Polishing a gem: 1929 Chris-Craft commuter refurbishment has been completed for $300,000

A classic vessel originally called Althea first crossed water in 1929 for businessman William F. Ladd, who used the Chris-Craft “Commuter Cruiser” to travel from his Long Island, New York, summer home to a Manhattan office.

Different owners over the decades took her elsewhere, but since 2007, the historic wood yacht has graced Lake Coeur d’Alene.

After a recent 14-month, $300,000 restoration, the polished boat now called Willow is ready for new journeys. It’s listed for sale at $425,000 by the current owner, Jerry Gilbreath. Retired from designing, building and racing speedboats, Gilbreath lives part time in Coeur d’Alene and consults for Coeur Custom, which did the restoration and has listed the boat.

“The boat had been on Lake Coeur d’Alene for a number of years. I knew the boat, followed the boat, and I knew the people who owned the boat and how much they loved it,” Gilbreath said. The couple reached out to him when they decided to sell.

Coeur Custom, out of Hagadone Marine Group, has a list of prior owners going back to 1929. Gilbreath bought the boat in 2018 from the Davidson family, owners since 2007 who had brought it to the lake. Gilbreath had admired the 38-foot boat, and he didn’t hesitate when the Davidsons asked him about buying it.

“It was launched in 1929, but on a project boat like that, it probably took a year and a half to two years to build,” Gilbreath said.

“The project was probably started in 1927, so, yeah, in that era, there is some beautiful workmanship of the lines. And the accessories that come along with a boat like that – that were manufactured in those days – are incredibly hard to find.”

Coeur Custom’s detailed, labor-intensive restoration brought life back to those still-intact original features, in a sense time-traveling the classic yacht back to its heyday nickname, “Queen of the Fleet.” A crew of eight at Coeur Custom did the work, including Jim Brown, the shop’s master craftsman who led the project.

“Through all the years, I have developed a great respect for the craftsmen of old – what they did with their hands,” Brown said.

“She has so many interesting features. I believe she was the first cruiser that Chris-Craft built that you can sleep on. She’s got very good bones, and she’s solid throughout.”

The teak decks are brand new, and the team’s work brought glimmer back to the cabin’s mahogany, as well as the hull’s mahogany on oak. It restored the seating for 12 passengers, with upholstery redone in the dark green original style. The sofas convert into four berths for sleeping.

Restoration also spiffed up the bridge deck and aft cockpit. Onboard features include a full galley, and it has a porcelain sink with hand pump, an ice box, cabinets and drawers. Across from the galley is a restroom compartment with a folding, porcelain Pullman-style sink.

The design details throughout – along with still-working features – have stood the test of time, Brown said. It has modern power now, so the controls aren’t all mechanical like they once were.

“We went in and tweaked how the mechanics work, so it’s smooth and easy, and it has a nice feel to it. The steering in this boat is a unique thing. It’s a vertical column for the steering column, and in most of the boats, they’re at an angle.

“This one literally goes straight down through the floor vertical to the world. It’s a beautiful piece of artwork with a wooden wheel, and it has a beautiful chrome metal column.”

Regarding the gear boxes and metal shafts for steering under the floor, the original mechanical steering system still works, Brown said.

Their restorers do quite a bit of research, along with listening to what an owner wants, in doing the custom work, he said. This project needed 14 months partly because of the level of details and in part the boat’s size.

“The end result is it has an unbelievable sensation when she’s out on the water,” Brown said. “She’s a beautiful boat – sound, solid and comfortable. You feel taken care of. She is modern with power that’s responsive to the touch and controls. She gets up and goes.”

But that’s at a pleasure cruiser’s typical 12 to 15 mph speed – it could go up to a low 20 mph, he said. “You’re not trying to go fast; she’s beautiful at 12 to 15 mph; it’s a sweet ride.”

Gilbreath had his hands in some of the restoration work, but mostly it was Coeur Custom. He said the crew put on all new finishes while trying to use as much of the original wood as possible.

“The resort shop does a fabulous job,” Gilbreath said. “I did some work, but not nearly as much as they did. I am kind of a hands-on guy, but I don’t have the time nor the patience to do what they do.

“They put on the most beautiful finish, then they sand it, then put on more finish and sand it again. It’s mind-boggling, but when it’s all finished, it’s pretty incredible. It’s hard to believe it’s 91 years old.”

The Willow is one of the oldest boats Coeur Custom has worked on, but the team has dealt with bigger craft, Brown said. They do some new construction along with restorations and repairs that range from fixing scratches to a fully renovated boat.

“But she is very distinct with her characteristics, the lines, just the whole picture of that boat is just beautiful,” Brown said. “She is such a jewel. She’s not an old boat, but she is an old boat. There’s reliability and the turnkey reliance of a new boat for that vintage of a craft. She’s going to last someone a long, long time.”

Ladd, the original owner, had the vessel until 1931, and it went from New York City to Philadelphia, then back to an owner on Long Island up until 1953. The records after 1953 to 1969 indicate the ownership is unknown but that it was reportedly used as a commercial deep-sea sport fishing vessel.

By 1965 until 1976, the fifth owner had the boat in Mystic, Connecticut. Other owners in the span until 2005 had it in New York, Maryland and Michigan. The boat went west by 2005, to an owner in Friday Harbor, Washington, up until the boat’s home became Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Gilbreath said it’s time for the next person to take the Willow where it should go, which makes it easier to let go.

“Because it’s very rewarding to find it a new home for someone who will love it and appreciate it for where it’s come from, for its past,” he said. “The good news is, until that person comes along, I get to use it.”