Some auctions are transactions. Others feel like the start of something. For the people who love wooden boats, the difference matters—because what they’re chasing isn’t just a finished hull on glassy water, it’s the long, patient work that gets it there: the fairing, the sanding, the search for the right finish, the slow revival of brightwork that had all but given up. This spring, Mecum On Time® is putting a remarkable amount of that work up for grabs.
The American Wooden Boat Restoration Collection opens May 8, 2026, on Mecum’s On Time digital platform—an unusually deep offering aimed squarely at restorers, preservationists and anyone drawn to the craft behind a classic boat.
Three Auctions, Staggered to Reward Patience
Rather than dumping everything into a single sale, Mecum is splitting the collection into three parts: “Boats & Parts,” “Engines, Outboards & Parts” and “Parts & Accessories.” Bidding closes in stages from June 11–13, which gives buyers room to do what seasoned collectors always do anyway—browse, plan, prioritize and figure out exactly where the next project fits before the clock runs out.
A Collection Built on Honesty
Roughly 80 wooden boats, around 150 engines and a deep bench of hard-to-find parts make up the offering, and the range is the whole point. This isn’t a row of trophy winners polished to a mirror shine. It runs from largely intact classics all the way down to bare antique hulls waiting for a second life on the water—and for the right buyer, that candor is exactly what makes it worth showing up for.
These boats don’t pretend. They ask for time, effort and a little vision, and what they give back can’t be purchased finished: a vessel that’s genuinely your own.
The lineup reads almost like a tour through the restoration process itself. At one end sits the 1932 Chris-Craft 18′ Runabout, a stripped hull and a true blank slate—a build from the keel up. The 1930 Chris-Craft 17′ Model 99 lands further along, much of its original hardware still in place, rewarding the kind of buyer who sweats the small stuff. And the 1947 Chris-Craft 25′ Sportsman Sedan, still carrying its Chrysler Marine flat-six, offers a solid foundation for a serious restoration.
Buyers who’d rather get on the water sooner have options too. The 1963 Century 21′ Coronado pairs classic lines with a small-block V-8, while the 1958 Century 18′ Arabian—powered by a Cadillac Crusader and in superb shape—is usable today, with plenty of room to refine over time. And for anyone who wants the reward without the wait, the freshly restored 1954 Chris-Craft 17′ Rocket is a mahogany standout already looking for its next captain.
Engines and the Details That Separate Good from Right
The boats are only half the story. The engine catalog is a roll call of marine history that’s grown genuinely scarce, from a Chrysler Crown Marine Flathead Inline-6 and a Chris-Craft 283 CI V-8 to Gray Marine Fireball, Hercules, Kermath and Cadillac Crusader powerplants—a broad slice of how American boats were powered across the decades.
Then come the parts that finish a restoration and usually take years to track down: navigation lights, gauges, mooring cleats, horns, emblems, propellers, even wooden oars and water skis, much of it original and long out of production. Stewart-Warner instrument cluster panels, original Chris-Craft dashboard panels and period-correct trim are the kind of pieces that quietly separate a good restoration from a proper one.
See It in Person
An in-person preview runs June 4–6, 2026, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET at Bridge Marina, 2 Thompson Lane in Andover, New Jersey. Photos only go so far with boats like these—if you can make the trip, it’s worth it. Each segment also gets an additional viewing on its closing date; details are at OnTime.Mecum.com. Bidding remotely is free and fast, with quick registration and an interface that works from any device.
A Window That Won’t Stay Open
Wooden boats are a finite resource. Every season takes a few more—to neglect, weather or simple wear—and that arithmetic has always shaped the people who care about the ones still afloat. Restoration here is less a hobby than a kind of stewardship: a decision to carry something forward, boat and craftsmanship alike.
With summer coming on, the timing fits. Whether you’ve restored a dozen boats or are sizing up your first, collections like this don’t surface often—and they rarely come around twice. From sound hulls and strong engines to coveted hardware and memorabilia, The American Wooden Boat Restoration Collection is a measured, tempting offering—one that honors the past while leaving the next chapter to whoever’s ready to earn the title of “Captain.”
John Lloyd