Member Boats: 1955-1960

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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. 

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.