Glasspar Avalon
With his deep respect and passion for classic boats, Robert Capra Jr. was an ideal candidate to bring a 1958 Glasspar Avalon back to life.
July 1, 2005
The conversation had played out many times before. Martin Wick, owner of Wicks Pipe Organ Co.,
would ask his regional manager, Bob Capra Jr., if he was interested in his old boat. He knew of
Bob's deep commitment to the old boat hobby and his profound love of anything belonging on the
water.
On a trip to Highland, Illinois, home of the Wicks Company, Bob spent the day working with
Mr. Wick when the question came up again, and Bob decided to take a closer look.
'It was out at his estate,' says Bob. 'We came to a barn, and he swung the door open. When we
got closer, the light showed a very classy boat, very unique. It had that period look to it ... no
fins or anything like that, just a really nice-looking boat. The light blue finish was perfect for
the style and age of the boat.'
Martin Wick admitted that the all-original 1958 Glasspar Avalon hadn't been used in some
time, but he thought that it should run OK. He wanted Bob to have it.
Martin Wick, in his own way, was ensuring his Glasspar would make it back to the water; he
knew Bob's passion for old boats and deep respect for things that hold meaning. Bob was the one
person he could trust to bring it back to life.
When Glasspar founder Bill Tritt designed the Avalon, he knew it would make a nationwide
impact. His theories about leisure time, the possible four-day work week, and the changing face of
American recreation stood for what the '50s were all about.
He founded Glasspar in 1947, and started producing fiberglass masts and spars. His first love
was sailing; only later did he see the potential that powered craft would present. He studied the
designs and workings of L. Francis Herreschoff and developed a 'displacement keel' formula for his
planing outboard-powered hull designs.
The Glasspar boats that Bill Tritt was developing utilized the small details. There was a
specific purpose and function for every part of each boat. Tritt, considered by many to be the
spiritual leader of Glasspar, left the company in the early '60s. He moved on to a successful
career doing other things he enjoyed, still working in the marine and plastics field, always
marching to the beat of his own drum.
Without its maverick leader, Glasspar soon found itself in financial trouble. In 1966, with
sales over $6 million, Glasspar still suffered a staggering $767,333 net loss. In October of 1966,
Larson Boats of Little Falls, Minnesota, moved in and purchased the assets of the struggling boat
company.
Bob Capra now had a boat that came from the pinnacle of times at Glasspar. With a design from
the board of Bill Tritt, combined with the craftsmanship of a workforce dedicated to Tritt's
details, this particular Glasspar Avalon was also a boat that had the attention of a caring owner.
An avid member of the Antique & Classic Boat Society, Bob soon called on fellow members to
assist him with this new project. Two members of the Dixieland chapter, David Anderson and Scott
Thudium, helped Bob get the Avalon back in good condition.
Out on the water again, it wasn't long before Bob knew this classic Avalon belonged at the
ACBS shows. Affirmation came in the form of a 'Best Outboard' division win in its first showing at
the 2000 ACBS Pickwick Dam Show on the Tennessee River.
'It was really neat,' explains Bob. 'Martin and Barbara Wick came to the show. You could
really tell that the boat was still very special to them. They told me that the boat brought back
so many fond memories.'
That's what boating is all about. It's not just about the excitement of the here and now '
it's about the excitement of today that will continue to carry on forever.