A docu-series uncovering how Gilded Age fortunes, regional
craftsmanship,
and dedicated stewards turned the Adirondacks into
a sanctuary for wooden boats.
A docu-series uncovering how Gilded Age fortunes, regional
craftsmanship,
and dedicated stewards turned the Adirondacks into
a sanctuary for wooden boats.
In the Gilded Age, tucked deep within the sheltered forests of the Adirondacks, America's wealthy elite found refuge on the region's crystal-clear waters.
These prominent families transformed the lakes into a stage for nautical competition, cultivating a culture of annual regattas, bespoke craftsmanship, and constant, friendly one-upmanship.
We explore the surviving Gilded Age estates, capturing the historical weight of these homes, the families who built them, and the extraordinary fleets they commanded.
This documentary series embeds with multi-generational boatbuilders who helped make the Adirondacks a sanctuary for wooden boats.
At one legendary restoration shop, former Hacker-Craft master boatbuilder Tim Gautreau works beside his son, Thor, restoring century-old boats by Hacker-Craft, Riva, Elco, Fay & Bowen, and Chris-Craft.
These fragile survivors of a vanished golden age demand patience, precision, and an increasingly rare kind of craftsmanship.
Finally, we anchor the story with the modern stewards of these vessels - owners who see themselves not as possessors, but as guardians of history, devoted to preserving the boats entrusted to them.
We step aboard the Adirondacks' most beloved vessels, capturing the visceral thrill of gliding across the water in century-old mahogany masterpieces - while experiencing the rebirth of wooden boatbuilding aboard modern Gar Wood and Hacker-Craft runabouts, handcrafted here in the region.
For these owners, stewardship means passing down the memories, traditions, and history held within each vessel from one generation to the next.
Follow along as the docuseries comes together with behind-the-scenes footage, restoration updates, and the full episodes as each one wraps production & edit.