I always enjoy seeing photos and hearing about the wonderful trips and adventures taken by those I know.
Yesterday, my longtime special projects producer, Judy Morris, shared images from a recent trip to Lake Tahoe, where she had the opportunity to see a cherished family heirloom return to the water - a 1928 Hacker-Craft 26-foot Triple Cockpit Runabout named THRILL. The boat was once owned by Judy’s late father and, before him, her grandfather, making its return to service an especially meaningful occasion for her and her family. THRILL had undergone an extensive two-year restoration under the careful supervision of her new owner, Preston Smith, and the talented team at Northwest Classic Boats. Today, THRILL is back in the water and is a remarkable example of early 20th-century American wooden boatbuilding, admired for her rarity, exceptional craftsmanship, elegant design, and historical significance.
Enjoy these photos and THRILL's story.
This is THRILL after her latest two year restoration. Hacker‑Craft boats were hand‑built by the Hacker Boat Company, founded by naval architect John L. Hacker in 1908. The triple cockpit runabout was one of Hacker’s signature configurations, offering two forward cockpits and a walk‑through aft cockpit – a layout that provided space, comfort, and versatility.
THRILL was originally purchased in 1928 by Judy’s great grandmother, and given to Judy’s grandfather, Judson Morris, for his 18th birthday. Over several years, Judson campaigned THRILL throughout Maine, competing in numerous boating races and winning multiple championships.
After retiring from racing in 1935, Judson placed the boat in dry storage for 58 years, where it was protected from the elements and remarkably preserved.
In 1989, Judy’s father, Jay, took the boat out of retirement and began its first restoration. He enjoyed THRILL, cruising the coastal waterways of Maine for more than 10 years before being put in dry storage once again. Here is Jay in 2024 with THRILL and Cecil who helped him find a new owner who would appreciate both her history and heritage.
THRILL was sold to classic wood boat enthusiast, Preston Smith, who traveled to Maine and then brought the boat cross-country to California where it would begin another long restoration.
THRILL was entrusted to the talented team of Northwest Classic Boats where it was lovingly restored to its original beauty. Here is the boat in August 2024 before work began.
The 1928 Hacker‑Craft Triple Cockpit Runabout is noted for its rare design, and exceptional craftsmanship. It is one of the most celebrated early 20th‑century American motorboats.
THRILL was stripped down to the bottom. All the interior fittings, decks, floors, trim, and other components were removed, leaving only the frame and old planking.
This is the bottom exterior before it was also stripped.
Work started right away. Rudy Rudloff and his team carefully dismantled the boat, to preserve its original pieces.
By November of 2024, the bottom framing was clamped together to hold the bottom in place for planking.
Here is the boat turned over.
THRILL was beginning to take shape once again.
Restoring and replanking THRILL was a very labor‑intensive process that involved removing old planks, inspecting the hull frame, and installing new ones that match the original curves and joinery of the boat.
The seats were also completely restored.
Here is the boat one year after restoration work began.
The only significant new piece was a modern engine. This is a 375 HP Mercruiser GM V-8 engine.
And here is the boat last July – nearly two years after it was first brought in for restoration. Hacker‑Crafts are built with triple layers of mahogany planking that form the boat’s exterior shell.
Once fully restored, THRILL was finished with multiple coats of hand-brushed varnish.
And last week, it was officially back in service. This 1928 Hacker-Craft 26′ Triple Cockpit Runabout is a timeless work of art combining mahogany craftsmanship, chrome accents, and a century‑old design.
Here’s Judy with her son, Billy, and THRILL’s newest owners Preston Smith and his wife, Joy.
THRILL’s first launch was at the 2026 Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance Show. It was so exciting for Judy and her son to see it back in the water. Here’s Preston ready to start the engine. Out of a group of 60, THRILL was the second oldest boat entered at 98 years. THRILL won a second place trophy for the category “pre-war runabout over 23′ in length.”
Later, the group enjoyed a private ride aboard THRILL on Lake Tahoe.
THRILL started as a birthday gift to a son, went on to championship racing, fun on the water for three-generations, two long restorations, a journey cross-country, and now back in service for a new chapter. Thanks for sharing this story, Judy.
Preserving and maintaining the fencing throughout my farm is an ongoing task.
My pasture fencing is made from 125-year-old white spruce railings that I purchased in Canada. When the fences were originally installed, I paired them with new cedar uprights to provide sturdy support while preserving the character of the old wood. Over the years, some of the posts have naturally deteriorated, so whenever time allows, Pete Sherpa from my outdoor grounds crew replaces them - one at a time to avoid disturbing or damaging the antique pieces.
Here are some photos of the process, enjoy.
I have lots of fencing here at the farm. It surrounds my horse paddocks, my orchard, my vegetable garden, my living maze, and various other trees. The antique railings were constructed into a split rail fence and are in good shape, but some of the cedar uprights are deteriorated, wobbly and no longer support the railings as they should.
Guests always admire these fences. They love the antique style and the well weathered and aged surfaces. The railings are sandwiched between two cedar posts buried deep into the ground.
My donkeys, Friesian horses, and Fell pony get turned out into their paddocks every day, so it is important to maintain the fences and ensure they are all in good condition.
I pay close attention to everything at the farm. My stable manager and I regularly check the posts and mark those that need replacing.
New posts are placed next to any old post in line to be removed.
Pete uses a post hole digger to loosen the soil around the old post. A post hole digger is also known as a clamshell digger, because of its resemblance to the seaside shell.
Pete also removes the old nails connecting the post to the railings.
These four inch nails will be replaced with six inch screws to better secure the wood.
Here is the old post – this end is what was in the ground.
Pete shows how deep the post was buried, and how much deteriorated in the soil.
Here’s a new cedar post ready to be installed.
New screws are drilled into the cross pieces to keep them in place.
Pete does this process carefully and thoughtfully so as not to damage these antique railings.
Here is the three and a half foot hole ready for the new post.
Once the post is placed into the hole, Fernando and Pete adjust it for level, and turn the post so that the nicest side faces out. And no cement is needed.
Pete tamps the soil down as he backfills to make sure everything is tight and secure.
This new post should now last another 20-years.
Finally, Pete uses a STIHL chainsaw to cut off the excess wood at the top, so both posts are level.
STIHL designed and built its first electric chain saw in 1926 and 100 years later, it is still one of its best pieces of equipment. This one is run on an AP 300 S Lithium-Ion Battery, which is powerful and compatible with a wide range of other STIHL tools.
Cedar is extremely durable and holds up well to outdoor weather conditions.
It is very important to maintain all these old fences. They look beautiful in the landscape, but they also keep my handsome steeds safe in their pastures.
I love large urns filled with lush tropical plants.
I have a large and ever-growing collection of tropical plants. During the colder months, they are carefully stored and maintained in special greenhouses. When the warm weather arrives, the plants are brought outdoors - some make the journey to my home in Maine, while others are placed in various locations here at Cantitoe Corners. Displaying potted plants outside this time of year not only adds visual interest to a space, but also boosts plant growth - providing them with more natural light, humidity, and fresh air.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Once spring weather is consistently warm, all my tropical plants come outdoors. This is one of my favorites – the sago palm, Cycas revoluta. It is a popular houseplant known for its feathery foliage and ease of care. Here they are in my stable courtyard. They’re always arranged with enough distance between them so none of them touch.
Below the foliage of the sago palm is the bare section of trunk where leaves were once cut. The rough trunk becomes leafless as it ages.
Sago palm fronds are stiff, deep green, and feather‑like, growing symmetrically from the top of the plant.
In another area of the stable courtyard are my potted Australian tree ferns with their lacy feathery fronds and scale-covered trunks.
Grown for its striking foliage color and texture is the Bismarckia nobilis, or Bismarck Palm. This evergreen palm has broad, rounded, stiff, intensely steel-blue, fan-shaped fronds that can grow to four feet long and wide.
Here are the large leaves of a green colocasia. In contrast to Alocasia, the leaf tip of colocasia points downwards.
Another plant in my tropical collection is Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia nicolai – a species of evergreen tropical herbaceous plant with gray-green leaves that grow up to 18-inches long. The leaves are paddle shaped and split naturally to allow wind to pass through the foliage without uprooting the plant or damaging its roots.
Monstera is recognized by its large, glossy green leaves with natural splits and holes — a look that often gives it the name “Swiss Cheese Plant.”
I also bring out many of my agaves and depending on their size, display them on stone ledges around my home.
This potted succulent outside my carport is underplanted with Lysimachia, a low and fast growing ground cover that spreads and flows nicely over the pot edges.
I have several Norfolk Island Pine trees displayed around the farm. These are large, evergreen conifers with a symmetrical, pyramidal shape, straight trunks, and tiered branches arranged in whorls, with bright green soft, needle-like foliage. Mine are in excellent condition, but these trees cannot thrive in cold weather below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, so they are stored indoors in winter.
Norfolk pine fronds are soft, dark green, awl‑shaped leaves arranged in a tight, overlapping spiral that gives them a feathery, textured appearance.
Here is another Norfolk Island Pine tree displayed beside the carriage road leading to my home. It is underplanted with Dusty Miller, an ornamental plant known for its silvery, woolly foliage.
Here is a blue agave with its long, narrow, fleshy silvery-blue leaves. Do you know… tequila is distilled from the sap of blue agave?
In front of my Hay Barn are potted Phoenix roebelenii, the Pygmy Date Palm. This is a dwarf evergreen palm tree with a slender trunk topped with a crown of fine-textured, arching green fronds.
What makes the Pygmy Date Palm so attractive are the brown, textured trunks. These trunks can grow straight or crooked, depending on how the palm is placed as they tend to curve toward the light.
And under my pool pavilion this time of year – several very large staghorn ferns. The staghorn fern is an unusual and attractive epiphyte that thrives in the tropics. I adore staghorns and over the years have collected quite a few of these magnificent specimens.
Staghorn ferns get their name from the distinctive shape of their fertile fronds, which closely resemble the forked antlers of a male deer or elk.
The plant has basal or shield fronds which are broad and wrap around the plant’s roots to protect them and collect organic matter.
Staghorn ferns are low‑maintenance once established. These plants thrive in bright, indirect light, and benefits from high humidity – they love it here under my pavilion.
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