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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.
We also build reproduction vintage boats.
Click
here for details
Bill John - owner/driver
Donnie McLean - riding mechanic
Jim Kondrat -
special projects
Vintage Race Boat Shop
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 Amzoil 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 straight, flat and 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
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
 Saturday Morning Gatherings.
If you get a chance, please stop by
and join our "Saturday Morning Gatherings". We provide
fresh pots of coffee, interesting projects to discuss, a big
screen TV and usually have some vintage boat racing
videos playing in the background.
If you want to join our
therapy group, put on your grubbies and come join the fun. We
usually have around 10/15 vintage wonderers attending, with a couple
of rocking chairs, hot coffee, way too many donuts and lots of good
vintage boat banter. 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.
Please come join us, the coffee is usually ready by 9:00, please
bring donuts ???!!!
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 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 - 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 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
and
sharing all the fun 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
- special projects
Jim Kondrat is also part of our crew and
helps us out 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 I am a current board member,
chairman of the Meredith 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 I was a board member during the early
years and started their Website.
Click
here for the NH Boat
Museum
 We
are also active promoters and participants every
summer of
the
APBA Vintage Race Boat
Circuit, running hard at all the
major vintage
regattas each summer with our beloved Gar Wood
Speedster -
Obsession
Click here for lots and
lots of photos
 And
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. Our next
regatta is scheduled for September 16-19, 2009
and our monthly planning meetings are held on
the first Saturday of the month here at our
shop. All are welcome to come and join the fun!!!
Click here for recap &
lots of photos
If you get a
chance, please stop by and join our
Saturday Morning
Gatherings, give us a call or send an email.
Bill John
John1948@metrocast.net
Some
related vintage race boat links:
The
Vintage Hydroplanes
APBA
- American Power Boat Association
Hydroplane & Race Boat
Museum
APBA Vintage Race Boat
Circuit
APBA Vintage Race Boat
Circuit - lots of photos
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