1959 Penn Yan - Wood - This is the boat that began our love affair with boating. We could ski behind this boat and really enjoyed it. As you can see in th is picture, our kids were very young when we had this boat!!
The second "Soaring Sun"
1960 Inland Seas - Steel - She was rough when we bought her, as you can see in this photo. We brought her back to her original beauty. She had one engine and was a challenge to manuever!!
The third "Soaring Sun"
1960 Owens Express - Wood - Another boat that was very rough when we bought her. All the varnished wood was painted black and the teak decks were painted white. Once refinished, she was gorgeous. This was our first boat with two engines and she ran like a scared rabbit!
The fourth "Soaring Sun"
1975 Winner - Fiberglass - This was our first fiberglass boat and we were BORED with it. On a wood boat, there is always something to do, fix, varnish. This boat, once cleaned up, was ready to go....How Boring!!! But still fun...
The fifth "Soaring Sun"
34'1967 - Pacemaker - Wood - This was one of our favorites. This boat was a flybridge double cabin and had lots of room. Our kids practically grew up on this boat. She provided years of fun in the sun. The ribs of the boat began to rot. Terry and Terry's brother, Pat, took on the project of replacing the ribs by cutting new oak ribs and steaming them into bows to fit the contour of the bottom. Quite a job and it took several years.
The sixth "Soaring Sun"
38' 1970 Chris Craft Commander - Fiberglass - Our first commander. A Commander hull is known as bullet proof because the fiberglass is so thick. This boat was built during the Chris Craft hey-day and was of fabulous quality. In this photo, she was in Island marina in East Moline, Il
The seventh & current "Soaring Sun"
41' 1977 410 Chris Craft Commander - Fiberglass - This is out latest vessel, another Commander. The model is a flush deck motor yacht. On this model, you can walk to the bow of the boat without stepping up or down from the aft deck. She needs a lot of work but once she's "Sorensen-ized" she will be gorgeous!! She's pretty darn fabulous now, but stay tuned for the transformation.
The "RNR"
38' 1967 Chris Craft Commander - Fiberglass - This was our daughter's boat. She was very neglected, but after lots of elbow grease and new engines, she was another real beauty!!
The view from the aft deck of the 1970 Commander while underway. This photo was taken on the Mississippi River at sunset.
The Sorensen Family Dock!! Ok, Not really. On the left, is out daughter's 1967 38' Commander and on the right is out 1970 38' Commander at Marquis Harbor in Moline, IL
The "Endeavour"
1956 26' Chris Craft Commuter - Wood - This is our daughter's first boat. When she bought the boat, it had been on land for about 10 years and would have better served as an anchor than a boat. After replacing a lot of wood and a stem-to-stern refinishing, she was beautiful. A real classic!! In this photo, she was in Island marina in East Moline, Il
The Family Boat Album
For years, we have enjoyed boating on the Mississippi River. We have been boating for more than 40 years and we have joked that we have river water running through our veins.