I have lived and worked on the Great Lakes my entire adult life. I have never done an aluminum boat restoration, or any other type of boat restoration. But I have admired all kinds of small pleasure boats from the deck of the Great Lakes Bulk Freighters that I have worked on since I was fresh out of high school.
Although I am a US Coast Guard licensed any gross ton motorboat pilot on the Great Lakes, or more simply put; “Pilot of a boat”… I’ve never even been at the helm of a small pleasure boat. But I have always admired rows of motor boats, or motor yachts as they are sometimes called.
I have wondered, as we maneuver our large commercial ships through ports in Great Lakes ports; how much work and dedication it would take to restore a good vintage yacht.
Although in my boat restoration dreams I have always thought it would be amazing to restore an old wooden boat built around the 1950’s, I never made up my mind to do so.
The old Cris Craft-type wooden yachts I had seen on the Great Lakes had such nostalgic lines and looked like such sturdy, well-designed boats after being restored by a dedicated and talented craftsman.
These old wooden boats are certainly beautiful when restored, and the idea of owning and restoring one seemed to me a very noble thing to do…
But that’s how I decided to do an aluminum boat restoration instead.
As I said before, I have worked on boats my entire adult life and have a very intimate understanding of watercraft. But I have very limited knowledge of woodworking, wood finishing, etc.
However, I am quite knowledgeable about steel and the other metal alloys used in ships.
It was just a stroke of luck or chance, which made me see that I could have an old yacht, completely restored and like new, without knowing much about carpentry.
As I said; we were unloading grain at the General Mills dock in Buffalo, NY;
I saw a boat that looked pretty much like one of those old Chris Craft “type” wooden boats, docked at a marina off the General Mills Pier.
Although I admired that ship for several hours while on watch that afternoon, it never occurred to me that it was built of more than wood.
I decided right then and there, as I looked at the fine lines of that 32-foot cruiser (which I thought was built of wood), that I was going to do a restoration of the ship myself.
So later, after we finished unloading and were on Lake Erie heading to Detroit, I talked to my Wheelsman about the boat I saw in the Buffalo Marina and my idea of doing a restoration of the boat. He had also seen the ship.
My driver had grown up on Harsens Island in Michigan and had worked at a marina while in high school. He pointed out to me that the boat we had both seen was actually made of aluminum.
I was really amazed. To get started; I didn’t realize that large cabin cruisers had been built so early out of aluminum. And I certainly would never have thought that an aluminum boat could have such fine lines.
So I started researching aluminum yachts, and specifically Marinette aluminum yachts, which my helmsman said was the maker of the yacht we had both been admiring.
Well one thing led to another and I began to realize that restoring an aluminum boat would be the only thing that would make sense to me.
- Aluminum boats are strong and Marinette boats are, according to their owners; “built like a tank”…
- Marinette aluminum boats are readily available and a greater value compared to even a similar sized fiberglass boat.
- Aluminum retains its strength much longer than wood or fiberglass, and aluminum does not corrode or rot.
- The hull of an aluminum boat, regardless of its age, will almost always be in fairly good condition, with little need for repair to the hull itself.
- Aluminum power boats and cabin cruisers will generally get better fuel economy than a wood or fiberglass boat of the same size.
And the list of good reasons to consider an aluminum boat restoration more practical goes on and on.
So that was the day I decided to undertake the restoration of an aluminum boat. My decision was made within 24 hours.
At the time of writing this article it has been less than a week since I decided to own an old restorable yacht built in aluminium.
But the more I investigate, the more I decide… I’m going to take an old and once beautiful aluminum boat, and make it new again.
And I’m sure I’ll be rewarded with a boat that will bring fun and excitement to me and my family for years to come. All for a price much lower than it would be for a comparable new boat.
Also, the restoration of the ship itself will provide many hours of pleasure and bonding for my wife, son, and myself.