Page 44 - 2013 Lake St. Clair Guide

SERVICE & REPAIR

FIBERGLASS & GELCOAT
Transoms ∙ Bulk Heads ∙ Stringers

Custom Bow Thrusters
Insurance Work

STORAGE / DOCKAGE Helen's company transporting landing barges built by the Chris
Craft Holland, MI plant and then on to their Algonac, MI plant
INSIDE HEATED STORAGE • OUTSIDE STORAGE to be fueled and tested. Recognize the "Colony Tower" in the
background off the North Channel on M29?
BOAT WELLS 17'-41'
pany devoted exclusively to boat hauling, transporting boats from
586-776-5650 coast to coast, from speedboats up to 49' cruisers... a $250,000
business in the 1950's when she sold the company.
www.harbor9marina.net
24030 E. Jefferson - St. Clair Shores, MI With humble beginnings, this lady boat hauler built a big busi-
ness in St. Clair Shores, ended up in Grosse Pointe Shores with
A Full Service Marina two boats, a racing sloop, and an express cruiser on Lake St. Clair,
and put her 3 kids through college... all because of one good idea.
in the Heart
of the Nautical Mile As a side note,

First U.S. Boat Hauling Company shortly after Pearl
continued from page 28 ... know Harbor, the United
anything about boats or driving trucks, States Government
and in 1932 she was a one woman show... came to Chris Craft
within 20 years, Helen's "Boat Transit with the first of many
Company" in St. Clair Shores had 25 em- government con-
ployees and was the world's largest com- tracts to build landing
boats. Contributing to
July 26 - the war effort, Chris
Jim from Craft built more than
12,000 landing craft.
Ohio On June 6, 1944,
Chris-Craft landing
crafts spearheaded
the D-Day landings
and to this day Chris
Craft remains the
only recreational boat
manufacturer to have
its boats tested under
fire. The poster adver-
tisement at left was
provided by Helen's
daughter Barb, who
has a great collection
of old memorabilia.

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