Michigan Boat & Engine

In 2014, the Grand Rapids Art Museum featured a show called Michigan Modern. The exhibit focused on Michigan Design and included a section on recreation which was different than past installations. Included in the show were 3 boats of Michigan origin, Wagemaker of Grand Rapids, BeeLine of Walker and Parsons Lake & Sea of Traverse City (actually originated in Florida, manufacture improved in TC.) See shots from install to opening night.

This great old boat was purchased from John Held in Leland around 2008. The boat was carefully kept at Stander Marine in Leland and would only make brief appearances before purchase. Nearly back to her full glory, RenaBelle will be gracing the waters of Lake Leelanau once again after an extensive interior refit, exterior refinishing and new cabin top. Interesting fact; RenaBelle served the US Coast Guard during WWII as a patrol boat on the Detroit river. See more here...

They say, if you only get one good ride per season, its worth it. Its true, theres nothing like Ice Boating, and on this particular boat, it feels like Ice Yachting. I had been running the boat for years and making improvements along the way. Last run occurred in 2011 and included a "flicker." Im patiently waiting for the next season to produce good ice! More Photos here...

One of my favorite chores, removing a Johnson and replacing it with a Merc! My good friend had me make the switch and clean up this 1956 14' Wagemaker Utility.  This is one of the earlier designs with the beautiful high crowned foredeck. It has a perfectly balanced helm to make good use of the 1955 Mercury Mark55E power!

See more shots of this nice rig.

This boat belonged to a famed 1948 Albany to New York and APBA outboard racer, Jon Culver of Dayton, Ohio and Sarasota, Florida. Jon contacted me a few years ago about purchasing the remainder of his collection. With a one-way ticket to Tampa and a 24ft truck filled to the gills with outboards, memorabilia and this beautiful boat, Jon's collection found a new home in Michigan. More shots here!

John Green's father gave him the gift of a 1949 12' Penn Yann Fisherman and many more years of boating in this fine craft after restoration. See the progress to completion. 

Laura Cooper asked me to give her new boat, what Carl Geartner calls a "Mop N Glo," meaning clean her up, couple coats of varnish, couple coat of bottom paint and a new boot stipe. Oh and did I mention another OMC to Mercury switch, as you may have read, my favorite thing to do! More shots of the Geisler here.

This boat was an exact copy of my original Baycraft Hydroplane. The original was acquired from Brandon Cooper, a collector out of Wayland. It's a cab over design, round nose and features a small shallow step forward of the transom. These were called 3 point hydroplanes, 3 points of contact with the water, a contact on each sponson and the prop. I'm not sure why the step was there, as it would have very little contact with the water at speed, turning perhaps? The boat was built for a collector in Melborne, Australia. See the building process here.

When I first met Ben and Betsy they weren't sure about the boat. It was a family heirloom. Many great memories of youthful summers on the Leelanau Lakes, and now they were the caretakers after sometime in storage. It was decided to keep the boat and get it running. The family soon realized its valve and enjoyment and sought to protect the boat from further decay as most of the finishes were in poor condition. Boat was stripped, floors replaced, light wood repairs and refinished and BoBo was back gracing the waters of lake Leelanau nearly daily. See restoration pics here!

Added to the collection in 2018 is this creampuff barn find 1961 Glastron which is entirely in original condition. It’s equipped with the rare swing back hardtop making getting into the cockpit much easier and a surprisingly fast 40Hp McColloch Royal Scott. Mary and I have ran the boat a few times and the ride is smooth and responsive. More pics….