The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Reporter's note: Late June my wife and I drove to Washington state for our twin grandkids' high school graduation. We stayed with friends who live in Warm Beach, a residential community north of Seattle along Port Susan. Port Susan is a bay connecting, eventually, to Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean. Warm Beach was a great area to walk, especially in the early summer, with lots of giant evergreens, blooming flowers of every sort, spectacular views of the bay and some challenging hills to get the blood pumping.

On one of my random walks I saw a boat works. It was built in the classic design I'd seen in books and travelogues-tall work area to accommodate boats, a loft for storage (in the old days, sails), doors adequate for large boats and, well, lots of boats around. Two guys were working on the deck of a wooden boat when I walked up. That was when I first met Alan Thomle. He's spent the last 25+ years mainly restoring mahogany runabout boats. Here's some of what I learned about the work of Alan Thomle Boat Works and the passion Alan has for wooden boats.

A short primer of modern wooden boats

Though there are and were many builders making wooden boats, Chris Craft tends to come to mind when thinking about modern wooden boats. The company was started in the late 1800's by two brothers in Michigan. By the 1920's the brothers, along with new partners, had organized Chris Craft, a company that still produces high end wooden boats. In the 1920's, as wooden boats became more available, the company enjoyed great success, especially along the east coast. Chris Craft had many celebrity customers, including Henry Ford.

Alan Thomle said, "Montana actually had a famous wooden boat company that started in the 1930's-StanCraft Wooden Boat Company." The company started at Lakeside, on the west shore of Flathead Lake, and several years later moved to Idaho. Stancraft still sells a varied line of high end wooden boats. StanCraft's website notes that over the last 12 years the company has produced 150 large, custom mahogany boats as well as one hundred smaller boats and pontoons. One of StanCraft's dealerships is in Coeur d'Alene and the large lake there is a major part of their market for high end boats.

The wooden boat market took a major hit during the Great Depression. A few years later boat builders shifted their focus to suppling the military during World War II. By the end of 1945 Chris Craft alone had built 12,000 small boats for the US military. After the end of the war, the pent up consumer demand worked to the advantage of wooden boat builders as sales grew. Then fiberglass boats became fashionable and demand for wooden boats waned for a time.

An American movie rekindled interest in wooden boats, particularly mahogany runabouts. The 1981 release of "On Golden Pond" featured a 1950 Sportsman Thayer IV model runabout by Chris Craft. Customers began scrambling to find and restore the old classic mahogany runabouts or to buy new customized runabouts.

Restoring a mahogany runabout is never 'typical'

Alan Thomle is a second-generation boat restorer. At the age of fourteen he began working in his dad's boat shop in nearby Stanwood, Washington. Alan, who is now 61, said, "For many years I worked on cruisers and yachts. That involved traveling to where the boats were moored. About 25 years ago I switched to working on wooden runabouts. Now the boats come to me. They're literally in my backyard and I can work on them when it fits me." While I interviewed him he was painting anti-fouling material on to the bottom of a fiberglass boat. He explained, "I try to help out my neighbors with their boating needs, but the wooden boats are my main focus."

Thomle's current project is illustrative of how a restoration of a runabout proceeds. Although there were several wooden boats in various states of completion in and around the shop, his main focus was a 1929 Model 3 Chris Craft that was 24 feet long. He explained, "Depending on the condition of the boat I may have to remove all the wood planks and decking and start from the bottom." Just behind the current project was an upturned wooden boat that had a new bottom started. The framework was all visible.

Once the bottom is restored, he begins on the sides, then finally the decking. Thomle said, "This particular boat has about 15 coats of varnish on the sides. We often fiberglass the outside of the boat as an extra protection. The inboard engine was sitting on the floor next to the boat under a tarp. He said, "This is not the original engine, those were six cylinder flatheads. Most owners now want a bit more power and engines that are easier to find parts for when needed."

While projects are similar, they all vary. He said, "Most boats are mahogany, which is a prettier wood and gives a great look. Depending on the difficulty of the project, a restoration takes 8-10 months and costs from $30,000 to $100,000." He estimates he's done about 30-40 restorations since he got serious about wooden runabouts. He added, "Most of my customers are not millionaires. They are people who are doing well, financially, but are passionate about wooden boats. And most of them plan to use the boats, not just show them.

Changes he's seen in restorations? "Well," he said, "we are using more modern materials-like marine plywood for the bottoms. I already mentioned using newer, more powerful engines and now there are custom part makers who can, literally, make any part you need." He pointed to a wall in the boat shop covered with everything from steering wheels to cleats. He said, "Parts for these old boats can be hard to come by. I collect what I can at swap meets and salvage parts from boats that are too far gone to restore."

I commented, "We don't see many of these boats in Montana." He laughed and said, "This one I'm currently working on is for a guy at Somers on Flathead Lake." He also does a lot of restorations for boats that are on Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho. Most of his customers come to him by word of mouth. He said, "I attend some boat shows, but mostly people who are looking for someone to restore a boat ask current boat owners for recommendations. Often my name will come up."

Greyhound: a "gentlemen's racing boat"

I was about to leave when Alan said, "Come outside, I want to show you the Greyhound." Under a lean-to attached to the shop, and partially covered by a tarp, was a long, elegant looking boat with "Greyhound" painted on the transom. He explained it was a "gentlemen's racing boat." Back in the 1920's many well to do people, especially from Spokane, had houses on Lake Coeur d'Alene. For sport, they would have racing boats designed and custom built. The gentlemen would then race the boats. The Greyhound was a champion in both 1921 and '22.

Thomle had the Greyhound for about nine years before he started work on it. He said, "A collector in Wenatchee, Washington had it for a while. It was in terrible shape." He decided to restore the boat for a 'speculation' sale (assuming once it was completed he could find a buyer). Alan said, "I, and many friends, worked day and night for six months to get the boat completed in time to showcase it at an international antique boat show over at Lake Coeur d'Alene. We made it." That was in 2008, just about the time the economy tanked and no buyer stepped forward at the time.

Alan said, "Now I use the Greyhound to promote my business at shows and regattas. People love to ride in it and it shows the kind of work I can produce." In case you always wanted a genuine gentlemen's boat, you can own the Greyhound for a low six figure price. Contact Alan Thomle Boat Works in Warm Beach, Washington (360-652-8879). The hours of hard work and years of experience are already built into the restored craft.