Behind the Stories
Wooden Boats, Wondrous Lakes
By John CrancerMarch 3, 2010
When we first decided to do a program on vintage wooden boats, I thought we would be lucky to have enough material for a thirty-minute show. I had no idea there were so many compelling stories about boats in Idaho, enough to easily fill an hour. As B.K. Powell of the Antique and Classic Boat Society puts it, “If they could talk, they could say, listen son, look what I did way back when. That’s the beauty of it. They have a story to tell.”
Wandering through boats shows at Payette, Pend Oreille, and Coeur d’Alene Lakes, we soon found that statement to be very true. Sure, the restored boats are beautiful to look at, and their lake side settings were impressive. But after talking to the owners of the vessels or those that remembered them in years past, we realized what an amazing journey many of the boats had taken to arrive at these shows in pristine condition.
Two particularly remarkable stories involve a couple of boats that spent long, illustrious days on Idaho lakes before falling into disrepair and eventually leaving the state…only to return in fully refurbished glory years later. The Hapike is a one-of-a- kind boat that was originally shipped to the mayor of Sandpoint, Idaho, back in 1941. Pike Moon and his wife Hazel spent years cruising Lake Pend Oreille in the boat and even took Bing Crosby on a fishing trip in it. We were thrilled when we met members of the Moon family and learned they actually had color film of the glory days of the Hapike.
After three decades of use, the then-deteriorating Hapike was sold to a collector from Hawaii. Another thirty years passed before the massive project of restoring the boat began. Hundreds of thousands of dollars later, the refurbished Hapike nearly made it full circle, returning to the International ACBS boat show in Coeur d’Alene. There it won best of show.
Another incredible Idaho boat at that show was the Greyhound. The Greyhound was actually built right where the Coeur d’Alene resort now stands. We learned that before the resort, the Yandt Boat works operated for over fifty years at the site. Bob Yandt built the Greyhound there in 1921, and it soon became one of the fastest and most famous boats on the lake.
Like the Hapike though, it also fell into disrepair and was eventually purchased by a boat builder in Washington, who waited years before tackling the restoration. Yet again, another Idaho boat came full circle at the international show. The flawlessly restored Greyhound returned to grace the waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene.
These are just a couple of the boat stories we discovered during production of this program; there are many more. We met scores of people with a story to tell about their vintage vessels. They all were inspired by some aspect of the history, beauty or feel of these craft; and they all shared a common trait…they were passionate about wooden boats.
Hear their stories on March 11th when Outdoor Idaho presents “Wooden Boats, Wondrous Lakes”.
An Impressive Lineup of Shows
By Bruce ReichertFebruary 2, 2010
It’s almost impossible to imagine a more diverse group of shows. “Winter Play”... “Wolves in Idaho”... “Hometown Ski Hills”... “Let Me Be Brave”... “Wooden Boats, Wondrous Lakes.”
That’s our line-up through February and into our annual pledge drive in March. Where else can one learn about the ancient sport of curling; the management plan for wolves; the volunteerism that went into creating Bogus Basin and McCall’s little ski hill; the inspiration of the world’s Special Olympics; and the glories of handmade wooden boats on Idaho’s big lakes?
The Nielsen folks tell us that 31,000 viewers each week tune in to watch “Outdoor Idaho.” That number is trending up from a year ago. That tells me Idahoans have good taste!
By now you’ve no doubt heard that severe budget cuts await just about everyone associated with state government. And even though more than 60% of Idaho Public Television’s funding comes from folks cheerfully volunteering their financial support, the state does provide more than 20% of our funds to keep the statewide system humming along. State money pays for administration and upkeep of those five big transmitters and 42 repeater translators scattered across the many mountaintops of Idaho.
Idaho is a state parceled from many, wrote the author Vardis Fisher. And it’s certainly true that Idaho’s story is complicated by its geography and geology.
But it’s a story that needs to be told.
This month I hope you’ll agree, my colleagues have done a wonderful job telling Idaho’s story.