Category Archives: News

We have reached another milestone in our restoration of a rare 1936 Chris-Craft special race boat. The installation of new decking and a new transom is completed and the photos have been added to our current projects page.  There were … Continue reading →

A great resource for antique and classic boating enthusiasts is beginning to take shape at the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club website. Bill Basler, director of marketing and membership for the club, is spearheading an effort to make the club’s entire … Continue reading →

If you haven’t received the July/August issue of Wooden Boat magazine yet, head over to your local newsstand and check out pages 16 and 18. Tom Jackson, editor of the currents section of the magazine, has included a write-up about … Continue reading →

We just received a new boat in the shop, a 1938 Chris-Craft 19′ Custom, commonly known as a 19′ barrel back. Some of you may be chiding me that the 19′ barrel back was not introduced until the 1939 model … Continue reading →

Kirk and I spent this past Monday afternoon water-testing a 1953 Riva Ariston that we recently helped Macatawa Bay Boat Works restore. Our restoration work on the boat included replacing all bottom framework and about 1/2 of the deck framework … Continue reading →

Chris Smith stopped by the shop last week to check how the restoration of the 19′ 1936 Chris-Craft special race boat was progressing. Chris is the grandson of Christopher Columbus Smith, the founder of Chris-Craft. He grew up in the … Continue reading →

We had a pleasant surprise at the shop on Monday afternoon. Don Danenberg, the man who literally wrote the book on how to restore wooden runabouts, stopped by the shop for a tour. Don and Kirk worked together on the … Continue reading →

There’s always a bit of fear in my heart the first time I launch a boat I’ve worked on. Will the bilge be dry? Will she float on her lines? Will she handle the way I imagined? I’m experiencing a … Continue reading →