Shortly after World War II, a gentleman by the name of H. Tracy Balcom enlisted Glen E. Furness, the naval architect at Hutchinson Boat Works in Alexandria Bay, NY, to design a boat for him. It was to be a custom power boat for Balcom to use for fishing and recreation in the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence. Furness went to work and drew up plans for a 25-ft. 6-in. utility with a 7-ft. 8-in. beam, double-planked bottom and lap strake sides that blended beautifully into a full barrel-stern – an extremely rare combination. An ice-box and several lockers were provided for stowage of fish and fishing gear, and an unusual convertible canvas top on wood bows was designed to collapse forward into a concealed compartment located just behind the windshield. Power was provided by a 6-125 Gray Marine engine. The design was designated #142, and as far as is known, only one boat was ever built from that design. That build was executed in 1949 by Grew Boats, Ltd. of Pentanguishene, ONT, Canada as hull #3412. The boat’s name, Royal Amber, was found during restoration, barely visible on the transom. The boat spent the next 25 years in the Thousand Islands and during that time it was regularly maintained by Hutchinson. In 1974, the boat was acquired by a Paul Schumacher of Rochester, NY with the intention of restoring it. He used the boat very little, and never got around to its restoration. Three years later he put it in storage at Sill’s Marina on Sodus Bay, and in 1981, he gave it to FLC member Stew Sill, owner of the marina, as compensation for storage! In 1998, Stew sold the marina, built himself a shop at his home on the west side of the bay, moved the boat from storage into the shop and undertook its restoration as a major retirement project. Stew’s objectives were to restore the boat to the highest standards while retaining originality, but using modern technologies for increased reliability, safety and performance. That project began in 2000, and over the next six years he worked steadily on the boat doing a first- class, bottom-up restoration. The keel, ten web frames and 35 intermediate frames were replaced -- all in white oak. A new3M 5200 bottom was installed, but surprisingly, the ½” mahogany topsides were still in excellent condition. They were saved and refastened with silicon bronze rivets. Decks are all original mahogany and were reinstalled with 3M 5200 seams. Through the years, the boat retained all of its original hardware (most of which was replated), including an Iva-Lite and a deck- mounted Perko siren. The original Stewart- Warner instrument panel was retained, but all new S-W “wing” gauges were installed. In a nod to practicality and reliability over authenticity, the boat’s Gray Marine engine was replaced with a new 300hp Crusader which Stew found on e-Bay at a bargain price. The power train was fleshed out with 1:1 Velvet Drive transmission, and new stainless shaft, prop and strut bearing. And as part of the concession to modern power, the boat’s original floor-mounted shift lever was replaced with a Morse single-lever control. The new engine also required a twelve- volt electrical system including bilge blower, bilge pump and new wiring throughout. Research into the source of the name Royal Amber has uncovered the fact that H. Tracy Balcom, Jr, the original owner, was President and CEO of the Wiedemann Brewery, in Newport, KY from 1938 until it merged in 1967 with Heileman Brewery. For many years before and during the time that Mr. Balcom was CEO, Wiedemann was prominent in the Newport community and their flagship beer was named “Royal Amber.” To round out the restoration, new “tuck & roll” upholstery was installed and battleship linoleum covered the cockpit soles. The result was “A sweet running boat,” according to Stew. “That new Crusader really made a perfect engine for this boat!” Stew now had himself what he called the Ultimate Picnic Boat for casual use and pleasant afternoons on Sodus Bay and Lake Ontario. But that’s not the end of the story. Enter Ed Leroux! For 30 years, Ed Leroux had been active in boating, mostly sailing. Much of that time was spent on Sodus Bay, but through reassignments and relocations with Xerox, he sailed in San Francisco, Southern California and Long Island Sound. As children and grandchildren became sailors (or at least enjoyed the water), it became clear that he and his wife, Anne, needed a water-side cottage to handle the crew. In 1996, they bought their summer place on Le Roy Island which gave them the opportunity to have more space for the kids than just the sailboat at Sodus Bay Yacht Club where they had been and still are members. It also gave Ed a place for smaller wooden boats -- an interest that he had held for some time. His first wooden boat was (and still is) a 12-ft. Penn Yan Swift replica built in 1997 by Victory Boats of Victory, NY. “As a kid, it was the first boat I remember my dad owning on the St. Lawrence.” Ed’s second woode