A lasting legacy for Lymans

VERMILION — Consider this preservation project an ultimate tribute to Lyman-style boats and their lasting legacy on the Great Lakes.At Moes Marine Service on Liberty Avenue in Vermilion, a multi-person crew in October started restoring a worn 30-foot seasoned Islander Flybridge Lyman, which sustained some serious damage after 50 years of wear and tear. An area boat owner contracted with Moes Marine staff to perform the work.But what's so special about this particular job?Employees are installing a new bottom with original materials, tools and planking patterns coming straight from the original Lyman boat factory in Sandusky. The waterfront operation on First Street stopped producing wooden boats almost 50 years ago.During an interview, Mike Moes, left, stands next to his father, Tom, at Moes Marine Service in Vermilion on Feb. 7, 2018. Pictured in the background, they're part of a team repairing a 30-foot Lyman Islander Flybridge boat with the original tools and materials coming from the former Lyman boat factory in Sandusky. They're in essence replicating factory-style building standards and assembly methods to repair this Lyman, a feat they believe has never been accomplished before."The crew at Moes Marine are the first to use these specific, original Lyman Boat Works patterns since 1972," project coordinator Ryan Koroknay said. "This is an amazing testament to the craftsmanship of Lyman in not only the boats they built but the custom tooling (engineers) designed and used to mass produce these boats. Even after 45-plus years, and with the advent of computer and robots, the original patterns and tooling still produce a perfect fit."Tom Moes fastens a plank to the ribs of a 30-foot Lyman Islander Flybridge boat at Moes Marine Service in Vermilion on Feb. 7, 2018. Moes is part of a team tasked with repairing a Lyman boat with the original tools and materials, which came from the former Lyman boat factory in Sandusky.Earlier this month, Ryan's father, Tom, who lives in Lexington, Ohio, traveled to Vermilion. He helped Moes Marine staff train with and get accustomed to these tools, including the factory's original jigs and templates."Normally, we would make up planks by taking the old one apart and try to save some of the planks as patterns," Tom said. "It's accurate, but it's time-consuming. But if we have a pattern to work with, which we do, and through using these tools, we can do it much faster and just as accurate."John Moes holds a plank while working on repairing a Lyman boat at Moes Marine in Vermilion on Feb. 7, 2018. Moes is part of a team tasked with repairing a Lyman boat (on the left) with the original tools and materials, which came from the former Lyman boat factory in Sandusky. Tom — who's known as "Doc Lyman" by the boating community because he owns dozens of Lymans and even authored a book, "Lyman Boats: Legend of the Lakes" — spoke about his fondness for this style of watercraft."They are very 'sea-kind,'" Tom said. "You can run them at a greater speed than you can a normal boat under the same conditions, and it won't be rough. If the light strikes them the right way, and because there are so many surfaces, you get interesting reflections projected onto the water. I also love the craftsmanship involved with them, from the color to the varnish and the shine. There is not a better looking boat on a lake."Mike Moes, left, and Tom Koroknay work together as Koroknay uses a power-hand planer on a plank at Moes Marine Service in Vermilion on Feb. 7, 2018. The two are part of a team tasked with repairing a Lyman boat with the original tools and materials, which came from the former Lyman boat factory in Sandusky. The Koroknays wanted to partner with Moes Marine Service, in operation since 1938, because of its "stellar reputation" for repairing boats, especially Lymans."We service them quite often, but it's interesting to have Tom here, sharing his story on how he got involved and the history of the boat," Moes Marine president Mike Moes said. "These patterns and templates also help reduce labor and overhead, which is helping us be smart and efficient. Normally, this project would take about a year, but we can probably finish it by spring."Saw dust shoots out of a hand power planer as Tom Koroknay shapes a plank for a Lyman boat at Moes Marine Service in Vermilion on Feb. 7, 2018. Koroknay is part of a team tasked with repairing a Lyman boat with the original tools and materials, which came from the former Lyman boat factory in Sandusky.It's important to Mike the project ends before boating season begins. He wants his customer to enjoy the maximum amount of time on this restored Lyman in hopes of creating new and fond memories."I like seeing families enjoy time together on the water, and there is that nostalgia where parents and kids recalling their youth," Mike said. "Our specific purpose, with this job and others, is to make sure people can enjoy their boats, and we want to help them do that."Wood planks lay across each other as a team inside Moes Marine Service in Vermilion prepare to install them on a 30-foot Lyman Islander Flybridge boat on Feb. 7, 2018. Several people are tasked with repairing the boat with the original tools and materials, which came from the former Lyman boat factory in Sandusky.To further celebrate the Lyman legacy, Ryan and Tom want to eventually find a lakeside location in honoring their storied history."We are in the planning stages of opening some sort of Lyman boat museum and/or brewery in the Sandusky or Marblehead area," Ryan said.Mike Moes lays on the ground as he holds up a plank to install on a 30-foot Lyman Islander Flybridge boat at Moes Marine Service in Vermilion on Feb. 7, 2018, in Vermilion. Moes, the company's president, is part of a team tasked with repairing a Lyman boat with the original tools and materials, which came from the former Lyman boat factory in Sandusky.History lesson: Lyman boatsAn excerpt from Lymanboat.com provides context on the history of Lyman boats and their legacy in Sandusky:The Lyman Boat Works was founded in Cleveland in 1875 by Bernard Lyman and his brother Herman. The company started out building its famous "clinker built" lapstrake rowboats for local liveries along the Cleveland waterfront.Lyman later moved to Sandusky in 1929 and survived the Great Depression, constructing an assortment of custom cruisers and sailboats. Bernard's son William "Bill" Lyman took the reins of the company and, when in Sandusky, propelled the business into one of the premier wooden boat manufacturers throughout the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, building production outboard and inboard models ranging from 13 feet to 30 feet in length.The company ceased building wooden boats from a factory on First Street in 1973 and switched to fiberglass. From 1875 through 1973, the factory produced about 60,000 boats.In 1988 and 1989, after several ownership changes, the then-owner of Lyman wanted to dissolve all remains of the wooden boat production.Tom Koroknay happened to be in the Lyman boat restoration business at that time and was presented with a deal "he couldn't refuse" and one that would change the course of his business for years to come. It took several good friends, along with their trucks and trailers, but, over the course of several months and several trips between Sandusky and his shop in Lexington, Ohio, Tom hauled out the entire Lyman boat archives pertaining to wooden boat production.He has since used many of the original patterns and tooling in his restoration business over the past 35-plus years and wrote the historical book on the company's history, "Lyman Boats: Legend of the Lakes."Tom takes pride in owning and possessing the original Lyman Boat Works archives, including hull records, blueprints, photographs, patterns, jigs, and tooling all used to build these iconic boats.From finishing products, fasteners, and an abundance of original hardware; to handcrafted wooden parts from the original Lyman Boat Works tooling; to trademarked Lyman apparel and accessories and historical Lyman collectibles, you can find it all here.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.