B O A R D M E M B E R S
Jeff Dwight, President
Michael Vannier, Vice President
Bob Phillips, Treasurer
Vickie Rutkowski, Secretary
Directors:
Michael Novick
Jerry Ross
Wayne Grabow
Mike Rutkowski
Gene Schiferl
The Bilge Pump Rocky Mountain Classics
R O C K Y M O U N T A I N
C L A S S I C S , 4 1 S T
C H A P T E R O F T H E
A N T I Q U E & C L A S S I C
B O A T S O C I E T Y
N O V 2 0 1 6 T H R U M A R C H 2 0 1 7
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T H E B I L G E P U M P
Rocky Mountain Classics is growing! In 2016, we welcomed 6 new members: Michael Brown (Cassie Brown, co-member)
1936 Antique Chris Craft Utility, 21ft Robert Coon (Cory Jones, co-member)
‘Thistle’, 1950 Classic Chris Craft Deluxe Runabout, 17ft Marcus Davita (Wendy Davita, co-member)
‘Shadow’, 1948 Classic Chris Craft Utility Sportsman, 18ft Dan Gyoerkoe (Tracy Gyoerkoe, co-member)
Dan is the new Executive Director of the ACBS! Garry McElderry
‘Miss Linda’, 2015 Contemporary Home Built Glen L, 16ft Tom Maloney (Lisa Maloney, co-member)
‘Dog On It’, 1963 Classic Lone Star, 16ft Erik Mogensen (Amy Jones, co-member)
‘Judy’, 1956 Classic Chris Craft Kit Custom Sportsman, 17ft
We are so excited that you’ve joined us! Looking forward to seeing you all on the water at our 2017 events!
T here is no better proof that time flies when you’re having fun than the fact that the Rocky Mountain
Classics Chapter of the ACBS will be 20 years old on May 1, 2018. It was May 1, 1998 that our Charter was approved at the ACBS annual meeting in Seattle on the first vote. We plan to make 2018 a year of celebration for our club, one in which we look back at the past with fond memories and look forward with plans to carry us through the next decade and beyond. June Moharter started the ball rolling by providing the picture on the left and also some fond remembrances. Here are just a few:
Chris Smith at Grand Lake and the Denver Boat Shows giving talks about the history of Chris Craft boats. (By the way, Chris will be 90 this July 4th!)
Getting up in the middle of the night in the pouring rain at Grand Lake to check bilge pumps. Horsetooth “Water Cops” stopping several of our members for “speeding” at the very first RMC
gathering! Do you have stories about the early days of the club? We’re collecting them! Do you have an idea for a way to make 2018 special? We want that too. Would you like to help with the 2018 Celebration Planning Process? PERFECT! Please submit stories, pictures, and ideas to Vickie Rutkowski at [email protected].
At the 1998 ACBS annual meeting, l to r: Dick Sherwood, Tom Flood, Bob & June Moharter, Chip Taft.
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As we all know, Colorado weather in January is quite iffy at best, so we’re never sure what it will be like when we move into and out of the Convention Center for the Denver Boat Show. This year on move-in day, it was VERY cold, and we had snow so not the most pleasant to be sure. The move-in took a little longer than expected but only because we were the last display to go in. We were allotted more space than last year and in a location that didn’t have big support posts to maneuver around so once we got inside, the display set-up was much easier that previous years. Again, we received many compliments from the show attendees about how our display looks, and there were a few who mentioned that they come to the boat show just to see the antique boats. The show did not seem to have as much traffic as previous shows, but in talking to the show coordinator, we found out that they opened an additional 45,000 sq. ft. Many thanks to the club members who braved the cold to bring their boats to the show. It demonstrates a real commitment to the club.
Mike Vannier brought his Century Sea Maid which received a lot of attention, and Lon Engelking’s Riviera which received just as much. Jerry Ross' Lyman got a lot of attention, and the good thing about his display this year is that we didn’t have to send him home. Having Scott Lundy's 1951 Lyman right next to Jerry's was a great addition. Of course, Bob Phillips' Shearwater brings the crowds in. Dean's boat, the Nipintuck drew lots of attention.
I would also like to thank John Stiller for the time that he put in and to talk to prospective members. Wayne Spaulding came on Saturday, bringing several pieces of mahogany, finished and unfinished, for the display. It was a nice addition, allowing us to explain to the visitors how the wood is refinished. He also brought samples of 5200 bottoms.
Working the show. L to R Lon Engelking, Wayne Spaulding, Michael Vannier, Mike Rutkowski Dean Woodward, Bob Phillips, and front and center, show coordinator Jeff Waco
Membership chair, John Stiller (right), talks with show attendees at the RMC display.
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Lon Engelking with his 1950 Chris Craft Riviera “Rebecca Lynn”
Dean Woodward with ‘Nipntuk’, his 19’ home-built, replica Friendship Sloop.
Bob Phillips with his 1900 16’ Historic Launch, Shearwater
Michael Vannier with ‘Aint She Sweet’, a 19’ 1949 Century Sea Maid
Several of the spouses also came to support the club, and of course Mike and Vickie Rutkowski came. Vickie took some great pictures, just a few of which you’re seeing with this article. I also need to thank Gene Schiferl for coming with his truck with the front hitch in case we needed it to jockey boats around. We did not need to use his truck, but he was there for several hours just in case. A dedicated member of RMC!
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Rebecca Lynn, 1950 Chris Craft Riviera owned by Lon Engelking
2 Classic Lymans. Scott Lundy’s 1951 15’ Runnabout (L) and Jerry and Chris Ross’s 1961 16’ Utility, Christy Ann (R)
Cover Photo: Dean Woodward’s ‘Nipntuk’, his 19’ home-built, replica Friendship Sloop.
Commander Motor from Jeff Waco’s Collection
Rebecca Lynn
Lighted Model Case
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Not many people are aware of the Glen-L Boat Design Company. Glen-L sells everything for the am-
ateur boat builder, from plans to nuts and bolts and everything in between.
The company was founded in 1953 by Glen-L Witt. His hobby was the building of small boats, and
he formed Glen-L to introduce the average handy-person to boat building. Glen-L enabled many people to
try boat building. Thousands of plans have been sold worldwide, and thousands of boats have been suc-
cessfully completed to his designs.
Glen’s plans range from an 8' pram to a 49' ft. Trawler. I had the pleasure of seeing one of the 49's
under construction in Sausalito some years ago.
The secret to his designs is simplicity. Each one has a well-crafted, full size pattern and instructions
for the builder. Also making things easier is the use of plywood as the major component for the designs.
As boat building technology changed, Glen introduced new designs to his catalog that would lend
themselves to fiberglass, one-off designs using C-flex technology. He also provided designs for steel and
strip planking.
Some of his most popular designs were for inboard and outboard runabouts using cold molded
mahogany. The inboard runabouts were designed in the tradition of classic Chris Crafts, Hackers and
Centuries. The completed boats are often quite impressive to see. Many builders engineer a high level of
quality into the their boats, so that an observer might think it was custom built by a professional ship-
wright.
Glen Witt did not provide kit boats, but did provide frame kits for his designs. The frame kits
eliminated some of the difficulty in the initial build. They no longer provide that service due to the cost of
materials, labor and shipping. However, the company still provides support for the builders by providing
building materials such as fiberglass, epoxies, adhesives and fastenings. Some fittings are also provided for
the builders of their designs.
The designs are for power, sail and human powered boats. There are designs for boat trailers that
one can build, and they have a number of books to help the amateur boat builder through their project.
If you’ve watched NCIS on television, you would have noticed that the lead character was building a
sailboat in his basement. How he was able to get it out of the basement is still a mystery. The sailboat was
lost in one of the episodes. Now he’s building an inboard runabout. Both of these builds are from Glen-L.
I have a 21' Glen-L Vera Cruz outboard cruiser. The person who originally built the boat did an excel-
lent job. The builder and his wife trailered the boat to major lakes and waterways in the west, and they
lived aboard for as much as three weeks at a time. They only pulled into a dock to refuel or to get some
groceries. They also needed to empty the holding tank.
Some years later his wife passed away and the boat went into the carport and stayed there.
Weather got to the port side and the corner post of the cabin and part of the siding rotted away. Otherwise
the boat is in decent shape and needs minimal restoration. I hope to get to it shortly.
Looking at a Glen-L catalog makes for a good read and their web site is entertaining.
I would recommend viewing both at www.Glen-L.com
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Don’t be alone in the dark! Make sure your mailing address and email address are current in your ACBS profile. That guarantees that you’ll get all of the information mailed or emailed by the club, and you’ll never be in the dark about what’s going on!
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T H E B I L G E P U M P
On Saturday, March 18, eight members of Rocky Mountain Classics met at The Lariat Lodge and Brewing Company in Evergreen for lunch and a presentation by Captain Jeff Waco. It was a perfect day for this event, organized by Membership Chair John Stiller. The group enjoyed lunch outside and then moved upstairs to a meeting room for Jeff’s presentation – The Rules of the Road. Jeff did a really good job, and the group asked good questions. Here’s a summary of the information Jeff covered, all of which is essential to know as we move into boating season. The purpose of the Rules of the Road on the water is to avoid craft collisions. These rules constitute the evasive actions a captain should take to avoid a collision
when another boat is within a half mile. Rule #1 Scenario: Avoiding a Head-on Collision
As soon as you realize you’re headed straight for another boat, steer right so you pass port to port. As a courtesy, give one short horn blast to signal the other boater that you have taken evasive action, and you should expect a short horn blast in return indicating acknowledgement. If both crafts are recreational, the horn blast should be used but often isn’t. A commercial craft will always use the horn blast to signal.
Rule #2 Scenario: Crossing Situation In this situation, another boat is crossing in front of you. The first thing to consider is whether you’re on a collision course. You determine that by gaging the speed of the other boat relative to your speed and the angle of approach. Also consider who has the right of way. Remember: commercial crafts, sail boats under sail (not under power), and boats to your right always have the right of way. If the other boat has the right away and you think a collision is possible, steer to his stern. If the boat is to your right, for example, you will turn starboard and steer toward his stern. Always give one short blast of your horn to indicate you have taken evasive action.
Rule #3 Scenario: Overtaking Another Vessel and Passing from Behind This can be a dangerous situation, and it’s one where the horn signals can be very important. You’ve come up behind another boat and want to pass, but you may not be able to clearly see what’s ahead of the boat that’s in front of you. If you want to pass on the starboard side, give a single short blast; if on the port side, give two short blasts. If it’s OK to pass, the other boat should respond with a corresponding horn signal. If instead he responds with 5 short blasts, that means “DANGER AHEAD! Don’t do it!”
There’s another over-arching rule called the Prudential Rule. It says you can break any of these rules to avoid a collision. In response to a question from the group, Jeff covered lighting for night cruising. These are the federal rules for lights; states may have slightly different lighting requirements. Any boat under 16 feet doesn’t need running lights but does have to have a white light on the stern. Boats over 16 feet must have running lights –
red on the port (left) side and green on the starboard (right) side, in addition to a white stern light. Boats less than 23 feet in length and with less than 7 knots maximum speed are not required to have running lights. They do need to show an all around white light and may have sidelights if practicable. Lights must be used from sunset to sunrise and in conditions of low visibility. We had a follow-up question about non-powered craft like kayaks and paddle boards; do those folks need to wear a white light? When we get that answer, we’ll post it on our Facebook page!
Captain Jeff Waco
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You can see all of the latest news about Rocky Mountain Classics activities at www.rockymtnclassics.org.
At the December, 2016 Board Meeting, the Board selected the date and location for our 2017
Annual Membership Meeting.
Our Annual Meeting will be held Saturday, October 14, 2017 at The Boatyard American Grill in
Frisco, Co. As usual we’ll begin gathering around 11am and start the meeting as we wrap up lunch.
This year we would like to revive the Silent Auction, with proceeds going to the club treasury. If
you have any nautical items you’d like to contribute, please contact Diane Waco
([email protected]) or Vickie Rutkowski ([email protected].
As you know, we will elect the 2018 Officers/Directors at this meeting. All members are
encouraged to take an active role in the governance of the club by serving on the Board. All officers are
elected for a 1-year term so we will elect a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. At this
time, no Director positions are up for election.
If you are interested in running for an Officer or Director position, please contact any Board
Member.
On March 26, the Sunnyland Chapter of the ACBS wrapped
up their 30th Antique Boat Festival, held at Wooten Park on Lake
Dora in Tavares, FL.
Our own Bob and Chris Braaf attended and won an award
for having traveled the furthest to attend the show. Steve and Susie
Frasier were also there. Many thanks to Susie for providing these
pictures.
Bob Braaf, left, and Steve Frasier, right.
Bob and Chris Braaf at Sunnyland’s 30th Antique Boat Festival, March, 2017
The Bilge Pump
Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Classics Chapter
Antique and Classic Boat Society
We are used to seeing the docks at Grand Lake teeming with people under warm sunny skies. Many of us never see Grand Lake in winter so we don’t know how beautiful it is. Many thanks to Jeff Dwight for sharing this perspective with us.
GL Town Docks
GL Boat Rental. Will all this melt by July?
GL Yacht Club
