Member Spotlight: Mark Setterholm
 

by Steve Merjanian

One Tuesday evening I finally caught up with Mark Setterholm at his lake-front home in Excelsior, MN. Needless to say, the home was great and so was his hospitality. I asked him to regale me with his boat stories and, like a true Minnesotan, he was reluctant to spout a few gems. In any event, he does have a strong interest in antique and classic boating.

He started his boating back about 26 years ago with a 26’ plywood boat called The Torlew. This boat was in desperate shape and needed lot of loving care. He bought it for $2000 as a project boat. The boat initially was a leaker and Mark and his friends got their first taste of wood boat repair work. He joined our club for the first time with The Torlew.

At present, Mark has three boats, all Lyman’s. His first love is his 30’ Lyman which has been towed to Ohio for reconstruction. His second boat is a 15.5’ Lyman runabout with a 35 hp Johnson Javelin and
his third boat is a 23’ Lyman Sportsman. Oh yeah, I forgot, his wife, Sandy, has a Chris Craft 22’ Sportsman which she is getting ready for the water. Her boat has a Chrysler Crown 125 hp, which she intends to replace with a V8.

Mark and Sandy have a hobby farm in Winsted, MN, which is across the road from Lester Prairie. He has four big buildings with the three boats in one of the heated work spaces. It is only 30 miles from his home so he can easily get there. Working in a heated indoor shop is his wintertime preoccupation. Since he has joined the ACBS, he has met many of the Lyman folks around the country. He states that they are a great resource for information about Lyman boats. He has traveled extensively around the Great Lakes where he has met these Lyman people.

I asked Mark if he could give me his thoughts about BSLOL. This was his response:“It is really hard to talk about myself in regards to this club. The little time and effort that I give to the club is so overshadowed by the benefit, fellowship and enjoyment I receive from the club and its members. Discovering the beauty of antique and classic wooden boats and the waters in this world that they navigate has become such a wonderful pastime for me! I only wish that I could spend more time with my hobby! 2005 will be the year (with the help and coaching of other club members) that I will dive in (and hopefully make regular progress) to a wood boat restoration project on my own! I’m sure that there will be a few club members that will install “caller I.D.” just because of me once I get started!

Mark is very modest with regard to his contribution to the chapter. Almost immediately upon joining the club, he volunteered to be on the Board of Directors. This alone says volumes about his attitude! We
discovered early on that he is an extremely busy guy juggling many “balls in the air” almost continuously. With all that vies for his time, he manages to jump in when something needs doing. A prime example
of that is his involvement in the past two Aquatennial Torchlight Parades. The first year, with less than four weeks’ notice, we were accepted to participate. Mark dove right in and, with the help of John Tuttle and Andreas Rhude got it done. This involved a herculean effort by the three of them, but it was Mark who arranged for professional lighting and design crew to set-up the float, a 1946 Chris Craft Sportsman U-22 owned by Shawn Palmersheim. This boat is a beauty all on its own, but with the trim and lighting, the effect was awesome and it made a fantastic impression in the parade! Mark arranged for all the necessary equipment and used his truck to tow the boat.
 

This past year, Bob Johnson’s 1925 Dodge Watercar 22’ Long Deck Runabout was trimmed in rope lights making a spectacular entry in the parade....again, with Mark’s involvement. When Mark gets involved, it’s with an enthusiasm that is contagious.

There you have it folks! Mark is a great guy and I suggest you make his acquaintance.