Well, Well, We Found A Collectable Classic Boat Vein Yesterday!
Berts Fino
Yesterdays story on future Collectable Boats hit a vein for sure. One of our most active days in Months and to be honest, some fantastic insight into other brands of boats that are not on our radar. For example, Cigarette Boats,
Don P suggested this very cool Little Cigarette WOW!
Formula Boats, Sure we know about them, but for some reason forgot. Thanks for that.
A special Formula called The Cigarette? YNOT Yacht gang out having fun! Berts Donzi baby having fun. Photo Arron LaDonne
Also, and why didn’t we think of it before… Center console boats. We haven’t really explored those yet. And …yet, they are the number one style boat being used today.
How about a 1975 23ft Sea Craft center console with a straight inboard (351 Ford Windsor). Beautifully restored! Thanks Tamara!
And what about Jimmys amazing Mako? This is the go to boat here amonst many cool options.
What drives a boat to be collectable? Memories? A focused Purpose? Extreme design? All of the above.
Berts amazing Barracuda. How did we leave these off the list?
Another Arena Craft barracuda from lake Tahoe! I must have one!
Arena- Craft Manta … How did we miss Arena Craft? There are so many cool boats out there. But Arena Craft clearly is a collectable brand.
And what was I thinking. Aristo Crafts? These are highly collectable and there is even a small museum now! And heck, you can still buy one new!
This amazing Bertram in Florida.
The point here is that there are a ton of fun options out there and its the best part of collecting classic boats. The options and designs are endless.
Matt, I can not agree with you more. Once again, the “leader of the classic boat universe” has expanded the definition of the classic boat “lifestyle”. Bravo!
On top of that. Many of these future (technically already) Classics are affordable which means it is a gateway to boating for young and modest people like myself. At only 30 I have had the pleasure of having several boats from yesterday’s list and never spent over $5000. That leaves me enough money for gas and beverages so that I get to be an ambassador for the hobby when admires want to know about what I am floating in.
I feel another factor in becoming a classic is quality. Your Bertram’s, Cigarette’s, Formula’s and Donzi’s were/are built to very high quality standards. The cheaper built boats seldom last long enough to become classics. That being said I did see a very cool well maintained Bayliner about a year ago. Wish I had gotten some pictures.
This is one of my favorite shots of Gottago, our 1985 Formula 242LS for last years St. Johns River Cruise taken by Craig Stainfield. Note that is President Al and Karen Benton in the back seat.
I agree, quality is important as well as design. Some boats are just more pleasing to the eye than others. There’s some cool glass boats out there, but I don’t think you could pop a barrel back out of a mold.
It pleases my heart to see everyone’s dream list and suggestions for the “Future Collectibles” are all FiberClassics. Very little wood. Thanks Matt to opening up the eyes, to many out there that this era of boats are not only cool, and affordable, but accepted in the Classic boating community. The ACBS board got a lot of push back a couple of years ago, when we moved the Inclusive Classic date to be considered for judging, to 25 years old or more. (now 1992) Agreed most of the boats reviewed today and yesterday were from the Late 60’s and into the 70’s, the boats considered years from now will be a moving target in years to come. What is a Classic? “It is all in the eye of the beholder.”
By the way, my vote for a collectible boat, is the Lake N Sea models…
i also think the little Glasspar G – 3 model will always be collectible.8
I also agree, any boat touched by the hands of the godfather of offshore racing, is, and always will be collectible.
I do like classic fiberglass and there really has to be a “live & let live” attitude with these boats as people like many different things for different reasons. But, I don’t think that every old boat is a classic… How do you tell the difference? For example this 1968 Cutter, Mark Twain was (and is) a popular boat and has a bit of a following. It does nothing exceptionally well (or poorly), it has no unique features, a generic style, and holds no particular place in advancing the history of recreational boats. Is it a Classic or not?
Sean, you bring up a good point, and one the ACBS board wrestled with. I feel it needs to be of historic significance; either because of the designer, ie Don Aronow, style ie, the finn era, following, ie Glasspar, Correct Craft, or Glastron for example. Historic records/background, ie, the first of, or in movies, or racing, etc.
BUT, the argument and consensus of the board, was; ” that is all subjective to ones taste” and we needed to take that “in my opinion, vs your opinion” out of the debate of what should or should not be considered a classic.
So far after two years since that decision, there has not been any issues that I have heard of, where someone has brought a 1990 Sea Ray to a Classic boat show and wanted to be judged, and take up a dock space that could have gone to an older, historic classic.
Besides, the ACBS guidelines I speak of, only pertain to the A.C.B.S. Annual Meeting and Boat Show each September. Every Chapter can follow those guidelines or modify them as they see fit.
We have been putting this 1980 18 classic together for a couple years almost done.
Matt, now that you opened this can of worms, maybe we can ask everyone, ” What is their favorite
“Out Board” growing up?
If you mean the brand of the “drink mixer” on the back… I’m a MERC man! If you mean an o/b boat… there’s many to choose but, I’d say a Donzi 16 Baby, a Shepherd Jr. a Hydrodyne ski boat. a Glastron GT150 or a Sidewinder. However, I’m not a “wacker-on-the-backer” kind of guy.
Another classic boat with a classic boat babe…
Top 10 list should include the Glass Century’s. I’m partial to the Resorter.
As for outboards, I grew up with a family boat, Cutter make with a 1961 Evinrude Lark 40.
Great topic and discussion!
Does metal count? 1963 Grumman square stern, white water keel 19 foot. M&M
1960 Reinell Jetflite – Rare and smoking hot with the vintage boat and 1950s car crowd. The rear of the boat was an interpretation of the 1959 Chevrolet – right down to the tail lights.