Member Spotlight!

 "For The Hull Of It"-- Steve Merjanian

My first memory of a boat ride was on the Staten Island Ferry during Double-U Double-U Eye-Eye (WWII). The ride cost five cents, you got to eat a lackluster hot dog, and saw the Statue of Liberty standing proudly over the barge traffic. My father introduced the family to power boating in 1944. We would vacation at a bungalow resort about two miles south of Bolton Landing on Lake George, N.Y. We traveled by steam train to the lake and used a rented strip-built outboard with a 5 hp Johnson to go to Bolton Landing to shop. That was a slow way to travel with a full load of groceries. 

Two years later we returned to the same resort and I learned to row a boat and swim a little. My two aunts took my brother and I out in the row boat. Their rowing skills were nil, so this six-year-old took over the rowing job. As luck would have it, a pre-war triple cockpit Chris Craft spotted us, slowed down, and offered to give my brother and me a ride. Off we went, and within 45 seconds, my three-year-old brother, Tom, was crying and that ended my first classic boat ride. By 1951, my grandparents bought a log cabin five miles south of Lake George in dude ranch country. We had access to a small lake which only allowed row boats. Over the next decade, that flat bottom beast served us well and we all developed great upper body strength trying to out-row the neighbors. 

Engineering school kept me busy for too many years. By the mid-sixties, I had my BEE degree and took a job at Newport News Ship Building and Dry Dock Company. Within a few months I was assigned to missile fire control testing for Polaris submarines. I worked on the George Washington Carver (builder's trials) and the John Marshall (major overhaul) to coordinate the test procedures amongst the various vendors. A number of shipyard episodes still stand out in my mind. One evening on graveyard shift, I went to Shipway Eleven and walked the length of the keel under the (CVA67) John F. Kennedy. To this day, I have not been on the deck of an aircraft carrier but I have been under one. On another occasion, a nuclear fast attack submarine was put in dry dock in the early hours and all the black paint was sandblasted off it. I went past this ship during the noon lunch hour and there was a shiny submarine that looked like it just came out of the chrome tank. Not having a clearance high enough to take a picture was one of the biggest disappointments of my photographic career.

During my stay in Virginia, I had access to a 15 foot Crosby with a Mercury Mark 78 engine. I learned piloting and how to water ski with that boat, right where the Monitor and Merimac had fought 100 years earlier. A good run would go from the Chesapeake Bay to the Hampton Roads into the James River all the way up to the dam on the Chickahominy River. That was a four-hour trip that went from salt to fresh water. One time, I motored up to the Triton, which was the only U.S. sub ever built with two reactors. A very young sailor was standing deck watch and had his hand on his side arm as we approached. At this point, we did a hasty retreat. To this day, I have a hard time accepting zits and a 45ACP on the same person.

By the early seventies, I was living in Deephaven and had rented city shore space for a 1949 Chris Craft 25' Sportsman. My budget was limited and I could afford a used small fiberglass outboard or the Sportsman. I bought the "Rumrunner" from my friend, Gil Palmer, in 1975 because he was not into major maintenance. The first year of use was preceded by a strip, stain, and varnish of the sides. The bottom was also scraped and painted. For the second year, I refinished the decks and the interior. Over the winter of 1977, I had the transmission rebuilt by Bud Jensen. Evidently, a previous owner had tightened up the clutch plates too much and bent the fingers so you could not find neutral. In 1979, the engine threw a rod through the crankcase, which necessitated a rebuild. I found an old Chris Craft W block for spare parts that had .040 over pistons. My engine was bored out to 4.29 inches and went from 404 ci to 411 ci in the process. Keith Katcher did the rebuild and I could never thank him enough for his efforts. 

When I researched the Rumrunner (S-25-174), I found she was shipped with the optional hardtop. When I got her, the hardtop had been replaced with one off a 22' Continental, and the windshield was custom made from aluminum channel. That anomaly started a search for an original windshield. I made my quest known to members of the LOL community and Jon Menth found S-25-160. I bought the hardware off this boat even though the windshield was bent. Next, he found S-25-085 and again, I bought the hardware, however I traded the windshield for my bent one. Prior to these two finds, I had bought the hulk of S-25-063 from Tony Brown for the hardware and the trailer. Since trees were growing out of the bow of this boat, I took the stripped-out hull to the landfill and watched a packer turn it into splinters. It was not a pleasant sight and one which won't be repeated with today's growing interest in pattern boats.

My only brag is that the Rumrunner was the only boat displayed at every Rendezvous from 1977 to 1990. In 1984, Peggy got her first taste of Antique and Classic boating aboard the Rumrunner and the rest, as they say, is history. In the interim, she has had mega-dosages of mahogany madness, which resulted ultimately in The BoatHouse newsletter. This boat was used extensively through 1990 when I had to pull it out because of excessive leaks. It is presently stored under cover awaiting reconstruction. 

A 1962 Thompson 16.5' Sea Coaster and Gator trailer was acquired in 1991 and restored for use by 1993. I bought a 1962 Evinrude 75 hp V4 from my aforementioned friend, Gil Palmer, which included the remote controls. This boat must have had a similar engine on it before, because all the holes lined up and the controls fit perfectly. The bottom dings were repaired and coated with West system epoxy, the decks were replaced, and as much of the interior was refinished as time allowed. The Thompson was named Half Pint because I wanted a name related to the Rumrunner that would also fit on the transom on both sides of the outboard motor. Even with my big buns in the driver's seat, this light-weight boat can really get up and go. I am the third owner of this motor, which has averaged only a few hours each year since new. Once I figured out the dual points and complex linkages, it ran beautifully. 

This year will see my 25th rendezvous with the BSLOL. During that time, I have made friends whom I consider extended family. I have ridden in or driven most of the cherished "floating furniture" from 12' to 44' and my nose has been in more engine compartments than I can remember. We spend enormous effort in life cultivating our memories with knowledge and experiences. Classic boating has been a major part of that for me and I am grateful for the continuing journey. Oh heck, let’s go boating!