The elegance of classic wooden motorboats

Conor Knighton takes us on a ride aboard some classic wooden motorboats, whose sleek lines and elegant fixtures hark back to a golden era of maritime recreation.

[@mikepowell2776]

Many years ago I bought a 16ft wooden boat built as a final examination piece by apprentices at the Royal Navy boat shed in Portsmouth during the 1920s. One we’d sorted it out, including taking off seven different colours of badly-applied and patchy paint we varnished her, polished the gunmetal fittings and rigged her as a cat-boat. There’s something very special about a varnished, well-found wooden boat, whether power or sail. The boat at 0.50 is simply beautiful - as are the rest. A joy to watch.

[@Harleywindtherapy]

Cool history! My dad had an old Chris Craft speed boat that he always planned to restore. Sadly, he passed away and it somehow got lost in the family cleaning out stuff. They sure look special, and each one beautiful.

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Im an old geezer who likes leather and wood. That there are still people maintaining and building wood boats is fantastic.

[@Mike383HK]

When a wooden boat show came to our lake (Lake Chatuge Hiawassee Georgia) and I saw my first Gar Wood (Miss America) up close I was stunned. What a work of art. Still a 110 MPH plus boat. Twin 454s in the original engine exhaust configuration. The current owner did it justice. it has been on TV many times since. It's love for these boats. I grew up with them. My first was a 15 foot wooden dory. What a great boat. Leaked everywhere but we loved it. Thanks for the video.

[@MikeBrown-ex9nh]

I remember my great uncle George's wooden boat back when I was growing up in the fifties and early sixties. I liked it then, even at a young age. I also remember getting all scratched up falling into his hedge when learning to ride a bicycle. I like videos that bring back old memories.

[@mikemendus6472]

Those boats were built in the USA and were outstanding...🇺🇸

[@hawsrulebegin7768]

Passion is rare to see but wonderful!

[@rand49er]

Beautiful boats. So-o much work to keep them that way.

[@lorithorpe3502]

Oh wow , they look beautiful , i love the look of Chris craft .

[@applebullet1]

Beautiful crafts! I’d be afraid to use it if I had one 😂 certainly wouldn’t be taking it through a lock on an English canal 😮

[@StubProductions]

Great program! Here's to Michigan!

[@moffatt43]

I’ll always remember with real fondness Holidays in the 80’s on the Norfolk Broads UK on a wooden motor cruiser with a petrol engine,the smell of the wood and fuel combined and the sound of the engine burbling as you glide along at a gentle 3mph or 5mph at times. It was a open cockpit so you heard all of the peace and quiet of birds/water and water rushes as they move to your wash. Even in the cold of a morning with condensation on the inside of the boat sometimes. It was a amazing experience seeing mists on the water slowly lift as the sun woke up,swans gliding along beside you and even getting in the boat too. The Norfolk Broads are beautiful and can say was best Holidays have ever had and that wooden boat made it so special.

[@greyarea3804]

Nothing rides like a woodies. I had a 64 Trojan 36. Loved it over my glass boats

[@ernestpaul2484]

Summertime at Lake George NY in the Sixties as a little boy drooling over all the Chris Craft and Hacker boats on the water. It wasn't just the sight of them, the sound and smell was unique.

[@markcarey8426]

Beautiful boats. That movie sure did them all a favour if that's what inspired people to get them going again. I remember the scene, and being impressed by the rumble of the motor and those sleek wood lines.

[@fatboyrowing]

My great uncle Al Card built such boats on Lake Chautauqua in NY state. I’m too young to remember

[@patrickryce1225]

Brilliant !

[@MaverickSailing]

While your video talks about vintage Chris-Crafts, there has been a renewed interest in building new wooden boats, plans are available to build many replicas from Glen-l.

[@michaelsorrentino9279]

Guy Lumbardo the big band leader in LongIsland had a sweet wood boat.Called Tempo!!

[@johnriso4323]

Fantastic!

[@johnlarsen8308]

My family had a 27 ft ELCO. It was built in 1935 It was a lot of work for sure. But it was worth ever minute. Double blanked mahogany hard to beat.

[@raymondwurtz4874]

Our family had a 24' ELCO Marinette classic beauty !

[@nimrodquimbus912]

I was at that boat show, got 3rd with a Lyman.

[@LordLauderdale]

What a nice uplifting feature

[@PifflePrattle]

The name reminded me of Chris Kraft the famous NASA mission controller. His full name was Christopher Columbus Kraft.

[@lordatum8139]

Now i know why pirates hated woodpeckers

[@trevorhart545]

I live in HURLEY, Berkshire UK. Our local boat builder has produced these craft for decades. The main market is the USA. They are elegant and Very Expensive.

[@epetermarshall9415]

I had a Chris Craft 22 foot mahogany Sportsman BEAUTIFUL and safe boat. It was a 1949 ID # 1390 Sold it before any damage might occur as was being used a lot. I sold it for 5 times what I paid for it & today probably worth 25 times; 40 to 50 K. From Lake George NY TO TAHOE NAVADA.

[@charlesreynolds7608]

wish there were more of these clubs around

[@mikepierce1724]

In my home town 1 summer man has wood speed boat exactly like that 1. Small town winter harbor maine and the owner owned 76rs for long time and signed Dr j. They also have ten sailboats small ones the rich summer kids race they get redone every year look beautiful. My friend his family had line of boats Backman! Danny older now but built every lobster boat he has had 39 and 44 . Got windshield wipers like a car..

[@TheGel69]

along with the before and after pictures they should have added the 6 digits restoration bill

[@georgemallory797]

My God, 0:48 is the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen.

[@flylooper]

There's a huge fleet of wood boats on Lake Tahoe, too.

[@ronaldwells1805]

I wish I can win the lottery because I would own a dozen or two of those so cool

Gar Wood made some outstanding boats, there are quite a few on lake Winnipesaukee N.H.

[@billhager3811]

back in the 80's there used to be a great show at Dexter Pt NY used to work on some back in the 60's

[@poolshark3876]

Ive always wanted one since they are unbelievable in sound looks and style. Indiana Jones got to drive around an almost died on one in Venice. But one day I will own one

[@johnlarsen8308]

Our family had a 28ft ELCO. it was build in I believe 1936. Single engine with v drive

[@danielledykgraaf6483]

I love the look...the sound...the ride of a classic wood boat. Friggin awsome. Did anyone ask these folks who will "voluntarily" give their keys to Alexandria Ocasio Cortez? Would you "give up" your classic boat, car, airplane? to a Socialist?

[@walterpalmer2749]

Elegant.

[@jimprior5700]

Beautiful but tough and costly to maintain.

[@remkojerphanion4686]

What's not to love about these boats?

[@williamschlenger1518]

I watched Jersey speed skiffs being built in the 1950s.

[@ludovic9477]

The dream 👍🏻🇫🇷

[@lightbox617]

I can show you a small place in Jersey City, NJ where wood boats (Chris Craft) are being restored. They are beautiful all that mahogany nd all that brass.

[@reallyhappenings5597]

What is the place? I'd love to visit. Are yiu talking about Liberty Landing Marina?

[@wesm3915]

They are covered in fiberglass

[@SnakeRiverFishing]

in it's DNA lol

[@lindat5784]

Chris Craft was the Cadillac of boats, in my opinion..still is

[@flylooper]

Well, as a young kid whose family vacationed at Lake Tahoe in the 50's every summer, I remember Century and Gar Wood as being quite numerous on the water, too. CC, though had the Lion's share of the fleet. Of course, they made everything from 26 foot runabouts to big 40-foot cabin cruisers.

[@buckhorncortez]

Nope. Chris Craft was the Mercury / Buick in wooden boats in the their hey day. Gar Wood and Hacker Craft were top of the line. Riva is the ...well the Riva of wooden boats. Take a look at the Thunderbird that is still used on Lake Tahoe and you'll see that Hacker built boats Chris Craft never dreamed of. Now, CC boats were solid, well made, good designs, and relatively affordable. I owned a 1941 barrel-back Chris Craft and liked it a lot. But, if you pulled it up next to a Hacker, you could see the difference immediately.

[@MegaBait1616]

These old wooden boats are beautiful and nice but, tooooo much up up keep. Then it costs a fortune to rebuild her plus how many boating months in a year up north ? DO you want to go boating, fishing and skiing or do you want to work on it ? good video though...........

[@dragoslavdragicevic5009]

don't get me wrong, I love wooden boats and own three of them but I can't see any mahogany trees around that lake, so that that comparison doesn't work

[@vernwallen4246]

I went too Algonac once and it was closed,never went back.😂😂😂

[@NaYawkr]

They knew you were coming so they shut down till you went away. The tactic was obviously successful.

[@williamschlenger1518]

All hand lettered. I still do some but it's a lost art.

[@disilberg9896]

Супер.👍

[@ShakespeareCafe]

They don’t call it The Great Lake State for nothing

[@trainroomgary]

Like 🚂

[@COSTAconstructionANDremodeling]

Wellllll whats on the outside keeping the water out...

[@danielgriggs5658]

U.S. Senate, Paul Wellstone (D-MN) did his best to destroy the Boat building in Wisconsin, imposing a 10% surtax on the sale of luxury boats. True craftsmanship jobs lost. Wellstone our first U.S. Senator dedicated to Socialism.

[@charlesreynolds7608]

wish they still built these boats with flathead engines ,they just add elaganceto the water

[@nimrodquimbus912]

The people that did that went out of business because no one bought them because they were affordable.

[@Mf7d89]

these look like boats for rich people

[@johnneedy3164]

And to think Winnabago owns Chris Craft now 🤔

[@boblee5472]

Just slap 5, 300 hp mercs on the back and you'll fit right into miami

[@369tvp6]

I see that everyone will die, the water in the rivers and seas has become yellow! This is seen when boats create breakers. I thought that some certain areas or countries were polluted. But no, in the United States, too, the water is polluted. This is everywhere, even an icebreaker is moving along the NSR and the water is yellow against the background of breaking white ice floes.

[@keithlincicum3691]

Only 40 mph?

[@nimrodquimbus912]

40 is fast, probably a Kermath.

[@jeanpierrekathia9058]

Se Beyoncy Britanny latoy ki te nan live TikTok la

[@lesfaust9634]

Lol...I believe glass comes from sand...there's no sand on that lake?....hahaha!. .beautiful boats though

[@jeanpierrekathia9058]

Mw la Wi

[@bradhamer8108]

Bolo Babe

[@jimmygrant3212]

Ford Falcon Sprint steering wheel not a Mustang yes there’s a difference.

[@psygnale]

Difference in what? Cause minus the color and the logo, that looks exactly like the wheel I stare at every day in my 65' T code.

[@jimmygrant3212]

psygnale the depth of the center of the mustang wheel is different as it sticks out further so the Chris Craft center can’t be installed. Pull off any Chris Craft center cap on one of those steering wheels and it’ll say Falcon Sprint.

[@MrDorbel]

A classic wooden boat is a black hole that you throw money into. Unarguably beautiful, but not for the likes of you and me.

[@TheByard]

I owned a 1930s wooden boat for 15 years yes it did cost money, but a lot of it would be the same as a Tupperware boat. As my boat was at Dunkirk and served the rest of the war as a mine spotter, a family lived aboard fore years so she had some history. I lived on board for two years so the digs money went into varnish and paint. But the dearest part to keep stocked was the beer and liquor locker.

[@dmcalut]

Speak for yourself, Paul. I can gladly throw enough dough to choke any bloody black hole.

[@vetdoc35]

Wood is good for burning but not in Water.

[@washablejunk281]

The wood boat is wrapped in fibber glass

[@jeanpierrekathia9058]

Ou te ak 55 Mw 56 Mw lakay ou map tann ou bak san égoïste

[@annhay4572]

Sorry, Scott Matthews was building all manner of wood boats (as were other builders) long before Chris Crafts were born. Get your facts straight please.

[@utuber2940]

nice boats too bad only rich Democrats can own one!!

[@slrs3908]

Huh?

[@psygnale]

TF does that even mean? You can build one of these things using a garage and some spare time for the price of a CHEAP used car. www.glen-l.com/costs-and-time-to-build/

[@edmundooliver7584]

rich republicans can own one too.

[@rainerzufall689]

In reality only people without money and with two left hands and 10 thumbs can not own one. And I am starting to think you are that kind of person. And you already found someone how must be guilty. Of course that is not you :)