Member Boats: 1955-1960

Boats presently or previously owned by members of the Heartland Classics Chapter.

The Antique and Classic Boat Society (ACBS) has designated age classifications which include boats of all hull material and purposes.  Although well known for wooden pleasure craft of the mid 20th century, the members’ appreciation of historic craftsmanship and styling blended with the purposeful utilitarian use of all vessels leads our members to be guardians of all types and ages of watercraft.

Chickadee

1955 Chris Craft Cavalier 15′ “Chickadee” owned by Dick & Cara Moist

1955 Chris Craft 15’ Utility Runabout Powered by Chris Craft A inboard 60 hp Hull # V221

Owned by Richard & Cara Moist of Springfield, Missouri

Chickadee started life in Indianapolis, IN in 1955. Was purchased by Dr. Charles “Chick” Comer for his brother Dr. Kenny Comer, who had just bought a summer cottage in upper Wisconsin on Little Saint Germain lake. Very soon after the purchase Dr. Chick passed away before having had a chance to ride in the boat. So you can see where the name came from.

In 1965 we meet Dr. Chicks son Dr. Jonathan “Jot” Comer and his wife Gwen at Great Lakes Naval Training Center where we were both serving as Dental officers. During the course of the next few years, we would meet and became friends with all associated with the Chickadee. As age took its course Dr. Kenny died and wife Clair wanted Jot to have the boat. It was hauled to Mooresville, IN where the families lived.

We traveled to Mooresville each year for the 500 and Jot and family came to MO in the summer to boat. We brought the boat to Springfield for minor repair and to run it on Table Rock lake. A couple of years later the boat went back to IN to be used there for one year. That winter Jot died from prostate cancer. The boat was stored for two years before we bought it and brought it back to Springfield in 2001. At that time it underwent a complete refinishing and motor rebuild, bring it to modern standards.

It now resides on Table Rock Lake at the Ozarks Yacht Club dock on Indian point. It comes out for evening rides and ACBS events.

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Diehl Cobra

1955 Chris Craft 21′ Cobra owned by Dan & Alicia Diehl

Blue Max

1955 Chris Craft 42′ Commander owned by Alan Downey

1955 Capri

This 1955 Chris Craft 21′ Capri is owned by Clay and Patty Thompson.

This is number 76 of the 170 21’ CAPRI’S that were built in 1955, and ‘56. They offered several engine options back then, but this one has the reliable six cylinder Hercules, model MBL. With comfortable room for 6, it attains speeds to 39 mph. The blonde wood accents and red interior make for a beautiful combination.

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Sunday Drive

1955 Correct Craft Commuter Deluxe owned by Renee and Todd Weitekamp

This is our 1955 Correct Craft Commuter Deluxe.  3 year restoration of this boat and we performed all the work in our dairy barn milking parlor.  This is a 30th anniversary edition which is signified by the yellow pennant painted on the sides.  We did repower it from a Gray Marine Phantom to a Chrysler Marine 331 Hemi which actually was a power option for this boat, but rarely ever selected. 
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1955 Chris Craft Corsair

1955 Chris Craft 45′ Corsair owned by Garin & Ashley Ferguson.  Homeport is Table Rock Lake, MO.

Island Star

1956 Chris Craft 23′ Continental “Island Star” owned by James & Cheri Davis

This 23 foot Chris-Craft Continental was delivered in May 1957 to Minnetonka Marine in Minnesota. I purchased this boat in 2010 in good condition with a newer bottom and rebuilt engine. The previous owner,of 15 years ,was from Gig Harbor WA. The steering wheel is from a 1957 Lincoln Continental. The steering wheel and upholstery are cream and coral mist in color. We named the boat “Island Star”. The boat resides at our family cabin on Star Island in Cass Lake, MN.
Jeff & Cherie Davis Kansas City MO.

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1956 Larson Falls Flyer

1956 Larson Falls Flyer 14′ owned by Ernie and Jo Lierman

Miss Julianna

1956 Chris Craft Cavalier owned by Jack Pryor

Miss Julianna was originally delivered in 1955 to Buckeye Lake in Ohio.  Her Hercules Model A engine runs at 60 HP at 3200 RPM.  She is made of Mahogany plywood.

She was partially restored when Jack Pryor bought her in 2012.  That restoration was completed in May of 2014.  She was named after Jack’s granddaughter who was lost at birth.

Miss Julianna has the distinction of being the only boat to be towed in twice at the 2013 Classics Cruisin’ Table Rock Lake event.

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Put Put

1956 Lone Star 14’ Admiral Deluxe Powered by Evinrude Big Twin 40 hp Owned by Steve and Cristalle Romano

Put Put

Driving on the backroads in 2005
In Paxico, Kansas, I finally arrived
Way out in the sticks, in a farmer’s field
Her bow was straight, and my eyes were peeled
A beauty she was, I couldn’t believe my luck
A ’56 Lone Star Admiral Deluxe
With a little trading and a little cash
I brought her home, to the rest of my stash
She sat in my yard, for a few more years
Until 2011, when she was resurrected from her peers
A new transom was built, and her steering was fixed
Minor engine work completed, emotions all mixed
A couple more years, ‘til I could add new seats
In 2013, she became the shining star of my fleet
Out on the waters of Pomona Lake
She cruises in style, through the waves that she makes
Her horn blows loud, greeting the passersby
My pride and joy, ‘Put Put’ puts a smile on this guy

written by Cristalle Romano for her husband Steve Romano

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E Z Rider

“E Z Rider” 1956 Lyman 18’ Runabout Inline GrayMarine Flat Head 6 cyl 100 hp Owned by Bruce Hurst and Correne Wahlmer of Sand Springs, OK

E Z Rider is a “Lapstrake” built with lapping plywood strips on white oak frames. The deck trim is mahogany plywood, the seats are mahogany. The boat was built in Sandusky, Ohio. The original owner Mr. Von Ellis owned the boat until 1975. After several owners, Bob Van Dyke purchased it in 2007 but never put it in the water. We purchased it from him 4/27/2011.

The first cleanup process included taking out the gas tank to clean it, overhaul the starter, glue the after deck back in place, plus a bit of varnish work. We tried it out at the sailboat club on Lake Keystone. The engine ran quite well but the boat leaked a LOT, anyway we took it to Table Rock and had a good time with it.

After returning home I started stripping the paint inside and out. A previous owner had used bath tub caulk down all the seams on the bottom which started to peel back. It looked like hair hanging off the bottom. The boat was stripped to bare wood, then sealed with four coats of CPES inside and out before the primer coats were added. Four coats of Pettit Bright White finished the job.

The windshield frame was badly split so I decided to try my hand at making one from scratch. I obtained enough Sapele board to do the job. It took a lot of figuring, cutting, gluing & routing to make a pretty decent looking windshield. All the varnished parts on the inside of the boat were stripped of varnish, most of the seats were split and needed to be glued back together, sanded, sealed and revarnished. The transom had been sanded through the veneer so back to the wood shop for more Sapele to build a new one.

Bob Van Dyke had a previous Lyman named Easy Bottom. This one was E Z Bottom 2, but we renamed her E Z Rider because of the smooth ride you get in a lapstrake boat. After two years of work she’s a fun boat to have back in the water!

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Beautiful Noise

1956 Chris Craft Capri 21′ named Beautiful Noise owned by Pack and Jill St. Clair

Miss D

1956 Chris Craft 17′ Sportsman Utility owned by John and Marilyn Davenport

Lady Liberty

1956 Century 21’ Coronado
Chrysler Marine Hemi 220hp
Owned by Ward & Karen Brasses

Hafer Runabout

1957 Hafer Runabout 16′ owned by Danny Holloway

Wood Duck I

1957 Lyman 15′ Runabout with a Johnson outboard.  Wood Duck I is owned by Steve and Elizabeth Bradbury.

Wizard El Dorado

1957 Wizard El Dorado Outboard owned by Clift and Ginny McPhail

Carter/Rae

1957 Chris Craft Holiday 20′ “Carter/Rae” owned by Steve & Donnita Dagg

Carter/Rae is a 1957 20ft Holiday Chris Craft hull # HY-20-118 owned by Steve & Donnita Dagg.

Delivered to Minnetonka, Minnesota on February 15, 1957. Material Wood King Plank.  Powered Chris Craft M-130.

We acquired her August 4, 2016 in Crosslake , Minnesota. The boat was in storage for 30 years. Gauges, Engine and new engine box cover rebuilt in Minnesota along with restaining and varnish.

Brent Howard took out all the wiring and put in all new wiring and rebuilt the generator. The boat was brought up to coast guard standards and regulations.

The seats were reupholstered with the original color by Moss seat covering.

The boat has had three names:
     The Doris Ann
     Class of 57
We named her: Carter / Rae

She is named after our two granddaughters; Ashlynn Carter and Mackenzie Rae Dagg

No adventures yet. That will be the next chapter.

She is kept at Honey Creek Marina on Grand Lake, Oklahoma.

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Wood Duck II

Wood Duck II is a 26′ 1957 Chris Craft Sea Skiff with a Hercules engine.  She is owned by Steve and Elizabeth Bradbury on Lake of the Ozarks.

Simply Irresistible

This 1958 Century 21′ Coronado is owned by Doug & Stacy Heinsohn of Lake St. Louis, MO.

Tin Fin

1958 StarCraft 15′ Jet Star with an Evinrude Fat Fifty Golden Jubilee  50hp outboard.  Tin Fin is owned by Mark Engstrom. 

Homeport is Lake of the Ozarks.  Mark and Jenni Webber have had Tin Fin participate in the Mahogany & Chrome Grand Lake event and Classics Cruisin’ on Table Rock Lake as well as rendezvous sites at Lake of the Ozarks. 

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“PIC 1”

1958 Chris Craft Cavalier owned by Bob Cutler

Love Me Timber

1958 Century Coronado 21′ “Love Me Timber” owned by Kevin & Jeanne Hogan

1958 Century 21’ Coronado   Powered by AMC 327 V/8      238 hp

Owned by Kevin and Jeanne Hogan, Olathe, KS

Love Me Timber was born in 1958 with a beam of 74”.  Her heart is a Graymarine/AMC 327 that pumps out 240 hp at 3,800 rpm.  Known in the 50’s for their fast, powerful boats, the Century Coronado’s were record holders for pulling up the most (9) slalom skiers at one time.  Therefore, the nickname the “Thoroughbred” of boats.

Dr. William Springer, Manistee, Michigan, the first owner, brought her with him to Hot Springs, Arkansas when he retired from practice.  She spent the next several years on Lake Hamilton and belonged to two different owners.

In the mid 70’s she was sold to Burney Whitfield of Myers Realty in Hot Springs who sold it to Steve Carter and Bill McCord of Salty Dog Boat Rentals.  Burney’s daughter Kristi remembers the old boat she used to ski behind as spotless.

In 2001 J.C. Renner brought her to Table Rock Lake in Missouri for a family boat until she needed a complete restoration.  However, after taking her apart, J.C. decided to sell her in pieces and advertised in Mahogany & Chrome.  That’s where Kevin Hogan saw the potential though it was upside down on a rickety dolly. 60-70% of her framing was barely useable, even for patterns.  The decision had to be made to re-plank with all new African Mahogany over Northern White Oak framing.

By early fall of 2013 Love Me Timber was restored to brand new with the addition of many new hi-tech systems.  She’s even better than when she was first purchased.  The name is taken from an Elvis Presley song that was number one on the charts in 1958, Love Me Tender.  And, I can truly say that after forming her ribs, fitting her coverings, applying her make-up, along with spending nearly 1200 hours bringing her back to life . . . I love her timbers.

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“N” 2 Deep

1958 Thompson Off-Shore 18′ “N”2Deep owned by Marty & Barbara Thompson

1958 Thompson Off-Shore      18’

Powered by a Mercury 500    50 hp

Owned by Martin and Barbara Thompson

“N” 2 Deep was originally in the Great Lakes Area in Michigan.  She was purchased by a man in Maine and now she is in Missouri.

The Thompson is wood lapstrake with mahogany deck, dash, rails, seats and transom. The motor is 1960 Mercury Kiekhaefer 500. The motor was purchased out of a large Mercury Collection in Michigan.

We bought the Thompson online from the owner in Greenwood, Maine in January, 2013.  We brought her home in May, 2013 and spent two seasons on Lake Viking and one season at Lake of the Ozarks.

Then she went off to Rice, Minnesota for restoration by Dave Watts at the Little Rock Boat Works. The interior work was done by Ken Biggs at K&S Upholstery in Smithville, MO.

The reason for the name is because we have a considerable investment in her.

Now, she is ready for fun!!!

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’59 Borum 8000

1959 Borum 8000 owned by Dale and Janet Roth of St. Paul, MO.

BELLA VITA

1959 Riva 21’ Ariston
Chris Craft 185hp
Owned by Dan & Alicia Diehl

THUNDERBALL

1959 RIVA TRITONE named Thunderball is owned by Clay and Patty Thompson.

Carlo Riva was known for building the best boats in the world. His RIVA boats were a must have for the rich, and many famous celebrities. This Italian made boat is a 27’ TRITONE model, and features twin American made engines, always his choice for good power.  Also, these boats are well appointed with a hidden convertible top, many accessories, and a v berth under the bow. This one has the much desired Zebra stripe and turquoise interior, just as it came in 1959. Completely and lovingly restored to the last detail from a derelict hull by its owners, Clay and Patty Thompson

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Della Odell

This 15′ 1959 Chris Craft Cavalier does lots of boating on the Missouri River. She is owned by Gary & Dori Gebhard of Omaha, Nebraska.

Follow the restoration progress by clicking here.

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The Deacon

1959 Correct Craft 16’ Atom Skier
Ford 185hp
Owned by Bobby & Dayna Gibson

1958 Cadillac Coronado

This 1958 Cadillac Coronado is now part of the Cadillac fleet owned by Roy Showalter of Searcy, Arkansas.

This 14′ 1958 Cadillac Coronado has a 1969 Johnson outboard 40 hp motor.  I acquired the boat in Connecticut.  It was in pretty bad shape.  The boat, trailer, and engine were all restored by Russell Warren at his shop Diamond Design Auto Body in Magnolia, Arkansas. 


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Miss Higgy

1960 Higgins Mandalay 18′ owned by Marge and Paul Morris.

Still Float ‘n

1960 Chris Craft 30′ Cruiser owned by Dave and Cheri Bonacker

Irish Mist

1960 Chris Craft Cavalier 17′ “Irish Mist” owned by Rafe Hunsucker

1960 Chris Craft 17’ Cavalier   Powered by a Chrysler K     90 hp  Owned by Rafe Hunsucker of Broken Arrow, OK

Irish Mist was a family ski boat purchased by Estle and Vondah Hunsucker back in 1962.  She is powered by a 90 hp Chrysler Hercules inline, flathead, 6-cylinder motor.

Irish Mist was restored during 2010-2011 by the Antique Boat Shop in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  She is a wonderful vessel with all original Philippine mahogany.  All that brought her back to life was getting her stripped, stained and varnished.  All of the chrome work was redone.  New upholstery was made and we had to replace the windshield.

Lastly, we had her named.  Her name is done in gold-leaf with a green clover.  She is named Irish Mist to commemorate my father, Estle E. Hunsucker, who was known by many as “Irish”.

Since the restoration, Irish Mist has had a handful of adventures.  They include Grand Lake of the Cherokees, Table Rock Lake, and most recently, Beaver Lake.

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Tin Fin II

1960 Texas Maid 18’ Tahiti
Mercury 110hp
Mark Engstrom

Ridiculous

1960 Glasspar Seafair Sedan 17′ “Ridiculous” owned by Greg & Diann Kuhl

1960 Glasspar 17’ Seafair  Powered by Mercury Outboard 115 hp

Owned by Greg and Diann Kuhl of St. Peters, MO

Ridiculous was purchased about 6 years ago. He bought the Glasspar with the intention of selling the parts, as the boat was in terrible condition.  But once the boat was in the garage, Diann, his wife, thought the boat was cute, so Greg decided to restore the boat for her.

The restoration of the boat took two years. Greg did all the restoration work himself except for the upholstery. Greg replaced the transom, the stringers, the floor, and a lot of fiberglass repair prior to painting the entire boat.  He added custom accessories, such as gunnel storage and a rear seat. The original color was drab green and white but we wanted something fun and bright, hence the colors blue and yellow.

We named the boat “Ridiculous” because of the amount of time and money it took to restore the boat.

Unfortunately we do not know the history of the boat.

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1960 Century Ski Dart

1960 Century
16’ Ski Dart
Owned by Tony & Lane Fure

Hannah Leigh

1960 Thompson 17’ Lancer with a  Johnson Outboard ~ 85hp owned by Richard & Cara Moist.

Richard Moist started this project in September 2020, – during the Covid-19 shutdown.  And now in July 2021, “Hannah Leigh” was launched on Table Rock Lake.  This 1960 Thompson Lancer is a great boat for this lake.  Eye-catching with her bright yellow hull, safe and secure, and powered with an 85 hp Johnson to which power trim was added, she’ll be enjoyed and admired for years to come.

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Lady Jane

1960 Span 13.5′ American Skier with 1966 Johnson 40 hp owned by Jane and Warren Treppler