Bye bye Correct Craft

[lpskier]

The old Correct Craft factory on South Orange Avenue in Orlando is finally being torn down. Sad in a nostalgic way but a positive development for the community. What’s next?

 

[OldGuysRule]

Brings back memories! I bought a 2000 Nautique and took the factory tour at that site. Their offices were in an old 2 story motel. As time marched on, they bought the next building in the block and then the next building in the block, etc. So when building a boat, they would move the boat from building to building as the boat progressed. It was so inefficient and appeared unorganized, I couldn't believe it. I also toured the new factory in later years....what an improvement.

[Bookm_dano]

Great memories.. went by that factory every morning on my way to high school in the 70's. Skiing on lake Conway, would watch the factory guys launch and water test every boat at the public ramp a few hundred yards from the factory... Bare hulls with no paint or interior... Cool stuff to watch.

[kc]

@lpskier You should consider journalism as your retirement career. You know how to write attention grabbing headlines!

[Jody_Seal]

Yes... I have many memories of that place. Mostly all good.

Thousands of boats came out of that factory over the 75 years it was in operation. My kids miss the Christmas party's and Mr Ralph delivering words of faith and brotherly love.

It is time the old factory comes down, the area is in need of some urban revitalization and clean up.

I still have a industrial oak desk that came out of one of the old plant offices.

[jhughes]

What was the last year of operation?

[Orlando76]

@jhughes seems like I recall ‘06? I remember going by there in the 80’s and early 90’s with dad, especially Saturday mornings, and just basically walk in and see the guys and the boats as we pleased. Boy times have changed. I think they still own the 2 story which held the office operations but it’s all leased out to other businesses now. Gary still has the dealership which was SECC but who knows what’s going on with it now, sad at the least. Jeff and Mark are going to break ground on a new Nautique dealership any day and that’s been a 3 year process, 3 steps forward, 2 steps backward, that I’ve been directly involved with. Times are progressing and frankly I think it sucks, take me back to 1990.

[buoyboy1]

Interesting read...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correct_Craft

 

[Siouxcitysmitty]

Used to drive by there on the way to work every morning in the early '90's. Something therapeutic about the smell of fiberglass resin and the sight of stacks of crated V8's.

[lpskier]

Long before I moved to Orlando, if I was driving around and got lost going from ski site to hotel during spring break, somehow I always found my way to the CC factory. It was like a vortex, or had a homing beacon. Once I saw the factory, I had my bearings. Now a live about two miles away.