Kresser's 1963 Lyman a piece of Sandusky history

Kurt Kresser enjoys cruising around Lake Erie in a piece of Sandusky history.Kresser, who was born and raised in Sandusky, is the proud owner of a 25-foot 1963 Lyman Sleeper. He's owned it for 18 years, and the classic wood boat is his first."It's fun to keep a piece of Sandusky history going; people enjoy the Lymans," Kresser said. ""This boat allows me to go where I want on the lake. I can go to the islands, fishing, go to the beach. There are so many places we can go right out of downtown Sandusky."The Lyman is the boat for the job."The Lyman, being built for the lake, it has a big V-shaped hull that just cuts right through the waves," Kresser said Thursday during a ride on Sandusky Bay. "Kind of plows through them and rolls through them. It can take any type of lake weather that kicks up. They don't go fast; you don't get anywhere fast in a Lyman, but you get there. There's nothing that rides better on the lake."Kresser, 52, thinks he's the boat's fourth owner. He bought it from Darreld Lewis, spotting it one day while riding his bike."I said, 'Hey, is that boat for sale?' It was like time stood still for days, and he looked up and said, 'Everything is for sale.' "Of course, the Lyman is a wood boat, so that means plenty of upkeep. Kresser doesn't mind."When I was going to purchase a boat I asked 100 people and 99 told me not to buy a Lyman — too much work. You've got to sand, varnish, fix the boards," he said. "I'm a guy who needs projects. Every year I varnish a section of the deck. I don't look at it as work; it's something I enjoy. I don't know what's funner: working on the boat or going out on the lake."Kresser, a funeral director at Groff Funeral Homes, keeps his Lyman in a boathouse in the Cove District."I'm fortunate to have the boat in a boathouse instead of a marina because the sun just bakes the varnish," he said.The deck features plenty of beautiful mahogany and the hull is Marine plywood and white oak. You can sleep on the boat, but as Kresser says, "That's roughing it."The engine is a 1963 188-horsepower AMC Grey Marine engine, something you'd find in an AMC Rambler. Kresser had it rebuilt about eight years ago. Cruising speed is 17-18 mph.One big challenge: "It's a wooden boat, and wooden boats rot. The hardest thing is to replace a plank," Kresser said. "If a plank goes bad, you cut the plank out, form a new plank and piece it back in there and you're back in business. But it's like a never-ending thing. You have to take care of the issue when it occurs."Kresser is quick to point out the mahogany flag pole with a stern light, one of his favorite features on the Lyman."Parts like that, there are only so many out there," he said.Kresser takes his boat out often and takes pride in his clean, dry boat."I keep things clean, but I do use it," he said. "That's part of the character of a boat — some nicks and dings. There's a lot of character in a Lyman boat."Hopefully when I pass it on, that person will take care of the boat for the time he has it. I'm just enjoying it for my period of time."Kurt Kresser has owned his 1963 Lyman Sleeper for 18 years.One of Kurt Kresser's favorite features on his 1963 Lyman is the mahogany flag pole with a stern light. Kurt Kresser's Lyman features plenty of mahogany wood.Kurt Kresser's Lyman was, of course, built in Sandusky.Kurt Kresser keeps his Lyman in a boathouse in Sandusky's Cove District.The Lyman Boat Owners Association boasts a membership of more than 800 members in the United States, Canada and parts of Europe. The engine in Kurt Kresser's Lyman in a 188-horsepower AMC Grey Marine engine from an AMC Rambler.Kurt Kresser checks the fuel level on his boat with his "dipstick."Sleeping on the 1963 Lyman is "roughing it," said owner Kurt Kresser.Kurt Kresser says he takes his Lyman out of the lake "as often as I can."