I have never been a “boat guy”, which is surprising considering my affinity for vintage vehicles of almost every kind. It’s also a bit of a shock considering I’ve lived in Rhode Island for over ten years and most recently, just outside of Annapolis, two areas known for having passionate boating communities. I may finally take the plunge and I’d love a vintage mahogany boat like this one here on Facebook Marketplace that was supposedly built by the seller’s grandfather for use on Lake Macatawa in Michigan.
The era of boats made out of wood seemingly reached its peak in the 40s and 50s, as you can still find all sorts of vintage crafts with inboard motors listed for sale on any number of classifieds sites. As someone who is just beginning to learn about them, all I can tell you so far is most of my friends with boats think this is an incredibly challenging way to get into the culture, as inboards just more work owing to their location in the boat and wood hulls demand far more of your attention as it relates to ongoing maintenance.
To me, however, if you’re not bent on open ocean cruising, this is where it’s at for putting around from dock to dock, marina to marina, in a limited travel pattern. There’s also a whole culture that goes along with these handsome crafts, from docking at the local yacht club for a a few hours to getting within earshot of an outdoor concert and just hanging out on the boat with friends. I realize I’m offending every guy who uses their center console to go fishing, but I haven’t added that hobby to my repertoire as of yet. By the way, for a homemade job, the details appear to be excellent with this project boat.
So, what do you make of a boat built by an individual who didn’t work for the likes of Chris Craft or some other major manufacturer? I can’t even begin to deduct how you assess structural integrity or the quality of craftmanship on a one-off like this, but the photos seem to suggest the seller’s grandfather knew what they were doing. It comes with a “….transmission box and gear box along with a drive shaft,” as well as the steamer he used to shape the mahogany. At one time, it had a Pontiac straight-eight for an engine, which just makes it even cooler. Someone needs to rescue this beauty!
I have the name of a very good certified marine surveyor/consultant if you need such services. I assume sailboats are the hot ticket near Annapolis.
Judging from the photos it sure looks like the gentleman who built this knew what he was doing. Very beautiful craftsmanship.
There was a Chris Craft factory where this boat was built. It’s very likely the builder had some experience or expert help.
If you are interested due to the rounded shape of the stern those were called barrel backs. Funny, because some cars are called boat tails.
Look very carefully for any broken frames or rot. Take a sharp penknife and poke any suspicious wood. Find out how many years the boat was in use. Hopefully the builder worked to a proven design. See if anyone knows about plans or what design it was built to.
Agent Gibbs, your boat is ready. It
reminds me of Mark Harmon’s character on NCIS who builds boats in his basement. Gotta hand it to the
seller’s grandpa, he must’ve been a really good craftsman.
Hey Jeff, Visit us here at Woody Boater, we are here for you to enjoy the vintage boating life. You may be shocked to know that many classic boats require little maintenance once restored correctly. Its all the fun that vintage cars were back before all the hype. You can still find stuff in barns and 427’s Hemi’s you name it are still hauling you know what at full throttle across the US