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bulletOur History

Our family has a long history with wooden boats.  In 1925 our patriarch, Gene Mertaugh, opened a marine sales and repair facility in Hessel, Michigan.  He owned and operated the business from 1925 through 1971, when he turned daily operations over to his sons Jim Mertaugh and Jack Mertaugh.  Jim and Jack operated the business from 1971 through 1990.  In 1990, both the business and the business name (which continues to operate in Hessel) were sold to a third party.  We are not affiliated with the current ownership of that marine sales and repair facility.

bulletOur Present

After a seven year retirement from the business of restoring classic and antique wooden boats, Jim along with sons Tom and Dan, began once again to exercise commercially their lifelong passion and skill for restoring dignity and beauty to wooden boats.  Classic and Antique Boats Ltd. was founded in 2000 by Jim, Tom, and Dan as the embodiment of that passion and has been operating successfully since.  Our company specializes in award-winning restorations.  Click here for a list of boats we have restored that have won awards at boat shows across the country.

bulletOur Team

Jim has spent most of his adult life working on boats in the Hessel area.

Tom has spent his entire adult life (and much of his childhood!) in the business of restoring, refinishing, and mechanically reconstructing wooden boats.

Dan has spent his career in the antique wooden boat business focusing on the mechanical aspects and restoration of wooden boats.  Dan specializes in plank and structural restoration.

The craftsmanship required for quality wooden boat restoration has been handed down through three generations of our family.  Our future rests with the commitment to restore and preserve the beauty of these treasures of boating's past.  We are fortunate to be assisted by a staff of dedicated restoration experts.

bulletUs, Or Our Boats, In The News

08/17/2006 "Uandi Homecoming Story Captures Boat Show Prizes.  Returned to Blain Family, Boat Takes Top Honors at 29th Annual Les Cheneaux Event"....by Amy Polk/The St. Ignace News (http://www.stignacenews.com/news/2006/0817/Front_Page/005.html)

08/10/2006 "Les Cheneaux Show Celebrates Boating Heritage"....The St. Ignace News (http://www.stignacenews.com/news/2006/0810/front_page/001.html)

08/03/2006 "Buddy Has Long Les Cheneaux History"....by Amy Polk/The St. Ignace News (http://www.stignacenews.com/news/2006/0803/people/016.html)

 08/11/2005 "Antique Wooden Boats Highlight This Weekend at Hessel"....by Amy Polk/The St. Ignace News (http://www.stignacenews.com/news/2005/0811/Front_page/003.html)

08/04/2005 "A Les Cheneaux Tradition for 87 Years, Chief Mackinac Featured in Aug. 13 Show"....by Amy Polk/The St. Ignace News (http://www.stignacenews.com/news/2005/0804/News/016.html)08/11/2005

03/22/2004 "New Hessel boat restoration shop reclaims third-generation family trade"....by Jack Storey/The Evening News (http://www.sooeveningnews.com/articles/2004/03/22/news/news04.txt)

 

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Copyright © 1999-2008 Classic and Antique Boats Ltd.
Last modified: February 18, 2008