I built my 26′ sport-fishing Bartender Storm Crow in spare time over the course of 4 years. I was guided through the build by George Calkins’ original drawings and instructions, with crucial advice along the way by Bill Childs, proprietor of the Calkins designs. When I chose the Bartender, I admired the looks and the […]
In the spring of ‘06 I ordered the 19’ Bartender kit and by May of that year had started building the boat. It took less than a year for me to complete it and was one of the most rewarding projects I have ever built. The kit really jump-started the project and made lofting unnecessary. […]
We decided to build the BT-19 after seeing Bill’s beautiful cuddy-cabin version. The frame kit was a great way to get started. The frames fit together quickly and accurately on the jig and the overall kit quality was first-rate. The building process was fairly straightforward. If I got stuck on something Bill was always quick […]
In the early 1960’s I saw advertisements for the Bartender at the back of boating magazines showing the Coast Guard version of the 22’ model. From the description and the pictures I had this design on my deferred wish list. By the middle 60’s I started in boating with a Snipe, then a Venture, then […]
“I’m not much of a fisherman but I know what I like in the “look” of a boat. I’d been looking for a safe boat to restore for my 85+ year old father and mother and the whole family at Lake Tahoe. When I saw the BARTENDER, I just knew this was the boat for […]
“Once in a great while – say, once every one or two generations – something special comes along in the field of human endeavor, something which combines a unique blend of ingenuity and practicality, of creativity and pragmatism, of artist and artisan. For instance, in 1700, it was the violins of Antonio Stradivarius; in the […]
“I first heard of the Calkins BARTENDERS around 1962 or 1963 and when the plans became available I purchased a set for the 19-footer. I started construction in 1965 and launched the boat Labor Day 1967. I read as much as I could about building a boat and then I bought Glen L. Witt’s book […]
Tillamook Headlight Herald Tuesday, February 10, 2009 12:00 am Boatmaker left mark with Bartender Boat model
