Chetek Aqua-Flyer

There are not many of these old Chetek'saround anymore. The Chetek Boat Company built wood boats in Chetek, WI untill the early 1960's. This boat is adesirable boat for collectors of these 1950's cedar-strip styled runabouts. The late Bob Speltz, author of thepopular 7 volume booksseries entitled "The Real Runabouts", owned this very same model which is onexhibit at the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum inArnold'sPark Iowa. I've included a couple of pictures of Bob Speltz's restored Aqua-Flyer toillustrate the potential of this boat.

This boat came to me (I'm a boatwright) from a customer as a restoration project. It is a cedar strip runabout that had beensheathed in polyester fiberglass late in its life as a last ditcheffort to keep it afloat. Idisassembled the boat and removed the fiberglass sheathing. With that, the full extent of the restoration project became clear and the owner decided that there was too much work and expense to have the boatprofessionally restored. The cost of the restoration will far exceed the boat's value fullyrestored... a commonoccurrence in the wooden boat restoration business. He has asked me to sell it for him.I hate to see this boat getscrapped, asthere are not many left. This boatought to find a new home with either an amateur boat builder, or somebody with a passion for these popular 1950's cedar strip runabouts willing to paythe cost to have itprofessionally restored.Amateur boat builders/restorers may find this DVD by Don Husack helpful: How To Restore Your Cedar Strip BoatTheboat has most of its original hardware and fittings, most of which are reusable.A quick assessment of the boat:

• Topsides, thedeck and deck beams are in fine shape.
• Seats are in good shape.
• Bilge stringers and transom knees and quarter knees are in good shape.
• The spray rails are good.
• The gunwales are good.
• It is framed in a half-rib configuration and some ribs are in need of replacement.
• The transom has rot and needs to be replaced.
• The stem is rotted where it joins the keel and needs replacement.
• The keel is hogged and needs replacement.
• The bottom strips have been sanded down too far over the years to half of their original thickness. They wereoriginally" and now they are". They need replacement.

A quickassessment of the motor:

• It is a desirable 1956 Evinrude Lark - electric start 30hp outboard... Evinrude's top-of-the-line outboard featuring a highlydetailed engine cover.
• The powerhead is good... bothcylinders show 80 psi ofcompression when pulling manually with a rope.
• Both coilsappeared to have been replaced, however there is no spark to onecylinder... could be a point issue.
• The lower unit spins the prop when shifted into both forward in reverse, but when shifting into neutral the prop does not disengage.
• Thestartermotor does not spin.
• A shaft extension kit has been installed converting itfrom a short shaft to a long shaft... it ought to beremoved for this boat.
• Theoriginalcontroller appears to be in working condition.
• There is an electric start solenoid and cover.
• It is a 6-volt ignition system.
• There is an unusual Murray "Battery Pack" with a built in battery charger. Its in poor shape, but aninteresting piece.

I'm guessing the trailer was manufactured in the 80's. There is noidentifying information on it that I could find. I replaced the tires, rims, hubs, and bearings when I towed the boat from my customer's cabin to my boat shop. The trailer is in fine shape, and has atilting feature. It could use a paint job. The bunks and rollers need to be readjusted so the boat properly sits on the trailer... this isprobably the cause of the hogged keel.

More details and resources of this project can be read at my website (timelessboatworks.com ).

This boat came to me (I'm a boatwright) from a customer as a restoration project. It is a cedar strip runabout that had beensheathed in polyester fiberglass late in its life as a last ditcheffort to keep it afloat. Idisassembled the boat and removed the fiberglass sheathing. With that, the full extent of the restoration project became clear and the owner decided that there was too much work and expense to have the boatprofessionally restored. The cost of the restoration will far exceed the boat's value fullyrestored... a commonoccurrence in the wooden boat restoration business. He has asked me to sell it for him.I hate to see this boat getscrapped, asthere are not many left. This boatought to find a new home with either an amateur boat builder, or somebody with a passion for these popular 1950's cedar strip runabouts willing to paythe cost to have itprofessionally restored.Amateur boat builders/restorers may find this DVD by Don Husack helpful: How To Restore Your Cedar Strip BoatTheboat has most of its original hardware and fittings, most of which are reusable.A quick assessment of the boat:

• Topsides, thedeck and deck beams are in fine shape.
• Seats are in good shape.
• Bilge stringers and transom knees and quarter knees are in good shape.
• The spray rails are good.
• The gunwales are good.
• It is framed in a half-rib configuration and some ribs are in need of replacement.
• The transom has rot and needs to be replaced.
• The stem is rotted where it joins the keel and needs replacement.
• The keel is hogged and needs replacement.
• The bottom strips have been sanded down too far over the years to half of their original thickness. They wereoriginally" and now they are". They need replacement.

A quickassessment of the motor:

• It is a desirable 1956 Evinrude Lark - electric start 30hp outboard... Evinrude's top-of-the-line outboard featuring a highlydetailed engine cover.
• The powerhead is good... bothcylinders show 80 psi ofcompression when pulling manually with a rope.
• Both coilsappeared to have been replaced, however there is no spark to onecylinder... could be a point issue.
• The lower unit spins the prop when shifted into both forward in reverse, but when shifting into neutral the prop does not disengage.
• Thestartermotor does not spin.
• A shaft extension kit has been installed converting itfrom a short shaft to a long shaft... it ought to beremoved for this boat.
• Theoriginalcontroller appears to be in working condition.
• There is an electric start solenoid and cover.
• It is a 6-volt ignition system.
• There is an unusual Murray "Battery Pack" with a built in battery charger. Its in poor shape, but aninteresting piece.

I'm guessing the trailer was manufactured in the 80's. There is noidentifying information on it that I could find. I replaced the tires, rims, hubs, and bearings when I towed the boat from my customer's cabin to my boat shop. The trailer is in fine shape, and has atilting feature. It could use a paint job. The bunks and rollers need to be readjusted so the boat properly sits on the trailer... this isprobably the cause of the hogged keel.

More details and resources of this project can be read at my website (timelessboatworks.com ).This boat came to me (I'm a boatwright) from a customer as a restoration project. It is a cedar strip runabout that had beensheathed in polyester fiberglass late in its life as a last ditcheffort to keep it afloat. Idisassembled the boat and removed the fiberglass sheathing. With that, the full extent of the restoration project became clear and the owner decided that there was too much work and expense to have the boatprofessionally restored. The cost of the restoration will far exceed the boat's value fullyrestored... a commonoccurrence in the wooden boat restoration business. He has asked me to sell it for him.I hate to see this boat getscrapped, asthere are not many left. This boatought to find a new home with eiher an amateur boat builder, or somebody with a passion for these popular 1950's cedar strip runabouts willing to paythe cost to have itprofessionally restored.Amateur boat builders/restorers may find this DVD by Don Husack helpful: How To Restore Your Cedar Strip BoatTheboat has most of its original hardware and fittings, most of which are reusable.A quick assessment of the boat:

• Topsides, thedeck and deck beams are in fine shape.
• Seats are in good shape.
• Bilge stringers and transom knees and quarter knees are in good shape.
• The spray rails are good.
• The gunwales are good.
• It is framed in a half-rib configuration and some ribs are in need of replacement.
• The transom has rot and needs to be replaced.
• The stem is rotted where it joins the keel and needs replacement.
• The keel is hogged and needs replacement.
• The bottom strips have been sanded down too far over the years to half of their original thickness. They wereoriginally" and now they are". They need replacement.

A quickassessment of the motor:

• It is a desirable 1956 Evinrude Lark - electric start 30hp outboard... Evinrude's top-of-the-line outboard featuring a highlydetailed engine cover.
• The powerhead is good... bothcylinders show 80 psi ofcompression when pulling manually with a rope.
• Both coilsappeared to have been replaced, however there is no spark to onecylinder... could be a point issue.
• The lower unit spins the prop when shifted into both forward in reverse, but when shifting into neutral the prop does not disengage.
• Thestartermotor does not spin.
• A shaft extension kit has been installed converting itfrom a short shaft to a long shaft... it ought to beremoved for this boat.
• Theoriginalcontroller appears to be in working condition.
• There is an electric start solenoid and cover.
• It is a 6-volt ignition system.
• There is an unusual Murray "Battery Pack" with a built in battery charger. Its in poor shape, but aninteresting piece.

I'm guessing the trailer was manufactured in the 80's. There is noidentifying information on it that I could find. I replaced the tires, rims, hubs, and bearings when I towed the boat from my customer's cabin to my boat shop. The trailer is in fine shape, and has atilting feature. It could use a paint job. The bunks and rollers need to be readjusted so the boat properly sits on the trailer... this isprobably the cause of the hogged keel.

I'm guessing the trailer was manufactured in the 80's. There is noidentifying information on it that I could find. I replaced the tires, rims, hubs, and bearings when I towed the boat from my customer's cabin to my boat shop. The trailer is in fine shape, and has atilting feature. It could use a paint job. The bunks and rollers need to be readjusted so the boat properly sits on the trailer... this isprobably the cause of the hogged keel.More details and resources of this project can be read at my website (timelessboatworks.com ).