Lawrence River), dates back to 1908 where two brothers, Hubert and George Hutchinson, ran a small operation building, for the most part, custom boats for individual customers. The Hutchinson Boat Works in Alexandria Bay, NY (along the shores of the St. Hutchinsons were not built at a factory, but built at a yard by a crew of real boatbuilders who understood construction as well as how the boat would be used. As such, the right Stanley boat is highly collectible and worth an investment in a well-considered and high quality restoration.

Today, very few of Roy Stanley's boats remain-and even fewer outside of museums, and in restorable condition. Stanley built his first boat in 1903 he passed away in 1960. He even built a number of powerboats for bootleggers who were active all along the St.

According to Bob Speltz in his book, The Real Runabouts IV, 'Stanley built a lot of skiffs, large double ended, powered guideboats, and at least a few special inboard speedboats or runabouts. He had an uncanny ability to produce fast boats, and developed some unique construction methods. Sought after by Chris Smith and Gar Wood, Roy Stanley chose to stay in Cape Vincent, NY, on the shores of the St. Research Chris-Craft at The Mariners' Museum ».Visit Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club website ».View or purchase books about Chris-Craft ».The company is still around today, building boats made of fiberglass. The founders sold the company in 1960, but Chris-Craft continued building wooden boats until 1972. Chris-Craft's boat lines included the runabouts, utilities, cruisers, and sea skiffs. Chris-Craft focused on standardized boat production, enabling them to build boats year-round and at a good profit - while still being affordable to the average guy. Chris led several boat building ventures prior to that, including a partnership with Gar Wood building race boats. Before a boat leaves our factory, it takes its first dip in our on-site pond to make sure that everything runs exactly as it should.One of the most widely recognized names in wooden motorboats, Chris-Craft got its start in 1922 in Algonac, Michigan, with Chris Smith and his sons Jay and Bernard at the helm. And every wiring harness and panel is painstakingly rigged and marked to power your boat’s unique features.īut our work isn’t done yet. Our inlaid wood accents – all made with domestically manufactured teak, cherry, walnut and mahogany – are carved by hand to fit your specific boat. Every seat and sun pad is hand-sewn and covered with the highest quality marine vinyl available. Our upholstery, woodworking and electrical fabrication processes happen simultaneously – and all in-house. Even the hull graphics are hand-coated so that they are an integrated part of the fiberglass. All of our hulls – including our classic tumblehome shape – are formed using a 6-step lamination process, which includes gel coating every boat by hand. Right from the start, our building practice is different from other boat manufacturers. Every boat that leaves our factory goes through a very detailed process to ensure that it meets Chris-Craft standards. Since the beginning, the name Chris-Craft has been synonymous with quality, and it’s not hard to see why. And customized computer programs check that all electrical systems are properly rigged and perform correctly.Ĭhris-Craft has changed over the years, but one thing has remained the same: our craftsmen are never satisfied with the status quo, and they’ll do whatever it takes to deliver the perfect boat, every time. In addition to our talented craftsmen, CNC routers cut some of our larger leather and wood pieces to ensure proper fit and alignment. Today, we still craft our boats with the same care and attention to detail, but we also use some industry-leading equipment in order to deliver the most precisely made and best-engineered boats on the water. And every diamond-stitched seat cushion and interior fabric swatch was double-stitched by master seamstresses. Wooden hulls, swim platforms and intricate teak inlays were all meticulously cut by hand. In the beginning, everything we built was handmade. Their knowledge of our boats, the building process, and the materials that go into them ensures that your boat will be unlike any other on the water.Ī Rich Heritage. Many of them have been crafting our boats for decades – and all of them are the most skilled carpenters, cabinetmakers, joiners and artisans in the business. To say that our craftsmen are veterans is an understatement. Whether we’re designing a 25-foot runabout or a 35-foot dual console cruiser, all of our boats are crafted with the same attention to detail. 340 Craftsmen Dedicated to One Boat: Yours.

Runabout boat building