Tom Juul-

A Member Spotlight

Who is Tom Juul? Wow! That’s a question I struggled with for years ... until I stumbled into wooden boats.

Growing up in a small rural community exposed me to many different vocations, none dealing with wooden boats, but all preparing me in certain ways to work on them. My spouse laughs at all the different jobs I have had. In high school, I worked on dairy farms and had a lawn care and house painting business. Out of high school, I restored antique furniture, made picture frames, worked at a lumber yard, construction firm, cabinet shop, and worked on old cars and snowmobiles - to name a few. It took me three tries to get through college. Not knowing what I wanted to do with my life was the primary reason. Working with wood and tinkering with engines was enjoyable, but I wanted to so something that was more significant and unique.

During my junior year at St. Cloud State University, I spend hours in the library. One day, a book at the end of a shelf caught my eye. The slip cover to the book had a beautiful Riva on it. It was Bob Speltz’s Real Runabouts, Volume I. Wow! I didn’t know anyone was collecting or restoring old speed boats.

My father always talked about his Dad’s boats. He owned a Hafer launch, a Larson Falls Flyer, and a 33’ Baby GarWood with a 12 cylinder Fiat aircraft engine. No one in Hutchinson could ever keep it running. His favorite was a 1947 Chris Craft 18’ Sportsman named “Skippy.” Dad often reminisced about the sound of the engine, the beautiful varnished wood, the smell of the upholstery and the wonderful ride. Several weeks later, I noticed a classmate reading a wooden boat magazine. He had several in his backpack and loaned me a few.

During my senior year, an ad in the Sunday paper for a 1949 Chris Craft caught my eye. It was real close to the year of grandpa’s boat. Plans were made to go see it the next weekend. Dad would meet me Saturday at school on the way to Excelsior. The week dragged by - I wanted to see the boat. What if someone bought the treasure before we got there?

Saturday arrived. Dad and I met Jon Menth and bought the first boat we looked at - a 1949 Chris Craft Special Runabout. The father-son restoration was to take one year. It would later win an award at the Bob Speltz Real Runabout Show and Skipper’s Choice at the White Fish Show. (As a side note: I also met my future spouse Carol the very same weekend.)

During conversations with Jon Menth, it was discovered that his folks lived next to my grandparents in Hutchinson. Jon told stories of seeing my grandfather cruise by in their Chris Craft. He also remembered himself as a boy sneaking into the boat house to get a closer look at the boat.

Shortly after graduation, an article in Wooden Boat magazine told of Dick Clarke and Sierra Boat Works in Lake Tahoe. Wouldn’t it be great to work there ... a resume was sent. The next week, Dick Clarke called and said to come out as soon as possible. I couldn’t believe it. So much for my construction management degree.
During our time at Tahoe, Carol and I were married. It was a great honeymoon, however, within a year, we were back in Minnesota to begin our own restoration business closer to family and friends.

Classic boat enthusiasts Walter Anderson and Bob Page from Alexandria, gave us the tools to open our doors. They rented a lake home and a shop at a reasonable rate. The couple of small jobs and encouragement from club members got us going. Before we knew it, the shop was overflowing with work.

It has been 13 years now, and 45 restorations later - ranging from a 14’ cedar strip Falls Flyer to a 30’ GarWood, currently under restoration. Days in the shop still fly by and I learn something new every day. At Juul Boat Works, I have one full-time employee that works year ‘round on the boats. Someday, we hope to put our three boys to work in the shop too.

The most challenging aspect of my job is the lack of time we have to enjoy our own boats. Currently, all our boats need complete restoration. Someday it will be wonderful to enjoy them, but until the, I keep plugging away. Wooden boat restoration is both a hobby and a job. However, when your hobby becomes your job, it is hard to find time and energy to restore your own boats. Overall, there are many positive aspects to this business. Most important, I love my job and the opportunity the boats have given me to meet people with a common interest from all over the United States and Canada.