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A Legacy of Metal Craftsmanship The story of this vessel traces back to 1946, when Robert R. Linn founded the Roamer Boat Company, specializing in metal boats ranging from 32 to 75 feet for pleasure, military, and commercial use. Chris-Craft acquired Roamer in 1956, renaming it the Roamer Yachts Division and expanding production by 200,000 square feet. Initially based in Holland, Michigan, Roamer’s manufacturing was relocated to Pompano Beach, Florida, in 1976, before Chris-Craft ended metal boat production in 1979 under the leadership of Dick Genth. During its golden era, Chris-Craft built yachts and boats in numerous facilities worldwide, even operating a plant in Italy starting in 1962. The company embraced a variety of construction materials, from mahogany planks and plywood to fiberglass, steel, and aluminum, setting the industry standard for quality and innovation. Built to Last As described in the 1967 Chris-Craft catalog, Roamer yachts were engineered with performance, seaworthiness, safety, comfort, and low maintenance in mind. Their steel and aluminum hulls, constructed from large plates electrically welded to sturdy frames, provided unmatched durability. While Roamer frames have been known to bend under extreme conditions, history records no instance of one ever breaking—a true testament to their superior craftsmanship. This Chris-Craft Roamer isn’t just a boat, it’s a piece of nautical history, built to stand the test of time.

Car dealerships that sell cars are typically not owned by the car manufacturers. Each dealership operates independently. In most cases, 80-90% of the vehicles on their sales lots are financed through the dealership's bank or lender, which also ensures that the inventory is properly insured. Boat dealerships operate in a similar manner. I know this firsthand, having owned four boat stores with the same financial setup. As the owner, I was responsible for hiring, paying, and managing my employees. If a dealership's business is disrupted, those employees—whether at a car or boat dealership—lose wages or even their jobs. However, such disruptions do not impact the manufacturer, as they can easily find another dealer to sell their products. So, if someone damages or destroys cars or boats as an act of protest or social demonstration, it’s the dealership employees who suffer—not the manufacturer. Should those responsible for these actions be held accountable for the financial harm they cause to workers? Maybe.

Seabuddy is sitting across from Tom Donley, talking boat racing on the East Coast when he tells me the reason for Mario Andretti’s success in that car race. Holman and Moody, put a 396 Ford cubic inch displacement engine in Mario’s winning car. How did Tom know? Holman and Moody put one in his pick-up bed, too, so he could bring it home to Annapolis to race the same engine in his Ski boat. Back to Mario. Do you remember seeing that Daytona race on TV? I do. He ran his car in what seemed to be a very loose manner. He had to, as it turns out, because of qualifying issues, the car’s spoiler size, and other set-up items. The rules said he had to race what he qualified, except for the engine. He made it his job to get a “good” engine from Holman and Moody for the race. These were 396 engines from Ford via Holman Moody. Basically, a mix of 390 and 427 parts with some special modifications. It is said that these engines revved up quicker than a 427 and made about the same horsepower as a 427 at 7,000 rpms. Now, about Rudy and Rayson-Craft. Tom raced against him on the east coast and always seemed to lose ground going around turns on the racecourse. After one race, Rudy needed to get back to the west coast and wanted to do that trip without a boat in tow. Tom saw an opportunity to get a better turning boat, so he bought Rudy’s race boat.

Billy Joel, famously known as the "Piano Man," is not only a legendary singer, songwriter, and composer but also a passionate yacht enthusiast. He teamed up with renowned yacht designer Doug Zurn, known for his expertise and signature style. Vendetta, is a stunning 57-foot commuter-style yacht built for speed. This multi-million-dollar vessel boasts a top speed of 54 MPH. Measuring 56 feet 3.5 inches in length, with a 15-foot beam. Powering this sleek yacht are twin MAN V-12 diesel engines, each producing 1,300 Hp. Her modified-V hull features a wave-splitting bow and aft sections optimized for handling the often-choppy waters of Long Island Sound. Vendetta pays homage to the fast commuter yachts of the 1920s and 1930s, which were popular back then commuting to Wall Street. With her sleek design and cutting-edge engineering, she revives a classic maritime tradition—only with modern power and technology. ? ?

Don Aronow started out as a lifeguard in New York before briefly working as a physical education teacher after getting married. He then joined his father-in-law’s construction business, gaining experience that led him to establish his own company, the Aronow Corporation, in 1953. With the success of his construction venture, Aronow moved to Miami in 1959, where his passion for boat racing took off. What began as a hobby soon turned into a thriving business. By the end of 1962, he had founded Formula Marine, which he later sold to Alliance Machine in Ohio. In 1964, he launched Donzi Marine, selling it to Teleflex Inc. in mid-1965. The following year, he established Magnum Marine. After selling Magnum Marine, Aronow was bound by a non-compete agreement that temporarily prevented him from building boats. Despite this, in 1969, he designed the first Cigarette boat under the Cary name, using Elton Cary's Miami Beach facility. When the restriction lifted in 1970, he officially founded the Cigarette Racing Team, which would become legendary in offshore powerboat racing. In 1982, after selling Cigarette, Aronow continued building boats, including a few models under the name Squadron 12. He then launched USA Racing Team, where he developed the Blue Thunders—39-foot catamarans commissioned by the United States Customs Service to combat offshore smuggling. His work caught the attention of Vice President George H.W. Bush, a Cigarette boat enthusiast, who personally tested the Blue Thunder models before they received government approval.

Egg Harbor Yachts: A Legacy in American Boat Building Egg Harbor Yachts holds one of the most storied names in American boatbuilding history. Founded in 1946 by John Leek and Russell Post in New Jersey, the company originally focused on crafting 14-foot rowboats. The brand’s trajectory changed when Ted Haggas, renowned for his Jersey Sea Skiffs, joined forces with two additional partners to design a 28-foot skiff. This marked the launch of the Egg Harbor Boat Company. Though Leek and Post eventually parted ways, fate brought them back together in 1966 when they merged the Egg Harbor and Pacemaker brands. The defining moment for Egg Harbor came in the 1960s when naval architect George Stadel reshaped the company’s legacy with the 37-footer. Over four intense days, Stadel refined the 36-foot model, sharpening the bow entry and eliminating the tumblehome aft to increase beam at the sheerline. This redesign birthed the legendary Egg Harbor 37—hailed as “the boat that defined the brand.” Production ramped up swiftly, with the company building 50 of these sought-after 37s per year before doubling output to 100 annually. Between 800 and 850 hulls were produced over a decade. The 1960s saw Egg Harbor flourish, with the transition from traditional wood construction to fiberglass taking place in the early 1970s. Models ranged from 35 to 60 feet, offered in both Open and Convertible Yacht configurations. Despite its celebrated history, Egg Harbor faced financial turbulence in the 1990s, struggling with production challenges. Unfortunately, these difficulties led to the company’s eventual closure, marking the end of an era for one of America’s classic yacht builders.

Rare Plywood Racer from the 1950s We have a good number of classic boats in the Chesapeake Bay area. Look for them and enjoy the abundance of these special boats within this environment that you live in. This racer is a Switzer Craft. Bob Boardman is the owner of this classic. He is a member of the ACBS Chesapeake Bay Chapter. He also owns a Chris Craft Cobra. This boat was completely restored years ago by the Switzer family. Finishing touches with some new wood, paint, chrome, and hardware. Amazingly, this boat with all its curves and tall fins is built from wood. It took an artist of wood working to build these boats and restore them. The design was so sleek and ahead of its time that it was used as the inspiration of the TV series Batboat with its high fins and twin canopy windshield. This one is powered by a fully rebuilt Mercury Mark 55 E. Switzer Craft started in the basement of the Switzer’s Chicago home in 1946. Dave Switzer created a sailboat, but unfortunately it didn’t work well because it couldn't sail upwind. When Dave was drafted into World War II, he left the sailboat behind with his younger brother, Bob. However, Bob didn’t want a sailboat, he wanted a motorboat.?

Built in 1925 by?John Mathis & Company,?Sequoia?was originally owned by banker Richard Cadwalader before being sold to Texan businessman William Dunning. She was sold again in 1931 to the United States government. Richard Nixon was particularly fond of?Sequoia, taking more than 80 trips on board. The?U.S.S. Sequoia is 104’ long with an 18’ beam. She was built in 1925. Nine used it — from Herbert Hoover to Jimmy Carter — as the presidential yacht from 1933 to 1977.?Carter saw to it that she was sold as a budget-saving item. Here are a few of many notable events that prompted people to call the Sequoia “The Floating White House”: ·???????President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower planned the D-Day invasion. ·???????JFK, who was quite a yachtsman and also known for his leadership aboard PT 109, celebrated his last birthday here. ·???????Richard Nixon told his wife Pat and their two daughters that he would resign from the Presidency.

We were cruising at a steady 3,000 rpm on the engine's tachometer, and all five of us were enjoying the comfort of cushioned seats. The sea was calm, the sun shining, and boat traffic was light. Our destination: Chesapeake City, following a smooth launch from Turner Creek Landing in Kennedyville, MD. Chesapeake City sits along the C&D Canal, offering a beautiful route for our journey. The ride was nothing short of enjoyable, thanks to the Lyman’s round chine, Clinker-Built hull. Clinker-Built boats are designed with overlapping wood planks, where the edges of each plank rest on top of the one below it. This unique construction gives the boat additional lift as it skims across the water, and it helps provide a drier ride, especially at the stern. There’s something truly special about cruising in a classic boat—it’s a relaxing, welcoming experience that feels timeless. This winter, the boat underwent a thorough refresh, with the most significant work done by Will Ruhland of Distinctive Finishes in Delmar, DE. Will performed an outstanding re-varnishing job, leaving the boat with a radiant, glossy finish that truly highlights his exceptional craftsmanship. This outing was a collaboration between two sister chapters of the Antique & Classic Boat Society (ACBS): the Mid-Atlantic chapter, representing members from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the Chesapeake Bay chapter, with participants from Maryland, DC, and Virginia. Some boats launched from the Chesapeake Bay, while others traveled down the C&D Canal, starting from Salem, NJ.

Chris Craft Constellation 57 She is a stunning mahogany cruiser, a sister ship to the last wooden boat ever built by Chris-Craft, which was shipped on November 4, 1972. A total of 262 units of this model were produced from 1963 to 1972. This particular Chris-Craft measures 57 feet in overall length (LOA) with a beam of 15 feet and weighs approximately 24 to 25 tons. The hull is crafted from batten-seamed mahogany in a classic carvel planking style. The primary framing consists of 1.5” by 3.25” beams spaced 24 inches apart, with intermediate frames measuring 1.25” by 2” on 24-inch centers, resulting in a frame spacing of 12 inches. The deckhouse roof and pilothouse are made of fiberglass. Chris-Craft began incorporating fiberglass into their designs in the mid-1950s, initially for various parts and some cabin tops of their cruisers and speedboats, including the iconic fin on the 1955 Cobra 21-footer. Below deck, the accommodation plan begins with a forward stateroom featuring upper and lower berths, along with a private head. The galley is fully equipped and located to starboard, with a convertible U-shaped dinette to port. A half set of stairs leads up to the spacious main salon, which has slightly limited headroom due to the engine room beneath. The engine room, visible through three small portholes in the photo, houses the generator as well. Aft, down a set of stairs, there is a convertible couch and a guest stateroom, as well as a master stateroom. Both staterooms offer twin beds and their own heads for added comfort. On the deck, the support panel features wing doors, and with the enclosure in place, the aft sitting area is sheltered from the elements, offering a comfortable space to enjoy the breeze and weather.