Labor of Love Spans Years for Local Woodworkers
The Wood on the Water boat show brought together Sandpoint’s passionate wooden boat community Saturday, where owners shared vessels that represent years of meticulous restoration, careful acquisition, and in some cases, painstaking construction from scratch.
Alan Thompson’s collection tells the story of a lifelong love affair with woodworking that began in middle school. The Nebraska native, who served in the Navy, owns three wooden boats and a handmade canoe—though that canoe now rests in his garage rafters after an unexpected dunking on Round Lake. Thompson’s journey into boat building started with a casual conversation with his wife Lynn at a previous Wood on the Water event. “Honey, I think I could build one of those,” he recalled thinking at the time.
His first wooden boat, a 16-foot vessel, consumed one-and-a-half years of labor. The payoff came when Thompson located and purchased a 1963 Century boat that would demand four-and-a-half years of restoration work. The extent of the restoration became clear when Thompson discovered that only two of the boat’s structural support stringers remained in their original condition—a testament to both the age of the vessel and the comprehensiveness of the work required to bring it back to life. A third boat completed his collection, sourced from Corvallis, Oregon.
Thompson’s commitment to the craft runs deeper still. A napkin holder shaped like a dog—his first woodworking project—holds particular significance. His mother preserved the simple creation for decades, returning it to him before her death, a tangible link to his lifelong passion for working with wood.
Chris-Craft Classics and Strategic Acquisitions
Bill Roberts approached boat ownership from a different angle. The retired Boeing engineer owns a 1956 Chris-Craft Capri named “Sweet Annie,” christened in honor of his wife. Roberts discovered the boat listed under a different name, “Bobby’s Girl,” but saw potential in the classic craft. Following his wife’s advice, he negotiated strategically, offering $10,000 below the asking price—a gamble that paid off.
The significance of Roberts’ acquisition extends beyond sentiment. Chris-Craft built only eight Capris with the cerulean blue interior featured in Sweet Annie, making it a rare example of mid-century American boat manufacturing. The vessel was shipped to Star, Idaho, where Roberts arranged for the name change before taking delivery. When his wife Annie first saw the boat bearing her name, she wept—a moment that encapsulates why these wooden boats mean far more to their owners than fiberglass or modern materials ever could.
Brett Sergeant rounds out the trio of local collectors with three wooden boats of his own: Proto and Finito, which bookend an unusual distinction. These 18-foot Cobras were the first and last examples built by Chris-Craft in 1955, making them chronological brackets for an entire production line. His third vessel, Stiletto, is a Stan-Craft “torpedo” boat, a style that appeals to a particular segment of wooden boat enthusiasts who prize both performance and aesthetics.
Community Celebration of Craftsmanship
The Wood on the Water show draws people who understand that wooden boats represent more than transportation or recreation. They embody hours of skilled labor, strategic patience, and deep attachment to tangible craftsmanship in an era increasingly dominated by mass production and digital entertainment. Each boat on display carries a personal narrative—a marriage proposal sealed by a checkbook, a decades-long restoration project, or a first woodworking experiment preserved by a loving parent.
For Sandpoint and Bonner County, these enthusiasts and their vessels add texture to the community’s identity as a place where old skills still matter, where people invest years in single projects, and where the water remains central to local life and memory. The annual gathering allows neighbors to share not just boats, but the stories that make those boats meaningful.
Related: Sandpoint’s “Pirate” Dan Mimmack, Who Brought Joy to Children on Lake Pend Oreille, Dies at 66