Boating: American Beauties
06/01/2005
Stan-Craft Fastback Viper V10 Speedster and Grand-CraftClassic Custom Runabout
The Viper is the Ferrari of our boat world,” says boatbuilder Robb Bloem of Stan-Craft Boat Co. “It’s long, sleek, and sexy.”
Crafted from African mahogany, Stan-Craft’s 26-foot-long Fastback V10 Speedster is designed for velocity, from its low profile to the racer-style cockpit, cigarette boatlike design, and the inboard engine—the same engine that drives the Dodge Viper. “Everything about it exudes speed,” Bloem says of the 550 hp vessel. “When you’re going 50 or 60 mph, it feels like you’re going 80 or 85 mph.”
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Stan-Craft’s 26-foot-long Fastback Viper V10
Speedster is powered by a Dodge
Viper engine. (Click image to
enlarge)Each custom boat is made by the 72-year-old family-owned company in Post Falls, Idaho. The wood is hand-blocked to avoid impurities and to produce a mirrorlike finish. Each boat, finished with 15 coats of UV-protected varnish, can be customized in numerous ways, such as the color of the stain and seating, the steering wheel, and the windshield. Other options include stereo systems, built-in coolers, swim platforms, cockpit heaters, and GPS gauges.
“Every piece of hardware is handmade and cast in bronze or brass with a chrome finish,” Bloem explains. “We only build eight to 10 boats a year, which allows for great attention to every detail. Our clientele is very exclusive.”
Stan-Craft also puts a premium on function. “Not all of our clients are boating professionals—they want their boats to be easy to maneuver,” Bloem says. To increase user-friendliness, Stan-Craft installs a bow thruster—a mechanism that allows the boat to move sideways when parking—in each custom creation that measures 22 feet and longer. “Bow thrusters are typically found on 40-foot yachts and longer, which are a bear to park,” Bloem says. “The thruster makes parking very easy.”Stan-Craft’s vessels range from 18 to 40 feet in length and cost from $85,000 to $550,000. A Fastback Viper V10 Speedster with trailer and mooring cover is $196,000.
Another luxury wooden boat gracing the waters is the Grand-Craft 27-foot Custom Classic Runabout, a nod to the nostalgic Chris-Craft boats of the 1930s. Made from solid Philippine mahogany and accented with heavy hand-cast brass or bronze hardware plated in nickel, copper, or chrome, the triple-cockpit boat seats nine. A banjo-style steering wheel and Grand-Craft’s traditional etched instrument cluster are at the heart of the streamlined dashboard. The boat’s top-notch gas marine engine delivers 425 hp.
Trained craftsmen mill and match the mahogany, which is
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renowned for its
strength as well as its sound and shock absorption.
The wood pieces are bonded
together with a special wood epoxy
saturation process that makes each vessel
impervious to the damaging
effects of salt water and freshwater. (Click image to
enlarge)Grand-Craft, a family-owned company in Holland, Mich., is headed by Richard Sligh, who started working on boats at age 10 while he was living on the shores of Lake Michigan. The family, which includes Richard’s father, Charles Sligh Jr., a former nationally prominent water-skier, was also known in the furniture industry for handcrafted furniture, desks, and clocks. The 27-foot Custom Classic Runabout starts at about $150,000. Stan-Craft Boat Co., 208.665.2000, www.stancraftboats.com
Grand-Craft Corp., 616.396.5450, www.grandcraft.com