Antique Wood Boat Restoration and Preservation
1964 Higgins MandalayA very exciting restoration near completetion during the winter of 2012-2013 More information HERE |
Up Next!
1920 Wise and Son's Bus and Boat Works 20ft RacerThis is the only 20 ft Wise and Sons known to exist. Rumor has it this boat was custom built for Gar Woods brother. Stay tuned for our detailed restoration of a Wayzata built, Lake Minnetonka Pre-war racer... |
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1940 33ft Chris Craft Enclosed CruiserWe are very excited to get working on this wonderful cruiser. The interesting configuration would have probably been a commuter from Excelsior, MN to Big Island or a Great Lakes boat. We hope for an early spring cruise while the air is still brisk and chilled or a fall leaf peeper late season tour. In 1940 Chris Craft made 43 enclosed cruisers total- of that series 4 "Special" Double cabin models where build during this hull sequence. Click HERE to view progress. |
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1949 Globe MastercraftThe Globe Mastercraft, designed in 1945, was, according to Brooks Stevens, the first successful auto-styled boat ever put out on a production basis. As the original drawing at the of the page shows (in Ezra’s story), the Globe picked up and developed the idea of the convex sheer line, wrap-around windshield and integrated hardware, and introduced a number of other new concepts as well, all of which, when molded together, added up to a speedboat that was years ahead of the competition. CLICK HERE for more information. |
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Just Finished ... ' Nuvola ' 1957 Chris Craft Constellation 36ft |
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Last winter we embarked on a wonderful boat a 1957 Chris Craft Constellation "Nuvola." After initial inspection, we agreed the boat was structurally sound but cosmetically it needed some finishing. Over the winter we addressed the bottom, sides, teak decks, helm and mahogany brightwork. |
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Between the years of 1956 through 1959 Chris-Craft produced 470 hulls of the 35ft Constellations I would believe less than half exist today. Notice how Nuvola has stantions around the bow this was a sought after factory option in 1957. The base model price was in the $20k range Nuvola probably went into the low $30k range - remember this is 1957 dollars. |
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On the topsides we removed all the hardware, replaced loose filler holes and faired the planking. Once prepared properly we applied 3 coats of primer complimented by proper fairing techniques to provide the most even smooth and correct surface for the awl grip paint. |
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The brightwork was the highest priority for the customer. After removing hardware we buffed and polished all the chrome. Then stripped and stained all the necessary brightwork including the toe rails, aft cock pit interior, cockpit exterior, helm station, cabin door and cabin exterior. |
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On the bottom we addressed the port side chine cap which had some early signs of dry rot. Once that was finished we sanded and removed all the loose caulk. We applied the proper amount of bottom caulk, three coats of bottom paint then prepped, taped and painted the boot stripe. |
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For a free Restoration analysis or general questions regarding your wood boat- we would be happy to help.
Please feel free to contact us with questions and inquiries. |
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