In-Water Fleet

Length: 30′

Beam: 9′

Builder: Chris-Craft

Donor: Alan Jackson

Accession Number: 2013.016

The Chris-Craft Semi-Enclosed Cruiser models from the 1950s offered passengers a boat that was roomy, fast, and well-suited for a full day on the water.  Flat Top was owned by country music star Alan Jackson who chose the name as a reference to the flat top steel-string acoustic guitars he commonly uses.  Flat Top is one of just 36 of these boats ever built by Chris-Craft. The boat was used and stored on Lake Chautauqua, in western New York, by its original owner. In 2002, Jackson purchased the boat in poor condition and transported it to Tennessee to undergo extensive restoration work at Hickman Wooden Boat Works in Woodbury. Under the craftsmanship of Travis Hickman, Flat Top was revived through a nearly 3-year restoration project, leaving no details untouched. Flat Top now features pristine woodwork and artistry, both interior and exterior, while retaining its original look.

Length: 33′ 6″

Beam: 8′ 6″

Builder: Hutchinson Boat Works

Donor: Margaret H. Wallace

Accession Number: 1994.003

Built in Alexandria Bay by Hutchinson Boat Works, Gadfly spent her early years in the 1000 Islands before being moved to Michigan. This sedan commuter returned to the River in 1994 when she was donated to the Museum. As part of the Museum’s in-water fleet she has provided hundreds of Museum patrons with the opportunity to enjoy traveling on the River in the secure comfort that is the embodiment of her style. She has been a favorite vessel for day trips around the River and longer excursions to Ottawa and Montreal. Her large planing hull seems to disguise the cruising speed that swiftly propels this grand boat to her destination. Whether her passengers choose her snug cabin or prefer her large open aft cockpit, Gadfly is a superb craft with comfortable accommodations.

Length: 30′

Beam: 7’3″

Builder: Hacker Boat Company

Power: Mercury 8.1L, 385 HP

Few boats say “1000 Islands” more than the mahogany runabout. This truly American type was popularized in the early years of the 20th century by designers such as Gar Wood, Chris Smith and John Hacker, who created boats that went fast and looked good.

In the early 1980s Morgan Marine on Lake George purchased the rights to the legendary Hacker name and began building new boats from original designs. The Hacker Boat Company carries on with this tradition at their shop in upstate New York.  Hacker Craft is one of the most recognizable names amongst wooden boats today and it is the Museum’s pleasure to share the experience of riding in a boat such as this one.

Length: 28′

Beam: 7’2″

Builder: Gar Wood Custom Boats

Power: 1996 454 GMC OMC Marine Conversion

Donor: Richard Munro

Accession Number: 1995.013

Gar Wood Custom Boats, owned by the Turcotte brothers of Brant Lake, NY, are among the finest craftsmen now building mahogany runabouts to traditional designs, in their case by the legendary Gar Wood. Their faithful reproductions utilize the original lines enhanced by wood-epoxy construction techniques and modern power plants.

Teal is designed after Gar Wood’s 1938 triple-cockpit runabout. Annual maintenance on Teal is generously provided by Gar Wood Custom Boats.

Length: 41′ 6″

Beam: 10′ 6″

Builder: Staudacher Yacht Company

Power: Twin Crusader V-8’s

Donor: Louise S. Stroh

Accession Number: 1985.018

Zipper was designed for the Purdy Boat Company. Though drawn in the 1930s, the boat was never built. In 1974, brewery magnate John W. Stroh finally commissioned Staudacher Yachts to build her. While remaining faithful to the original design, Staudacher utilized modern construction methods and gave Zipper a strong, “screwed and glued” double-planked hull with vertically-scarfed mahogany planking on steam-bent oak frames. Zipper is a commuter yacht, emblematic of a type from the 1920s and 30s.