Vintage
Race Boat Shop
Vintage
Race Boat Shop
We maintain vintage wooden boats.
About Us
We maintain vintage wooden boats, provide year round maintenance, and treat each boat with special care. We focus on maintenance and performance improvements, and also build new/replica vintage race boats. And we share our passion for vintage wooden boats, by posting many photos of our projects and activities on this hyperactive Website, and with our Saturday Morning Gatherings.
Please stop by and join all the fun !!!
Our specialties include:
Spring launching ceremonies, fall winterizing and winter storage.
Summer performance tune-ups and oil changes - using Mobil-1 Synthetic oil.
Motor performance upgrades - carburetion, ignition, exhaust headers.
Propeller performance upgrades - using 4-blade prop technology.
High quality paint & varnish work - using Interlux paint and Epifanes varnish.
Bottom detailing - wood repairs & smooth finishing.
Custom upholstery, boat covers & trailer work - using Steve Rollins & Jay Berry
Custom boat lettering & trailer graphics - using JC Signs
Custom engine rebuilding - using R&L Racing Engines
Custom boat trailers - supplied by Eagle
New/replica vintage race boats - Jersey Speed Skiffs & Gentleman's Racers
And of course - we love to share our project updates on this hyperactive Website ???!!!
We are also active supporters and participants of the APBA Vintage Race Boat Circuit, running at 6/7 vintage regattas each summer with our beloved Gar Wood Speedster Obsession - performing APBA safety inspections at the regattas, sharing knowledge with owners/drivers during the inspections process - and sharing all the fun on this hyperactive Website. Click here for lots and lots of photos
Additionally, we are active members and supporters of our beloved NH Boat Museum, located right here in beautiful Wolfeboro - where I am a board member and for the early years, developed and maintained our museum Website. Carol Cloutier then redesigned and now maintains the site, and is doing a fine job.
Click here for the NH Boat Museum Website
We are also active members and supporters of our local chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society - where I continue to maintain our Website, and we are quite active participating in ACBS events.
Click here for the NE Chapter ACBS Website
And because our passion is 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. Our next regatta is scheduled for September 17-19, 2009.
Click here for recap & photos - Wolfeboro Vintage Race Boat Regatta-2007
Some background on Bill John and the Vintage Race Boat Shop:
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. Yes, it was time to follow my dream and my bliss, working on vintage wooden boats and maintaining my own hyperactive vintage race boat Website. Yup - 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 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 hydroplane that was the national champion. Also in the photo is my grandfather and grandmother.
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 my 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, sharing all the fun, and are well known as "The Obsession Boys" on the APBA Vintage Race Boat Circuit . We have a lot of fun running our vintage race boats and enjoying the camaraderie at our summer regattas, but we also just love working on vintage boats back in the shop. Keeps us young, active and engaged ???!!!
Jim Kondrat has a machine shop upstairs, and helps us out on special projects. Most recently, Jim helped us with motor installations and rigging on a couple of new/replica Jersey Speed Skiffs - My Precious and Tinker.
So, whenever you are in the Wolfeboro area, please stop by and join all the fun at our Saturday Morning Gatherings. We are located on Back Bay in Wolfeboro, just off Bay Street, behind the large Laconia Electric building and across from the Sawmill Marina and the Wolfetrap.
We maintain vintage wooden boats.
3 King Street
PO Box 332
Wolfeboro, NH 03894
603-569-5824
Some related vintage race boat links:
APBA - American Power Boat Association
