Member Boats: 1971-1975

After months of searching for the “right” boat, we found one in Two Rivers, WI. It was an emotional, online purchase, and with one click, we were the proud owners of a classic Chris Craft! We acquired a slip at Kings River Marina in Shell Knob, MO, and contacted Jim Burt with Great Lakes Marine Transport to deliver it. He picked it up and brought it to one of his facilities for staging in Port Washington, WI, where we saw her for the first time. The boat was then named “Surf Dragon”. We decided to change the name to something more meaningful to us and chose Edelweiss. The Edelweiss flower signifies deep love and devotion. In Alpine lore, a man would collect the flowers from precarious cliffs where they grow to show his beloved bravery and deep love. Edelweiss translated means noble and white, which seemed fitting, and I bought this boat for my wife, Sunday.

The boat had everything we wanted, a toilet and a shower, a fridge, air conditioning, a brand new never installed water heater, and the promise of endless relaxing days on the water. The original owner was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary on the Great Lakes and had outfitted her with all required first aid, safety, and rescue gear. Grandpa Joe, as we call him, also had furnished the boat with duplicate critical engine parts, an updated electrical system, radio, and GPS. He was a detailed record keeper. Everything we needed to know about the boat engines, or any installed component was in a drawer fully documented.

In 2011, during our first season, we met several people from ACBS at the International boat show held at Big Cedar Lodge in Branson, MO. We joined Heartland Classics shortly after and have enjoyed meeting people from around the country. At the end of last season, we pulled and reinstalled both engines. We couldn’t have done it without help, most notably from our friends, the Caddell’s! We just replaced the A/C and are now in the process of replacing the fridge. Regardless of the project, the boat is a consistent source of inspiration and mechanical education. The time we spend on it allows us the opportunity to reflect on the priorities in our lives and on our relationship with each other. We stay on Edelweiss as often as we can and are looking forward to many seasons to come!

The Crosby Fast Cat was originally designed in the mid 1850’s and built of wood until the early 1970’s when they began building the hull, centerboard, rudder and decks from (very thick) fiberglass with spars, tiller, cockpit and everything else still being made of high quality Teak, Mahogany and Spruce. Fittings are mostly bronze. Our boat is the 9^th boat made of Fiberglass but there were 100’s more made before they began using Fiberglass.

The boats were originally working lobster / crab / oyster boats with tremendous stability and a tendency to sail themselves when the sailors let go of the helm to work their traps / oyster tongs.

In fact the boats were so stable and sea kindly and voluminous and easy to sail that affluent boat owners began commissioning Crosby Boat Yard (in Osterville, MA on Cape Cod) to build them one for use as a tender to larger yachts and a great boat to teach their children how to sail in.

By the 1940’s they were very popular as pleasure boats up and down the east coast including in the Great South Bay of Long Island where my father used to go out as a child in his little row boat to see them sailing by and dream of someday owning one.

Fast forward to the 1980’s when my father tracked one down and purchased it as a tender to his motor yacht down in the Bahamas. He spent many an enjoyable afternoon sailing that little boat around the islands all by himself while my non-sailing mother stayed back on the mother ship and relaxed – happy that he was happy and even happier that she was not sailing it herself!

It was a great source of joy & adventure for him. One time he and his older brother, both accomplished ocean sailors, attempted to sail the “Gig” from Miami across the Gulf Stream to North Bimini in the Bahamas. Of course they ran out of wind, food and most importantly wine about ½ way across and had to call for the motor yacht ( just over the horizon so that they could pretend to be attempting the trip all alone) to come give them a tow the rest of the way.

My dad passed in 1998 and the “Gig” languished away in a storehouse down in Hollywood, FL for years until I told my young son about her one day. He grew up sailing boats large and small and suggested we find a way to bring her back to Kansas and add her to our “fleet” of boats on Lake Perry.  So, I called the guy who had my dad’s motor yacht in charter back in the 80’s and was storing “Gig” and arranged to have him partially restore her.

My son and I drove down, picked her up and towed her down to the Keys to give her a shakedown cruise. After that, we towed her back to Kansas City and began a 3-year restoration. Now we have the joy of sailing her in fresh water each summer where we know she will not suffer the ravages of sun and salt the ocean brings and also that we are carrying on a 3 generation tradition that hopefully, my son’s children will continue. 

Fair Winds and Following Seas.

SPEEDO-Designed for the kids

By Sean Michael

Our bachelor Uncle Johnny learned cabinet making and boat building from his immigrant Swedish uncle -skills he was pleased to pass on to his niece and nephews.  Uncle Johnny became accomplished in the design, repair and building of wooden boats.  Living in Minnesota he did his building when the water became too hard to float boats.  He initially built traditionally planked fishing, runabout, and cruisers, later moving into plywood over frame, even in his later years allowing for fiberglass to cover his wood.

Johnny designed Speedo in 1958.  With our assistance, he built a total of twelve, 3 of which we kept for the family.  The last Speedo was built in 1972 -the one I keep for our kids.  Speedo is 8 feet long, built with ¼” ply over sitka spruce framing. Speedos have a pram bow with classic hard chine lines.  She carries up to 20 hp motors. The first Speedo was powered by an old green 54 Johnson.  As a lark, we fitted a Speedo with removeable side boards, a rudder and sail.  She actually sailed well.  Back when I was 14 and 50 pounds lighter we fitted a Speedo with a 1952 KG-7Q Mercury and saw 37-38 mph.  We know this to be an accurate speed as the local Washington County Sherriff’s boat would chase us at its top speed of 35 mph and we walked away from the deputy every time (all done in fun).

Uncle Johnny was the consummate teacher, showing patience and tolerance while passing on the skills of boating safety, handling, repair, and renovation. We practically grew up at Johnny’s cabin in Forest Lake, MN where he taught us to ski behind a converted fishing boat that he built up to become a great little ski-boat, powered by an old reliable 57 maroon and white Johnson.  Over the years we brought home project boats including cedar planked c-scows, x-boats and built from scratch a b-class catamaran and snipe.  No matter how large the fleet became, the little Speedo was the favorite for pure fun. Over the years we have had far more boats than money.  Brother Brian had a successful yacht brokerage on the St.Croix River in Stillwater Minnesota.  He personally owned several classic cruisers, trawlers, and even a teak 38 ft junk.  I’ve owned several sail and power boats, topped off by a 1960 30 ft Chris Craft Cavelier, a 42 ft Tayana for blue water sailing, a Mainship 390 in which we completed the great loop.  We have never parted with the fond memories and love for Uncle Johnny and our fun little Speedo.