Member Boats: 1961-1965

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.

Pu Haps

1961 Owens Sea Skiff 25′ “Pu Haps” owned by John & Marilyn Davenport

1961 Owens Sea Skiff 26′ “Pu Haps” owned by John & Marilyn Davenport

1961 Owens Sea Skiff 26′ Flagship 175

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Bassie

1961 Crestliner Explorer 19′ “Bassie” owned by George Reaves

Owners: George and Stacy Reaves
Jenks, OK
1961 Crestliner Explorer
Name: Bassie
Purchased in 1971 by George’s dad this boat has been on the Potomaic River, the Tennessee River, the Mississippi River as well as other destinations through out the south east. She spent the majority of the 1980s cruising Pickwick Lake in Tennessee. In 1995 she was parked in a barn until she was pulled out for restoration in 2013. Currently she is being completed gutted with all of the structural wood being replaced as well as several fiberglass issues slated to be repaired.

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Waves

1961 Higgins Mandalay 18′ “WAVES” owned by Michael & Tracey Karst

Name: WAVES (in honor of W.omen A.ccepted into V.oluntary E.mergency S.ervice. Women of the U.S. Navy in World War II). Higgins was known for its landing craft and other military boats during the war years.
Homeport: Springfield, MO
Powered by a Ford/Crusader 390 cubic inch motor. Straight inboard.
It is pictured on Priest Lake in Idaho at pre-events to 2013 ACBS Show and Mtg.
John and Carolynn Thompson were at least the third owners of this boat. They put in a new plywood bottom, new mahogany decks and transom, beefed up the superstructure of the boat, and mahogany flooring. It has second-generation upholstery and the original motor. The top shown is new, but listed as an option in the 1961 brochure. The boat was purchased in 2018 by Michael and Tracey Karst.

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Forget Me Knot

1961 Lyman 20.5’ Lapstrake Runabout owned by Richard and Virginia Baumann. 

Forget Me Knot was manufactured by Lyman Boatworks in Sandusky, Ohio.  She has known home ports in Sandusky and Port Clinton, Ohio, Young Harris, Georgia, and since 2018 in Shell Knob, Missouri.  In 2010, Forget Me Knot had her keel, stem and partial ribs replaced.  The Rambler Fireball V-8 was rebuilt in 2011. 

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The Splinter

1961 Chetek Empress 17.5′ “The Splinter” owned by Neil and Zanetta Hoehle

Our boat is a 17.5-ft 1961 Chetek Empress, manufactured in Chetek, Wisconsin. It was purchased new by my parents in 1961 and spent most of its life on the upper Mississippi River between Muscatine and Burlington, Iowa. The boat never had a formal name on the transom, but was known throughout the small, local boating community of Wapello, Iowa, as “The Splinter”. In addition to summer Sunday afternoons on the river, My parents often took long excursions, sometimes as far north as the river is navigable, and sometimes South to the Ohio River and then up and into Kentucky Lake. It has passed through every lock on the Mississippi and has never missed a year on the water.

The boat is really more of a restomod than a true, original classic.   Zanetta (Everyone just calls her “Z”, by the way,) and I acquired the boat permanently in 2009 and being our only boat, take it out often. Being just 2 years older than the boat, I basically grew up with The Splinter.  I have many, many fond memories of this boat, from water skiing with high school and college friends, to Z and I having our first date on it some 39 years ago.

Neil and Zanetta Hoehle
Solon, Iowa

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Anne Bonny

1961 Owens Flagship Cruiser owned by Kyle & Russell Stansbury

Wheaties

1962 Century Sabre 18′ “Wheaties” owned by Chick and Karon Wheat

1962 Century 18’ Sabre Powered by Gray Marine Buick    280 hp

Owned by Chick and Karon Wheat, Jay, OK

Wheaties  (the Sabre) was found advertised in the Kansas City newspaper about 1986 – 87.  Some guy’s wife was trying to sell it for her husband’s bail money.  The boat was originally sold in 1962 by Link’s Landing (one of the largest Century dealers in the country at that time) located on Lake of the Ozarks.  It had sat in a pole barn where the horses could get in and crib on the gunnels.

Usually one of the last pieces of wood to rot in a wood boat are the engine stringers; however I had to replace the port side and the back half of the starboard side.  The original Gray Marine engine was an American Motors 327 (238 H.P.) and a good engine.  Working under the idea that bigger is always better, I found a Gray Marine Buick (280 H.P.) and squeezed it in.

Not much passenger room, but fast and fun. The name Wheaties suits it well.  Our granddaughter was the first to ski behind her.  The boat was finished for the 2007 Grand Lake Boat Show and has been a great little boat for us.

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Just-Roamin

1962 Chris Craft 36′ Roamer owned by Pete and Ramona Seitz

Sunny

1963 Century Resorter 19′ “Sunny” owned by Jason and Shelly Summar of Nixa, Missouri

Tequila Gold

1963 Higgins Mandalay 18′ “Tequila Gold” owned by Paul Hastings

Big Thom

1963 Thompson Super Lancer 18′ “Big Thom” owned by John & Carolynn Thompson

Owners: Carolynn and John Thompson
Marshfield, Mo.
1963 18’ Thompson Super Lancer
Power:  1968 Johnson 100 HP
Name: Big Thom
Homeport: Table Rock Lake
We are the third owners of this boat.  We purchased her in 2002 from the second owner who was a friend of the first owners. Originally it was Gray and white and named Gray Gull.  It mostly was used on Lake Leelanau near Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay in northern Michigan.

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Champagne Taste

1964 Riva Aquarama 28′ “Champagne Taste owned by Paul Hastings

1964 Riva 28’ Aquarama Powered by 2 Chevy 283’s 185 hp

Owned by Paul Hastings of Little Rock, AR

Champagne Taste was delivered to a Mr. Sluiter in Seabrook, New York near the end of 1964. Ten years later it was transported to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Roger Morton where I found it in rough condition at Shirt Tail Charley’s Marina. A Riva Aquarama is a continuous plank, all-mahogany, constructed boat. It is powered by two Chevy 283ci 185 hp V8 engines.

Since owning the Riva, I have personally fully restored the entire vessel, except for the upholstery. This has consisted of replacing the bottom, fore and aft decks; stripping, staining and varnishing the boat with a total of fifteen coats; and overhauling both engines and transmissions.

The boat’s name, Champagne Taste, is symbolic for me as I, along with my family, am in the wholesale liquor business and all my antique boats sport a liquor related title. This Riva has been hauled all over the country from its home base in Little Rock, Arkansas to boat shows in Lake Tahoe, Ocean Reef and beyond. Additionally, I have taken cruises on the St. John’s River, Tennessee River and the Upper Mississippi. While Champagne Taste has brought me many trophies and recognition, the biggest reward is to be the owner of such a beautiful treasure.

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Jan Marie

1964 Correct Craft “Jan Marie” owned by Darren and Jan Arnold

Island Girl

This 1964 Lyman 25′ Hardtop claims Lake of the Ozarks as home port.  “Island Girl” is owned by Mark Engstrom.

The Lady Gay

1964 Chris Craft 36′ Constellation owned by Terry Sherwood.  Home Port is Grand Lake, Oklahoma.

 

Shep ’64

1964 Shepherd Utility 22′ owned by John and Glenna Ganster of Kingston, OK.

1964 Correct Craft

1964 Correct Craft Mustang owned by Sean and Sarah Adair

Liberty Bella

1964 Chris Craft 21′ Super Sport “Liberty Bella” owned by Michael & Angela Beachner

All Summer Long

This 1964 Chris Craft 18′ Super Sport is owned by David & Karen Bauer.  Homeport is Table Rock Lake, MO.

NAMECI  VI

This 1964 Chris Craft Constellation 37′ is powered with (2) Jasper 350hp engines.  She is owned by Eric Grimshaw.

TWEETER

This 1964 Century Ski Dart 17.5′ is powered with a Ford 230hp engine.  She is owned by Rusty Noahr.

ARGO III

1964 CrownLine Viscount owned by John Piper.

This boat was a barn find, originally owned by an avid fisherman here in rural Missouri. He bought the boat new in 1964. It’s a 1964 Crownline Viscount, with a 1965 115hp Johnson Seahorse.

I found it on Craigslist. When I went out to look at it, it looked pretty good for the age I noticed the transom had dry rot – the weight of the engine had it sagging. The old fisherman’s wife said it sat in the barn for 20 years because her husband went into a nursing home for dementia. He passed away so she was looking to sell the boat to someone who would give it a second life.

I felt for her. Their son told me when he was young he went on many fishing trips on it. This is my first boat, the first thing I  did was rebuild the transom I removed all the rotten wood and replaced it with all fiberglass.  Then I looked around for a shop that would work on it. I found one in East Alton, Illinois. I will not mention the name because of the debacle. The original owner of the shop sold the shop to his upholstery detailer. During this transition, he lost the building but told none of his clients. For 1 1/2 years, the boat was gone. I did some detective work and found his girlfriend’s number who so happen to be the manager of the original shop. I got a hold of them, he had no choice but to get the boat back to me. Of course, the replacement motor I bought from him was rubbish so he gave me another motor.

I had the motor checked out and the mechanic said it was in really good shape for its age. Well, I have been stranded on the water on two occasions.

Bottom line, the boat was built the year I  was born in the state my family originated from, that’s a whole other story.  I’m determined to get her back on the water. My son’s name is Jason so my daughter chose the name Argo III. The saga continues. 

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1965 Lone Star Biscayne

1965 Lone Star Biscayne 17′ with an Evinrude outboard owned by Ward and Karen Brasses

Wave Toucher II

1965 Carver Captain 17.5′ “Wave Toucher II” owned by Dick Baner

1982 Skiffcraft 24’ Hardtop  Powered by Mercruiser 488    188 hp

Owned by Dick and Janet Baner of Eureka, Illinois

Wave Toucher IV was purchased in the fall of 2014 from ACBS Sunnyland Chapter member Jim Flack, Mt. Dora, Florida.  Post-purchase test run was on Lake Dora and the Dora Canal.

We did another section of “The Great Loop” in this boat, which replaced the ‘65 Carver, with John and Carolynn Thompson in February, 2015.  We intended to run from Mobile Bay to Sarasota Bay.  However, when we reached Carrabelle, FL where we had to leave the Intercoastal waterway and travel in the open Gulf of Mexico, we faced high winds and 5’ to 6’ waves.  So we had to turn around and return to where we started.  We will be doing another section, Chicago to Lake Barkley, Tennessee in September.

I seem to be hooked on Lapstrake boats.

All of my boats have the word “Toucher” in their name as a follow up to my homebuilt aircraft that were all named “To Touch the Sky”.

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Delta Lady

1965 Chris Craft Constellation 36′ owned by Kent & Sylvia Williams

Lucky Debonair

1965 Century Sabre 18′ “Lucky Debonair” owned by Adam Leigh

Lucky Debonair  was first delivered at Link’s Landing on The Lake of the Ozarks.  Link’s Landing was the largest Century dealer in the country.  The boat was obtained by the owner as a gift to his daughter.  The boat didn’t turn out to be what she had hoped, so my grandfather purchased the boat from the Landing later that year, and it has been in his and my possession ever since.

Lucky is made of African mahogany with a fiberglass cap and a gull wing top.  We used the boat for many years on local lakes and rivers until it was in disrepair beyond our means.  Lucky was stored in various barns, railway bays, and warehouses until 2010 when it made the voyage to Macatawa Bay Boat Works in Douglas, MI where it underwent a 3 year preservation process.

Originally the boat had a 352 Ford Interceptor, which unfortunately was in disrepair.  We made the painful decision to put modern power in the boat.  In its first summer we put 60 hours on the boat, so a cracked block was not an option.

We love to use this boat every chance we get.  Lucky Debonair was the thoroughbred that won the Kentucky Derby in 1965.  The Sabre was part of Century’s thoroughbred fleet.  This particular hull number was the first off the line for 1965, and this thoroughbred was the first to cross the finish line, so although it’s not a female name, we couldn’t resist.

Lucky spends his time running around on inland lakes, mostly in Missouri, Illinois and Michigan.  On a nice calm day, we even venture onto the “big Lake”.  Last October we enjoyed a long late weekend on this great host lake, Table Rock!  We have a 2 week trip to northern Michigan planned late this summer, with most weekends in between spent on Lake Springfield, IL.

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Wood Carver

1965 Carver Commander 17′ “Wood Carver” owned by Don & Kathy Parker

1965 Carver 17’ Commander  Powered by 1978 Evinrude      70 hp

Owned by Don and Kathy Parker, Kimberling City, Missouri

Wood Carver is a lapstrake 17’ Carver Custom Commander.   Carver’s lapstrake hulls featured a characteristic soft ride as a result of full length triple laminated oak keelson, pre-shaped  solid oak stringers, white oak ribs, double planked oak transom and 3/8” 5-ply marine plywood planking.  Carver continues to build boats today, but certainly not of oak and plywood.

Wood Carver was previously owned by Blaine and Lisa Waknitz and was restored in 2002 by Mr. Paul Morris of Des Moines, Iowa.  Paul and Marge Morris, Heartland Chapter members, are the owners of Cedar Tree, Inc., a central Iowa supplier of marine plywood, epoxy and consulting services.  We acquired Wood Carver from Blaine and Lisa in September, 2008.

In 2012 Wood Carver received some refreshening and modifications including a new rear seating and storage configuration providing room for a new 18 gallon primary fuel tank, auxiliary fuel tank and storage for life preservers, fenders, dock lines, etc.

Wood Carver has trailered to numerous classic boating events including Bay Harbor Michigan, Grand Lake Oklahoma, Lake Hamilton, Beaver Lake, and Lake Ouachita Arkansas, Table Rock Lake Missouri, Lake Eustis, Lake Dora, and Lake Harris Florida.   Her home port is Kimberling City, MO and her outboard power allows her to be a “12 month vessel”.

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