Page 28 - 2013 Lake St. Clair Guide

MMIIAAMMII sold out when a
new model
VVIICCEE was an-
nounced.
When I think classic Chris Craft that origi- Ac-
cord-
nated by Lake St. Clair in Algonac, I think.... ing to
www.
wood, or the old big cabin cruiser style. But chris-
craftsting-
after attending an event with the Lake St. Clair er.com, Er-

Power Boat Club's several owners with their nest Schmidt,
President of Chris
vintage offshore boats, I saw this Chris Craft. Craft during the 1980's, re-
called how the Stingers ended
In the up on the show... "As I re-
member the Miami Vice story,
1980's, they had called us to tell us the
script they were working on,
Chris Craft and to request that we furnish
boats (390 X) for the show. At
rejuvenated the time, Don Johnson was a
relative unknown, and we re-
itself by of- ally weren't too sure of the
script. As I recall, we sold them
fering a line the Chris-Crafts they used that
first year at cost. After the first
of offshore year they approached both
Chris-Craft and Wellcraft about the use of boats for the continuing
race boats. series. I don't recall the process (I think Dick Genth was involved
in the negotiations), but for whatever reason they wound up going
The pilot epi- with Wellcraft, and of course it turned out being the most popular
show on television at the time."
Classic Offshore Boat Display sode of Miami
... and Old T-Shirts too! Vice featured a
Yes, I remember 1981.... 1983 390X Chris Craft
Stinger, and the first season
Marcus Allen won the Heisman; featured a 1984 390X.
Dallas was the #1 TV Show;
The Stingers were a popu-
Chariots of Fire won best picture; lar line, with entire model
Bette Davis Eyes favorite song... year production sometimes

St. Clair Shores .... One of her first jobs was it." When she de-
First U.S. boat hauling to haul a speedboat from livered the boat
company started by local Michigan to Ohio. All went to the beach, the
young woman well until rounding a curve helpful motorist
and she found herself on at the gas station
Back in 1933, Helen Werner Slocum and a section was the owner!
her husband had recently separated. Left of freshly
with three small children, $2.50 in the tarred road. By the 1950's,
bank, and a second hand tractor-trailer her Once past most of her business was from Chris Craft,
husband left behind, this 24 year old wom- the tarred Matthews, Lyman, Century, and Richard-
an had a novel idea. stretch, she son, all centered around the Great Lakes.
climbed out However, Helen's peak operations occurred
Living by Lake St. Clair, of the truck during WWII when her trucks hauled 7,640
Helen realized no one at landing craft, seagoing tugs, and assault
the time was specialized and craft for the government alone.
in boat hauling to inland saw the
lakes. Boats at that time beauti- When Helen started her business she didn't
were primarily delivered ful new boat now mottled with brown- Continued on Page 44
by rail or on the water. So, ish black tar. Pulling into a gas station,
Helen bought a yachting she bought a gallon of kerosene, bor-
magazine and wrote to ev- rowed a rag, and went to work. A pass-
ery boat building company ing motorist stopped and volunteered
and offered transportation services...she got his services. After getting most of the
three replies to her first batch of letters. tar off, the boat still didn't look good.
The motorist told her not to worry, "Just
take it on to Akron. The old coot will never
know the difference. Take my word for

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