The Name Game -- Who Remembers?

[DrunkenSailor]

Lembke/Fitchen Speed Marine and Associates (Silverwing)
Steve Colombe HTM

 

[twocents]

OK, great recall but you guys are making me wonder --- Are all these named folks dead ? Carson ? Irv ? I though Bob had asked about those builder's who had passed on ?

Lots of good input here.....and I was limiting the list to those boat builders who had passed on. Some of the names that have come up, I'm not sure about dead or alive. I know that Irv Brendel, Joe Poty, Buck Smith, and Bob Nordskog are no longer with us. Not sure about Bunky Muirhead (Unlimited Marine). Carson Brummett and John West are definitely with us.

 

[twocents]

Good one there Tom!

You're thinking of Rick Lee who used to work for Hondo and starte Ski Centurion.

 

[Clank123]

Lots of good input here.....and I was limiting the list to those boat builders who had passed on. Some of the names that have come up, I'm not sure about dead or alive. I know that Irv Brendel, Joe Poty, Buck Smith, and Bob Nordskog are no longer with us. Not sure about Bunky Muirhead (Unlimited Marine). Carson Brummett and John West are definitely with us.

Bunky passed a few years ago.

 

[old rigger]

Poty Boats...Joe Poty
Nordskog Marine...Bob Nordskog
Buck Smith and Spico...Buck Smith

Damn! I had a Buck Smith flatty and forgot to mention him!
Good call

I had dinner with him once at Knotts Berry farm. I was with a group of old time dirt track racers for their induction of a few racers into their hall of fame and this guy is sitting across the table from me and he looks very familiar. This was in the early '90s. It finally dawned on me who he was, or at least who I thought he was, and I asked him if he was Buck. Asked me if we'd met and we hadn't but told him I spent a little time building boats and I remembered an ad of his from the 60s when I was a kid where he was barefoot, wearing long pants and standing on the deck of one of his boats. He said " that's how you knew who I was, that was 30 years ago!".

Very nice guy and one of the group of boaters that invented drag boat racing in Bakersfield.

 

[DRYHEAT]

Isn't George Shilala AZ Geo on the boards? did he pass away?

George is alive and well, he will probably get a kick out of his early demise on the boards.

Still fabricating parts and playing with boats at his leisure.

 

[Taboma]

George is alive and well, he will probably get a kick out of his early demise on the boards.

Still fabricating parts and playing with boats at his leisure.

Sure miss his energetic, modestly opinionated contributions to this forum. Glad to learn he's still doing well

 

[FreeBird236]

George is alive and well, he will probably get a kick out of his early demise on the boards.

Still fabricating parts and playing with boats at his leisure.

That's good to hear, I miss his posts too.

 

[DRYHEAT]

Sure miss his energetic, modestly opinionated contributions to this forum. Glad to learn he's still doing well

LOL unfortunately George is misunderstood on the boards a lot, sometimes things just don’t come across as intended. He is a bit passionate about his positions, he and I have been known to have a few screaming matches in the garage at times

 

[Taboma]

OK, I'm going to add one I'm fairly sure none of you have probably heard of. Hell, might even stump Mr. Brown.
But he was a West Coast boat builder during the golden age of wood and screws. The company name is one we all recognize, but they are in no way related.

My first boat in 1965 I purchased between my Junior and Senior years of high school, was one of his, a 16' Mercury Sabre. At the same time my dad owned an 18' Mercury Mustang, sporting a 327 CI Gray Marine Packard engine. With it's fairly flat bottom, that boat ran well, even at Lake Arrowhead altitude.

The name is William "Bill" Nollenberger, he built Mercury boats out on highway 126, in Piru, Ca. , from the late 30's into the 60's. To this day, his name and Mercury Boats typed into Google will bring up numerous hits due to the continuing restoration popularity of his well crafted vessels.

https://www.pleasurebent.com/mercury/mercury-library-page.html

 

[boatdoc55]

Lembke/Fitchen Speed Marine and Associates (Silverwing)
Steve Colombe HTM

Now how did you know that????????

 

[twocents]

OK, I'm going to add one I'm fairly sure none of you have probably heard of. Hell, might even stump Mr. Brown.
But he was a West Coast boat builder during the golden age of wood and screws. The company name is one we all recognize, but they are in no way related.

My first boat in 1965 I purchased between my Junior and Senior years of high school, was one of his, a 16' Mercury Sabre. At the same time my dad owned an 18' Mercury Mustang, sporting a 327 CI Gray Marine Packard engine. With it's fairly flat bottom, that boat ran well, even at Lake Arrowhead altitude.

The name is William "Bill" Nollenberger, he built Mercury boats out on highway 126, in Piru, Ca. , from the late 30's into the 60's. To this day, his name and Mercury Boats typed into Google will bring up numerous hits due to the continuing restoration popularity of his well crafted vessels.

https://www.pleasurebent.com/mercury/mercury-library-page.html

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View attachment 969629

This is a name out of the past -- I believe there was at least one of these Mercury boats on Lake Arrowhead in the 60s.

 

[Taboma]

This is a name out of the past -- I believe there was at least one of these Mercury boats on Lake Arrowhead in the 60s.

Certainly was at least one --- my dad's 18' Mercury Mustang I think it was around 67' when he sold it and bought a more deep-vee, the Mustang had a flatter bottom then most Chris Crafts, even had a turn fin mid-ships. That was probably one of the fastest wooden "Chris Style" boats on Arrowhead at the time. Of course excluding the custom wooden one Wolfson's had built.

 

[BoatCop]

Lots of good input here.....and I was limiting the list to those boat builders who had passed on. Some of the names that have come up, I'm not sure about dead or alive. I know that Irv Brendel, Joe Poty, Buck Smith, and Bob Nordskog are no longer with us. Not sure about Bunky Muirhead (Unlimited Marine). Carson Brummett and John West are definitely with us.

I took it to mean old boat builders who's BOATS weren't being made any more. From the golden age of the SOCAL boating scene of the '60s and '70s. Dick Schuster loaned (rented) out his molds so much, there are probably 20+ more boat builders from that era that are basically Tahiti splashes.

 

[old rigger]

I took it to mean old boat builders who's BOATS weren't being made any more. From the golden age of the SOCAL boating scene of the '60s and '70s. Dick Schuster loaned (rented) out his molds so much, there are probably 20+ more boat builders from that era that are basically Tahiti splashes.

Ya, I don't remember Dick ever loaning out his molds, but the little 16 is the most splashed hull of all time and of course he did his fair share of splashing...the bottom of the 16 is the then brand new Glastron 'Aqua Lift' bottom. Great story about how that came to be but I've told it more than a few times.

I can't think of a shop that didn't splash or had their version of the 16, from Schiada to Hallett and everyone in-between.

Number 2 & 3 of the most splashed boats, the 18 Southwind and 20 Spectra.

 

[bocco]

Ray Leger & half brother Bobby Brown
Cee Bee Manufacturing Co. / Avenger Boats
Lynwood Ca.

Loved Avenger boats as a kid. They were the first boat used in ski show at Marine World in Redwood City. They were sold by a dealer called Darcy's Marina in San Mateo.

 

[guest hs]

Stan Moscow of Crusader Boats

 

[old rigger]

Stan Moscow of Crusader Boats

Isn't Stan Moskwa still alive, trying to sell off his molds on Craigslist?

 

[rivrrts429]

Isn't Stan Moskwa still alive, trying to sell off his molds on Craigslist?

He was still alive last year, maybe two years ago, when I was at his shop. He’s not far from me.

 

[old rigger]

He was still alive last year, maybe two years ago, when I was at his shop. He’s not far from me.

He's got A LOT of molds. I'm surprised no one has bought the Spectra 19 mold of his.

 

[rivrrts429]

He's got A LOT of molds. I'm surprised no one has bought the Spectra 19 mold of his.

He’s got a lot of everything. I felt like one of those guys from that tv show American Pickers walking around his property. It was pretty interesting.

I agree, surprised nobody has picked up the Spectra mold. He had two laid up if I remember right. Place was ripe with the smell of fresh resin, loved it.

 

[TrollerDave]

Jim Youngblood - Youngblood Performance
Tom Papp - Edge Stealth

2 great jet boat innovators

 

[Mr. C]

Loved Avenger boats as a kid. They were the first boat used in ski show at Marine World in Redwood City. They were sold by a dealer called Darcy's Marina in San Mateo.

I have a 76 bubble deck. Bought from Dick Shearer. In Norwalk. Keep working on it with my son now. But maybe it’s time to do a full restoration.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[twocents]

I'm embarrassed --- how could I have left Art Carlson, Glastron Carlson Boats, Anaheim off the initial list.

 

[Clank123]

Lotta memorable hulls and men in this thread.
I get asked every once in a while how many V Drive Flatbottoms/V bottoms I’ve restored, worked on or updated over the years.
Honestly, I’ve never kept track!
But seeing the names listed, at least I can remember the brands that have come through my little shop in Carlsbad!
Here’s the list, of course there has been multiples of many of them...

Rayson Craft, Aqua Craft, Stevens. Sanger, Barron, Hallett, Campbell, Lavey Craft, Patterson, Spectra, Spitfire, Revenge, D’Cucci, Kurtis Kraft, Biesemeyer, Hondo, Litchfield, Nordskog, Spico, Unlimited Marine, Gaylord( is this listed?) and Mandella

Along with a few others not listed on the Thread. First 3 would probably qualify.
Dimarco
Lebel
Bee Dee Marine
Canyon

I think that’s it.
Had a lot of fun over the years!

 

[DRYHEAT]

Bob and Steve Warren - Hurricane

 

[gondola2]

Pictured is my Bob Warren built 26' 1972Hurricane. She look'n as beautiful as ever and with a fresh rebuild is ready to find a new home. She has been in my family since my grandfather Ed Berta bought her. He lived in Burbank and ran with Bob and all the boat racers of the valley in the 60's and 70's. I'm in Thousand Oaks and looking for a buyer. If anybody is from this area and is interested in the boat or knows of people who may be please contact me for a look and the details. [email protected]

 

[Wheeler]

Poty Boats...Joe Poty
Nordskog Marine...Bob Nordskog
Buck Smith and Spico...Buck Smith

Dan and Hank Saller of D& H Marine. Inglewood Ca.

 

[colenighthawk]

How about Alex, don't know his last name - he used to build Hawaiian Boats with Wayne in Corona

 

[rrrr]

Ray Leger & half brother Bobby Brown
Cee Bee Manufacturing Co. / Avenger Boats
Lynwood Ca.

@Devilman has a nice '79 Cee Bee. Looks a lot like a Taylor, but he keeps reminding me it's not.

 

[RogerThat99]

Jack Keaton - Keaton Boats