had the time off. I worked on the project at least a couple of hours every day, including holidays, during the six years and the estimated 3000 hours and $27,000 it took to restore her. She was breathtaking with her classic Down East design and looking like brand new.

We launched the boat in the summer of 2002. It caused quite a stir among the boating enthusiasts in the local boating community. We christened her Sheri Lin (after my wife) during a ceremony that involved champagne and bagels with cream cheese for all who attended.

My wife, myself and friends have been on many adventures with the boat. It has taken us up and down Allegheny, down the Ohio and up the Monongahela rivers. We have given hundreds of people rides, have fished her often, but mostly, we enjoy kicking back on her during warm summer nights where it’s cool and peaceful.
The old girl still has a couple of good years left in her that my wife and I intend on using. Though, as I get older and the boat is always in need of repair, (it’s the nature of the beast), I hope to find a nice lot near water somewhere in my area and turn her into a unique camp. I could build a roof over her and she could last for a long time after I’m gone. If anyone would like to know more, I wrote a chapter in a book with Stan Grayson called Restore Your Wooden Boat, How To Do It By Those Who’ve Done It. She also appeared in the launching section of the August 2003 Wooden Boat magazine as well as a small article in The Pa. Angler and Boater in January 2003.

11 Comments

  1. Loved your story. Beautiful boat! I especially enjoy the DIY restorations and their pride of accomplishment. Also, I put the book on my Christmas list.

  2. Would have loved a run-down of stats—like genset, engines, original year of boat build, and LOA—I’m just an old Scoutmaster (36 years) who once had a Pierson 26 Sailboat, which, for 3 years, furnished my family and my workers a fantastic sail on Long Island, moored in the Outer Harbor of Mamaroneck, NY…. Slept 5 people, had a galley, and a 1978 Chrysler Sailor engine with Alternator—boat built in 1971 in Rhode Island, Named it “For Sail”…which is what happened after the third year—sold to a fellow and his wife who wanted it taken to the Hudson River as part of sale—we did so with 6 people aboard, going thru Hell’s Gate on a Flat Tide, and thru Manhattan to Spuyten Duyvil, and finishing up in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY—- My wife said it was her happiest day with the boat-as she doesn’t swim!
    Lee Schoenlank

  3. I love these beautiful Mohagony boats. When I was a child until my teens I lived in Long Island.. My father was a MSC Ship Captain and when he came home during good weather he wanted to take a boat out on the Great South Bay. We took many a trip in the 3 different boats he had over the years. The first he owned was a Pacemaker. I do not remember the model or year, but definately I the mid to late 60’s. This boat reminds me so much of it. We had many days of enjoyment on that boat. Sitting on the bow while the boat was running, fishing, rubbing our fingers on the glass to access the salt and licking it off our fingers. Those were the days.
    PS. We used to have our boat lifted out of the water every year. My father then after a few years decided to extend the closed boat house doors with heavy canvas weighted to the bottom so it would reach the ground and the inside of the boathouse wouldn’t freeze.
    Then on a good day he would take the boat to an area so in low tide the boat would list to the side he wanted. He would then scrape the barnacles, if any and paint the boat bottom and then wait for the tide to come in. He would repeat the process on the other side of the boat.

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