![]() ![]() Shapton’s own 1942 Chris-Craft currently occupies his workshop while he restores its 26-foot wooden hull. There is a waiting list full of people who want him to love their boat. “Ultimately, the boat will go to someone else, but for a while, I get to love it.” “For a short time, I’m a caretaker,” he said. Walk through his shop and Shapton’s passion for wooden vessels is clearly visible. Wood, who created the first hydraulic cylinder, partnered with Chris Smith to build Gar Wood pleasure boats from 1916-23 when Smith left to launch his own company, Chris-Craft. Gar Wood hulls, built in Marysville by Detroit boat racer Garfield Wood, can demand six-figure prices when fully restored. Wagemakers were manufactured in Grand Rapids until a fire shuttered the plant in 1960. Instead, he completely disassembled the boat, copied it down to the last detail and built the buyer an exact replica.Īlthough Michigan is the birthplace of many boat builders, Shapton focuses on little-known, once-local gems, such as Wagemaker and Gar Wood boats. Once asked to sell the 1945 Baycraft hydroplane that also occupies his showroom, Shapton rejected the generous offer. Most people don’t want to dive in that deep.” Deep is a fitting term for his projects. When asked what drives him, Shapton replied, “I’m a purist. Demand for his unique talents grew by word of mouth, and at the age of 25, his passion became a full-time job. He began restoring wood boats and outboards as a hobby, attending antique boat shows and swap meets on weekends. When his wife Mary’s marketing and design business took off, Shapton offered to stay home with their children. “There’s a lot of pleasure in using the boats, but half the fun is just digging, researching, resourcing.” Shapton left the sailboat behind when graduation pushed him east. He often sat in the sailboat doing his homework at the run-down marina and boat storage facility, also known as the Goat Yard, where the compound’s namesake, Nemo the goat, wandered the grounds between the decrepit hulls and rusted vehicles. ![]() While attending college in Detroit, he used his first tax return to purchase a William Garden 6-meter sailboat that sat landlocked in the middle of the old Detroit Boat Works. Shapton inherited his love of wooden boats from his father, a boat builder in Charlevoix. The antique engine is on display in their living room instead. After purchasing it, the man’s wife stopped him from mounting it on their garage wall. Visitors are often unexpected, but a recent customer knocked on the locked station door after recognizing a 1930s Mercury engine in the window. In his workshop, they come together beautifully. “It’s all about the leather, the wood and the glass - the way they come together,” Shapton said. His restoration projects easily could be called art since the end results are worthy of display. Nevertheless, Logan enjoyed his Runabout for five seasons, until 1936, when he received a new 28-foot Runabout.Half museum and half workshop, Shapton’s business was born from his dedication to classic wooden watercraft. One option not included was the ice chest, as it seems that Logan was a tea drinker. As the boat was earmarked for Logan, it was built with several non-standard features, such as heavy-bottom construction, a one-man top, wing windows, and a foot rest in the second cockpit, as well as a locking engine hatch and gas filler cap. Only 52 examples of the 28-40 Open Runabout were produced in 1930, and at $4,700, it was a handsome sum to pay even for the most well-to-do during the Depression era. ![]() As documented by Anthony Mollica, president of the Gar Wood Society, this Model 28-40, equipped with a 200-horsepower Scripps engine, was completed and shipped to Detroit, Michigan, on April 9, 1930, which is also corroborated by the original sales records in the society’s possession. More importantly, it was built exclusively for Logan Wood, president of the Gar Wood Industries at the time. This 28-foot Open Runabout was one of those boats built at the new plant. ![]()
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