For Chris-Craft collectors, Hacker-Craft connoisseurs and other classic boat enthusiasts, Friday, September 13, was an especially lucky day. As part of Woods and Water II, the Antique & Classic Boat Society’s (ACBS) International Show on the Gull Chain of Lakes, guests were invited to an exclusive fundraising dinner for ACBS at the Anderson family’s lakefront compound. Hosted by Lee and Penny Anderson and their son, Nor-Son Custom Builders CEO Andy Anderson, the evening offered an extraordinary opportunity to experience the family’s private boat museum and their majestic, Adirondack-inspired boathouse. Built by Nor-Son Custom Builders with meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail, the museum and boathouse made a stunning backdrop for Baby Horace III, a 1923 International Sweepstakes Racer, Royaleze, a sleek 1929 Ditchburn boat from Canada, and other iconic vessels.
Photography by Scott Amundson
Infused with the Anderson family’s signature warmth and hospitality, the evening began with Champagne and a special cocktail to celebrate the 100th birthday of Baby Bootlegger, a 1924 mahogany runabout and two-time winner of the American Power Boat Association (APBA) Gold Cup Races. After a presentation by Mark Mason, a vintage boat enthusiast who found Baby Bootlegger in a Florida junkyard and restored it to its original glory in 1982, guests dined on fresh seafood, prime rib sliders, paella and other delights as they explored the Andersons’ collection of boats, including Tolka, an impeccably restored 1928 limousine boat built in Alexander Graham Bell’s lab, plus classic cars, rare Native American artifacts and other treasures.
The evening at the Anderson compound was one of the many highlights of the week-long ACBS show, which brought hundreds of enthusiasts and their prized boats from Lake Minnetonka, Lake Michigan, Lake George, Lake Tahoe and other resort lakes across the United States and Canada. Guests enjoyed picture-perfect Minnesota weather, a shoreline cruise, a water ski show, an evening at Fort Mahogany, a private museum founded by Lee’s longtime friend and fellow collector John Allen and a boat show at Allen’s Bar Harbor Supper Club on Gull Lake.
Photography by Steven Lapkin
“Together, Lee Anderson and John Allen have the finest collection of wooden boats in North America, so for antique and classic boat enthusiasts, their private museums are like Versailles and the Louvre,” says Dave Bortner, chair of Woods and Water II. “What sets Lee and John apart from many other boat collectors is that they take their boats out on the lake and use them as they were intended. Restoring a boat so it can be enjoyed on the water requires much more commitment and craftsmanship than simply preserving it for display in a static environment.”
The Anderson family has been part of the Brainerd Lakes community for generations. Lee’s parents bought their first cabin on Nisswa Lake in 1943, and he inherited his love of wooden boats from his father, a passion he passed down to his children and grandchildren. “In 1985, my father bought his first antique wooden boat, a 19-foot 1938 Chris-Craft Sportsman. He christened it Katharine after my mother,” says Andy. “Since then, he’s rescued and restored many wooden boats that are more than a century old. Every boat in his collection is truly one of one — the only one of its kind in existence anywhere in the world. As stewards of these rare boats, my family is honored to be able to preserve, respect and take care of them for the next generation.”
Photography by Steven Lapkin
The ACBS fundraising dinner reflected the Andersons’ commitment to quality, craftsmanship and stewardship — the same values that guide Nor-Son Custom Builders’ process of designing and building custom homes. Working with their clients, architects, interior designers, expert artisans and craftspeople, the Nor-Son team combines science with artistry to create legacy homes that will last for generations.
“Whether we’re refinishing a prize-winning mahogany boat and restoring its original World War II aircraft engine, renovating an ancient log cabin on Gull Lake or building a luxurious modern family home on Lake Minnetonka, we recognize that every project is one of one — a rare opportunity to build an enduring relationship with people who share our passion,” says Andy. “We’re so grateful to the Andersons, Nor-Son Custom Builders, John Allen and Bar Harbor Supper Club for creating these incredible experiences for our members and making Woods and Water II a resounding success,” says Bortner. “As longtime friends, Gull Lake neighbors and fellow vintage boat enthusiasts, their generosity helped take this year’s International Show to the next level. For many of our guests, this show was their first introduction to the Brainerd Lakes area and this uniquely Minnesotan way of life. The opportunity to see many of the world’s most famous vintage boats in person made the week truly memorable.”
