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Vintage
Race Boat Shop
We maintain vintage wooden boats.

About Us

We maintain vintage wooden boats,
by providing year round maintenance
and treating each boat with special care.
Also building reproduction vintage boats.
Click
here for details
Bill John - owner/driver
Donnie McLean - riding mechanic
Jim Kondrat -
special projects
Vintage Race Boat Shop
7 King Street - PO Box 332
Wolfeboro, NH 03894
603-569-5824
John1948@metrocast.net
Our shop services include:
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Spring launching ceremonies, fall
winterizing and winter storage.
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Summer performance tune-ups and oil
changes - using Amsoil Synthetic oil
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Motor performance upgrades - carburetion,
ignition, exhaust headers
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Propeller performance upgrades - using
4-blade prop technology
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Bottom detailing - wood and surface repairs
for a very smooth bottom
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High quality paint & varnish work - using Interlux paints and Epifanes varnishes
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Custom upholstery and boat covers - by Steve Rollins
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Custom boat lettering & trailer graphics
- by
JC Signs
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Custom marine engine building - by
R&L Engines
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Custom boat trailers - by
Eagle
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Reproduction vintage boats -
Gentleman's Racers,
Jersey Speed Skiffs & Ski Boats
If you get a chance, please stop by and join our
Saturday
Morning Gatherings.
We provide fresh pots of coffee, shop projects
to discuss, a big screen TV and usually have some
vintage boat racing videos playing in the background. If you would
like to
join our therapy group, put on your grubbies and
come join the fun. We usually have around 15/20 vintage wonderers attending,
with a couple of stools and chairs,
hot coffee, way too many donuts, and lots
of good vintage
boat banter.
Join us,
the coffee is usually ready by 9:00
AM - please bring donuts!!!
And we share our passion for vintage wooden boats by posting
many photos of our projects and activities on our
hyperactive Website, which is updated almost daily.

Project photos
Trading Dock
Vintage Newsletter
Saturday Morning Gatherings
Reproduction Vintage
Boats
Some background
on our crew:

Bill John - owner/driver
In
the Spring of 2002, I finally took the plunge, casting off my career
in Corporate America, where I designed, installed, and managed
large corporate information systems for over 30 years, and started
my new, semi-retirement career with my own Vintage
Race Boat Shop, located here in beautiful Wolfeboro, NH.
It was time to follow my dream and my bliss, working on vintage
wooden boats and maintaining my own hyperactive vintage race boat
Website. I was ready and well qualified, after 25 years of "on the
job" training - owning, maintaining and modifying my beloved Gar
Wood Speedster -
Obsession
Boats
and boat racing are in my blood. My grandfather, William Edgar John
Sr, was a naval architect, owned a shipyard in Rye, New York, raced
in several inboard classes, and was inducted into the APBA's Honor
Squadron in 1955. My father,
William Edgar John Jr.
raced International-One-Design sailboats
on Long Island Sound - where he was Fleet Chairman for many years
and was the first President of the IOD class, based out of the
Larchmont Yacht Club where he was very active. My grandmother was
also active in the early days of power boat racing in this country.
She actually drove and won quite a few early APBA boat races, and I
have two large trophies that she won in 1914. The
picture to the left is my grandfather's "Sally Ann Jr." a 225
Ventnor hydroplane that was the national champion. Also in the photo is my
grandfather and grandmother.

Donnie
McLean - riding mechanic
Donnie
McLean, my friend and riding mechanic, also
joined me in 2002 at the Vintage Race Boat Shop.
But due to family obligations, kept his day job
and moonlights at the shop as time allows. Donnie
was born and raised in Fort Myers, Florida
before migrating north to Wolfeboro. A confessed
river rat and hot rodder, he built and ran
wooden flat bottom ski and race boats while in
Fort Myers, where he developed his mechanical
skills and love of performance boats.
 Donnie
and I make an excellent team, creating synergy
and enjoying the camaraderie while running our
vintage race boats and on the
Vintage Race Boat
Circuit.
We
have a lot of fun at our vintage events, but we also
love working on our vintage boats back in the shop ???!!!

Jim Kondrat
- special projects
Jim Kondrat is also part of our crew and
helps us on special projects. Most recently,
Jim helped us with motor installations and
rigging on several reproduction projects.
Click here for our Reproduction Vintage Boats

Since
1979, we
have been active members and supporters of our
New England chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat
Society, where we are current board members,
chairman of the Meredith ACBS Boat Show, and maintain our
chapter Website.
Click here for
our local ACBS Website
Additionally, we are active members and
supporters of our beloved NH Boat Museum,
located right here in beautiful Wolfeboro,
where we were board members during the early
years and started their museum Website.
Click
here for the NH Boat
Museum
We
are active promoters and participants on
the
Vintage Race Boat
Circuit running hard at vintage
regattas with our Gar Wood
Speedster
Obsession.
Click here for lots and
lots of photos
To share our passion for vintage race boats, we
work year round promoting and supporting our
local
Wolfeboro Vintage Race Boat Regatta
held every two
years right here on beautiful Wolfeboro Bay and
sponsored by our local NH Boat Museum. The date
for our next
regatta is September 14-17, 2011
and our monthly planning meetings are held here at our
shop. All are welcome to come and join the fun!!!
Click here for recap &
lots of photos
Vintage Race Boat Shop
7 King Street - PO Box 332
Wolfeboro, NH 03894
603-569-5824
John1948@metrocast.net
If you get a
chance, please stop by and join our
Saturday Morning Gatherings
Some related vintage race
boat links:
Return to Our Beloved Vintage Wooden Boats

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