My dads first (real) boat....

[Instigator]

Lost my dad 6 months ago and starting to pay attention to things that you wouldnt normally.

About a yr before he died he gave me a note book w/notes and pixs on all his boats in it.
And stories behind them, the decision to buy them, performance etc.
He was an engineer so go figure ;)

My older brother just added this picture to it and reminded me that he built this boat in his garage, making me a second generastion boat builder ;)

Pretty cool gig though.

This was back in the day when Chris Craft (all wood back then) sold kits to build your own Chris Craft which I think is way cool.

This a '1955 15' plywood boat, built 4 yrs before I was born.
He switched between a 5 1/2 hp and 25 hp depending lake/limits.
In his notes he claims 28 mph w/the 25 and states that they skied behind it.

Also, notice the hard top on it.
He and my brother went to a junk yard and cut this top off a wrecked pickup and mounted it on the boat!
Looks like it came w/the boat!
Did I mention he was an engineer?

He was a WW II stud (Navy) and got us into boating after deciding it was the best bang for the buck for family activity.
Did I mention he was engineer?

His next boat after this one, looked very similar but was 18' and had twin 25's. So a muscle boat for the era.
I am searching for a picture of it behind our '1962 Lesabre convertible, new at the time. (like to have it back?)

Anyhow, hope you enjoy.
Sometimes we dont realize how far weve come w/o looking at where we came from.

[89LASER]

Very cool pictures. I wish I had some pictures of my Dads boats..

[rock]

I wish my dad had been into boats. A couple years back I found out my grandfather (dad's dad) built wooden work boats.

Your dad sounds pretty cool. Sorry for your loss.

Rock

[Instigator]

Doing what he loved, near the end.

[LakeFever]

Sorry for your loss. Your Dad was very cool and your story is inspiring. Thanks for sharing

[LakeTrash]

Very cool Gary. My dad's first was a 16' Chris Craft kit boat, plywood with a flathead Ford. He built it in 1954 in Spokane. I was 10 and not much help. He was transferred to Shreveport in 1957. My mom told the company she was not moving without her boat so they ended up sticking it in the moving van. She was tough.

Hope to see ya'll soon.
Dennis

[H2OPERF]

Sorry to hear Gary... sounds like maybe all our dads had the same bug, my dad built a few wood boats back in the day before my time i think one was a kit.. always heard about the one with twin 16hp scotts, theres gotta be some old pics at my moms house will try and find em.. Hey Dennis, haven't seen you on here in a while , Did you ever fire up that T-58.. Dave

[Dave S]

HeeHe... I an't come far .... still stickin to the old waydaZZZZZ.....Good story bout our past....Lake Trash... I bet that boat woun't PLANE.....

[Trilogy1]

Chris Craft has came a long way since then. Was at the factory not long ago picking one up. Nice post sir.
425486

[Dave S]

I had a model when I was young.... The consolation....

[Dave S]

Lake Trash... too much BBC in the back.....HeeHee..... Just Teasing ya......Had the twin to your boat.... .... set up buy Dick O day...BBC All heads... # 2 SSM .....a real early one that you could twist 180# to change the prop.....Before most Of them on S+F.....Knew....Just Me Old....

[Instigator]

Chris Craft #2.

Plywood construction, single SBC.
Docked at Cedar Point amusement park and they had a speed boat that gave rides in the bay.
Dad out ran them in that cruiser, our first one.

Traded our 18’ w/the twin 25’s for it after a family weekend w/It in 3 days of rain.
I remember sleeping in the car 😬

That boat was the beginning of our 3 wk boat vacations.
Cross Lake Erie, up the Detroit River into/across Lake St Clair, up the St Clair River and into and across Lake Huron.
One yr we’d follow the Canadian side to Georgian Bay/North Channel, next yr the US side to Makinac Island.

[Instigator]

Chris Craft #3.

37’, twin 327’s, double planked mahogany hull, all varnished mahogany interior.
Gorgeous boat.

Anchored in Georgian Bay, Ontario.

Me on my favorite perch, the old man w/his pipe.
Used to put a screen on it and turn it upside down to smoke in the rain.

[Instigator]

Lake Trash is s buddy of mine and put a ton of effort into that Jones boat and would love to see your comments.
He never got his to run the way it should.

Heres a funny one for you. I bought a used bore light off e-bay yrs ago and when it showed up, it’s case had a Dick Odea (??) Racing sticker on it. Knowing who he was, I asked if it was him/his and it was.
I still use it and still has the sticker on it.


Lake Trash... too much BBC in the back.....HeeHee..... Just Teasing ya......Had the twin to your boat.... .... set up buy Dick O day...BBC All heads... # 2 SSM .....a real early one that you could twist 180# to change the prop.....Before most Of them on S+F.....Knew....Just Me Old....

[outasite]

"North Channel" my favorite place to spend two weeks

[Li'l Toy]

Now I get your fascinatin with big boats--you grew up that way. Don't know what other boats he had, but when I was born in '53 my Dad had a 35' or so Bahamas built sailboat--met my Mom in it, she in the 75' schooner she and her aunt and uncle built by hand in the out islands of the Bahamas (remember Wackiest Ship in the Army?--that one). But my Dad figured, with kids, a small outboard we could take out often made more sense than the sailboat, so when I was still very young he bought 14-1/2 Marlin made with the new fangled fiberglass stuff, with an 18 pressure tank Johnson. Then he built me an Optimist pram as a rowboat, then a 4' by 8' "barge" to gunkhole around Fort Lauderdale with my friends, then it really started when he and I built a MiniMax for my brother. Rest was history. My brother and I ran that Marlin in the Gold Coast Marathon in what must have been 63 or 64, and we ran against a MiniMost Dad helped a friend's son build because that Dad wanted his son to have the kind of hands-on experience my Dad could give him.

[Instigator]

What a cool story Pat.

Thanks for sharing.


Now I get your fascinatin with big boats--you grew up that way. Don't know what other boats he had, but when I was born in '53 my Dad had a 35' or so Bahamas built sailboat--met my Mom in it, she in the 75' schooner she and her aunt and uncle built by hand in the out islands of the Bahamas (remember Wackiest Ship in the Army?--that one). But my Dad figured, with kids, a small outboard we could take out often made more sense than the sailboat, so when I was still very young he bought 14-1/2 Marlin made with the new fangled fiberglass stuff, with an 18 pressure tank Johnson. Then he built me an Optimist pram as a rowboat, then a 4' by 8' "barge" to gunkhole around Fort Lauderdale with my friends, then it really started when he and I built a MiniMax for my brother. Rest was history. My brother and I ran that Marlin in the Gold Coast Marathon in what must have been 63 or 64, and we ran against a MiniMost Dad helped a friend's son build because that Dad wanted his son to have the kind of hands-on experience my Dad could give him.

[tnelsmn]

Great story, thanks for sharing. It's cool seeing all those old boats.

[FMP]

Chris Craft #3.

37’, twin 327’s, double planked mahogany hull, all varnished mahogany interior.
Gorgeous boat.

Anchored in Georgian Bay, Ontario.

Me on my favorite perch, the old man w/his pipe.
Used to put a screen on it and turn it upside down to smoke in the rain.
During 69 -71 a TV show Adventures in Rainbow Country was film in that area. LaCloche Mountains, Whitefish Falls, which is near Espanola, Little Current etc
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3ufHe-P2DIw/hqdefault.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ufHe-P2DIw

[Dave S]

WOW.... Little Toy..... Racing at....1953....1963.... Math? ten years old.... cool Nunnad Fun Thread....

[Instigator]

That may have been Little Current.
Was a regular destination.
Toberymorey, Kilarney the etc.

I remember touring the Flower Pot Islands from Tobermory.
Still have some hand made items from local artisans.

I remember one yr Tobermory had the “first under water film festival”.
It was very popular w/wreck divers thanks to the crystal clear water, and the cold water preserved the wrecks.

Also, this was pre GPS navigation. The old man did it all by compass.
He would plot our course the night before which told him how long at each compass heading.


During 69 -71 a TV show Adventures in Rainbow Country was film in that area. LaCloche Mountains, Whitefish Falls, which is near Espanola, Little Current etc
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3ufHe-P2DIw/hqdefault.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ufHe-P2DIw

[FMP]

I know the area well, super place to boat. How far down from Killarney did you tour into the 30,000 islands on the other side? If you get the chance do it.

[Slough]

Sorry for your loss. Cool story.

[Scream And Fly]

I absolutely love old boats and the stories that are attached to them. Very coo, Gary!

[Mark75H]

Classic pictures of a bygone era, worth their weight in gold, the stories attached to to them are like polished diamonds

[Tom Foley]

Cool pics and story Gary . I grew up in Freeport , NY across from Al Grovers ,Maresca Boat yard and down the block were all the other dealers for Owens , Trojan , Egg Harbor etc . We grew up around all those Chris Craft cruisers and watched them get worked on all summer long by dedicated owners who sanded their lives away ! RIP Mr. Williams .

[Instigator]

Was an amazing childhood for me and I'm experienced enough to know how lucky I was.
I stood up at his funeral and told some great stories about him, most involving boating.

One early trip north we stopped at and toured the Chris Craft factory in Holland Mi while they were still building wooden boats there.

Another trip north on my favorite boat he owned, a '1957 39' Richardson, we got stuck in Goderich Ontario when an alternator went out on one of the Gray Marine 6 cylinder in-line flat heads.
This was a commercial shipping port where they were used to fixing tings with what they had.
The mechanic at the marina figured out that a Massey Ferguson tractor used the same alternator and found one in Detroit!

The old man paid him, to drive to Detroit, on a Sunday, to retrieve the alternator so he could install it Monday so we could continue our trip!
Not sure what it cost him but learned a life lesson in that he never bitched or let it effect ours or our cruising friends vacation.

Learned another life lesson when he was trying to sell that boat. Basically giving it away and I wanted it.
I was probably early 20's at the time.
He told me, "son, if I gave you that boat for free, you still couldnt afford to own it".
He was right and I never forgot it.

In the one picture from the bow, looking back, you can see our friends boat following us.
It was a '1960 35' Chris Craft Roamer. They built them from aluminum and steel and that one was steel.
Another gorgeous, classic boat.
They had an inflatable dinghy w/a folding 3 hp OMC on it.



Cool pics and story Gary . I grew up in Freeport , NY across from Al Grovers ,Maresca Boat yard and down the block were all the other dealers for Owens , Trojan , Egg Harbor etc . We grew up around all those Chris Craft cruisers and watched them get worked on all summer long by dedicated owners who sanded their lives away ! RIP Mr. Williams .

[Mark75H]

I worked on a few Roamers back in the day. The steel ones were work, but the aluminum ones were a b!tch

[1954bmw]

What was wrong with the aluminum ones???

[mr fun]

VERY NICE thread Gary, so sorry for your loss. love the connection to the classic crusiers. Had a 37' Roamer sportfish out of steel that ended up being a nightmare but was my daughters first home and a lot of good memories. Your dad seemed to be quite a cool dude, love the pipe, all the best, Keith

[Instigator]

He was a stud, and my hero.
Espically when it came to boats.

Just read one story I had forgotten.
After two days of being weathered in on Lake Huron, the lake laid down but then fogged in.
Dad decided that w/fog, normally brings calm water.
They decided to head out and the lake was dead calm.
Cruised side by side to keep a watch on visibility.

They then cruised for 6 hrs w/50 yard visibility, out of site of land, by compass!
Im pretty balsy w/a GPS but turn that off and cruise compass course??
Balls.

[CUDA]

Richardson Boats were made at the end of the street I grew up on.

http://richardsonboats.com/

[Instigator]

Way cool.

The wooden Chris's were awesome boats but had more of a mass produced feel to them.

The Richardson was like a fine piece of furniture w/no expense spared. I remember when they added the holding tank to it and had to cut the hole in the side deck for pump out.
1" solid teak on top of 1" plywood w/metal rods running through it!

Was a round bottom though and liked to roll. Made it through one storm in Lake Huron with 13 - 14' waves (per coast guard).
Drawers in cabin had notches in rails/slides that they dropped into and locked them close. Had to lift up to open them.
In that storm they all came open and dumped everything on the floor! Was like a mine field w/cans of soup rolling around.
The bow hatch came open and I remember seeing my mom levitated over the vee berth while trying to close it.

Funny too, another life lesson? The old man never showed fear in any of that so neither did we.
Never forgot that.

The picture bellow, beside the Roamer, was taken at Machinac Island.

PS, the script on the bow of the Richardson says in script, RBCO.
Richardson Boat Company


Richardson Boats were made at the end of the street I grew up on.

http://richardsonboats.com/

[Mark75H]

What was wrong with the aluminum ones???

Start with this: the anodes have to be magnesium rather than zinc. Then go to - you can't use any steel without 100% isolation from the hull. The shaft bearings will probably seize before they wear out and will pinch the shafts causing impressive vibration at idle in gear as the shafts twist up and jump untwisted in the bearings. Wooden boats need to be recaulked, aluminum boats need to be rebonded and checked and checked. Your neighbor's careless electrolysis can become YOUR problem. Lots of special aluminum fittings like valves that have shorter service life than their bronze counterparts.

Its basically a full time job for one person just to keep one functional; fall behind and you have several tons of giant aluminum sieve.

[Mark75H]

I agree on the Richardson being crafted like fine furniture. We had some of them on the Chesapeake too.

[CUDA]

I remember the Guy next door had a wood plank runabout, would fill the inside of the boat to make the wood swell?

Wood / Work

[Instigator]

Yep.

When they put our Richardson in in Spring, theyd make it the last one of the day and leave it in the slings w/a trash pump in the bilge until the planks swelled and closed up the seams.
Wouldnt leak the rest of the summer.

Mark75, Marinette figured out aluminum boats. Ive owned 3.
My favorite brand of cruiser.


I remember the Guy next door had a wood plank runabout, would fill the inside of the boat to make the wood swell?

Wood / Work

[Instigator]

Heres a 58' Roamer for sale at Pine Island Fla.

It has a 13' Whaler and a motorcycle on the roof!

More proof of the old man telling me. "if I gave you the boat for free, you still couldnt afford it".

The all too common end for another grand old girl.
Was the queen of the fleet in her day.

I doubt he gets what he wants from the auction.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-58-Chris-Craft-Roamer-yacht-house-boat/113475939337

[FMP]

That's a good one. We had a similar one just a smaller same year come through our area a couple years back. Total restoration, diesels, all bright work and trim wood near perfect. I couldn't stop looking at her and the owner couldn't stop looking at our Chrysler boat all shining. We were both tied at the same dock. I said to him nothing looks that good anymore. He said he can't believe how good our 17' looks. I could have stayed and yapped for the evening but dinner called. Maybe we'll see each other next season.

[Instigator]

I knew our old Mainship was a slow pig but when I got passed by an early '50's wood Chriscraft....., that was something else.

This was the era of the bulbous noses.
Their top of line then was a 47' (I think) and believe it or not there are two of them in our area of Lake Erie. Both complete restorations and both w/the very rare triple engine option! Probably 392 Hemis.
We were under way at our screaming 17 mph when I saw one of them coming around me. Couldnt believe it.
Was a site to behod.
Ive heard tales of the two racing each other.

In our area we had a couple 47' glass commanders, a 42' a couple of 47' (or bigger) mid '60's era wood (also restored) and a 43' wood Mathews that used to be built in the area.


That's a good one. We had a similar one just a smaller same year come through our area a couple years back. Total restoration, diesels, all bright work and trim wood near perfect. I couldn't stop looking at her and the owner couldn't stop looking at our Chrysler boat all shining. We were both tied at the same dock. I said to him nothing looks that good anymore. He said he can't believe how good our 17' looks. I could have stayed and yapped for the evening but dinner called. Maybe we'll see each other next season.

[FMP]

Was just looking at pics to refresh my memory, I think it was a Commander. She was beautiful. I didn't take a pic of it at the time , I should have. Maybe next year. I do remember I had just replaced my working twin fuel pump diaphragms with aftermarket junk, tore both within five hrs running. Put the old ones back till I had genuine parts again (merc replacements this time). She stumbled a bit on take off from the dock, made me angry. They were half circle ripped in no time and dumping fuel.

[Mark75H]

I knew our old Mainship was a slow pig but when I got passed by an early '50's wood Chriscraft....., that was something else.

This was the era of the bulbous noses.
Their top of line then was a 47' (I think) and believe it or not there are two of them in our area of Lake Erie. Both complete restorations and both w/the very rare triple engine option! Probably 392 Hemis.
We were under way at our screaming 17 mph when I saw one of them coming around me. Couldnt believe it.
Was a site to behod.
Ive heard tales of the two racing each other.

In our area we had a couple 47' glass commanders, a 42' a couple of 47' (or bigger) mid '60's era wood (also restored) and a 43' wood Mathews that used to be built in the area.

The Mathews weren't uncommon in the east as well. Didn't they have a bow chock with the name along the bottom?

And a Higgins or Huckins would blow the >-CCC-> scrolled boats away even with half the power. A Fairform Flyer is a thing of beauty at speed like nothing else.