Hagadone Marine And The Pacific Northwest Chapter Make A Splash At The Seattle Boat Show
This afternoon we received two Live-ish reports from the huge Seattle Boat Show up in Washington State. As one of the premier areas in the country for recreational boating, the Seattle area and the waters throughout the beautiful Pacific Northwest offer up something for every boater. So you can only imagine how popular the Seattle Boat Show is for folks in the surrounding area.
From the Seattleboatshow.com website –
The West Coast’s Largest Boat Show – the Seattle Boat Show, Indoors + Afloat – kicks off January 25 and runs through February 3, 2013. The Seattle Boat Show feaures 1,000 boats for every budget designed to meet every recreational need featured at CenturyLink Field, plus world class yachts, trawlers and more at South Lake Union. The show, the largest on the West Coast, features a free shuttle service between the two venues. For more information, visit can Click Here to visit the Seattle Boat Show website (Boat show photos courtesy Seattleboatshow.com)
Our friends Craig Brosenne and Eric O’Brien from the Hagadone Marine Group / Resort Boat Shop in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho are on hand at the Seattle Boat Show with two of their custom built – world class wooden speedboats, which are designed and produced at the Resort Boat Shop facility in Post Fall, Idaho. (You can click on the photos to enlarge them)
So if you prefer the traditional look and ride of a wooden speedboat with all the modern conveniences of a high performance boat, look no further than Hagadone Marine and the Resort Boat Shop. They also specialize in classic boat restoration and repairs for all types of wooden boats and have a solid reputation for excellence.
“Jefe” was designed and built by The Resort Boat Shop in collaboration with owner Jerry Gilbreath – which won “Best Contemporary Boat” at the 2011 ACBS International Show at Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. Donna and Jerry Gilbreath, a champion offshore powerboat racer, collaborated to provide a one-of-a-kind craft that pleases both of them. Donna requested a quiet running machine and a wind-free cockpit. Another unique characteristic is that the bow never rises into the driver’s field of vision, at any acceleration.
The ultra-custom runabout was launched in June 2009. The boat is cold-molded with Western Red Cedar and African mahogany. “Jefe”, pronounced HEH-fay, is Spanish for chief or leader. “Jefe” is 34 feet long, with an 8-foot 6-inch beam and 15-degree deadrise. The boat is powered by twin 400-horsepower Mercury Engine Bravo 1 drives.
If you are in the Seattle area this week, stop by and check out their display and get a first hand look of these remarkable custom wood boats. For more information on the Hagadone Marine Group / Resort Boat Shop you can also Click Here to go to their website.
(Sorry about the focus in this shot, it was still a bit foggy in Seattle when it was shot this morning… – Texx)
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Pacific Northwest Chapter ACBS Display
Report by Ron Stevenson and Dick Dow
The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society was able to get a booth at the last minute to this years boat show. Some say that our hobby had gone to the dogs. Pictured is Cole Franchini’s (son of Brian) 1959 Skeeto made by MoldCraft Corporation in Fort Washington, Wisconsin. It appears 500 were built between 1959 and 1960.
Also at the show is a 1958 Skagit Plastics Ski Master, powered by a 55hp 4 cycle BEARCAT. This a really nice original boat, and is on display to welcome new classic boat owners to our group.
The “anchor” boat so to speak is a 1940 19′ Chris-Craft Custom Runabout (aka “Barrel Back”) with the cool blue faced gauges, the awesome marbled plastic steering wheel, and the Bugatti windshield. It is modern powered by the 350 Mercruiser, and has one hour on it from the restoration by Bruce of Bronson Boatworks in Gig Harbor, Washington. – Ron Stevenson
The original 1958 Skagit Plastics 16′ Ski Master named “Baby Blues” is owned by PNW Chapter members (and fellow Woody boaters) Dick and Kathy Dow. Dick commented –
The most popular boat? Skeeto of course! One guy came through the booth last night and exclaimed that he had one for his first boat when he was about 6 years old – how cool is that?
The fun of having the 16′ Skagit there is the old guys (my age) coming through, shaking their heads with a smile and telling stories of fishing, waterskiing, camping – you name it – in one “just about like that” … Glasspar, Pacific Mariner, Sabre Craft, Reinell, the names of the manufacturers rolling out with the look of someone describing their first love on their faces… – Dick Dow
Thanks for the reports Ron & Dick. As always, it’s great to see the local chapters out at the winter boat shows representing the antique and classic boat hobby. Have fun!
Texx
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Those new boats from Hagadone Marine are absolutely stunning!
I’m sorry, but the Chris Craft Lancer 20 I have been coveting since 2006 has just dropped a step on my “if I ever win the lottery” wish list.
Wow. Just amazing pieces of marine art & performance.
I NEEDASKEETO
You need two skeetos! One for each of your children. Or did you want it for yourself?
Hmmmm, I don’t see this 55hp Bearcat being replaced. Thanks for the report, great pictures too for a cold snowy day.
Rick – Imagine cruising the waters of Long Island Sound in one of those twin-engine, 800HP wooden speedboats… No wind in the cockpit – You could invite “the Donald” for a ride!
As a custom you could have a locker just for the Grey Pupon. Do breakfast in Montauk and lunch in Manhattan. Sweet looking boats.
Sean – To see one of these boats in person is very cool. The Jerry Gilbreath inspired performance and handling is reported to be wonderful.
Here’s a few shots of two custom speedboats they were building when I visited the Resort Boat Shop last May.
One more of her rear-end…
Texx,
Thanks for posting the boat porn , um errr I maen boat pics!
I’m green with envy of your visit.
Before this story I had not even heard of these guys. But, it’s like they robbed every thought in my head while dreaming of a newly designed woody performance boat. At least in my books… they “got it right”!
Skeeto’s are very cool little boats. There’s been one up in our area for a few years now. It would be nice to see it at next year’s Gull Lake Show. Here’s the intro by West Bend in May of 1957. In 1958 it was being manufactured by MoldCraft. Nice boat show display, something for everyone! Congratulations to Dick Dow for having the heart to keep running the Bearcat.
Thanks Lee – That’s great stuff.
The vintage Bearcat 55 from Matt’s Boston Whaler – Out of service now…
R.I.P Bearcat 55
Lee! The Skeeto ad is amazing. I should have known to talk to you first as we have been searching for information on Cole’s boat since we found it several years ago.
Cole and I have been working on a CNC kit form of Skeeto and are getting really close. Final tweaking to make sure the lines stay true to the original. Our goal is to have a fun, easy kit that helps build youth programs and gets kids (and adults) in the water in this great little boat. Stay tuned…
That’s Port Washington, Wisconsin, thank you very much, NOT Fort Washington. It’s a wee bit north of Milwaukee on Lake Michigan’s shore.
Sitting in the doctor’s waiting room just now. It was either the morning WoodyBoater, or a dogeared, four month old issue of Lucky magazine, with the dna and germs of a thousand different patients embedded. No wait. There’s a third choice. The (relatively) current O.
Re today’s story, names come to mind for the little boat, such as Myskeeto, Skeedaddle, Skeetoh!
It’s a love / hate thing when you find a fun name. The compulsion to find a boat for it becomes greater. Skeetover. Skeetoo
Sitting in the doctor’s waiting room just now. It was either the morning WoodyBoater, or a dogeared, four month old issue of Lucky magazine, with the dna and germs of a thousand different patients embedded. No wait. There’s a third choice. The (relatively) current O.
Re today’s story, names come to mind for the little boat, such as Myskeeto, Skeedaddle, Skeetoh!
It’s a love / hate thing when you find a fun name. The compulsion to find a boat for it becomes greater. Skeetover. Skeedoo.
I looked inside each of the boats from the Coeur d’Alene shop and was blown away by the craftsmanship. All the frame edges were rounded over, all the overlaps were perfect on the frames, the frames were very symmetrical from one side to another and everything inside appeared finished in varnish. The chine logs were about 2-3 inches deep and easily 6 or more inches wide making for incredible strength. The rest of each boat was simply Steinway and should be in the living room. Sorry but that goes back to “if you have to ask….”.
The one with the dark covering boards was planked in Sapele and the other in African. The Sapele is not all that different from Meranti.
These are exquisite boats.
Hey I remember those girls from the lk Geneva show. They know their way around both port and starboard, just ask MikeM when his spouse is not looking. Great People, nice boats.