THROUGHOUT THE 1950’s & 60’s the Owens Yacht Company consistently developed creative advertising campaigns with eye-catching titles like “This New Boat Is A Family Affair!” Years later, that title still remains fresh in Captain Bill’s memory. A few days ago we received a message from fellow Woody Boater Bill Masterson via our Woody Boater Facebook
The Passing of a Small Town Legend Lakeville, NY – Conesus Lake by Chris Rodman Twenty-five minutes south of Rochester, NY there is a lake that has a rich boating history. Growing up in the 50-60’s spending his summer on “golden shores,” Philip F. Spahn Jr. may have spent some years away from the lake,
Known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” – Minnesota has a rich and colorful maritime and resorting tradition reaching back to the late 1800’s. The passion for antique & classic boats in this region of the country is remarkable, and the diversity of the boats (and collections) represents the full spectrum of water craft from
WE JUST LOVE IT when a story comes in to Woody Boater about an original classic boat emerging from long-term storage. The make and model is always important, and we understand that not every barn find (or garage find) these days can be a Liberty powered Baby Gar – but the story of how the
THE CHRIS-CRAFT MARQUE experienced some turbulent times in the late 1970’s and throughout the 1980’s due to changes in ownership and management. However, during that same period, those changes resulted in the evolution of the now legendary Chris-Craft Sportboat models including the Stinger. The popular Stinger line dominated the growing high-performance image of Chris-Craft Sportboats
OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES Roy Dryer’s artwork has focused on commissioned work celebrating peoples’ passions for exotic, classic, antique, and racing automobiles, the beauty of wooden boats, and aircraft. Roy’s passion for his art has paid tribute to beloved pets and racehorses, showcased the true beauty of scenic wineries and high tech businesses, evoking
REPORTING IN FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA – Day 2 & 3 of the 2015 St. John’s River Southbound Cruise had a little bit of everything. High speed cruising on open-flat water, low speed cruising on the twisty river sections, great food, a dip in Silver Glen Springs, and an unexpected dip for a Greavette Sunflash. Here
I REMEMBER GETTING CAUGHT in a heavy Florida rainstorm on Day One of the 2011 St. John’s River Cruise. We were on board Paul & Karen Harrison’s 1965 24′ Chris-Craft Sea Skiff “Kabot’s Habit” and I can’t remember ever seeing rainfall so intense in Florida for that long. But it was relatively warm and we
WITH ONLY FOUR DAYS TO GO until the official start of the 2015 Sunnyland Boat Festival in Tavares, Florida – classic boaters from around the country are gathering together a few days early for the popular St. John’s River Southbound Cruise. The Sunnyland ACBS Chapter organizes two cruises through central Florida in conjuction with the
Today we would like you to join us in congratulating Rosie Lees for her big win at last weekend’s New Zealand Antique & Classic Boat Show. Over the years, much the success of Woody Boater, ACBS HQ / Chapters, and the hobby in general has been due to the contributions, hard work and dedication of
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS about attending classic boat shows is the people you meet and the relationships that develop long after the show is over. We first crossed paths with Doug Meythaler in 2013 during the busy Gull Lake Classic Boat Show in Bar Harbor, Minnesota. Doug is from Golden Valley, MN – just
TODAY WE ARE MAKING A QUICK TRIP up to the Great White North (Ontario, Canada) with fellow Woody Boater Sean Conroy. On Saturday Sean attended a Trent Severn Antique & Classic Boat Association (TSACBA) club workshop in Havelock, Ontario and also stopped in to a few local boat shops, and a classic eatery along the
SPRING IS IN THE AIR and although (officially) the Spring Equinox doesn’t start until March 20th this year – classic boaters from around the country are beginning to “think spring.” Here at Woody Boater we can actually measure this just by the number of reports and event notices that are starting to come in on
TODAY WE TRAVEL TO PORT CARLING in Ontario, Canada with fellow Woody Boaters Chris & Julie Bullen for a Live-ish report from the 2015 Toronto ACBS Winter Workshop. Muskoka – where the varnish is always fresh and the roofs are extra sturdy. – Texx Live-ish from the 2015 Toronto ACBS Winter Workshop Story and Photos
WITHOUT A DOUBT, memories of warm summer days at our favorite lake is what helps us Woody Boaters get through the cold winter months. Last summer we had the opportunity to stop in and spend a few days with our friend (and Woody Boater correspondent) Dane Anderson at his family cabin at Bay Lake, Minnesota.
TODAY WE ARE TRAVELLING TO THE GREAT PACIFIC NORTHWEST for a Live-ish report from the 2015 Seattle Boat Show. This time of year, many of the local ACBS Chapters are representing the hobby at winter boat shows around the country – and, as many of our viewers have touched on over the last few weeks,
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN when the popular winter boats shows are held around the country. This is an opportunity for marine manufacturers and suppliers to unveil their new models and present their latest equipment to the boating public. Celebrating 43 years – this year the Minneapolis Boat Show filled the Minneapolis Convention Center
OUR FRIEND, FELLOW WOODY BOATER AND NOTED CLASSIC BOAT RESTORER Robert DaPron from Seattle, Washington fired up his new Facebook page last week – DaPron Marine Restorations. I stopped by Robert’s new site to review his project photos and came across an interesting restoration that he completed a number of years ago – an iconic
TODAY WE HAVE A LIVE-ISH REPORT from the huge 2015 Toronto International Boat Show north of the border, courtesy of fellow Woody Boaters Chris & Julie Bullen. The Toronto Chapter ACBS continues to be a fantastic ambassador for the antique & classic boat hobby which is evident today’s report. – Texx 2015 Toronto International Boat
THE GOLDEN AGE OF POWERBOATING constantly challenged boat builders to design models that offered performance, speed, quality design and construction with a competitive selling price – all in an attempt to satisfy the needs of an emerging market of pleasure boaters in the early days. And as we know, Chris Smith and Gar Wood were
THE 1960’s WAS A SPECIAL TIME FOR DESIGN AND INNOVATION throughout the entire transportation industry. In the auto industry, designers and engineers were developing higher horsepower engines to meet the ever increasing demands of buyers in the performance segment – which eventually led them to create cars that not only performed better, but also handled
Although I have never actually met Gil Grant in person, I feel like I have known him for years. We were first introduced to Gil and his beautifully restored 1960 Chris-Craft 25′ Cavalier through Robert Miracle’s camera lens back in 2011, when he was shooting classic boats on Lake Chatuge, Georgia for his website. Since
Yesterday, in Part 1 of “The Seventeen Year Itch” we introduced you to John & Sharon Lisicich and followed them on their journey to locate a very rare 1950 17′ Western Fairliner Torpedo. Approximately 36 Fairliner Torpedo’s were produced by Western Boat Building Corporation from mid 1946 to August 1951, including a few special orders
Today we are featuring Part 1 of a story we call “The Seventeen Year Itch” from John & Sharon Lisicich in the great Pacific Northwest. Their remarkable 17 year odyssey to locate and restore No Ka ‘OI – a rare 1950 17′ Fairliner Torpedo is a wonderful example of their patience, dedication and passion. With
Today we are traveling to beautiful Lake D’Iseo, Italy with writer Michele Vernola. It’s 1956 and Michele has made her way to the Riva boat factory to do a story for Speed and Spray – The International Magazine of Powerboating. The name Riva was still relatively new to many boaters in America by the mid
Today we travel to sunny Southern California and Robinson Restoration for a Live-ish report from the SoCal ACBS 2014 Wooden Boat Workshop – courtesy of fellow Woody Boater Marten Anderson, who was on hand for the event. Saturday’s workshop was organized by the Southern California Chapter ACBS is always a big hit. Tim & Brian
As far back as 1955 “Sleeper M-2” has been racing in events up and down the east coast, impressing spectators and fellow racers. The original Chris-Craft built in 1931, was converted to F Service Runabout in 1955 and has raced in a number of configurations throughout her illustrious life. And the best part – you
On Monday this week we ran a great story about the successful re-launch of “D.D. Gorgeous” a (now) outstanding 1941 Chris-Craft 19′ Custom Barrelback owned by Jay & Cindy Peterson from Lake Steilacoom, Washington. Fellow Woody Boater (and neighbour of the Peterson’s) Andy Gustafson was on hand with his camera last weekend to celebrate the
Last weekend a freshly restored 1941 Chris-Craft Barrelback was introduced to her new home on Lake Steilacoom, near Tacoma, Washington – And her name is “D.D. Gorgeous”. And did we mention she is Gorgeous? And we should also mention that Lake Steilacoom is believed to be haunted by the female monster… More on that later.
One of the best things about Woody Boater is we get to cover every aspect of the classic boating hobby which, as you know, has many different avenues and types of events throughout the year – all celebrating the culture of classic boats. Our friend and fellow Woody Boater Bill John from the Vintage Race
With the ongoing debate about classic fiberglass vs classic wood – today on Woody Boater we decided to feature something for everyone, a fair & balanced approach to classic boat reporting, right? Both featured boats today also have an interesting connection to the automotive industry. Here at Woody Boater we love them all. – Texx
If you ever happen to come across an old wooden speedboat in a barn or under a tarp in the Worcester, Massachusetts area and are confused about who originally manufactured it, we may just have the answer in todays story – courtesy of fellow Woody Boater Alden Reed. You see, Alden is a great-grandson of
Today we have a fun story from fellow Woody Boaters Chris & Julie Bullen, who traveled from Ontario, Canada to New York’s beautiful Adirondack Mountains to participate in the recent ACBS International Pre-Events. With their V-8 powered Clarion gentleman’s race boat in tow and the GPS set on “Big Moose Lake” – the adventure begins!
Earlier this week we ran a story on the 2014 RM Hershey, Pennsylvania Auction which included two significant Chris-Craft wooden speedboats to be offered among the 160 collector cars and automobilia related items, scheduled to cross the block on Thursday & Friday. (If you missed it, you can see that story, along with the detailed
American industrialist Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, developed and manufactured the first automobile that many middle class Americans could afford. In doing so, Ford converted the automobile from an expensive curiosity into a practical conveyance that would profoundly impact the landscape of the twentieth century. His introduction of the Model T
American industrialist Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, developed and manufactured the first automobile that many middle class Americans could afford. In doing so, Ford converted the automobile from an expensive curiosity into a practical conveyance that would profoundly impact the landscape of the twentieth century. His introduction of the Model T
The historic Hershey Lodge is the setting for the annual RM Hershey, Pennsylvania sale, with a variety of automobile events occurring all around the Hershey grounds to make this a true enthusiast’s affair. Held in conjunction with the AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) Eastern Fall Meet, the Hershey Week brings together collectors and hobbyists
The prolific Pacific Northwest ACBS Chapter is at it again, this weekend reporting in from Lake Chelan, Washington as they team up with the nice folks from the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum for a weekend of classic boating & vintage race boating, surrounded by Chelan’s emerging wine industry with over 200 acres of wine grapes
The prolific Pacific Northwest ACBS Chapter is at it again, this weekend reporting in from Lake Chelan, Washington as they team up with the nice folks from the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum for a weekend of classic boating & vintage race boating, surrounded by Chelan’s emerging wine industry with over 200 acres of wine grapes
Today we have two great reports from the 39th Annual Lake Minnetonka Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous, which was held last weekend in Minnesota. The reports came in a few days ago from Ian Sandercock and Dane Anderson, but as you know Matt and his team were busy reporting from the 2014 ACBS International in
Today we have Part 2 of Ron Stevenson’s report from last weekend’s Pacific Northwest ACBS Chapter Family Fun Day at / on Mason Lake, Washington. When I see today’s cover photo (above) of longtime Pacific Northwest Chapter members Dick Dow & Craig Magnusson cruising along in “SINDBAD”, I stop and think to myself – “If
The Pacific Northwest Chapter is located in a unique part of the country where they are active (on or near the water) year round, and as Chapter President Robert DaPron says – “We always have something going on here… Our focus this year as a Chapter was to have more boating related activities, getting away
While traveling through northwestern Montana recently, I decided to make a quick pit-stop in the community of Lakeside (on the western shore of Flathead Lake) for a cold drink of water and a splash of fuel for old Harley-Davidson. That particular day it was hotter than a biscuit in Montana – and when ambient temperatures
This summer while visiting my friend and fellow Woody Boater Dane Anderson in Minnesota, one day we decided to take Dane’s 1959 Supreme Spitfire for a leisurely day cruise on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes north of Brainerd. After a wonderful (and adventurous) day of classic boating, we loaded up the mighty 14′ Spitfire and
Late August in Minnesota means one thing – it’s the time when some of the top classic boats in the country (and their owners) gather together to celebrate the Gull Lake Classic Boat Show at Bar Harbor, MN. And once again this year, fellow Woody Boater John Allen and his crew put together another premium
The 2014 Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance entry list is now complete with 70 wooden boats registered, including 26 Marque Class Barrelbacks confirmed. We are excited to announce that Tahoe Yacht Club President David Olson has now confirmed that the Marque Class for the 2015 Concours will be Vintage V-12s! Here’s the fresh Press Release from
When it comes to post-war utilities, there’s no question that the Chris-Craft 25′ Sportsman ranks right up there with the best-of-the-best in terms of rarity, collectability and versatility. Better yet, if they were shipped with the optional Streamline Ventilating Top you had something extra special back in the day (and even today). The always creative
As the summer boat show season begins to ramp up across the country, last weekend the folks in Minnesota were also celebrating the start of summer with the Second Annual 10,000 Lakes Concours d’Elegance along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Minnetonka, in the historic city of Excelsior, MN. With help from the Bob Speltz Land
